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After a night of rest, Liam and Delia set out again early in the morning, heading toward their next Gym destination — Ecruteak City.
Ecruteak City is an ancient capital located in the northern part of the Johto Region. It is filled with old architecture and many ancient sites. While not all of them are official ruins, the city is world-famous because many rare historical relics have been unearthed there.
Within Ecruteak lies the Ecruteak Gym, which was Liam and Delia's next target.
Leaving Goldenrod City, the path ahead led into a dense forest. In Liam's memory, this forest was said to be home to Sudowoodo.
To Liam, Sudowoodo was quite a peculiar Pokémon. It looked exactly like a tree, but in truth it was Rock-type. That alone was odd enough, but what impressed him most was from when he used to play the games — the unforgettable sight of Sudowoodo "surfing" across the sea.
However, by the time Liam and Delia made their way through the forest, they hadn't seen even a single Sudowoodo. That left Liam slightly disappointed, and he silently vowed that if he ever had the chance in the future, he absolutely had to capture one and train it!
Afterward, once they emerged from the forest, the two arrived at the half-open ruins marked on the map: the vast Ruins of Alph.
This was an extensively excavated ancient site. When Liam and Delia arrived, they saw many people carrying tools of all kinds, conducting archaeological studies at various points throughout the ruins. The scene was lively and bustling.
Liam knew a little about the Ruins of Alph. They were incredibly ancient, dating back to prehistoric times. What people were currently excavating was only the surface layer of the ruins, where they could find fossils of ancient Pokémon. But the deeper levels would likely require decades more work to uncover. That deeper part was said to be the true Ruins of Alph, where countless Unown slumbered — rumored to hold mysterious and extraordinary powers.
Without disturbing the archaeologists too much, Liam and Delia stayed nearby for one night before continuing their journey.
The distance between Goldenrod City and Ecruteak City was far greater than that between Azalea Town and Goldenrod. Even the Sudowoodo Forest alone was larger than the Ilex Forest. It had taken them an entire day just to get through it. By comparison, if not for Ash showing up and delaying them back in Ilex Forest, they wouldn't have needed nearly as much time.
The next morning, the two left the Ruins of Alph and pressed onward, eventually arriving at a forest that felt almost like a tropical rainforest. And what appeared before their eyes was—
"So… so hot…"
Walking through the forest was like stepping into a steaming oven. Delia was already wilting from the heat, her face weary as she complained to Liam.
"Yeah, it really is hot… It almost feels like we've wandered into the tropics. What on earth is going on?"
Liam also found it strange. He looked up at the sun, which seemed normal, and frowned in puzzlement.
Gurgle gurgle… gurgle gurgle…
As they reached the heart of the forest, the sound of bubbling water suddenly drew their attention.
"Wow! Is that… a hot spring?!"
Pushing aside the bushes, they found themselves standing before a vast natural hot spring, steam rising enticingly from its surface. Delia gasped in delight at the sight.
"Tch, who would've thought there'd be a hot spring in a place like this… truly unexpected…"
Liam was equally stunned. He glanced around but saw no signs of volcanic activity, which made him wonder how the hot spring even came to be.
"At a time like this, who cares?! Ugh, we've been on the road for two days straight! My feet hurt, my body's covered in sweat… Liam, didn't we bring swimsuits? Let's go in together!"
Completely captivated by the hot spring, Delia grabbed Liam's hand, shaking it excitedly as she begged.
"Of course!"
There was no way Liam could refuse such a request.
After a bit of preparation, they changed into the swimsuits they had originally packed for the beach and joyfully slipped into the hot spring, soaking in comfort.
"Mmm~ This feels amazing~ It's like I've been reborn~"
Delia's entire body was submerged, only her head sticking out of the water, her face radiating satisfaction.
"Hah-oh~ hah-oh~"
Just then, a Pokémon's cry came from the edge of the hot spring.
Startled, Liam and Delia turned to look. By their belongings on the shore stood a curious purple Aipom, cocking its head as it examined them with great interest.
"Ah~ It's an Aipom! A wild Aipom! This little guy is so adorable! Ever since I first saw one at Mr. Howard's place, I've loved it. Today I have to catch it!"
Delia instantly perked up with excitement. She leapt to her feet in the spring and instinctively reached behind her waist to grab a PokeBall — only to realize…
"Eh? Haha… I forgot. My PokeBalls are with the luggage…"
Her hands met only bare skin. She suddenly remembered she had left her PokeBalls with their clothes and packs.
Liam: "..."
"Hah-oh hah-boo~"
The Aipom chuckled slyly, covering its mouth as if mocking them. Then, with a flick of its long tail, it suddenly scooped up all of Liam and Delia's belongings — clothes, packs, and PokeBalls included — and darted around as though preparing to bolt.
"Ah! No way! That's all of our stuff! You can't take that! Cyndaquill, quick, stop it!"
Panicked, Delia jumped out of the hot spring barefoot and shouted at her PokeBall.
"Cynda!"
With a cute cry, her Cyndaquil popped out of its PokeBall and landed right in front of Aipom, eyes narrowed and arms outstretched as if blocking its path.
By now, Delia had caught up, glaring at the mischievous Aipom. Anger bubbled up in her chest as she yelled:
"Don't let it escape! We'll teach this naughty brat a lesson today. Let it know that stealing other people's things is wrong! Go, Cyndaquill, use the Flamethrower we just learned!"
"What?! No, Delia! Not Flamethrower! Our clothes are still with it!"
Liam, who had been lounging at the spring's edge to watch the show, instantly broke into a cold sweat. Horrified, he shouted to remind her that their clothes were still wrapped in Aipom's tail!
But it was already too late. At Delia's command, Cyndaquil's back erupted in flames, and it opened its mouth wide, unleashing a roaring torrent of fire!
"Cyn~ da!!"