Leaving the forest, after a short walk, the two came to another fork in the road.
At this moment, there were two paths before Natsui.
If they followed the current direction, continuing west along the road for a few kilometers, they would reach a protected area called the National Park.
That was the paradise for Bug-type Pokémon in the Johto region, home to many of them. It was said that at this time every year, the officials would hold a Bug-Catching Contest there.
The participants would use the Park Balls provided by the park to catch Bug-type Pokémon everywhere in the park. And after a battle and judging, the final winner would not only get to keep the Pokémon they had caught but also receive a beautiful prize from the park.
Because of the generous rewards and the chance to get a free Pokémon, the contest attracted many participants every year. And small vendors, seeing this business opportunity, would also choose to set up stalls at the park entrance at this time, selling small gifts and various foods to make a little extra money.
It could be said that now was the busiest time for the park.
Unfortunately, Natsui had no Bug-type Pokémon he wanted to catch at the moment, so he had no plans to go there. And Erika, as a Grass-type Gym Leader, also kept a respectful distance from Bug-type Pokémon. Therefore, after a brief discussion, the two of them turned north and followed the other path towards Ecruteak City.
…
Ecruteak City—a town steeped in history.
As an ancient city in the northern part of the Johto region, Ecruteak City was located in the forest between Mt. Mortar and the large plain on the west coast of Johto.
It was known as a city of history and culture, so it was not filled with tall buildings and modern facilities like other cities, but instead featured traditional Japanese architecture as its main characteristic.
As the sun set in the west, Natsui and Erika walked on the slightly quiet streets.
After arriving in this city, as far as the eye could see, whether it was the streets or the buildings, everything was ancient and quaint, full of a sense of history.
Rows of wooden-tiled houses and various towering pagodas, stone bridges, and stone-paved roads became the main theme here.
Even though it wasn't a festival or holiday, there were still many people on the street at this time, wearing kimonos and wooden clogs, strolling around leisurely.
Seeing these people, Natsui couldn't help but glance at Erika again.
In the canal on the side, the water was clear to the bottom, flowing quietly with a soft sound.
At this moment, Erika was still wearing her form-fitting kimono, which was convenient for travel. It was very similar to the attire of the people here, as if she were a local.
There was no sense of incongruity at all…
Noticing his gaze, Erika turned to look at him.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just feel that you and this city are a good match."
Erika smiled faintly but said nothing.
She also liked it here very much. The slow pace made one feel very peaceful.
As the two went deeper into the city center, Natsui and Erika took out their travel guides and read as they walked.
The guide was very clear. The most famous places in the city were the Bell Tower and the Tin Tower, representing the places where Pokémon awaken and sleep, respectively. And these two towers were also the tallest buildings here. One was in the east of the city, and the other in the west, echoing each other, and had long since become a solemn part of the city.
It was said that the two towers were built 700 years ago for the friendship between humans and Pokémon. When people stood on top of the towers, they could clearly appreciate the magnificent view of the entire city.
And according to the folk tales of the Johto region, Ho-Oh and Lugia once lived on top of these two towers.
But unfortunately, 150 years ago, a bolt of lightning struck the Tin Tower, causing a great fire. The fire burned for three whole days and three nights. Although it was finally extinguished by a heavy rain, most of the tower was destroyed, leaving only a few ruined walls on the ground.
The rest of the story was obviously even more widely known.
In the fire, three unknown Pokémon were burned to death but were then resurrected by the Ho-Oh that descended from the sky. And this was the legend about the origin of Entei, Suicune, and Raikou.
Since then, Ho-Oh and Lugia had left Ecruteak City. And the people here, for some unknown reason, had not rebuilt the Tin Tower, so the ruins had been preserved as they were and had slowly come to be called the Burned Tower.
Of course, the legend might have a certain degree of exaggeration and artistic license and was not necessarily the truth.
At the very least, Natsui remembered that there seemed to have been more than one Suicune in this world.
But at the mention of Ho-Oh, his anger flared up.
After all, that guy Ho-Oh had just recently stopped him from catching the three legendary beasts.
Hmph, Ho-Oh, you'd better not let me run into you here.
I still have a score to settle with you.
Beside him, seeing Natsui lost in thought, Erika asked, "Where are we going now? Are we going straight to challenge the gym?"
Just like other big cities in the Pokémon world, Ecruteak City also had an official gym. The Gym Leader was Morty, who specialized in Ghost-type Pokémon. After defeating him, trainers could get the Fog Badge from him.
But at this time…
Glancing at the setting sun, Natsui shook his head.
"It's not a good time to go to the gym now. And I'm a bit hungry too. In any case, let's find a place to stay first."
Erika nodded. The two walked to the end of the road and happened to see an inn.
While checking in, the innkeeper, hearing their out-of-town accents, couldn't help but say with a cheerful smile, "You two guests have come at just the right time."
"Oh?" Erika looked at him. "Why do you say that?"
The innkeeper said mysteriously, "Tonight at the Ecruteak Dance Theater, there's a stage performance by the five Ecruteak sisters. If you're free, you definitely can't miss it."
The five Ecruteak sisters?
Natsui stroked his chin.
Because he had seen the anime, he naturally knew about these five girls. He remembered that these five were also called the Eevee sisters.
It seemed to be five girls in kimonos, accompanied by their Eevee, dancing on stage.
And Erika, who had never heard of this before, was naturally very puzzled.
She asked, "A stage performance? Are they very famous?"
"Huh? You guests don't know?" The innkeeper, seeing Erika's surprised look, scratched his cheek. "Ah, I forgot you're not from around here. How should I put it? The five Ecruteak sisters are not just famous here, but also throughout the entire Johto region. They're the stars of our Ecruteak City."
At this point, the innkeeper, as if lovesick, had a look of longing on his face and continued, "Sigh, five cute and beautiful girls, all dressed up, dancing gracefully in the spotlight. It's truly a pleasing sight. Once you've seen it, you definitely won't be disappointed."
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