The onsen is certainly refreshing.
Yet Baimu hasn't forgotten the real reason he came to Lavaridge Town—
The Gym challenge.
Having only earned three badges after traveling for such a long time is somewhat hard to justify; progress may be even slower than Ash Ketchum.
But there was no other way. In between training Mawile, they each remained in different cities for considerably long periods, ranging from a week to over half a month.
Especially in Verdanturf Town this time.
Not only did they smoothly get through the Double Blue simulation, they even completed three ordinary simulations. At this rate, they'll soon face another round of blue simulations.
And after much consideration, he decided not to wait for the next round of blue simulations before starting the Gym challenge. Zweilous recently reached Level 57, and with the previous five-level reward, that's Level 62.
Dr. Yamanashi once said level can facilitate evolution, but it's not the absolute factor influencing evolution. Therefore, he believed being off by two levels wouldn't be much of an issue.
The key is Zweilous's desire and will to evolve.
Baimu planned to let Zweilous shine in this Gym opportunity... and Blissey, and perhaps even give Porygon a chance to fight, if possible.
Even though the battles might be somewhat arduous, he believed they would surely bring him ultimate victory.
Having packed his things, Baimu prepared to go out and sign up, glancing at Lei Gong, who was still soaking in the onsen, eyes closed without moving. This guy hadn't moved a bit since getting in—
That's not entirely accurate; he comes out for meals, and only for meals does he show the most enthusiasm.
Grooming and petting come next.
Anyway, this guy is practically stationed at the onsen pool and won't go for walks, even though the wilderness is just on the other side of a wooden wall.
"Are you planning to stay in the pool all day?"
Baimu shouted at Lei Gong before closing the door, "Not going out to explore and uphold justice?"
The latter didn't respond at all, sitting perfectly still with a black iron piece on his forehead covered by a white towel. Originally, this towel was for cooling, preventing overheating and brain congestion.
But for Lei Gong, this thing is more decorative than functional. Even soaking for a year might not cause him to overheat.
"Alright, playing it cool."
Not waiting for a reply for a long time, Baimu didn't mind. Lei Gong rarely responded to his voice, usually only giving a glance or an electric surge to warn someone not to cross the line when he's being bothered.
Click.
The large door shut.
Lei Gong suddenly opened his eyes, then squinted them again. The room door subtly opened a small crack, a curious eye peeking out.
When he didn't detect any movement after several seconds, the sneaking eye disappeared, the door shut completely with an almost inaudible click.
Lei Gong: "..."
Why is this little ghost so annoying!
He opened his eyes, slowly climbed out of the steaming onsen, lowered his head to peel off the white towel on his forehead, shook away the water clinging to his fur, and ran toward the towering Chimney Mountain outside the town.
Although he didn't know when Baimu would return, he had his own things to do.
——
Lavaridge Gym.
Situated southwest of Lavaridge Town, it's a grand building with bluish tiles and scarlet beams, much like an ancient miniature fortress.
It could be considered a cultural heritage.
Perhaps influenced by this antiquity, even challenging the Gym feels "old-fashioned," requiring you to knock.
"Anyone there? Is anyone there?"
Baimu shouted at the top of his lungs, not because he was bored, but there was a sign at the door saying, "If you can't find anyone, call out," without even a contact number, let alone a machine for scheduling Gym challenges.
Before coming, he checked the official blog—found out it's managed by the League, with barely any battle short videos.
As if completely isolated from the online world.
Is Yasha really a young person?
He couldn't help but wonder. Perhaps it has something to do with her spending all the time with her grandfather, constantly researching how to train Pokémon. After all, her grandfather is a retired member of the Four Heavenly Kings, aiming to create achievements that rival or even surpass her elders might naturally be stressful.
It's quite normal not to have the chance to engage with the internet; people only have so much energy.
Walking around the vast Lavaridge Gym, Baimu saw no one for a long time, just about to peek into one of the rooms, when an elderly man with curly, graying hair and glasses emerged from the corner of the building and shouted with robust energy:
"Someone's here!"
"...Mura the Celestial King?"
He subconsciously asked.
"Whoa! Haven't heard anyone call me that in decades." Mura was momentarily stunned.
As they say, with each new generation comes new changes. Perhaps only a few years after stepping down could he not be easily forgotten by the world, but decades passed, many generations replaced him.
How many people still remember Mura, the Fire Celestial King?
Only the usual familiar neighbors, townsfolk, and villagers, perhaps.
"Hello, is Hall Master Yasha here?"
Baimu smiled, directly stating his purpose, "I'm here for the Gym challenge, if she's not here, I'd like to make a reservation."
But Mura waved his hand and said, "No need to make a reservation! You can find her in Jagged Pass on Chimney Mountain! She's there training with her Pokémon and likely won't come down for the next week or two."
"A week or two... no phone?"
"None! I'll have Wingull guide you! Go ahead!"
Mura, very generously, sent out a Wingull.
This type of bird Pokémon, commonly found along Hoenn Beach, has a large beak convenient for grabbing food, and each wing being half as large as its body is conducive to long flights.