Arrival in the Hoenn Region

"Were we finally about to arrive? The Hoenn Region!"

Standing on the ship's deck, Shigeru gazed into the distance at the faint outline of land ahead, his heart filled with emotion.

After bidding farewell to his grandfather, Professor Oak, in Pallet Town, Shigeru had boarded a ship alone and set off for the Hoenn Region, the destination of this journey.

After several days at sea, he was now just one step away from the Hoenn Region. Looking at the Hoenn mainland in the distance, Shigeru was overwhelmed with emotion.

Likewise, this new continent and new Pokémon League represented new challenges and new opportunities for the new Shigeru.

Thinking of that, along with the surprise Larvitar had given him a few days ago, Shigeru's mood was as warm and pleasant as the sun overhead.

After receiving the Larvitar Professor Oak had given him, Shigeru had not only gained a high-aptitude pseudo-legendary Pokémon, but also an extraordinary reward from the system.

It was precisely because of that reward that the joy in Shigeru's heart had not faded from the moment he boarded the ship until now.

You were probably curious about what exactly had kept Shigeru in such a good mood all this time.

If you knew what reward he had received, you would probably feel just like Shigeru—like eating an ice pop under the blazing sun, refreshed to the very end.

That was right. After Shigeru caught the pseudo-legendary-aptitude Larvitar, the system gave him two rewards.

One of them was the Aptitude Enhancement Card he had received for catching Elekid. It could raise the aptitude of any Pokémon below Champion aptitude by one rank.

Thus, after obtaining the Aptitude Enhancement Card, Shigeru decisively used it on Arcanine. As a result, every Pokémon on his current team had at least Champion aptitude.

The Pokémon Shigeru had brought to the Hoenn Region were Blastoise, Arcanine, Umbreon, and Shiny Metagross, the main forces he would focus on training, as well as Elekid and Larvitar, which still required time to cultivate.

Although the Aptitude Enhancement Card was remarkable, it was not what had delighted Shigeru until now. The reward that truly filled him with joy was the other one, something he had long yearned for.

Shigeru's second reward was the Super Pallet Towner physique.

Yes, it was the special physique that Ash, the protagonist rumored about in his previous life, possessed. It gave him strength far beyond ordinary people, enough that he could eventually lift Cosmoem, which weighed 999.9 kilograms. And now, the system had rewarded it to Shigeru.

Shigeru had originally thought it was merely a nickname invented by countless netizens in his previous life. He had never expected it to actually exist in this world.

That was why he had remained happy ever since obtaining this physique.

With the Super Pallet Towner physique, he could gradually improve his physical condition in the future and eventually rival Ash.

While Shigeru was still immersed in the joy of gaining the Super Pallet Towner physique, the ship he was riding had unknowingly arrived at the first stop of his journey—Hoenn Station, his destination.

After being alerted by the ship's announcement, Shigeru packed his luggage and followed the stream of passengers disembarking toward the dock where the ship had moored.

"We've finally arrived in the Hoenn Region."

Looking at the lush forest before him, Shigeru smiled.

The Hoenn Region was a vast area southwest of the Johto Region, with a wide range of natural environments, from tropical rainforests to deserts. However, its most striking feature was its vast waters. Their area was nearly equal to that of the mainland, creating a sharp contrast with other regions. Islands of all sizes dotted the waters around the continent, and they could only be reached by sea. Some areas even allowed diving beneath the surface. The Hoenn Region's vegetation and climate showed that it was far warmer than other continents.

That made the Hoenn Region even more suitable for living than the Kanto Region and Johto Region Shigeru had previously traveled through. Quite a few people had moved here from other regions because they loved Hoenn's environment and climate.

"Before challenging the Hoenn League, I should visit Professor Birch's Laboratory first."

Since the dock where Shigeru was currently located was very close to Littleroot Town, where Professor Birch was, he needed to pay Professor Birch a visit first.

The first reason Shigeru was visiting Professor Birch was at his grandfather's request, to visit him on Professor Oak's behalf.

The second was that Professor Oak had said Shigeru could take this opportunity to collect the new Pokédex he needed from Professor Birch. He had already arranged it beforehand.

The third reason was Shigeru's own idea. Professor Birch was, after all, a highly renowned Pokémon Professor. Paying him a visit and getting to know him would be quite beneficial for Shigeru's future development.

After confirming the direction of Littleroot Town, Shigeru did not linger at the dock and instead headed toward Professor Birch's Laboratory.

Since the dock was close to Littleroot Town, Shigeru arrived at Professor Birch's Laboratory in very little time.

Upon reaching the entrance, Shigeru first gave the surrounding area a quick look before walking to the door and pressing the doorbell.

"Ding-dong!"

After the bell rang for a while, the door was quickly opened. However, the person who answered was not Professor Birch, but a young man in a lab coat.

Without needing an introduction, Shigeru knew that he was likely one of Professor Birch's researchers, who also served as his assistant.

After opening the door, the assistant realized he did not recognize Shigeru and asked curiously, "May I ask who you are?"

"Hello, I'm Shigeru Oak from Pallet Town. I've come to visit Professor Birch." In response to the assistant's question, Shigeru immediately stated his purpose.

"Shigeru Oak..." Upon hearing Shigeru's introduction, the assistant fell into thought. But he quickly remembered and wore a look of realization. "You're the Shigeru Professor Birch mentioned, the one who was coming to visit."

"That's right." Seeing that the assistant recognized him, Shigeru nodded.

"You've finally arrived. Professor Birch has been waiting for you for quite some time."

After saying that, the assistant stepped aside and let Shigeru enter.

"Then excuse me." After saying so, Shigeru followed the assistant into the laboratory.

Led by the assistant, Shigeru soon arrived beside Professor Birch, who was speaking with a young girl.

The moment Shigeru saw the girl, he immediately revealed a surprised expression.

"She is..."