There were not many people on the streets of Sootopolis City, most of them local residents. Occasionally, a few Trainers with backpacks passed by, each accompanied by their Pokémon.
There were several cafés and dessert shops by the roadside. Guests chatted beneath white sun umbrellas, with steaming drinks and delicate pastries set on their tables.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, a building came into view.
Sootopolis City's Pokémon Center was a little smaller than the one in Mossdeep City, but its style was more refined.
The building's exterior walls were a clean white, paired with a pale blue roof and wooden window frames. Several neatly trimmed shrubs stood by the entrance, while pots of blooming flowers lined the windowsills. Overall, it looked more like a cozy inn.
Xinhai pushed open the glass door and walked inside, where a cool blast of air conditioning greeted him.
The lobby was not large, but it was warm and comfortable. Light wooden floors, cream-white walls, several green plants decorating the corners, and an oil painting of Sootopolis City's seaside hanging on the wall.
The reception counter had a pale yellow wooden surface, polished spotless and gleaming softly beneath the lights.
Nurse Joy stood behind the counter, her short pink hair neatly tucked behind her ears, a signature gentle smile on her face.
Seeing Xinhai enter, she dipped slightly. "Welcome to the Pokémon Center. How may I help you?"
Xinhai walked to the counter, removed his Poké Balls and Pokédex from his waist, and placed them on the countertop one by one.
"Hello. Sorry for the trouble, but please give my Pokémon restorative treatment and book me a room."
Nurse Joy's gaze swept across the row of Poké Balls. A flicker of barely noticeable surprise passed through her eyes, but she did not ask