The day after Liu Yuan earned his Ribbon, the two brothers set off on their journey again. This time, their destination was Fortree City, home to the Fortree Gym. Qualifying for the Grand Festival had not made Liu Yuan conceited; instead, he trained even harder along the way, much to Liu Qing's delight. Aside from traveling, Liu Qing also spent his time training or battling other Pokémon Trainers. They passed through many towns before finally arriving in Fortree City.
Fortree City was one of the few cities in Hoenn that suffered from violent storms, and it was also one of the towns closest to nature. Trees filled the town, with many traditional tree houses perched among their tall, lush branches. Walking through it, one could almost hear nature breathing, a sound otherwise found only in wild forests. Free of the bustle of city life, it was fresh, natural, peaceful, and content.
The Fortree Gym stood out prominently in the city. After resting for a day, Liu Qing and Liu Yuan climbed a long flight of stone steps to its entrance. Two enormous stone statues, one of Skarmory and one of Charizard, stood on either side. A man with short brown hair walked out. "Welcome to the Fortree Gym."
"I'm Liu Qing from Saffron City. I'm here for a Gym Challenge. Is the Gym Leader here?" Liu Qing asked directly.
"I'm Sega, the assistant here. Our Gym Trainer, Miss Winona, is already waiting at the battlefield. Please follow me." Sega led the brothers through the entrance and farther up the stone steps.
"As expected of a Flying-type Gym—even the Gym itself is built up high." Upon reaching the battlefield, Liu Qing could not help recalling the Flying-type Gym atop a building in Violet City, Johto. Their styles really were similar.
After