Mountain Spring Town lived up to its name. Its water came from the springs on Mt. Coronet, and it was a famous source of spring water in Sinnoh, renowned for its sweetness and abundance of minerals ideally suited for absorption by the human body. The town fell under Hearthome City's jurisdiction and was not far from the city, with Route 208 connecting them. Thus, after less than half a day's drive, the two arrived in Mountain Spring Town as dusk approached.
"It really does live up to its name. The air is pleasantly humid and fresh, and there are so many Water-type Pokémon..." From the moment they entered town, they could see that almost every pedestrian had a Water-type Pokémon with them. The sheer variety nearly dazzled Xun Chaoze. That was hardly surprising, given his absolute love for Water-type Pokémon. He was nothing like a "dabbler" such as Liu Qing, who liked Flying-type Pokémon but did not shy away from other types.
"You own quite a few Water-type Pokémon from the Eastern Hemisphere yourself, don't you? Is there really any need to get this excited? Even if you haven't caught them, surely you've seen them?" Liu Qing asked rather helplessly as he watched Xun Chaoze's eyes sparkle.
"That's different. I've seen plenty of Water-type Pokémon from the Eastern Hemisphere, but even with the same species, different people raise them in different ways. Naturally, that gives the Pokémon different outward qualities. How could seeing so many styles of Water-type Pokémon at once not be exciting?" Xun Chaoze gave Liu Qing a somewhat doubtful look. "Doesn't your family specialize in Flying-type Pokémon? Haven't you ever felt the same way?"
"Well... ah, we're at the Pokémon Center. Let's get out!" Liu Qing was still trying to think of an answer when he spotted