After leaving the forest, the two had not gone far before they came to another fork in the road.
Two roads now lay before Xia You.
If they continued west along the road for a few kilometers in their current direction, they would reach a protected area called the National Park.
It was a paradise for Bug-type Pokémon in the Johto Region, home to many of them. Supposedly, around this time every year, the authorities held a Bug-Catching Contest there.
Contestants used Park Balls provided by the park to catch Bug-type Pokémon throughout the grounds. After battles and judging, the eventual winner not only received the Pokémon they had caught, but also a fine prize awarded by the park.
The generous prizes, along with the chance to get a Pokémon for free, attracted many participants whenever the annual contest was held. Seeing the business opportunity, vendors also chose this time to set up stalls at the park entrance, selling little gifts and all kinds of food to make a bit of money.
It could be said that this was the park's liveliest time.
Unfortunately, there were no Bug-type Pokémon Xia You wanted to catch at the moment, so he had no plans to wander around there. As a Grass-type Gym Leader, Erika also preferred to keep her distance from Bug-type Pokémon. After a brief discussion, the two turned north instead, following the other road toward Ecruteak City.
Ecruteak City-a town steeped in history.
An ancient city in the northern Johto Region, Ecruteak City stood in a forest between Mt. Mortar and nearby Ohara on Johto's western coast.
Known as a city of history and culture, it was not filled with high-rises and modern facilities like other cities. Instead, traditional Japanese architecture defined its character.
As the sun sank in