Four days had elapsed since Tyson departed from Celestic Town, journeying along Route 210. Known as one of the most expansive routes in the region, the trek from Celestic to Solaceon Town spanned six days on foot. For those embarking from Celestic Town, this journey served as an initial challenge, navigating a vast forest that lay between the two towns. Tyson's sole guide was the map feature on his Pokenav, a tool he was fortunate to learn about from his grandmother while familiarizing himself with the device.
Tyson was journeying through the designated green zone, with Gligar resting on his shoulder. "It seems it will be quite some time before we encounter civilization again. This is the essence of traveling in the wild," Tyson reflected. Over the past three days, he had trekked until dusk, setting up camp with his Pokemon to rest until dawn. They had come across some wild Pokemon, but most were gentle species like Wurmple and Zigzagoon, which only attacked humans if they trespassed or posed a threat to their groups. Throughout his journey, Tyson remained dedicated to his training as well, consistently setting aside two hours from his trek to locate a clearing where he could practice alongside his Pokemon.
Now on the fourth day Tyson began to grow bored of the quite travel and so he released Gligar to travel alongside. As she was no fond of the confines of her Pokeball Gligar was happy to travel alongside Tyson. The two chatted with Tyson and Gligar playing a game of I spy. During their walk, Tyson reflected on their conversation. "Now that I think about it, even though humans can't understand Pokémon speech, we can still communicate by observing their pitch and movements," he considered. "Of course, there are those who can establish mental connections with Psychic Type Pokémon or possess innate psychic abilities that allow them to synchronize their thoughts with their Pokémon. I wonder if I have any such supernatural talents?"
While in Celestic, the thought had crossed Tyson's mind several times. Reflecting on his younger years, he had never exhibited such talents, which led him to dismiss the idea. However, armed with the information his grandmother had given him before he left, Tyson started to view his presence in their world as increasingly anomalous. According to his grandmother, Tyson and his parents had disappeared beneath the waves of the Whirl Islands for a month. 'Considering the whirlpool's force and the harsh environment, it's a miracle I'm still in one piece. The Whirl Islands are surrounded by jagged rocks and home to numerous carnivorous Pokemon that would relish a free meal,' Tyson mused as Gligar tapped his head with her claw, signaling that it was his turn to spy. Tyson smiled at Gligar and took his turn, thinking to himself, 'There's no point in dwelling on the past events now. I am Tyson Ryuuzaki, and if there's a greater reason behind my survival, it will reveal itself in time, or it may just be a strange coincidence. Regardless, I'm going to live my life on my own terms.'
As they progressed in their game, the two soon reached a crossroad, marking a pivotal moment in their journey as it lay between Veilstone City and Solaceon Town. Unexpectedly, another individual stood at the crosswalk, accompanied by a quadrupedal canine Pokémon with short black fur, a red underbelly, and muzzle. "A Houndour, not particularly rare but an intriguing choice for a travel companion," Tyson thought, just as the figure turned to face him. The figure turned out to be a tall man clad in a blue dress shirt and black trousers, his dark hair partially obscuring one eye, lending him a mysterious air. "Oh, another traveler? You're headed to Solaceon, aren't you?" he inquired. Tyson responded, "Yes, we're on our way to Solaceon. Is there a problem?"
The man shook his head, clarifying, "No, it's just that Solaceon Towns local Trainer Team has been disbanded due to illegal activities, and in recent months, the town has descended into chaos with many jobs left unattended. The Ranger Base in Celestic stationed a few rangers in town to help the locals which has stabilized the situation somewhat. I'm Glenn, a Solaceon local, and this is Houndour, my partner Pokémon. We embarked on our journey just yesterday." Nodding in understanding Tyson replied, "Tyson and this is Gligar" as Gligar chimed in "Gli" [Hello].
"Well Tyson, I wish you luck on your journey," said Glenn as he walked past Tyson, turning onto the path leading to Veilstone City. 'Actually, I plan to stop at Solaceon Town for five days to explore the Michina Ruins,' Tyson thought to himself. When planning his journey to Coronet Academy, he had included two stops, one being the Michina Ruins, a famous tourist attraction in Sinnoh. He had caught a glimpse of the ruins from his grandfather's car window upon arriving in Sinnoh. The sight of the ruins had sparked Tyson's adventurous spirit, compelling him to explore them. Now, he had another reason to visit the ruins: for Gligar to reunite with her family.
During the trainer team incident, Gligar was separated from her parents and roamed the mountains until she met Tyson and Shane on that fateful day. Having taken Gligar into his care, Tyson wanted to give her the chance to see her parents again and show them she was alright. As they continued their journey into the evening, the pair quickly established a camp in a nearby clearing. Tyson released both Pupitar and Trapinch, assigning each a task: Trapinch to collect firewood, Pupitar to guard the camp, and Gligar to forage for berries while steering clear of other Pokémon groups. Before long, the trio was gathered around a campfire, resting and refueling. "By tomorrow, we should reach Solaceon Town, where we'll rest and replenish our supplies before heading to the Machina Ruins," Tyson explained, receiving affirming nods from his Pokémon.
The following day, Tyson resumed his journey and quickly reached the entrance of Solaceon Town. The town hadn't changed much from what he recalled of his previous visit. Although Solaceon Town was bigger than its representation in the game, it was still smaller than Celestic Town. This was partly because Solaceon Town's primary trade consisted of breeder farms operated by the association, establishing it as the main hub for breeders in Sinnoh. Breeder farms being the primary trade, a vast expanse of the town's area was open land encircled by tall fences.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Upon entering the town, Tyson made a beeline for the Pokémon Center. He intended to journey into the Michina Ruins and wanted to start his preparations immediately. As he stepped inside the Pokemon Center, he was surprised to find the center tranquil, contrary to his expectations. To his left, a board brimming with various papers caught his eye. 'That's the request board,' Tyson thought. 'Locals post jobs here after Nurse Joy's approval. It might be worth checking out the job offerings.' At the moment, Tyson wasn't in dire need of funds; Shane and Bertha had provided him with a modest sum before he departed Celestic Town for his journey to Hearthome City. Taking on jobs from a local quest board could still provide Tyson with valuable experience.
After entrusting his Pokemon to Nurse Joy for a checkup, Tyson approached the job board. Although several groups were clustered around it, the board was still accessible. Tyson surveyed the board and saw an array of jobs, from daycare assistance to repelling invasive Pokemon and locating items. 'Hmm, item location jobs are the most suitable for me, considering my upcoming exploration of the Michina Ruins will take a few days,' Tyson thought, perusing the different item location opportunities. In his job search, Tyson observed that each job required a trainer to have a certain rank to qualify. The majority of openings at the Michina Ruins demanded a trainer rank of two or higher. Unfortunately, Tyson had not accumulated any points towards his trainer rank, as he had yet to earn any gym badges, contest ribbons, or participate in local tournaments or events.
At last, Tyson found a job that didn't necessitate a trainer rank. The Pokemon Ranger Base in Solaceon Town had posted it, seeking a trainer's assistance to recover a lost wedding ring. The ring had been misplaced amidst the turmoil at Michina Ruins the previous year. Tyson realized why the task was listed here and why it remained uncompleted; it was lost in an Orange Zone. Few would dare to venture into such a zone, known for its territorial Pokemon. Despite his confidence, Tyson acknowledged the peril of an Orange Zone. Thus, he pondered whether to accept the job.
Suddenly, a voice from the side called out to Tyson, "Hey, are you thinking about taking that job?" This caused Tyson to turn and face the speaker. The individual was a young girl with magenta-colored hair, a shade that surprised Tyson. She wore a black blouse paired with a red skirt and black bike shorts. Beside her stood a, penguin-like Pokémon. It was predominantly dark blue with light blue facial markings, wingtips, and underbelly. 'A Prinplup, she must come from Sandgem Town or somewhere close by,' Tyson thought. 'Anime often features such hair colors, but it's still astonishing to see them in real life.'
"Uh, are you okay?" the girl asked, rousing Tyson from his reverie. He hadn't realized he'd been staring at her without responding. Clearing his throat—an action that drew the attention of a few nearby—Tyson replied, "Sorry about that, yes, I do plan to take this job. Did you perhaps plan to take this job yourself?" "Oh no, it's just," the girl stammered in response when another voice interjected, "Bothering people again, Alise?" Tyson, looking past the girl, noticed another figure approaching. A young man with light blue hair, dressed in a black jacket, white shirt, and brown pants, was making his way towards them. "Oh, Leo, you're just in time. I was about to invite this kid to join us," the girl said, eliciting an exhausted sigh from the young man.
"Alise, remember what I told you about bothering random people," the young man said with annoyance, glaring into the girl's eyes, which made her smile sheepishly while the Prinplup beside her shook its head. Turning to Tyson, the young man apologized, "Sorry if Alise bothered you; she can be a handful. I'm Leo." Overhearing this, Alise protested, "Hey! I'm not that bad. I just like meeting new people, okay?!" Her words made Tyson chuckle, drawing the attention of both youths. "Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. My name's Tyson, and don't worry, you weren't bothering me," Tyson introduced himself. "See? I wasn't bothering him at all," Alsie said, prompting a frown from Leo.
"Yeah, sure. Anyway, we still need to shop for supplies for the job we took, remember?" Leo said, to which Alise replied, "Yes, I remember, though I thought we could use another set of hands." Turning to Tyson, she explained, "We recently accepted a job from the board issued by the Ranger Base. It's a patrol job in an orange zone within the Michina Ruins. Since I saw you looking at that old job from the Ranger Base, I thought it would be a good idea to invite you to join us. More people means less trouble when dealing with groups of Pokémon." Hearing the explanation, Tyson nodded and responded, "Makes sense. I was planning to explore the ruins anyway," which made Alise smile as she turned to Leo with a smirk on her face.
Yielding to Alise's triumphant air, Leo conceded, "Fine, you were right this time," then turned to Tyson and proposed, "Well, that's settled. In that case, we can journey to the ruins together. We've already reserved rooms at the Pokémon Center for tonight, so let's meet up in the morning. How does that sound?" Think for a moment, Tyson agreed, "Sure thing, safety in numbers is good." The two young trainers bid farewell to Tyson before leaving the Pokémon Center. Watching them go, Tyson mused, 'Those two make an interesting duo,' before he returned to the desk to retrieve his Pokémon and secure a room for himself. Once done at the Pokémon Center, Tyson released Gligar and set off for the local mart, having received directions from Nurse Joy.
The mart was situated in the town's center, a short walk from the central area, which made the trip brief. Tyson quickly restocked as he only required a handful of ingredients for his cooking. Upon leaving the mart, Tyson looked at Gligar and said, "Well, with the shopping out of the way, we have some free time. What would you like to do, girl?" Gligar gestured towards a nearby restaurant, prompting Tyson to smile and reply, "Sure, let's eat," as they headed to the restaurant.