At the foot of the dormant Mt. Chimney, Lavaridge Town nestled peacefully amid lush, verdant nature.
Although Lavaridge Town looked rather barren and crude in the Emerald games, in reality it featured tall modern buildings and hot springs scattered throughout. Thanks to the volcanic influence, the greenery here was exceptionally vibrant. Lush plants thrived vigorously, making the entire town feel embraced by Hoenn's rich natural environment.
While it couldn't compare to the vastness of a proper city, among Hoenn's many small towns, Lavaridge stood out as exceptional. This was largely due to its highly developed tourism industry.
As mentioned before, thanks to its outstanding geographical conditions, Lavaridge had truly realized the concept of hot springs everywhere, far beyond what appeared in the games.
Walking along the lively streets that felt like a perpetual festival, the occasional whiff of sulfur would drift into one's nose. Turning toward the source, one would often spot a corner of a hot spring—large or small. Some were private open-air baths for residents, while others belonged to inns prepared for guests.
Due to the Japan-inspired culture here, most hot springs were mixed-gender. However, if one felt too embarrassed, there were also single-gender or even private single-person baths available.
Of course, choosing those came at a much steeper price.
Beyond the hot springs occupied by humans, the people of Lavaridge had not completely monopolized these natural resources. Most hot springs located in the wild areas outside the town's living zone had been deliberately left undeveloped, preserved in their natural state for the wild Pokémon living at the foot of Mt. Chimney.
For example, the Camerupt that Lucas and a group of tourists were riding. According to the tour guide, every time they completed a round trip to Lavaridge Town, the Camerupt would head to the wild hot springs to soak for a while before departing again. They could make two or three round trips a day and enjoy warm soaks to wash away fatigue whenever they wanted.
As a former corporate slave, Lucas once again sighed. In the past, his own life had probably been worse than these Camerupt's.
Fortunately, his days were getting better one by one.
After all, here he was, on a vacation, wasn't he?
Although he really wanted to see what the wild Pokémon's hot springs looked like, which Pokémon liked to soak, and whether they showed any interesting reactions while bathing, Lucas still chose to follow Professor Lund's instructions.
No matter how much he wanted to visit a certain sight, the first thing he had to do upon arriving in Lavaridge Town was secure proper accommodation.
As a popular tourist destination, even with money, there was still a chance of not finding a place to stay—especially for someone like Lucas, who had certain privacy requirements and wanted to enjoy a large private hot spring pool by himself.
After a moment of thought, Lucas—who had never liked using cheats—ignored the system notifications trying to draw his attention and stopped a kind-looking elderly woman to ask for directions to Hot Spring Street.
Her way of giving directions was quite interesting.
"Young man, just follow the crowd with the most people, and you'll reach Hot Spring Street."
The old lady, carrying a bamboo basket covered with soft, carefully woven cloth, earnestly pointed the way for him.
Lucas thought to himself that elders really did have wisdom—her words hit the nail on the head. He was about to thank her when he realized he had underestimated this elderly woman's enthusiasm for tourists, even though most of her teeth were gone and her speech whistled slightly.
"Looks like this is your first time in Lavaridge Town, huh? Here, take this. It's a local specialty!"
With surprising strength and practiced skill, the old lady pulled a bunch of items from her basket and stuffed them into Lucas's arms before he could refuse.
Lucas's first reaction was that he had encountered the classic tourist trap of aggressive selling. But when he looked down at what she had given him, he fell silent.
Several well-packaged bags of Lavaridge Rice Crackers—local specialties. That wasn't surprising.
But the moment he saw the other item besides the crackers, Lucas was stunned.
—This… was a Pokémon Egg?
He wanted to ask what was going on, but the old lady had already vanished. When he turned around, he found her behind him, giving directions to a young couple dressed like tourists and offering the same advice: "Just follow the crowd. The place with the most people is Hot Spring Street."
Then came the familiar forceful gifting. Lucas watched helplessly as the old lady stuffed Lavaridge Rice Crackers and a Pokémon Egg into the couple's arms. The couple didn't even turn around to haggle or question the price.
It really seemed like the old lady simply liked them and was genuinely being enthusiastic.
Especially when Lucas, left with no choice, carried the pile of gifts toward Hot Spring Street. He witnessed many similar scenes: kind old men and women enthusiastically stuffing local specialties—and occasionally a Pokémon Egg—into bewildered tourists' arms.
Lucas was starting to get confused. Or maybe these things only looked like Pokémon Eggs but were actually some kind of special hot spring eggs?
Harboring such doubts, Lucas arrived at the bustling Hot Spring Street and reached his destination—the hot spring inn recommended by Professor Lund.
The inn's name, Never-Melt Ice, was hard to imagine for a hot spring hotel. Its decor style also felt somewhat out of place with the rest of Hot Spring Street. Rather than a purely Japanese-style hot spring inn, it resembled a Western noble running a hot spring hotel in Japan—a fusion of Japanese and Western aesthetics.
Professor Lund had said he knew the inn's proprietress. Even the Gym Leader Drake that Lucas had faced in the exhibition match had been invited through her connections. However, Lucas wasn't sure he would meet her, as this inn seemed to be just one of her many properties in Hoenn.
What Lucas needed to do now was simple. Although Professor Lund had already booked a room for him, it was best to check in quickly to avoid any complications. As the saying went, once night fell, even the most remote inn in Lavaridge might not have any vacancies left—even rooms without private hot springs.
You ask about the Pokémon Center?
That place was hell-mode difficulty. Without some skill and perseverance, you couldn't even snag a bed in the shared dorms.
Just as Lucas was about to enter the inn, the large doors opened from the inside.
It wasn't an automatic door.
Beyond the open entrance, in the genkan, stood a noblewoman with golden hair styled in an elegant updo, wearing a long purple dress. She looked at him with a gentle smile. She had opened the doors herself.
Her arms, covered in white silk gloves despite the hot weather in Lavaridge, were crossed as she regarded him. It seemed she had been expecting his arrival.
"You've finally come, Mr. Lucas."
Her slightly cool voice instantly brought Lucas back to his senses.
—This noblewoman knew him.
If he wasn't mistaken, she must be the proprietress Professor Lund had mentioned. Her outfit was somewhat out of season, yet for some reason, it felt strangely familiar.
"Uh… hello. I have a reservation."
Lucas could only nod in response.
"Of course. I've already set your room aside in advance."
The golden-haired noblewoman nodded gently. Her gaze then fell on the large pile of items Lucas was holding. Her elegant, well-maintained eyebrows lifted slightly.
"It seems the local elders think you're a good person. Otherwise, they wouldn't have given you so many things—and even entrusted you with a Pokémon Egg."
"That makes sense. Even though it had nothing to do with you, during the LaRousse City incident a few days ago, you chose to step forward and turn the tide. With their sharp, experienced eyes, it wouldn't have been hard for them to see how noble your character is."
Lucas: "???"
More than the fact that she knew exactly what he had done in LaRousse City, Lucas was even more surprised by what she said about the elders and the Pokémon Egg.
Wait, it really was a Pokémon Egg?
Seeming to notice his shock, the golden-haired noblewoman smiled faintly and said, "Come inside first. We can talk about this while we walk."
"And although it might be a bit late, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Glacia. As you can see, I am the owner of the 'Never-Melt Ice' hot spring inn. But others seem to prefer calling me—Ice Queen Glacia."
"I happen to be a colleague of the admirable Gym Leader Drake, whom you defeated three days ago."
Walking down the beautifully decorated corridor of the inn, the sturdy wooden floorboards did not creak with the sharp, decaying sounds common in old, poorly maintained inns. Just like the exterior, the interior decor followed the same Japanese-Western fusion style. Upon reflection, this was probably her personal aesthetic.
Lucas quietly observed the back of the golden-haired noblewoman walking gracefully ahead, holding an ornate fan she had produced from somewhere.
Glacia—the Ice-type Elite Four member of the Hoenn region. Also known as Explosive Ice Glacia. In the future, after her ace Glalie Mega Evolves with Refrigerate, her signature move is a massive Explosion. Her style is simple: even if I lose, you're definitely not walking away unscathed.
Her fighting style was quite "passionate" and "bold," which didn't match her elegant and graceful appearance at all.
To be honest, Lucas had never expected the acquaintance Professor Lund mentioned to be her. However, considering she could help Professor Lund invite a trainer of Drake's caliber, along with the inn's name and her attire, the clues had been there all along.
The only difference was that Lucas hadn't connected them intentionally. It was also possible that he had burned too many brain cells during the LaRousse City battle trying to maintain balance between Hoenn Rayquaza, Shiny Rayquaza, and Deoxys, leaving him a bit slow.
Lucas lowered his head again and looked at the Pokémon Egg in his arms.
According to Glacia, the old lady had judged through experience that he was someone worthy of trust, which was why she had handed him the egg without hesitation.
Glacia clearly explained the elders' motives to him.
Because Lavaridge Town was an excellent retirement town, most of its residents were elderly. They used the town's unique hot springs to soothe their aging bodies while spending the rest of their lives here.
These elders were usually accompanied by Pokémon they had raised since they were young. Occasionally, offspring would be born among these Pokémon—something unavoidable.
Knowing their time was limited, the elders worried that the eggs would have no good home once they hatched. So they walked the streets filled with tourists, using their experience to judge whether a visitor was worthy of entrustment.
If they weren't sure, they would simply give some popular local Lavaridge Rice Crackers. But if they could tell at a glance that someone would treat Pokémon well, they would entrust them with an egg.
Of course, the elders didn't just hand over eggs and forget about it. To guard against the one-in-ten-thousand chance they misjudged, they used their "village gossip network" to keep tabs. A random grandpa passing by or the owner of a souvenir shop could be quietly observing your character.
"By the way, although I'm not old yet, I'm also part of the intelligence network~" Glacia paused mid-step, turned around with a faint, barely noticeable smile, and teased.
Lucas: "..."
"Hehe, don't worry. I'll give you a perfect score of 100."
Seemingly amused by his expression, Glacia added with a laugh.
Although she specialized in Ice-type Pokémon, she wasn't cold like most Ice-type trainers. From their short interaction, Lucas somehow got the impression that she was a "bold and elegant noblewoman"—a description full of contradictory flavor.
"Mm. Since it was entrusted to me, I'll take good care of it, no matter what Pokémon hatches."
Lucas seriously promised Glacia, his gaze softening as he looked at the egg.
Perhaps it was the scene stirring old memories. Lucas suddenly thought of the Dragonite leader's trainer, Ria. In her later years, if the Dragonite leader had brought back a Pokémon Egg, she probably would have worried just like these Lavaridge elders—wondering what would happen to her Pokémon and their offspring after she passed away. Then, she would carefully select someone worthy and solemnly entrust the egg to them.
Glacia didn't miss the change in Lucas's expression. The smile on her face deepened.
Sure enough, not only was he a powerful trainer, he was also a good person.
…