Roy opened the map on his phone and found the location of the Cinnabar Island Pokémon Center.
The three of them followed the navigation toward it.
The number of tourists on the road gradually decreased.
After all, the Pokémon Center was not in the commercial district.
The streets here were much quieter.
But Roy noticed something was wrong from afar.
The lights at the entrance of the Pokémon Center were bright.
There were quite a few people standing at the entrance.
Faint noises could be heard coming from inside.
When the three of them got closer.
Misty's expression fell again.
"No way..."
There were even more people inside the Pokémon Center.
The lobby was packed with people.
It was even livelier than the commercial street just now.
Some Trainers were resting in the corners with their Pokémon.
A few people were sitting directly on the floor.
Their backpacks were thrown to the side.
They were napping against the wall.
There were also some people gathered together chatting.
Their voices were loud enough for the entire lobby to hear.
Several children were running around in the lobby.
Chasing a Raticate.
The Raticate, being chased, panicked and scrambled onto the counter.
It knocked the folders on the counter all over the floor, and no one cared.
Roy walked a few steps inside.
The air was filled with a strange smell.
The smell of sweat, Pokémon food, and disinfectant.
All mixed together.
It was a bit overwhelming to smell.
Misty covered her nose.
"Oh my god..."
"How is this place even more exaggerated than the pier?"
Delia also frowned slightly.
She hugged Togepi a little tighter, and Togepi huddled in Delia's arms.
Its two little eyes looked around timidly.
Roy looked around.
A rough count in the lobby showed at least forty or fifty people.
The benches in the Trainer rest area were crowded with people.
Some were even lying under the chairs.
Only a thin mat was spread out.
Although the Pokémon Center had a policy of free accommodation for Trainers.
The number of rooms was limited.
By the looks of it, the rooms were already full.
That was why so many Trainers were stuck in the lobby.
They couldn't even find a place to sit.
These people were likely Trainers who had come to Cinnabar Island for tourism.
Unable to book a hotel, they all ran to the Pokémon Center.
As a result, the Pokémon Center was also packed to capacity.
The scene was becoming increasingly chaotic.
A Trainer wanted to get a check-up for his Charmander.
But there was no one at the front desk.
He shouted several times, but no one answered.
He could only helplessly sit next to his Charmander and wait.
Roy looked toward the front desk.
A circle of people were gathered there.
They all seemed to be waiting for Joy.
But where was Joy?
The three walked a few more steps forward.
They still didn't see Joy.
They only saw a few Chanseys running around busily.
One Chansey was pushing a cart.
It was piled high with Pokémon food.
Another Chansey was handing out number tags to the Trainers.
But the number tags ran out halfway through.
The Trainers behind were still pushing forward.
The Chansey was spinning in circles in anxiety.
Just then.
A burst of hurried footsteps came from behind.
"Excuse me!"
"Excuse me!"
The voice was very urgent.
The crowd instinctively moved aside to both sides.
Roy turned his head to look.
Joy was carrying a large tray and trotting over in a hurry from the back corridor.
There were several bottles of medicine on the tray.
Some were dark blue, some were light green, and there was also a transparent one.
They looked like recovery medicine and Potions for Pokémon.
The liquid was sloshing in the glass bottles.
Joy was running very fast.
Her pink hair was disheveled.
There were fine beads of sweat on her forehead.
The expression on her face was tight.
She was shouting as she ran.
"Excuse me! Please excuse me!"
Although the people in the lobby moved aside.
There were too many people.
The aisle was very narrow.
Joy was struggling to weave through the crowd.
She was only looking at the path ahead and didn't notice her feet.
Someone had spilled a puddle of water on the floor, she didn't know who.
Her nurse shoes stepped on it, and her feet suddenly slipped.
Her center of gravity shifted instantly.
The tray in her hand flew out of her grip.
All the medicine bottles on the tray were tossed into the air.
"Ah!"
Joy let out a scream.
Her body began to fall to the side.
The surrounding Trainers were startled.
Someone instinctively reached out to catch her.
But the distance was too far, and they couldn't reach.
The glass medicine bottles were about to crash onto the floor.
Roy stepped forward, his body leaning toward the direction Joy was falling.
He reached out his right hand steadily and wrapped it around Joy's slender, soft waist from the side.
With a gentle pull of his arm, he pulled her center of gravity back.
Joy's body bumped into Roy's chest.
A warm and firm sensation came from her waist.
At the same time, Roy waved his left hand gently.
An invisible force spread from his hand.
The medicine bottles flying in the air were enveloped by Psychic power.
They hovered in mid-air, as if supported by an invisible hand.
They descended slowly and landed accurately back onto the tray.
Not a single bottle spilled, not a single bottle broke.
The whole process happened in a second or two.
By the time the people around reacted.
Joy was already leaning steadily in Roy's arms.
The medicine on the tray was also sitting there intact.
The lobby was silent for a few seconds.
Then someone started clapping.
"Damn! That's amazing!"
"This guy's reflexes are really good!"
"That was so cool!"
Joy blinked, still shaken.
She looked up and met Roy's face.
Roy was looking down at her with a faint smile on his lips.
"Are you okay?"
Joy's face turned red instantly.
She could feel Roy's arm still wrapped around her waist.
That strength was very steady and reassuring.
As a member of the Joy Family, she had worked at the Pokémon Center since she was a child.
She had seen all kinds of Trainers.
Polite ones, rude ones, arrogant ones, nervous ones.
But someone like Roy made her feel a bit dazed.
Just a moment ago, if it weren't for Roy's timely intervention.
She would surely have had a bad fall, and those bottles of medicine were saved too.
Those were Pokémon recovery medicines that were hard to prepare.
If they had broken, it would take a long time to prepare them again.
And those Pokémon waiting for the medicine would have to suffer longer.
Thinking of this, Joy's heartbeat inexplicably quickened.
Her gaze landed on Roy's face.
She inexplicably felt that this Trainer was very pleasing to the eye.
Very comfortable; an indescribable feeling welled up in her heart, like some subtle attraction.
Roy's accumulated fifty points of Joy Family general affinity naturally took effect at this moment.
Just a simple helping hand, holding Joy's waist for a moment.
It caused a subtle change in Joy's attitude toward him.
However, this change was fleeting.
The surrounding noise quickly pulled Joy back to reality.
She came to her senses and realized she was still leaning in Roy's arms.
She quickly stood up straight and took a step back; her nurse's cap was crooked, and she hurriedly reached up to straighten it.
"Th-thank you!"
Her voice was still a bit hurried, and she looked up at Roy again.
She took the tray from Roy with both hands, her fingertips accidentally brushing against Roy's fingers, and her cheeks turned red again.
Roy smiled and shook his head.
"It's nothing."
Delia watched this scene from the side.
There was a hint of a smile in her eyes.
She, of course, noticed the way Joy was looking at Roy.
However, she didn't say anything more.
Misty, on the other hand, came over carelessly.
"Joy, are you okay?"
"That scared me to death just now!"
Joy shook her head.
"I'm fine, I'm fine, thanks to this Trainer."
As she spoke, she looked at Roy again.
Roy looked at the messy situation in the lobby.
Then he looked at the tray in Joy's hand.
There was quite a quantity of those medicines.
And they were of various colors.
They didn't look like ordinary Pokémon recovery medicine.
He suddenly remembered something.
In the original setting.
Besides managing the Pokémon Center, the Joy on Cinnabar Island.
Also took care of the Pokémon at a Pokémon research institute.
And that research institute was a place that the Cinnabar Gym Leader, Blaine, often visited.
Roy was worrying about not being able to find the location of Blaine's new Gym.
If he could build a good relationship with Joy, perhaps he could find out about the situation at that research institute.
And then follow the clues to find Blaine.
Thinking of this, Roy had a plan in mind.
He looked at the tray in Joy's hand and took the initiative to speak.
"Joy."
"I see that you seem unable to handle everything alone."
"There are so many Trainers here, and the Pokémon are also waiting."
"If you don't mind."
"My companions and I can give you a hand."
Joy looked up.
A look of surprise appeared on her face.
"Really?"
"You are willing to help?"
Her eyes lit up.
Throughout this day, she was indeed on the verge of a breakdown.
Since the development of the hot springs on Cinnabar Island, tourists had surged.
Consequently, the Pokémon Center was also overcrowded.
Originally, only some Trainers would come here.
Now even ordinary tourists were coming to join in the excitement.
Coupled with the fact that a batch of Pokémon at the research institute she was responsible for needed special care recently.
She couldn't handle it alone at all.
Although the Chanseys were working very hard.
Some work still required manpower to be done.
Now that someone suddenly said they were willing to help.
She felt as if she had grabbed a lifeline.
Delia walked forward with a smile.
"Of course it's true."
"Along the way, we have received a lot of care from Joy."
"It's only right that we help out a little now."
Along the way, the Joy Family general affinity that Roy had accumulated had been playing a role.
No matter which Pokémon Center they went to, Joy would take special care of them.
Arranging the best rooms for accommodation, providing extra supplies for free, these were all tangible benefits.
Now it was their turn to repay.
Misty nodded as well.
"That's right, that's right!"
"We'll help you!"
"Anyway, we're just idling here."
Togepi also raised its little claw in Delia's arms, as if responding.
Joy looked at the three of them.
"Thank you so much!"
"Thank you so, so much!"
As she spoke, she hurriedly steadied the tray in her hand.
"Then... could I please ask you to help me take this medicine to the treatment room in the back?"
"Two Pokémon are very badly injured and need medicine immediately!"
"I still have to go and calm down the Trainers waiting in the front!"
"I really can't be in two places at once!"
Roy nodded.
"No problem."
He took the tray from Joy.
He turned to Delia and Misty and said.
"You two go and help Joy maintain order in the lobby."
"Sort out the Trainers' queue first."
"Tell everyone not to push around."
Delia nodded.
"Leave it to us."
Misty was also spirited: "Watch me!"
Joy looked at the three of them gratefully.
Then she hurriedly walked to the front desk to deal with the backlogged work.
Roy carried the tray and walked toward the treatment room in the back.
Passing through a corridor.
The noise in the lobby gradually grew smaller.
In the treatment room, two injured Pokémon were lying on stretchers.
One was a Fearow with an injured wing.
The other seemed to be poisoned, and its condition was very lethargic.
A Chansey was guarding them nearby.
Roy handed the medicine to the Chansey.
He also helped hold down the Fearow's wing to make it easier for the Chansey to apply the medicine.
After finishing, he returned to the lobby.
He found that the situation in the lobby had significantly improved.
Delia was communicating with the Trainers in a gentle voice.
Her temperament was inherently very gentle.
When the Trainers saw her, their voices would unconsciously lower a bit.
Misty, on the other hand, got straight to work.
She moved some chairs and cushions over.
And spread them out in the corner.
Allowing those Trainers who had been sitting on the floor to finally have a decent place to rest.
Joy was quickly registering the Trainers at the front desk.
Although the three of them's help wasn't a big move.
It immediately increased the efficiency of the Pokémon Center's operations.
The Trainers who received their numbers stopped making a fuss.
The waiting Trainers also had a place to sit.
The Pokémon also received food and water.
The noise slowly turned into a low hum.
Although there were still just as many people, at least it wasn't as chaotic as before.