The Verdant Cavern connected Rustboro to Verdanturf Town. But after the chaos caused by Team Aqua and Team Magma last time, the tunnel was now completely under official lockdown.
Sieg stood before the barricaded path, observing the fully armed personnel stationed around the entrance. By their sides were Pokémon like Electrike, Lillipup, and Houndour, each one alert and ready.
Occasionally, a few strikingly gorgeous Officer Jennys could be seen, each accompanied by a loyal Growlithe. The other officers couldn't help but look at her in envy.
"Looks like I'll have to use the mountain trail and take a detour," Sieg muttered.
He jumped off his mountain bike, folded it up, and stored it inside his spatial backpack, gazing helplessly at the blocked-off path ahead.
As he made his way through a bamboo forest, Sieg looked toward the northeast. Towering above the land was the iconic volcano, Mt. Chimney.
Just a bit farther ahead, once he crossed through this dense forest, he'd reach Verdanturf Town. And to the northeast of that tranquil town lay Mt. Chimney.
The closer Sieg got to Verdanturf, the more he could sense a refreshing crispness in the air.
Despite the town being so close to a volcano, there was no trace of smoke or ash in the air.
It seemed the wind currents carried the volcanic ash away from the town year-round.
Known for its pure and revitalizing atmosphere, Verdanturf Town was a favored retreat for elderly folks looking to retire in peace. Many wealthy individuals had moved there just to spend their later years in comfort.
Even patients with fragile health often came to Verdanturf to recuperate.
Sieg looked ahead at the distant silhouette of the town, his steps light and brisk. Above his head, a black Murkrow circling vigilantly, scanning the surroundings, seemingly acting as his silent protector.
As night began to fall, Sieg decided not to risk continuing the journey and instead set up camp on the outskirts of the forest.
"Crawdaunt, I'm counting on you to clean my shoes! Make sure you use foam and scrub them nice and clean!"
"Sharpedo, go to the river and catch a couple of fish. I'm sick of these dry ration bars!"
Sieg gave instructions as he sent Murkrow to patrol nearby. His little Eevee helped him pitch the tent.
These mundane activities, done together with his Pokémon, always helped deepen their bond.
"Heave-ho, heave-ho…"
Sieg gathered a bunch of dry twigs and leaves, piling them together before pulling some flammable wood and a single-use fire starter from his backpack.
With the crackle of the bonfire came a welcome warmth. The temperature at night in the forest dropped drastically, and without proper heat, catching a cold was all too easy.
Though Sieg had endured brutal weather out on the high seas, that didn't mean he was eager to fall ill on land.
He sat beside the fire, hugging his knees to stay warm.
Eevee, mimicking Sieg's movements, slowly edged closer to the fire. But suddenly, a bit of her fur caught a spark!
"Eevee eee-!"
She yelped, panicked, stomping her soft little paws on the ground in an attempt to put out the tiny flame.
Just then, a splash of water doused her completely.
Crawdaunt had opened one of its proud pincers slightly, releasing a stream of water.
Sieg glanced at Eevee's tiny paws, now revealing her tender pink paw pads, and couldn't help but laugh.
"Heh, Eevee, what kind of look is that? Very... unique!"
Her trainer's teasing made her feel really embarrassed. Her teary eyes looked up at him with such sorrow that Sieg immediately felt a bit guilty.
"Okay, okay, don't cry. Tomorrow I'll give you a smoothness Pokéblock with your breakfast. Let's grow that fur back fast!"
Eevee covered her eyes with her tiny forepaws, but those exposed, rosy paw pads still made the others chuckle.
Especially Murkrow, who let out a few eerie "Caw-caw" laughs.
Sieg turned the spit over the fire, rotating the fish Sharpedo had just caught. The sizzling oil and savory aroma were enough to completely distract Eevee.
Sieg opened a pouch of all-purpose seasoning, pinched a small amount, and sprinkled it slowly over the fish.
The rich scent of grilled fish filled the air, and Sieg licked his lips in anticipation.
As he munched on the fragrant fish, he flipped through the entries in his Pokédex, browsing the day's city news, regional updates, and even world headlines.
"Hah, no way! Lance has failed his fifth Champion Challenge again! Got swept by the Ice-type Elite Four member, Lorelei, again! It really is the same as it was in the games haha"
Sieg read with great interest, clicking his tongue in amazement.
The Champion Challenge was the highest-tier, most prestigious official tournament in the Pokémon League.
Successfully completing it meant you'd become a Champion of the region, a position equal in power to that of the regional chairman.
The challenge was straightforward in structure, defeat the region's Elite Four in sequence without taking a break, each with your full team of six.
That's where the true difficulty lay.
And Lance, the so-called Dragon Master, always fell at the last hurdle, Lorelei.
After all, her two Cloysters were monsters. After using Shell Smash and taking advantage of their Skill Link ability combined with a Focus Sash, they became unstoppable.
With the stat boosts from Shell Smash and the safety net of Focus Sash, those five-hit Icicle Spears and Rock Blasts tore Lance's dragons to shreds.
(Shell Smash: Lowers the user's Defense and Special Defense, but drastically raises Attack, Special Attack, and Speed)
(Skill Link: Allows multi-hit moves to always hit the maximum number of times)
(Focus Sash: If the holder has full HP, it can survive a move that would otherwise knock it out, leaving it with 1 HP instead)
As night deepened, Sieg crawled into his tent and nestled inside his sleeping bag, watching videos of Champion Challenges on his Pokédex.
He hoped to learn something from them, but the hilarious comment overlays always made him burst out laughing.
"LMAO, Lance was grinning during his first defeat. By the second time, he didn't even smile anymore, and now his face is just blank!"
"Pfft, Dragon Master my ass. He's a disgrace to every true dragon specialist. His whole team consists basically of only Flying-types!"
"Failing here, Cloyster launched so many critical Rock Blasts and Icicle Spears that Dragonite's derpy expression completely twisted!"
"Lance should just come to Johto. No one can clear the gauntlet in Kanto. Last time I challenged a gym, an Elite Four's Pokémon popped out?!"
"Real talk, Kanto's Gym Leaders are all Elite Four-level monsters!"
Sieg chuckled and shook his head. That last comment wasn't wrong, Lance did end up serving as the acting Champion of both Kanto and Johto later on.
Looking toward the forest, Sieg called out, "Murkrow, I'm counting on you to keep watch tonight."
"Caw... caw…"
Murkrow let out a hoarse cry in response.
For Murkrow, the night was its natural domain. It thrived in the darkness, relishing the environment others feared.