Cinnabar Island, a tourist town in the truest sense of the word.
More than eighty percent of the island's income comes from tourism.
The people of this island are basically engaged in tourism-related jobs.
This island is also the largest tourist area in Kanto. The hot springs are known throughout the world for their therapeutic powers.
Although the effects of the hot springs here aren't as good as the hot springs in the depths of Mt. Silver, they're still a lot better than the other hot springs.
That's why the first choice of many injured people, to heal their dark wounds, is Cinnabar Island.
Whitley looked at the bustling crowd with a somewhat lesser feeling.
"Rope, there are so many people here!"
Whitley exclaimed.
Rope bought a box of buns from a roadside stall and handed one to Whitley saying, "Isn't this a normal number of people? You've seen oversized crowds in Saffron City before."
Whitley took the Angry Steamed Buns and poked the little Lugia's that were probing over and ready to steal some food to the side before taking a bite of the Angry Steamed Buns and said, "It's not the same... those people before didn't want to be as... lively and casual as they are in front of them, right?"
Whitley frowns as he says this, like he can't find any appropriate adjectives.
"Because while the people you see in Saffron City and Celadon City have a lot of tourists, those two cities are big cities in their own right. There will be a little more locals. They have a sense of belonging to the cities."
Rope looked at the people in front of him and said softly, "But these people are different... to them, the island is more like passing through... and they are just as much just passing through to the island."
"Passersby and residents are naturally different."
After saying that, Rope took a bite of the angry bun and nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased with the flavor and its taste.
"Looks like that Bruno guy's recommendation was really right."
Rope finished the bun in three bites, picked up another one and handed it to little Lugia, then took out another one and ate it.
Whitley on the side nodded in realization, then reached into the box and pulled out a bun.
The only thing that will never be lost is the heart of a glutton.
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Cinnabar Gym, Research Room
Entei, who was eating, jerked his head up and looked away.
Blaine beside him similarly looked up at the sight and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Roar." Entei let out a low growl as he stared off into the distance.
"You said some powerful trainers and Pokémon have come to the island."
Blaine frowned, rather puzzled.
For a moment, he couldn't figure out who could have come to the island.
"Could it be that Red kid? No, he doesn't seem to have spent enough time in Mt. Silver, he shouldn't be coming down."
After thinking about it for a while and not coming up with an answer, Blaine wasn't going to think about it anymore, whoever it was shouldn't be causing too much harm. After all, for Cinnabar Island, the real strongest guard force was actually the tourists who came here to visit.
After all, there were a lot of people, and the number of people who came here to heal made up the majority of them, and none of these people were considered weak, and there were even quite a few who could be said to be very strong. So as long as they were there, then there wouldn't be any major problems.
Blaine looks up and realizes that Entei is still looking off into the distance and isn't looking very good, so he asks suspiciously, "Entei, are you nervous about something?"
Entei gulped then let out a low growl, "Roar! Roar!!!"
Blaine flinched for a moment without reacting.
"You perceive the presence of your kind... and the scent of the Sea God..."
The presence of your kind...
The scent of the Sea God...
"The other Entei... ...and Lugia?"
Blaine's face looks odd...what kind of combination is this? Planning to upend the Kanto League?
"Although the person who came here probably didn't have any bad intentions...but I think you'd better go and take a look. This is not a problem that can be solved by relying on tourists as you usually say... (I can't beat him, roar...)"
Blaine's Entei said rhetorically.
The corners of Entei's mouth twitched... this guy was getting more and more out of line...
"Let's go check it out then."
Blaine said as she glanced at the research materials on the table and got up fondly.
Entei nodded, then followed Blaine as well as he prepared to go out.
——————————
"Rope, I feel like a lot of people are looking at us..."
Whitley tugged at Rope's cuff a little nervously.
Rope unhappily flicked the head of little Lugia on his shoulder and said, "It's not because this little one has eaten too much... hell knows that the little one will be so lazy that he won't even disguise himself when he's eaten too much."
Previously the reason Little Lugia wasn't noticed by everyone was because he used psychic power on his own, making passersby ignore his existence.
And the little guy instantly didn't want to move after eating two rage buns and huffed and puffed on Rope's shoulder.
Then quite a few more sharp-eyed guys saw the silver-colored bird that looked like a rare Pokémon. And then they looked at the young-faced Rope and Whitley.
Some people's eyes shrunk when they saw Rope, and then they quickly averted their gaze. Obviously they recognized Rope's identity and didn't intend to offend Rope.
But there were others whose two eyes were close to sticking to little Lugia's body. Even if they didn't know the identity of the Pokémon in front of them, a Pokémon they hadn't seen before could basically be linked to rarity.
After all, there were trainers from everywhere on this island, and if everyone had a look in their eyes that they had never seen this Pokémon before, then it was self-evident how rare this Pokémon was.
"Hey, little brother, how can I buy this Pokémon on your shoulder?"
A voice came from somewhere in the crowd.
Many people in the crowd then chimed in, "Yeah, yeah! How to buy it!"
"How much is it? Name a price, I won't treat you badly!"
…
Rope raised an eyebrow helplessly, then copied the little guy over his shoulder as soon as he could, then set the backpack down and put the little guy in it.
"Keep an eye on him, Rotom."
Rope said as he looked at the not-so-small space inside and Rotom, who was going through the information on his own.
"Roger Loto! (￣^￣)ゞ"
Rope nodded before closing the backpack. Looked over at the crowd that had intentionally surrounded himself and Whitley, smiled.
"How do you sell your son, double the little guy. Or how about I trade you wife and kid for the little guy?"
Rope said with a smile on his face.
"What did you say, brat?!"
A pugnacious man violently pushed away the person in front of him, and then angrily looked at Rope. although this guy acted like he was really angry.
But from the expressions of the surrounding people who were a step slower in their self-conscious reactions. The odds were that this guy wasn't really angry.
"The little thing doesn't have much education, going out and cursing."
The big man clasped his hands to his chest, his face hostile.
"I don't think it should be as uneducated as you are... a mouthful of brats, a mouthful of little things, when your mom gave birth to you she gave birth too quickly and left half of her brain in her stomach?"
Rope had a mocking smile on his face, obviously angering the man in front of him.
But Whitley noticed that Rope's eyes were truly hostile...
Apparently Rope was somehow really offended by this guy.
Whitley silently lit this big man a candle[1]...
Rope's angry look is rarely seen in the past, but lately it's quite common... Not long ago, an unknown young master died under Rope's hands, will this one in front of him be the next one?
Whitley wasn't sure, but if things were left to chance, it was bound to happen.
Cinnabar Island didn't allow street fights, so what about two people who could only physically fight...
physically fight Rope... was that any different than fighting Pokémon vs. Pokémon?
"You little thing!"
Saying that, the big man directly and squarely whacked his fist towards Rope.
And the corner of Rope's mouth lifted up a sneer as he interlocked his two fingers and snapped his fingers!
"Stop!"
A pale but middle-aged shout drew the crowd's attention to an old man riding on top of a fiery horse, followed by a lion-like Pokémon.
The visitor was none other than Blaine.
But it was clear that both men had arrows on their backs, and the man's fists had no intention of retracting. The man's fist had no intention of retracting, and Rope's ringing finger, too, finished.
The crisp sound of ringing fingers rang out, and the big man only felt like there were flames burning at his heart, and then the burning sensation flowed down his veins to his whole body.
Truly-hot blood...
"Ah!!!"
The big man howled in pain. The imposing fist also changed shape. Rope slightly sidestepped his head, then easily dodged the punch.
With another sidestep, he avoided the fallen big man.
Looking at the big man wailing in pain on the ground, and looking at the smiling youth, the crowd present shuddered a little. Especially those who had the same ill intentions as the big man.
Rope looked at them one by one based on induction. Everyone who had a ghost in their heart didn't dare to meet Rope's eyes.
They didn't stand up for themselves and Rope didn't have to clean up after them.
Taking a step across the big man, he then gave Blaine a bright smile.
"Senior Blaine, long time no see."
Blaine looked at the handsome youth in front of him and quickly matched him up with the somewhat cowering but well-informed teenager in his memories.
"It's you Rope kiddo, it's really just been a long time, the last time I saw you was when Oak invited me to a party at his house I think."
Rope smiled and responded, "Yeah, it's been five years."
Blaine gave a sighing expression as well.
"Yeah, five years, you kid have changed quite a bit, I remember you became a doctor recently."
"By a fluke, with the help of Daisy-san and Professor Oak, I wrote a pretty good thesis, and then I became one."
Blaine's expression was quite emotional, "Gee, young people are just awesome. That's so easy to say!"
Just between the two of them talking, the crowd around them had dispersed. Those who knew Rope had originally planned to come out to save Rope and then make good karma. But they didn't realize that this big man looked quite powerful, but turned out to actually be so useless.
Those who don't know Rope also know Blaine, and those who can chat with Blaine like this are bound to be people they can't afford to mess with.
Are you still waiting for someone to cause trouble?
The melon crowd came and went quickly.
And the big man lying on the ground is already unconscious. But judging from the rise and fall of his body, he probably isn't dead...
"This guy is..."
"Dirty mouth, I helped him cleaned it."
Rope smiled, then pointed to Whitley on one side and said, "This is my student named Whitley."
Whitley bowed and said, "Good day, Elder Blaine!"
Blaine smiled kindly and said, "Good, good, good, oops, Rope you little guy has taken on an apprentice. It's really true that time has passed too quickly! It seems like I'm really getting old."
"Go, go, go, let's go back to Cinnabar Gym first, and tell me properly about what happened to you all these years. I've been on the island all this time and I'm really behind the times."
With that, Blaine jumped off the back of the blazing horse.
"Hard work!" Blaine patted the Flame Horse's neck, then took out the ball and collected the Flame Horse back.
"Come on, let's go to the gym and talk slowly."
"Okay!"
And on the side, Entei looked at Rope and Whitley, as well as Rope's backpack somewhat dumbfounded...
He gulped a mouthful of saliva and didn't say anything, then silently followed the trio's footsteps, and didn't remind Blaine of this matter.
And between the three of them talking and laughing, they had made their way to the entrance of Cinnabar Gym.
"By the way...why am I going out again???"
Looking at the gate in front of his home dojo, Blaine stroked his beard in confusion.
After a while, Blaine slapped his head violently.
"Ouch! What a brain! I'm getting old!"
He turned back to Rope and said apologetically, "Sorry, Rope, I have something on my side that I have to take care of first. There's someone here on the island who may have brought Entei along with Lugia, the God of the Sea. I have to go check on him and make sure he's not a bad guy."
After saying that, he looked at Entei, who had an odd expression on his face, and said in an unkind manner, "I forgot, and you didn't know to remind me..."
Entei ignored him, and just silently looked at Rope and Whitley, the shock in his eyes not yet dispersed.
"Woo~"
Lugia's low chirp came out of the backpack.
Little Lugia poked his from head out of Rope's backpack.
"Woo~ (Rope! I still want to eat buns!)"
Blaine looked at the silver-colored head with shock written in her eyes.
"You... it..."
Blaine pointed first at Rope and then at little Lugia, momentarily speechless and unable to speak...
Rope smiled, "Blaine Elder, if you're looking for a trainer with Lugia and Entei, it's me..."
Blaine looked at Rope as if he were looking at a monster, and he subconsciously glanced at Whitley.
Whitley nodded his head vigorously, signaling that Rope was telling the truth.
Blaine looked at Entei.
Entei and Blaine looked at each other.
"Roar! (Or would I not stop you?)"
Blaine looks at Rope, then snaps back a breath of air.
"Hiss! You kid, what the hell have you been through all these years???"
Rope scratched his head and said, "A misadventure, I guess..."
[1] aka "rest in peace"