Chapter 18: Viridian Heights

Don't forget to drop some power stones!

*****

With new interests at hand, an hour passed by, marking the time 7PM. Ricky and Lillie had their little fun inside Ricky's car, and Ricky was surprised to see Lillie wanting to go along with it. Ricky saw that that version of Lillie inside the car wasn't the scared girl who, at one time, even refused to step out of her own room. No, Lillie was already starting to display the allure of a woman. Ricky was glad he was in a relationship with her.

And at the same time, Ricky was curious to see where their relationship would develop from here. Thanks to that little stunt, Lillie now has one step over Serena, and with a like-minded thought, he was very interested to see Serena's reaction once she learned what Lillie had done.

For now though, the two enjoyed the sunset, letting the sun descend into the horizon, quickly vanishing behind the endless high-rise buildings. They enjoyed it as Ricky's car drove to their next destination. A fancy hotel that offered a variety of services, including special Pokemon dishes that allowed one's Pokemon to test their luck in learning a new technique. A hotel complex called Viridian Heights, situated to the north-end of the city.

Even though it was the night, the two were able to spot several places of interest, including one of the largest Pokemon Centers in all of Kanto, and one, if not, the most infamous Pokemon Gym. This Pokemon Gym in particular, gave off a completely different vibe to the rest of the city. It wasn't vibrant, colorful or anything like that. Not a single light could be seen lit up inside the gym. That probably signaled it currently had no challengers.

Driving past the Viridian Gym, Lillie raised her eyes seeing out how dark the inside of the building was.

"Wow. The Viridian Gym seems pretty desolate. Aren't there rumors floating around that the Viridian Gym has some sort of connection to Team Rocket?", Lillie wondered as she watched the dark building pass behind them.

"Some pretty nasty rumors I bet. It doesn't matter. The Viridian Gym is sponsored by the Indigo League, just like how the rest of the Pokemon Gyms are. It would be foolish to try to go against some of the strongest trainers in the world. It's just one person.", Ricky scoffed, trying to imagine what would happen if said individual really did attempt that.

After all, the one who managed the Viridian Gym, most likely, was Giovanni. The events of the first movie and his eventual defeat by the protagonist, in this case, Ash Ketchum, hasn't happened yet. Ash has yet to set off on his journey, as he hasn't turned fifteen. Once he does, he will, but that won't happen until a few months later.

It was March 2024 presently, and Ash's birthday was in June. By the time Ash sets off on his journey with his friends, it is very possible that Ricky, Lillie and Serena will get all eight badges before Ash sets off. Giovanni is absent by the time Ash comes to challenge the gym, but it is possible Ricky might get an opportunity to meet him, like he had previously mentioned.

Ricky was intertwined with Mew now, so despite any rumors floating around, he felt like he had a personal connection to Giovanni. It was a weird feeling for sure, but perhaps Giovanni isn't such a bad guy?

"Ricky?", Lillie asked, seeing Ricky's attitude turn toward a different direction than what Lillie expected.

"Oh, it's nothing. Whoever is managing this gym, you don't need to worry about it. They'll fight trainers that get sent their way for the Earth Badge. Apart from that, Viridian City is in an interesting spot, don't you think? This city is a starting point for many trainers, but it is also the end of the road for them. Granted, you can walk to the rest of the cities after passing by this one. And the Indigo League is situated to the left.", Ricky responded, quickly shaking his head. He saw Lillie's worry, so she wanted to assure her he was fine.

Lillie inwardly sighed seeing Ricky return to his usual attitude, and nodded her head.

"That is a pretty interesting layout. Alola isn't anything like that. You can navigate to any of the four main islands in the island challenge at your leisure. There isn't a set structure. It sounds a lot more formal over here. But then again, Alola doesn't have Pokemon Gyms. I am pretty excited to see how they fair!", Lillie happily responded.

"That's a nice look you're wearing now, Lillie. I too am equally excited. Gym Battles are really exciting. The leaders are battle experts, and they own many Pokemon, and know how to gauge a trainer's strengths and weaknesses. You haven't battled with a Pokemon before, so we will have to get some training in before we head to Pewter City. The forest beyond here is an excellent training spot for that.", Ricky explained.

"The Viridian Forest? I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to battle some Pokemon there!", Lillie said.

"I'm sure we will. I am curious, have you decided on what starting Pokemon interests you the most here in Kanto?", Ricky asked, wanting to see which of the three Kanto starters Lillie was currently interested in. Lillie raised her eyes at that question.

"Well, I know we'll be getting those three starter Pokemon from Professor Oak. I haven't really decided yet, but with the way you worded that, why is it sounding like I'll be the first one to choose?", Lillie questioned.

"Haha, was it that obvious? You already let me pick the first of those three special Pokemon Lusamine gave. What Gramps has are just normal Pokemon at best, so there really isn't a reason for who picks first this time. So I figured since I went last, you should go first this time.", Ricky wondered.

"Hmm. I'll think about it. We still don't have Serena with us, so we can't just willy-nilly decide this by ourselves. If Serena doesn't have an objection, I don't mind going first in choosing.", Lillie answered.

"Excellent. We'll wait to see what Serena has to say. You've kept her Litten and her Z-Ring safe, right?", Ricky asked.

"Uh-huh. They made it safely through the flight. I double checked our bags right away!", Lillie happily responded. "I'm sure Serena will be very excited to get such a cute Pokemon.", Lillie happily responded with a smile. Ricky could have saved Serena's Litten and her Z-Ring inside his Item Pouch, but Lillie insisted she wanted to hang onto it. Lillie was always very secure with her belongings, so Ricky let her do it as she saw fit.

"That's good to hear. I'm sure she'll be happy to receive that Litten. We've been driving a little over thirty minutes through the heart of the city, and we are nearing the northern edge soon. Viridian Heights is a tad out of the way, but it will be worth it. Your Snowy might even get a new technique out of it.", Ricky wondered. Considering that Pokemon Dishes were a thing in this Pokemon World, it was very possible Snowy could walk away with learning a new move, like Icy Wind.

For the most part, Snowy wasn't as special as Amber was. Amber was God's gift to Ricky due to spending his karma points, so she came with a great set of moves, and had her hidden ability too. Snowy, sadly, wasn't like that. She mostly came with her starting moves, and Powder Snow. Learning any other moves would be entirely up to Snowy. If she could get a decent move, like Icy Wind as Ricky had just thought, it could very well be worth it.

"You really think Snowy will be able to learn a new move? I am still a bit hesitant in using Snowy in battle. I did find her no more than a year ago...Do you think she's ready?", Lillie frowned, still hesitant.

"Well, that will be up for you to decide, Lillie. After all, you are going to be starting an adventure, as a trainer. Snowy responds to you, so you will need to respond to her. It goes both ways. It isn't a one-way street.", Ricky explained.

"Hehe, that is a nice way of putting it. I think you eased my doubting side again. You always have a way with words you know.", Lillie giggled. "And I love that part of you too.", Lillie continued.

"Hahaha! I don't have an answer for everything. No one is perfect. For now, why don't we go enjoy some dinner? Look, you can see Viridian Heights coming into view now.", Ricky suddenly said, drawing Lillie's attention to the front of the roads. They were coming to a certain part on the northern side of Viridian City. She saw a huge hotel complex that shot high into the sky. It almost looked like a fancy casino. It was very massive!

It was one of those buildings that stood out from other tall buildings, making it an eye-catcher.

"Wow. That really is a big hotel.", Lillie exclaimed out of shock. "You really managed to get a night's stay here?", Lillie asked with a surprised look.

"Sure did. It isn't the fanciest room, but we have one closer toward the top of the building. We'll be able to get a good view of the entire city from there. That's the one thing that I like about this hotel. Considering we've been driving for a half hour or so, it's 730PM now. Serena's flight should drop in right around midnight, so we have a good four hours to have some fun. You hungry?", Ricky asked, recalling Lillie's stomach earlier. It was a pretty loud growl.

Lillie nodded her head.

"Uh-huh. Let's go get ourselves checked in, then go eat!", Lillie suggested.

"Sounds good to me.", Ricky nodded. Just like that, he let his convertible do its thing, letting itself drive all the way up to the parking area where Viridian Heights was situated.