Goldenrod City

On the maglev train, after negotiating the specific price and quantity, Whitney simply transferred one million Pokecoins directly to Aoki's bank card. Her indifferent expression made Aoki feel the rich girl's lavishness once again.

Although Whitney talked a lot, she didn't have the arrogant attitude of a spoiled heiress. She even shared some experience in raising Miltank along the way.

These topics sparked some interest in Aoki, and throughout the trip, Whitney kept talking while Aoki mostly listened.

About two hours after lunch, the maglev train finally arrived in Goldenrod City, Johto. Aoki, who originally planned to enjoy the scenery of Mt. Silver along the way, was unable to see anything interesting because of Whitney.

"Dear passengers, the train has now arrived at Goldenrod City, Johto. Please take your luggage and exit the train in an orderly manner..." The train's announcement repeated three times.

Aoki didn't have much luggage. He returned Miltank to her Pokeball and walked out of the train with Slowpoke.

Because Miltank was shy and nervous around strangers, Aoki decided to keep her in her Pokeball for now. She needed time to adjust to the new environment and her current situation.

Whitney also returned Miltank to her Pokeball and walked out of the train alongside Aoki.

"Aoki, why don't you stay at my place first? You don't have a place to stay in Goldenrod City anyway. Instead of the Pokémon Center, it'd be better if you came to my house. I can also have someone buy materials for you," Whitney said, trotting to keep up with Aoki's pace.

"Alright," Aoki agreed after a brief moment of thought.

His main reason for accepting was to let Miltank meet more of her kind and help her grow more confident. At the same time, he had heard that there were many wild Pokémon near Whitney's family farm. He hoped to see if he could find a Nidoran.

As soon as they exited the station, Aoki was about to flag down a taxi when a sleek, extended luxury car pulled up in front of them.

An older man in his fifties or sixties, dressed in a black suit, stepped out from the passenger seat and respectfully approached Whitney. "Miss, you had us all worried again with this sudden trip. Please, let's head home quickly."

Whitney stuck out her tongue and scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Heh, Uncle Lee, I just wanted to go out and have some fun! It's so boring at home!"

Then, she quickly changed the subject by pushing Aoki forward. "Uncle Lee, this is Aoki. He's my new friend, and he's amazing!"

As a seasoned butler of a wealthy family, Uncle Lee immediately smiled warmly. "Hello, Young Master Aoki."

Aoki nodded but didn't say much. He was already starting to regret agreeing to Whitney's invitation.

"Okay, okay, Uncle Lee, let's not just stand here chatting. That'd be rude! Let's go home—I really miss Grandpa!" Whitney said, tugging on Uncle Lee's sleeve.

"Alright, alright. Let's go home," Uncle Lee said indulgently, shaking his head but clearly fond of Whitney.

The three of them got into the luxurious extended car. Aoki rested his head on one hand, gazing out the window as Whitney continued chattering away, providing an unprompted tour of Goldenrod City.

As the largest and most developed city in Johto, Goldenrod City was often compared to Saffron City in Kanto. However, the two cities had distinct differences.

Goldenrod was more technologically advanced than Saffron, yet it lacked Saffron's dense, crowded atmosphere. Instead, the people here seemed warmer and more laid-back.

A defining characteristic of Johto was its deep-rooted cultural traditions. The region's most prominent legend revolved around Ho-Oh, the mythical Pokémon.

The most well-known tale described how Ho-Oh revived three Pokémon from a burned tower, transforming them into Legendary Beasts as its emissaries in the world.

Due to these beliefs, humans and Pokémon in Johto generally lived in harmony.

As Johto's economic and technological hub, Goldenrod City had four landmark locations: Goldenrod Radio Tower, Goldenrod Department Store, Goldenrod Game Corner, and Goldenrod Gym.

Goldenrod Gym was managed by Whitney's family. Aoki wasn't sure who the current Gym Leader was, but it was certainly someone from her family. Before long, the position would likely fall to Whitney herself.

Although the League did not explicitly require Gyms to be inherited within families, the selection of Gym Leaders was primarily left to the discretion of the current Leader. The League would then conduct an evaluation before making it official.

As long as the chosen successor wasn't completely incompetent—or unless the League had specific reasons to intervene—the Gym would almost always remain within the same family. The League's evaluation was mostly a formality to maintain its authority.

That said, not all Gyms were controlled by elite families. Some were founded by independent Trainers who had either achieved significant merit or placed highly in the League Conference, earning the right to establish their own Gyms.

In such cases, their successors were typically selected from among their apprentices. However, most independent Gym Leaders eventually built small families of their own, centered around their Gym. It was only natural—after all, those who rose from humble beginnings wouldn't want their descendants to return to that status.

Whitney, as the heir to Goldenrod Gym—the only Gym in Johto's largest city—was a prime example of a Gym Leader chosen from an elite lineage.

Then there was Goldenrod Radio Tower, a famous broadcasting station that transmitted signals across both Kanto and Johto.

The most well-known Pokémon Professor in Kanto, Professor Oak, was a frequent guest on its most popular program, a testament to the tower's widespread influence.

The tower itself stood near the maglev train station. Originally, the site was home to an ancient tower, but due to age and decay, the League eventually reconstructed it into the modern Radio Tower.

During the reconstruction, both a Rainbow Wing and a Silver Wing were discovered on the top floor, adding to the site's mystique.

It remained one of Goldenrod City's key landmarks.

Goldenrod Department Store was another prominent location, once advertising itself with the bold slogan: "No item or TM you can't find here!" Though this slogan was eventually removed, it still reflected the store's vast inventory.

A regular shop wouldn't dare make such a claim.

Additionally, the Department Store wasn't just limited to its above-ground structure—it had multiple basement floors, whose exact number remained unknown.

Few knew what lay beneath.

In Aoki's past life, he had once taken on a mission to infiltrate the basement. However, the security had been too tight, forcing him to abandon the task. It was one of the rare missions he had failed.