The Right Way to Spot a Rich Trainer

After saying goodbye to the two teary-eyed Venonat, who were reluctant to see him go, Dian followed the river toward the edge of the forest.

Living in the forest was much harder than he had imagined. At first, without Misdreavus, he could not even find water, let alone food.

A young man on his own was practically at the bottom of the forest food chain, only a little better off than Caterpie.

Dian strode along the riverbank, plucking Berries from nearby trees as he went and nimbly dodging roots and vines underfoot. He moved like he knew the place by heart, though this was his first time here.

Aside from the progress his Pokémon had made, Dian felt as though something wild inside him had begun to wake up.

At first, he could barely swallow certain nutritious but awful-tasting Berries. Even if he forced them down, his stomach would rebel and he would throw them up. Now his body and stomach seemed used to it all, accepting every kind of bizarre food.

The culinary horrors made by that sweet-looking, secretly devious Blissey were the exception, of course.

"Mis!"

Misdreavus flew back carrying a heap of Berries, apparently chewing on something too. She looked delighted.

Dian smiled at Misdreavus. He was not the only one who had grown. She had too.

After all, the young lady had once been so used to Pokéblocks that she looked down on Berries straight from the tree and refused to eat them. Now she was enjoying them just fine.

He glanced at the river beside him. The current had grown swifter, and every so often he saw shapes darting through the water, probably some kind of Water-type Pokémon.

He must be getting closer to the upper reaches, and to the great plain where Azisa lived.