Departure

Bai Shi had originally planned to take the championship prize money and move on to a new area: Jubilife City, north of Sandgem Town.

But an unexpected loss had thrown his plans off course.

Staravia had taken its first defeat in battle hard.

The cockiness that had come with its evolution had vanished completely.

Determined to learn from the loss, Staravia had asked Bai Shi for special training.

It wanted to erase the shame of its defeat.

Respecting Staravia's wishes, Bai Shi adjusted his travel plans slightly and stayed in Sandgem Town a few more days.

The runner-up prize was not as large as the champion's.

Even so, it gave Bai Shi the money he urgently needed.

He could keep training his Pokémon without worrying about expenses for now.

Besides their regular training, Bai Shi found a few less-skilled Pokémon Trainers for Staravia to battle.

Those victories helped Staravia regain its confidence.

Dunsparce, meanwhile, learned a new move—Rollout.

It paired perfectly with Defense Curl.

Together with its other two moves, Dunsparce now had some fighting power.

Bai Shi could try using it in a proper battle.

He found a suitable opponent to test the results of Dunsparce's training.

"Dun..." (Can I really do this?)

Facing another Pokémon Trainer for the first time, Dunsparce wriggled uneasily, looking nervous.

Before the battle began, it kept sizing up its opponent.

Staryu was about its size and did not look too fierce. It seemed manageable, and Dunsparce relaxed a little.

Bai Shi had, after all, chosen this Trainer specifically for Dunsparce.

Staryu was unlikely to be much stronger than Dunsparce.

It would be terrible if Dunsparce took such a beating that it lost all confidence.

"Staryu, use Water Gun!"

As soon as the battle began, Staryu obeyed its Trainer and fired a narrow blue jet of water at Dunsparce.

Timid as ever, Dunsparce saw the attack coming and used Dig without waiting for Bai Shi's command.

It quickly burrowed underground, dodging Staryu's attack.

Its bewildered opponent stayed where it was, unsure what to do.

"Dunsparce, use Mud-Slap!"

While Staryu was still caught off guard, Dunsparce burst out of the ground.

It hurled a spray of brown clods straight at Staryu.

Several struck Staryu before it could react, dealing a little damage.

"Staryu, quick! Use Rapid Spin!"

The opposing Trainer had no intention of letting Staryu stand there and take it.

At the command, Staryu began spinning at high speed.

The clods Dunsparce threw could hardly hurt it now.

"Staryu, use Swift!"

Staryu sent a barrage of star-shaped rays toward Dunsparce.

"Dunsparce, use Defense Curl!"

Bai Shi gave the order without a change in expression.

Dunsparce curled itself into a yellow ball.

Its defense rose, reducing the damage from Staryu's move.

"Now, Dunsparce! Use Rollout!"

Seeing his chance, Bai Shi immediately followed up with another command.

No sooner had he spoken than Dunsparce rolled toward Staryu like a boulder.

The boost from Defense Curl made the attack more powerful.

"Staryu, quick! Use Water Gun!"

The opposing Trainer tried to stop Dunsparce from closing in.

It was no use.

Dunsparce's Rollout weakened the jet of water.

It could not deal much damage to Dunsparce.

Staryu could only watch as Dunsparce bore down on it and knocked it over.

"Dunsparce, keep using Rollout!"

Bai Shi showed no mercy and ordered Dunsparce to keep attacking.

Still rolling, Dunsparce repeatedly ran over the fallen Staryu.

It stopped only when Staryu lost consciousness.

Bai Shi had won the battle.

"Dun?" (It's down already?)

Dunsparce froze for a moment, struggling to believe it.

Its opponent had been easier to beat than it had expected.

And to think it had been so nervous beforehand, treating Staryu like a formidable rival.

Its tightly coiled body gradually relaxed.

"Good work, Dunsparce. Keep it up!"

After a few words of praise, Bai Shi began reviewing the battle.

"Dunsparce still doesn't know enough moves."

"Especially when it treats Dig purely as a way to dodge."

"With only Mud-Slap and Rollout for offense, it can't deal much damage. It can beat weaker opponents, but that's about it."

"Only more training will fix that."

Bai Shi knew Dunsparce needed to learn Drill Peck to evolve.

He decided to focus on strengthening Dunsparce's body in their upcoming training.

He hoped it would give Dunsparce a solid foundation for learning Drill Peck.

That could wait, though.

Bai Shi was ready to leave Sandgem Town.

If he stayed a few more days, he might not have enough money to reach Jubilife City.

Unlike his previous destination, this one was much farther away.

Bai Shi planned to travel faster and make fewer stops along the way, hoping to reach Jubilife City soon.

Staravia's evolution and Dunsparce's arrival had given Bai Shi a great deal of confidence.

He no longer had to be as nervous as he had been when he first left Twinleaf Town.

As long as he stayed cautious and kept a low profile, he probably would not run into danger.

"Before I go, let's try my luck and check in!"

With a thought, Bai Shi pressed the check-in button.

A blue-and-white Poké Ball with red stripes appeared out of thin air before him.

"Is this... a Great Ball?"

Bai Shi recognized it at first glance.

As an upgraded version of a standard Poké Ball, a Great Ball cost considerably more.

One Great Ball was worth several standard Poké Balls.

Its capture rate was also one and a half times that of a standard Poké Ball.

Of everything he had received recently, it was among the most useful.

"Not bad. Not bad at all!"

Bai Shi made a small mark on the Great Ball, then put it away with a pleased smile.

He intended to use it himself rather than sell it.

"Looks like my luck's pretty good today!"

In high spirits, Bai Shi replenished his travel supplies and set off once more for Jubilife City.