He spent several more days roaming the forest, using Mudkip as his main battler during the day to practice Protect and earn training points.
When they stopped to rest at night, he had Onix take Mudkip underground or into the hills for special training.
Onix absorbed minerals and hard materials to improve its physique, while Mudkip used rocks and hard stones to train its strength and the power of its moves.
After several days, Mudkip had not only improved its move proficiency but also reached level 16, putting it on the verge of evolution.
It was now gathering energy, ready to break through at any moment.
Onix had also grown to nine meters in length and weighed 240 kilograms.
Its jet-black, rocky body shone with a metallic luster, giving it an imposing sense of weight.
Yong planned to buy a Metal Coat in Rustboro City to evolve Onix. At this stage, its defense was already maxed out. His family had also prepared plenty of minerals and hard rocks back home. Once it absorbed those as well, it could break through and evolve!
The surrounding trees began to grow shorter, and the grass became sparse.
The increasing number of trainers told Yong that he was about to emerge from Petalburg Woods and reach Rustboro City.
Before long, the view suddenly opened up, and a flower shop appeared at the edge of the forest.
The surrounding trees and grass gave way to vast beds of flowers and orchards of Berries.
This was the Petalburg Flower Shop, located at the northern exit of Petalburg Woods. It marked the point where travelers left the woods and approached Rustboro City.
The flower shop faced the exit of Petalburg Woods, with the river from Meteor Falls behind it and Rustboro City across the lake. To the east lay the main road leading to the city.
Seeing the many varieties of Berries growing outside, Yong entered the flower shop to stock up. The Berries here were cheap, so buying in bulk would save money. Their different effects would also help him handle emergencies in the wild.
"Hello! I'd like to buy some Berries with different effects!"
"Of course. Which kinds would you like?"
A very young, beautiful woman in a long green dress asked with a smile,
"I'm Noriko, the eldest sister here at the flower shop."
"Oh! Hello, Miss Noriko! I'd like some Cheri Berries for paralysis, Chesto Berries for sleep, Pecha Berries for poisoning, Rawst Berries for burns, and Lum Berries for confusion! Ten of each will do."
"Certainly. I'll get them ready right away!"
He watched Miss Noriko leave and enter the orchard.
Yong looked around the flower shop.
Potted plants and bouquets were neatly arranged on rows of stands. On the shelves against the wall, numerous informational cards were sorted by category to introduce the Berries. To ensure their effectiveness, the Berries were picked fresh. Only after being packed into special containers could they be stored for a long time with minimal loss of potency.
The flower shop was crowded with trainers coming and going to purchase all kinds of Berries.
After all, Petalburg Woods had a wide variety of Pokémon, and anything could happen there. Buying extra Berries was a sensible precaution. They were also much more affordable than prepared medicines such as Antidotes, though their effects were naturally not as strong.
Besides trainers, there were girls who loved flowers and floral arrangements picking out blooms, as well as breeders and caretakers buying plants to provide suitable habitats for Grass-type Pokémon.
With people constantly coming and going, the place was bustling.
After spending so many days in Petalburg Woods, Yong couldn't help feeling how wonderful it was to be back in human society!
"Here you are! Your Berries are all packed!"
After quite a while, Miss Noriko finally returned, carrying five special boxes filled with Berries of various colors, and handed them to Yong.
"Sorry for the trouble, Miss Noriko!"
He took the boxes, paid, and followed the crowd out of the flower shop as Miss Noriko called her farewells.
He followed Route 104 toward the nearby bridge, which he would have to cross to enter Rustboro City.
"Young Master Kuan is the best! Young Master Kuan is number one!"
"Young Master Kuan is the best! Young Master Kuan is number one!"
A burst of noisy cheering came from nearby. For a moment, Yong almost thought he saw a conceited young master driving a luxury car with a whole crowd of girls following him.
Holy crap, did I transmigrate again? Am I in Pallet Town now? No, that can't be right. I can see Rustboro City across the river!
He shook his head, banishing the absurd thought.
Taking a closer look, he saw a boy in an extravagant tailcoat sitting in a luxury car on the nearby riverbank. A butler stood beside him holding a drink. Around them, a group of girls in sailor uniforms waved colorful bouquets and cheered enthusiastically.
The lavishly dressed boy gazed up at the sky with a proud expression, looking as though he considered himself the greatest person alive.
On the battlefield, another boy dejectedly recalled his Makuhita, then turned and left.
"Hello, young man. Would you be interested in having a Pokémon battle with our young master?"
As Yong watched, a voice came from beside him. A middle-aged man dressed just like the butler was smiling at him.
"Uh, hello. May I ask why?"
The middle-aged man sighed and explained,
"Our young master is a novice trainer with a great talent for Pokémon battles... He used to be a very humble boy, but as his victories piled up, and especially after his starter Pokémon evolved, he grew increasingly arrogant..."
"Oh? Has he never lost?"
Yong asked curiously. His Onix had suffered plenty of defeats in the beginning.
"That's right! Ever since his starter Pokémon evolved, he hasn't lost a single battle, whether against wild Pokémon or other trainers! That's why he's become like this..."
The middle-aged man looked helplessly at the lavishly dressed boy nearby and said,
"But our master knows that there is always someone better out there. Sooner or later, the young master will suffer badly with that attitude! That's why we hope to find an excellent trainer who can defeat him and help him understand that..."
"So that's it!"
Yong nodded.
"What would you need me to do, then?"
"You're willing? Wonderful! All you need to do is defeat the young master and help him see himself clearly! If you win, you'll receive a reward specially arranged by our master: 500,000 in prize money and a state-of-the-art resistance training device!"
The middle-aged man spoke happily, taking out a card and a vest-like device embedded with numerous metal plates.
Yong's eyes lit up. That was an excellent reward!
The resistance training device could automatically adjust to a Pokémon's physical condition, changing shape to fit its body and provide weighted training! It was far more advanced than the weights he had bought before.
There was a cash reward too, so why not? Besides, as a trainer, he would never shy away from a battle!
"All right, leave it to me!"
Accepting the task with his fighting spirit blazing, Yong walked toward the lavishly dressed boy named Kuan.
By now, the luxury car was surrounded by curious spectators. Perhaps Kuan had genuinely shown considerable strength in his previous battles, because for the moment, no one was challenging him.
"Young Master Kuan is the best! Young Master Kuan is number one!"
"Young Master Kuan is the best! Young Master Kuan is number one!"
"Hello, I'm Yong. I'm here to battle you!"
Yong's voice rang out amid the cheers.
"Oh? Another challenger?"
Kuan stepped out of the car and waved a hand to silence the girls' cheering, then raised his head proudly to look at him.
"I'm the strongest rookie there is. You're no match for me!"
Some spectators who had watched the earlier battles chimed in:
"That's right! Young Master Kuan is incredible. This year's top rookie title is yours for sure!"
"Exactly! This boy looks like a rookie too. How could he possibly beat Young Master Kuan?"
"That's right, that's right!"
"Young Master Kuan is the best! Young Master Kuan is number one!"
"Young Master Kuan is the best! Young Master Kuan is number one!"
Hearing the chatter around him, Yong shook his head.
"We haven't even battled yet. How do you know I'll definitely lose and you'll definitely win?"
He shrugged helplessly.
"A frog at the bottom of a well can never see how vast the sky is!"
"What did you say? You little brat!"
"How dare you say that to Young Master Kuan! You're awfully arrogant!"
"Very well!"
Kuan waved a hand to silence the crowd again, his gaze sharpening.
"Then I'll show you just how far apart we are!"
Oh? He's getting serious? That's a pretty impressive presence! Looks like he's not all show after all.
Yong nodded inwardly and said aloud,
"Then let's begin!"
The butler stepped forward to serve as the referee.
"In this Pokémon battle between Young Master Kuan and Mr. Yong, each side may use one Pokémon. The first side whose Pokémon is unable to battle loses. The battle begins now!"
Seeing Yong's casual stance, Kuan frowned in irritation.
"Don't get so cocky!"
As he spoke, he took out a Luxury Ball and threw it toward the river.
"Teach him a proper lesson, Milotic!"
*!?*
Milotic!?
The Poké Ball opened over the water. Dazzling white light flashed, and a beautiful, long, serpentine figure emerged.
It resembled a sea serpent.
Its body was cream-colored, and its eyes gleamed like rubies.
There were three black dots beneath its neck. Its head was elongated, with a slight protrusion at the tip and red eyebrows extending from above its eyes beyond its skin.
Matching red, hairlike fins draped down both sides of its head.
Its long tail was covered in blue and pink scales patterned with black stripes. At the tip, four large blue scales each had a red spot in the center.
It was the Pokémon celebrated as "the most beautiful Pokémon!"
Milotic, an exceptionally rare Pokémon whose gentle power could soothe people's anger!
"Miii~"
Milotic!
It was said that Milotic usually lived at the bottom of clear, vast lakes. When people began to fight, it would emerge from the depths to heal their restless hearts and end their quarrels.
Its beautiful scales held rainbow hues, shifting into different colors depending on the angle from which they were viewed.
When its body emitted a vivid pink glow, it released waves that could soothe agitated hearts. It was said that anyone who saw Milotic's graceful form would have all their anger and resentment soothed away, completely forgetting their urge to fight.
This was an extremely rare Pokémon that evolved from Feebas. Yet to this day, no one could clearly explain how Feebas, the ugliest Pokémon, evolved into the beautiful Milotic.