On the beach west of Petalburg City, Yong was preparing lunch.
Onix lay coiled in the coastal shallows, continuing his water-resistance training. Not far away, Mudkip practiced Rock Smash against an enormous rock!
If you looked closely, you would notice a 5 kg weight strapped to each of his little arms and legs! These were weights designed for small Pokémon, bought at the department store, with sizes ranging from 5 kg to 40 kg.
For Mudkip, who weighed less than 8 kg, suddenly carrying twice his own weight was a struggle, no matter how talented he was. He could only adjust gradually.
As for why Yong wasn't supervising, with the system around, he didn't have to worry about Mudkip slacking off.
"Ding! Mudkip completed training. Gained 1 Training Point and a small amount of experience!" "Ding! Mudkip completed training. Gained 2 Training Points and a small amount of experience. Rock Smash proficiency increased!"
Yep, very reliable!
Saving the Training Points to spend all at once during the next special training session, Yong called a halt to Onix and Mudkip's training.
They would be entering Petalburg Woods next, so they needed to prepare properly. After all, it was the largest forest in the Hoenn Region.
The boy and his two Pokémon ate their respective meals in the sea breeze, a picture of harmony.
Petalburg Woods lay in the middle of Route 104, connecting Petalburg City to Rustboro City. It had three entrances: two in the south, just outside Petalburg City's western outskirts, and one in the north, on the only route to Rustboro City.
Near the northern entrance, a hidden path led into the forest's northwestern area.
It was said that many Treecko lived in the northwestern woods. They had claimed an ancient, enormous tree and made their homes in it, earning the area the name Treecko Forest.
Although Yong was interested, he hadn't acted on that interest.
Treecko wasn't among his targets.
Inside Petalburg Woods, towering trees blocked most of the sunlight, though the path ahead was still visible. Travelers often lost their way in the dim forest.
A great many wild Pokémon lived there.
Besides the numerous low-level Bug-type Pokémon nesting in the grass, some rarer Pokémon could also be found there, such as Slakoth and Shroomish, which lived only in forests.
The tall trees also made ideal homes for Flying-type Pokémon, attracting flocks of bird Pokémon to settle there! People had caught Taillow, Wingull, and even the rare Natu here.
The many varieties of Pokémon, abundant woodland resources, and wetland climate had created Petalburg Woods' unique ecosystem.
Flying-, Bug-, and Grass-type Pokémon, natural enemies elsewhere, had achieved a balance here. These three types formed the core of an ecosystem supported by Pokémon of other types, keeping one another in check while coexisting! It had become an important wild Pokémon habitat in the Hoenn Region.
Leaving the beach, Yong continued on his way. He passed Mr. Briney's cottage without disturbing him. Heading north along Route 104, he watched the woods grow denser and the trainers become more numerous, and knew Petalburg Woods lay just ahead.
The deep, shadowy forest felt overwhelmingly oppressive. Sunlight could barely penetrate the thick canopies of the enormous trees. The scattered patches of sunlight offered no sense of security!
In the dim light, the giant trees' shadows twisted into eerie shapes! With distant birdsong and Pokémon cries drifting through the woods, he felt the kind of creeping dread found in horror stories from his previous life.
What am I thinking? I'm just scaring myself!
Yong shook his head, driving away those inexplicable fears.
Just as the rumors said, there were an absurd number of Pokémon here!
Along the path, all sorts of Bug-type Pokémon crawled in and out of the grass, completely unafraid of people. They were downright brazen!
Nuzleaf and Mankey gathered in groups in the treetops! One careless step could land on an Oddish's head, leaving them chasing after you in tears until you gave them food...
Everywhere he looked, Bug Catchers were catching Bug-type Pokémon with their nets. Other trainers challenged Pokémon they liked to battles, hoping to catch them.
Yong had also encountered some good Pokémon, such as Slakoth, but it was a Normal type, and its Ability was such a headache that he had decisively given up on it.
By now, he had gradually left the forest's outskirts and entered its depths.
There were far fewer people here, and sunlight barely reached the ground. In the dim woods, moisture had rotted great quantities of fallen leaves into patches of black soil. Rich in nutrients, it was a favorite of Grass-type Pokémon.
Around the roots of the great trees grew countless cream-colored mushrooms with green spots, densely packed together and claiming every inch of the ground!
As Yong approached, the mushrooms suddenly began bobbing in rhythm. Then, one after another, they released clouds of cream-colored powder from openings on top of their heads, forming one enormous cloud!
The spreading powder blocked his path.
What's this?
"Pokémon: Shroomish, Lv. 15. Very timid, it likes damp places and lives on moist ground deep in forests. During the day, it remains motionless beneath fallen leaves in the shade of forest trees. Damp, decomposing forest soil is its favorite food. Gender: Male Type: Grass Nature: Timid Ability: Spore. When attacked, it sometimes poisons, paralyzes, or puts to sleep an opponent that makes contact with it. Moves: Mega Drain (beginner), Tackle (beginner), Stun Spore (proficient), Leech Seed (beginner), Growth (beginner), Headbutt (beginner) Egg Move: Worry Seed (beginner) TMs: None"
Shroomish!
Yikes, this is Shroomish territory!
Quickly covering his mouth and nose, Yong backed away.
That cream-colored powder was made of highly poisonous spores! When Shroomish sensed danger, they shook their bodies and scattered toxic spores from their heads, potent enough to wither vegetation. If someone accidentally inhaled them, every joint in their body would begin to ache.
A single Shroomish wasn't difficult to deal with, but they always gathered in large groups, making them one of the forest's most troublesome opponents, and among the last anyone wanted to encounter!
Just my luck, running into them.
A huge area around him belonged to the Shroomish. Going around would take too much time. In that case, he gritted his teeth. He was doing this!
"Shroomish! I'm only passing through. Could you let me past? I mean no harm!"
Pokémon were innocent creatures. Maybe they had simply been startled earlier. If he talked it out with them, perhaps they would let him through?
"Shroo!"
"Shroo, shroo~!"
All the Shroomish cried out loudly, their little bodies bobbing and shaking violently. More poisonous spores sprayed out, enveloping the area. So...?
They're even angrier?
Fine. If we can't talk it out, we'll have to battle!
"In that case, let's battle, Shroomish! Send out your leader, and we'll fight! If I win, you let me through. If I lose, I'll leave immediately. How does that sound?"
Yong was confident. Although the Shroomish were higher-level than Mudkip, their move proficiency was far inferior.
With their habit of huddling together, how strong could their leader be? Easy!
"Come out, Mudkip!"
"Mud, kip~!"
He released Mudkip and confidently watched the restless Shroomish opposite him, waiting for their leader to appear.
As the Shroomish's cries grew louder,
"Breloom~!!!"
Suddenly, a completely different cry came from a large tree opposite them! A figure immediately leaped down, landing before Yong and Mudkip.
The Pokémon was built like a kangaroo, with a mostly green and cream-colored body.
Each limb had two red claws! The mushroom on his head formed a broad, conical cap, with two red, spherical growths arranged symmetrically on either side and an opening in the middle.
Four green spheres surrounded the tip of his tail, formed from hardened poisonous spores.
It was Shroomish's evolved form! Breloom!!
"Pokémon: Breloom, Lv. 24. It prefers warm, humid climates. It approaches enemies with light footwork, then suddenly extends its short, retractable arms to deliver punches almost too fast to see, knocking opponents down with skill that puts boxers to shame. Gender: Male Type: Grass/Fighting Nature: Lonely Ability: Poison Heal. When poisoned, it recovers health instead of losing it. Moves: Tackle (proficient), Mega Drain (beginner), Growth (beginner), Poison Powder (proficient), Stun Spore (proficient), Headbutt (beginner), Mach Punch (beginner), Leech Seed (proficient), Spore (proficient), Toxic (beginner), Counter (beginner) Egg Move: Work Up (beginner) TMs: None"
Breloom.
A gentle breeze blew past.
Pretending not to care, Mudkip backed up beside Yong and tugged at his trouser leg.
"Mud, kip! Mud, kip!"
I want to go back!
With a thoroughly exasperated expression, Yong recalled the now-cowardly Mudkip and took out Onix's Poké Ball.
Looking at the Breloom who had suddenly appeared, he silently cursed himself for being an idiot!
How could a Shroomish colony not have a Breloom protecting it? Otherwise, with their timid nature, they would never have attacked a human so brazenly.
Fortunately, although Breloom's dual Grass/Fighting typing perfectly countered his Onix,
his move proficiency was badly unbalanced. His proficiency with Mach Punch was clearly very low; he might barely have used it at all!
Among his Grass-type moves, only Mega Drain posed a threat. Leech Seed wasn't enough to worry about! As for Poison-type moves? What were those supposed to do? Onix would scoff at them.
We can fight this. With Onix's expert-level Iron Tail, we might stand a chance!
"Go, Onix!"
He gently tossed the Poké Ball, and Onix's nearly eight-meter-long body appeared on the battlefield!
"Roar!"
"Breloom! Breloom! Breloom~!"
Breloom watched Onix warily and cried out, refusing to back down. A huge cloud of Stun Spore suddenly erupted from the opening on his head, spreading across the entire battlefield!
"Breloom!"
Every muscle in his body trembled. White currents of air swirled around him before finally fading!
Amid his spirited cries,
Work Up activated!
Battle lust blazed in Breloom's eyes!