After a night's rest and breakfast the following morning, Xia You and Erika left Gumei Town.
After all, aside from the Gumei Ruins, there was nowhere else worth visiting here, so there was no need to waste any more time.
As for their next route, the two put their heads together and studied it for quite a while. In the end, Xia You chose to go to Petalburg City first, then make a large circuit through Rustboro City, Fallarbor Town, Fortree City, Lilycove City, Mossdeep City, Sootopolis City, and Pacifidlog Town, before returning to mainland Hoenn to challenge Slateport City and Mauville City.
Of course, this route was not set in stone. It was merely their initial plan, and they could change it at any time if something changed or other circumstances arose.
Before challenging any Gyms, however, Xia You decided he needed to catch a few Pokémon to expand his team.
After all, he could not keep using Pokémon that had already competed in tournaments to challenge Gyms. Although that would make earning Badges easy, it would do nothing to train his Pokémon.
As for where he might find Pokémon he liked nearby...
Xia You turned his gaze toward the mountains not far away.
Compared with the little roadside woods and patches of grass that Pokémon Trainers had long since scoured, the remote mountains probably still harbored some rare Pokémon.
With their supplies packed, the two left the main road and headed into the mountains.
As they moved farther from the city, the ground beneath their feet became increasingly difficult to traverse. Not only did they often have to change direction and watch their surroundings as weeds covered their feet, but they also had to wade across streams or push into dense forests from time to time.
Fortunately, both