"Whew... scared me to death. Just who is that guy? He's way too strong!"
"I don't know, never seen him, but he's definitely not some ordinary person."
"From now on in Lavaridge Town, if you see this person, you'd better take a detour..."
The sounds of discussion rose again, but the center of the topic had completely shifted to Ariel.
Ariel turned a deaf ear to these discussions, continuing to enjoy the comfort brought by the hot spring.
Every cell in his body relaxed under the soak of the spring water, and the fatigue of consecutive days was swept away.
Just then, a few Trainers not far from him started chatting about a new topic.
A rather robust-looking Trainer said mysteriously to his companions, "Hey, have you heard? There seems to be a big discovery in the forest on Route 112 recently."
"What big discovery? Did they find some rare berries?"
His companion was clearly not very interested.
"What are berries compared to this!"
The robust Trainer raised his voice, then quickly lowered it, leaning in to say,
"Someone said they saw a Shinny Ralts deep in the forest!"
"What?!"
"A Shinny Ralts?!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the ears of several Trainers soaking in the hot spring, including Ariel, immediately perked up.
Shinny pokémon are already one-in-a-million existences.
And Ralts, a pokémon that can sense human emotions and can eventually evolve into the powerful Psychic-type fighter Gardevoir or the elegant swordsman Gallade, is extremely popular and valuable in its own right.
The value of a Shinny Ralts is simply immeasurable!
"Is that for real? Don't let it just be hearsay."
Another Trainer expressed doubt,
"Shinny pokémon aren't that easy to come across."
"It's absolutely true! My cousin's classmate was on a mission there the day before yesterday and saw it with his own eyes! They say that Ralts is light blue all over, very beautiful, and its mental energy fluctuations far exceed others of its kind!"
The robust Trainer said with conviction,
"Too bad they were chasing poachers at the time, and the little fellow slipped away in the blink of an eye. Now many people have rushed over after hearing the news, all hoping to try their luck."
"But it seems to have a Gallade by its side; many Trainers were directly driven out by that Gallade."
This news was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, stirring up massive waves in Ariel's heart.
A Shinny Ralts!
His breathing hitched slightly.
The rarity of this Pokémon goes without saying. Although he already has a Psychic-type Malamar in his team, a Shinny Ralts is, so to speak, a hard currency anywhere it's placed.
Even if he couldn't use it himself, it could be exchanged for a massive amount of resources.
...After finishing his soak, Ariel changed his clothes, feeling refreshed.
That Staff Member from before was already waiting at the door. Seeing Ariel come out, she immediately led his four pokémon to meet him.
"Sir, your pokémon have finished their rest."
The girl's attitude was humble to the extreme.
Ariel nodded, his gaze sweeping over his partners.
They indeed looked radiant, especially Frogadier; the mucus on its body seemed even shinier, and its eyes were more spirited than before.
Ariel's heart stirred, and he subconsciously scanned it with his pokédex.
"Frogadier, the Bubble Frog Pokémon, Level 21, Ability: Protean..."
Level, 21!
Ariel's eyes suddenly lit up.
It actually leveled up!
Just by soaking in a hot spring, Frogadier's level rose from 20 to 21!
This was truly a huge, unexpected pleasant surprise!
He surmised that this hot spring might contain some special energy minerals. Coupled with the fact that Frogadier was already on the verge of a breakthrough, the nourishment from the spring water and complete relaxation allowed it to break through the level shackles in one go.
"Thanks."
In a great mood, Ariel thanked the Staff Member and recalled his four pokémon.
Stepping out of the hot spring facility, the afternoon sun was warm but not blinding.
Ariel looked up toward the rolling green mountains in the distance; that was the direction of Route 112.
His body was relaxed from the spring, but his spirit was more focused than ever because of that rumor.
The corners of his mouth unconsciously curled into an arc.
Shinny Ralts... I hope that rumor is true... Evening.
The afterglow of the setting sun plated Lavaridge Town in a warm orange, but this warmth failed to extend into the forest outside the town.
As soon as he stepped into the woods, the temperature dropped several degrees, and the light dimmed rapidly.
Tall canopies overlapped, cutting the sky into fragmented pieces of cloth. Only a few stubborn rays of sunset light penetrated the gaps, casting mottled shadows on the accumulated fallen leaves.
The air was filled with the scent of damp soil and decaying plants, accompanied by the cries of unknown Pokémon, making the forest seem increasingly deep and mysterious.
Following the map given by Old Man Moore, Ariel walked unsteadily along the path.
He weighed the package in his hand; it wasn't large, nor did it feel heavy. It was wrapped in ordinary kraft paper, with the opening tied meticulously with hemp rope.
Delivering something, yet specifically instructing to come at night.
Ariel muttered to himself; this old friend of Moore's probably had a bit of a quirky personality.
The soak in the hot spring during the day was comfortable, and it even led to Frogadier gaining a level, which was an unexpected joy.
Now full of energy, he didn't feel tired even while walking mountain paths.
"Shasha—"
The grass ahead rustled, and a Poochyena with disheveled fur lunged out, teeth bared, letting out a low threatening growl, its crimson eyes fixed on Ariel.
Ariel didn't even bother to look up.
"Weavile."
He softly called the name.
A black shadow instantly flashed out from the shadow beside him, so fast it was almost impossible to catch with the naked eye.
Only a cold flash of light glinted in the air.
Crack!
The Poochyena's roar was still stuck in its throat when its body was covered by a thin layer of ice, and it fell straight down, losing its ability to battle.
An instant kill.
Weavile landed gracefully in front of Ariel, its crimson eyes glancing at the fallen Poochyena before alertly scanning the surroundings like a most loyal guard.
Ariel continued forward, long since accustomed to such small scenes.
Before he had gone far, another blind Linoone tried to launch a surprise attack with Take Down.
The result was the same.
Weavile didn't even use Ice Punch; with just a tricky Night Slash, it accurately struck the Linoone's nape, making it follow in the Poochyena's footsteps.
Easily resolved.
Ariel was very satisfied with Weavile's strength; it was truly a main force he had painstakingly trained.
Just when he thought this journey would pass in such a mundane clearing of mobs, a sudden change occurred!
"Roar—!!!"
A roar full of rage came from deep within the forest, shaking the leaves until they rustled.
Immediately following, the ground began to vibrate slightly.
A massive figure suddenly smashed through two small trees and charged out from the dense forest on the side!
It was an exceptionally robust Nidoking!
Its body was covered in rough purple shells, the sharp horn on its head flashed with terrifying cold light, and every time its muscular limbs hit the ground, it felt like a heavy hammer striking one's heart.
Ariel's pupils constricted, and he instantly assumed a defensive stance, his right hand already reaching for the Poké Ball at his waist.
The pressure emitted by this Nidoking far exceeded any wild Pokémon he had encountered before.
However, that enraged Nidoking didn't even look at Ariel; its target didn't seem to be this human who had entered its territory.
Its blood-red eyes stared fixedly at a patch of grass ahead, and it lunged forward!
Boom!
Dust flew as the entire patch of grass was crushed by its massive body.
Nidoking lowered its head, frantically digging through the crushed grass and soil as if searching for something, but it found nothing.
Not found!
It became even more furious, letting out another wild roar toward the sky.
Just then, from another thicket not far to Ariel's right rear, came a slight rustling sound.
The sound was very light, but after Nidoking's violent roar ceased, it was exceptionally clear.
"Roar!"
Nidoking's head snapped toward the source of the sound, two thick plumes of white vapor snorting from its massive nostrils. Without a word, its huge body once again turned into a rampaging chariot and charged over!
At this very moment, a small figure scurried out from that thicket in a panic.
Ariel's gaze was instantly drawn to that figure.
It was a... Ralts?