This time, Ryan struck first. "Oriolu, let's end this with Bullet Punch!"
Riolu sprang into action instantly, flashing to Torchic's side and swinging its fist with lightning speed.
A fierce Bullet Punch brought the battle to a swift close.
"Ding dong~ Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. You have received 1000 reward points."
The system's default notification sounded in Ryan's mind.
"Wow… that was amazing!" Sapphire stood there stunned. The battle had ended before she could even react properly.
"Hehe, your Aron and Torchic have great potential too," Ryan said with a good mood after receiving the reward points. He casually comforted her, "You've only just started your journey, so your battle experience is still a bit raw and your training has just begun. Once your two Pokémon evolve, they'll improve dramatically."
"Yes! I'll do my best!" Although she had lost, Sapphire didn't seem discouraged at all.
As Ryan had said, she had only recently left Littleroot Town and was still a complete rookie trainer. Losing battles was perfectly normal at this stage.
"By the way, Ryan, are you heading to Rustboro City?" Sapphire asked expectantly. She flashed her two cute little fangs and opened her bright eyes wide.
"Yes," Ryan nodded gently, not hiding anything.
Petalburg Woods connected Petalburg City and Rustboro City, so they were heading in the same direction.
"That's great!" Sapphire jumped up happily. "I got lost while chasing after Torchic. Since you're also going to Rustboro City, can you let me tag along?"
"No problem. Let's go," Ryan replied without hesitation. He had no reason to refuse the cheerful girl, especially since they were traveling the same way.
Besides, knowing the story, he knew Sapphire was a kind-hearted and righteous girl. Spending more time with her wouldn't be a bad thing.
...
"Hao— I mean, Ryan, Aron moves a bit slowly. How do you deal with fast opponents?"
Throughout the journey, Sapphire kept bombarding Ryan with questions.
Ryan didn't hold back and explained patiently, "Aron's slow movement speed is part of its body structure—it's hard to change. Even after it evolves into Lairon or even Aggron, its lack of speed will remain a weakness."
"When facing fast opponents, try using Rock Tomb first. Trap their movement, then launch your attack."
After Ryan's explanation, Sapphire's eyes lit up with understanding, but she soon fell into deep thought. After a while, she looked puzzled and said, "Brother Ryan, I just imagined Aron using your tactics… but I still feel like it would lose. Your Riolu is simply stronger in terms of overall power."
Sapphire's honest observation raised Ryan's opinion of her.
With the help of his system, Ryan could instantly see the levels and stats of any Pokémon. This information was invisible to others.
Of course, while normal trainers couldn't see exact levels, they could still judge a Pokémon's strength through other cues—like its size, aura, and overall presence. It was similar to the natural difference in aura between a beggar walking into a five-star hotel versus a billionaire.
"Keep it up, Sapphire! As long as you continue training consistently and combine it with real battles, your Aron will become much stronger," Ryan encouraged her.
There was only one way to raise a Pokémon's level: dedicated training to improve its physical attributes and combat skills.
"Yes!" Sapphire nodded vigorously. Her goal for this journey was to challenge all the Gym Leaders in the Hoenn region and collect their badges.
...
Chatting with Sapphire along the way, they soon passed through Petalburg Woods and reached Route 104 on the outskirts of the forest.
Route 104 was a main road with trainers walking by in small groups. Not far ahead, a crowd of people had gathered around a decorative fountain, creating a noisy commotion.
Curious, Sapphire immediately ran forward to see what was happening. Ryan followed behind her.
They found a group of trainers gathered around the fountain. Beside it stood an elderly man wearing a hat, looking anxious and helpless.
"Are you sure your Lotad fell into this pool?" Sapphire asked the old man.
"Yes! I'm 100% sure!" the man replied. "I've already searched the fountain, but I can't find my Lotad anywhere! What should I do?"
The old man's clothes were completely soaked, showing he had already been in the water looking for his Pokémon.
"Leave it to me!" Sapphire, ever helpful, jumped straight into the fountain and began searching.
After a while, she spotted the issue and released her Aron.
"Cocodora— I mean, Aron, bite a hole in the edge of the fountain and let the water drain out!" she commanded.
Aron immediately obeyed, climbing onto the edge of the fountain and taking large bites with its powerful jaws.
A series of loud crunching sounds rang out as Aron's teeth—strong enough to chew through iron ore—quickly carved a large hole in the fountain wall. Water began gushing out through the opening.
"Lotad!" The old man suddenly spotted his Pokémon. The Lotad was stuck near the drainpipe. The iron grille covering the pipe had been damaged, and the Lotad had been struggling to avoid getting sucked in. That was why it hadn't been found earlier despite the thorough search.
Sapphire carefully picked up the Lotad. After being submerged for so long, its body temperature had dropped significantly.
She quickly released Torchic. "Torchic, help warm him up!"
Torchic ran over and gently breathed small sparks of fire into the air, helping restore the Lotad's body heat.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The old man in the hat hurried over and thanked Sapphire profusely.
Sapphire waved her hand dismissively with a bright smile. "No need to be polite!"
...
From the moment Sapphire jumped in to help, Ryan had been quietly observing the situation.
Knowing the original plot, he knew Sapphire would be fine and successfully rescue the Lotad.
The old man in the hat was actually **Mr. Stone**, the president of the Devon Corporation.
However, Ryan's attention was focused on five suspicious individuals standing not far away.
He recognized them immediately.
These five were members of **Team Aqua**—the instigators behind this entire incident.
At that moment, the system's voice rang out in his mind once again.
**[Mission Objective]: Protect Sapphire and Mr. Stone, and defeat the Team Aqua members.**
**[Mission Reward]: 1000 reward points.**
**[Mission Failure Penalty]: None.**