Chapter Ten: Green Shade Town

This Milotic is terrifying; that was Zhao Fang's first impression.

It must be said that Pokémon with high beauty ratings are truly exceptional. The moment this Milotic appeared, the very first time Zhao Fang laid eyes on it, he was stunned for about a second. In a Pokémon battle, that is fatal. What can you do in one second?

While it may seem like nothing, for a top-tier trainer, one second is enough to establish an advantage. Zhao Fang even imagined a battle strategy for this Milotic: while the opponent's trainer and Pokémon are mesmerized by its entrance, it could immediately use Calm Mind to stack a layer of buffs. In a trainer battle, one layer of Calm Mind is a massive advantage—it is as absurd as starting a game of League of Legends with two long swords and three potions.

Furthermore, if this Milotic possessed the Cute Charm ability, things would be even more troublesome. Its beauty would leave a multitude of Pokémon spellbound; what could a trainer do then? Just sit there and watch the Milotic continue to use Calm Mind until it sweeps the team?

It felt like despair. However, Zhao Fang also knew that reality is far more complex than that. Those who become top-tier trainers share a deep bond and synergy with their Pokémon, making it very difficult to rely on such states to widen the gap in a battle.

At the very least, from Zhao Fang’s perspective, even Wallace would find it difficult to defeat Cynthia; Cynthia’s strength is simply terrifying.

Soon, Zhao Fang witnessed for the first time in this world a performance by a top-tier Coordinator. It must be said that Wallace's performance was truly magnificent. Unlike the typical animations in the games, Wallace’s performance possessed a much greater charm. His Milotic was like a goddess in the water; the flowing currents swirling around it and the rainbow ingeniously crafted against the light all served to highlight the Milotic's allure. The venue fell silent, and everyone watched Wallace’s performance, utterly entranced.

This scene continued until Wallace exited the stage, at which point thunderous cheers and screams erupted, mixed with many calls for an encore. However, it was clear that the organizers did not intend to have Wallace perform twice, and the competition proceeded.

While most of the subsequent contestants could not reach the heights of a Coordinator like Wallace, many still delivered brilliant performances that caught Zhao Fang’s eye. These Coordinators were like alternative idols of the Pokémon world; they and their Pokémon presented spectacular shows on this stage together. The judges provided professional and earnest evaluations, and the winner was a trainer with an Altaria, whose unique Feather Dance secured her the victory.

"What is the prize?" Zhao Fang asked, a bit curious. In the games, it was some items and a ribbon, but what about in reality?

"First place is the grand prize, of course! First, you get the qualification to participate in higher-level Pokémon Contests, then fifty thousand League coins, and a gift carefully selected by the organizing committee. I don't know exactly what it is, but I know that in the last competition, the champion won a Beauty Scale." Hikari’s face was still flushed; the thrilling performance had left her incredibly excited, and her voice was loud as she spoke.

Zhao Fang nodded. These rewards were quite good. A Beauty Scale is a rare item with a high market value; it seemed the Pokémon Contests in the Hoenn region were indeed thriving.

After the contest, Zhao Fang bid farewell to Hikari. She was headed to Sootopolis City to watch the contest held there in a month, but Zhao Fang firmly declined her invitation. He still had to go to Mauville City to challenge the Electric-type Gym. However, before that, Zhao Fang had to head to Petalburg Woods to bring Dreepy home.

"Taking a boat... is quite fast, but traveling by boat is just too miserable. If I choose to take the mountain path, although it will take a few days, as long as I reach Verdanturf Town, I can just climb over Mt. Chimney and reach Rustboro City." Zhao Fang touched his chin while looking at the map. The Rusturf Tunnel had not yet been completed, so if Zhao Fang wanted to get from Verdanturf Town back to Rustboro City, he would have to climb over Mt. Chimney. That didn't seem too difficult.

Zhao Fang had grown weary of long-distance boat travel. Unless he was going to Sootopolis City or Mossdeep City, he had no desire to board another ship.

Therefore, after purchasing essential supplies at a shop in Slateport City, Zhao Fang took a League bus from Slateport toward Verdanturf Town.

[May: Zhao Fang! I've already obtained the Knuckle Badge! Next time we meet, I will definitely defeat you!]

Looking at the WeChat message from May, Zhao Fang smiled, replied with a "good luck," and closed his eyes to rest on the long-distance bus.

But this tranquility was soon broken. The bus came to a stop. This wasn't unusual, as the bus would pick up passengers along the way if there were empty seats. However, after this particular passenger boarded, he drew everyone's attention because the guy did not look like a good person.

Although Zhao Fang had always felt that judging a book by its cover was wrong—after all, there were many people in the world who looked fierce but had kind hearts—this man truly made it impossible to think anything positive.

With a face full of flabby, rough flesh, scars and wounds exposed on his arms, and a vicious gaze, Zhao Fang even saw the man sitting next to him secretly contacting the police.

Fortunately, the man did nothing. He just sat silently until they reached Mauville City, then got off, which made the passengers on the bus breathe a sigh of relief.

After this small interlude, Zhao Fang soon arrived in Verdanturf Town. Verdanturf lived up to its reputation as a health retreat. As soon as he stepped off the bus, Zhao Fang felt the difference in the air; it was incredibly fresh, making one feel as though they could get lost in it. However, this calm and peaceful town was not Zhao Fang's destination. After a brief rest, he set off on the road toward Mt. Chimney.

Zhao Fang needed to climb over this area and walk back to Rustboro City, which would save him the trouble of taking a boat.

The mountain range between Verdanturf Town and Rustboro City was not very high. Since Zhao Fang had mastered the proper technique for mountain climbing—which Coach Stone had taught him—his pace was quite brisk.

Keep your back straight, lift your knees, and plant your entire foot on the ground. Walking on mountain trails this way is quite easy; otherwise, walking in the usual manner would consume too much stamina.

Before long, Zhao Fang was far from Verdanturf Town. Volcanic ash began to drift down from the sky, and wild Pokémon occasionally popped out from the sides. Zhao Fang even caught a glimpse of a Charmander.

Flannery?