Route 114.
A unique scent, a mixture of sulfur and dust, permeated the air.
Volcanic ash drifting down from Mt. Chimney, like never-ending tiny particles of dust, cast a faint gray layer over the entire world.
The soil beneath his feet was a dull reddish-brown, a testament to thousands of years of volcanic mineral deposits.
Ariel walked across this land with steady steps, without a single wasted movement.
His goal was clear—Fallarbor Town.
But traveling wasn't the only purpose.
This road was the best natural training ground for his team.
"Froa!"
A wild Zigzagoon got a face full of bubbles; its vision obscured, its movements instantly became sluggish.
A second later, a blue shadow shot out like a bolt of electricity.
Froakie's figure flashed past the Zigzagoon's side, trailing a streak of white light.
Quick Attack.
The Zigzagoon's eyes rolled back as it completely lost the ability to battle.
"Well done."
Ariel recalled Froakie, his tone flat.
From leaving Rustboro City until now, the wild Pokémon on this road were of low levels, serving as perfect experience fodder for Froakie.
After successive battles, its movements had become increasingly swift, and its timing much more precise.
"Froakie, Level 15, Ability: Protean..."
The pokédex emitted a cold notification sound.
Ariel's gaze fell on Froakie; the little fellow was wiping its cheek with its hind leg, its eyes showing a bit more spark.
Not bad, very efficient.
It had gained two levels along the way, and was now just one step away from evolving at Level 16.
Continuing forward, a sudden, rapid rustling sound came from the bushes ahead.
A sturdy Zangoose lunged out, its sharp claws flashing with a cold glint in the dim light. Upon seeing Ariel, it immediately struck an aggressive pose, letting out a threatening low growl from its throat.
"Malamar."
Ariel softly spoke the name.
In a flash of light, the bizarrely shaped Malamar hovered in mid-air, its eight tentacles moving of their own accord despite the lack of wind, its yellow and black eyes fixed intently on the opponent.
That Zangoose was clearly no pushover; seeing its opponent appear, it didn't retreat but instead advanced, crossing its claws in front of its chest and performing a strange dance.
Swords Dance!
A sharp aura erupted from it, its attack power skyrocketing at a visible rate.
Ariel didn't order an interruption, simply watching quietly.
He wanted to see where this Malamar's limits lay.
Once Swords Dance finished, the Zangoose's momentum reached its peak. It let out a shrill shriek and transformed into an afterimage, lunging straight for Malamar!
"Contrary."
Ariel finally spoke, uttering two words.
The yellow light in Malamar's eyes intensified, and an invisible, eerie force instantly enveloped the charging Zangoose.
The Zangoose, in the middle of its high-speed charge, suddenly stiffened. It felt the explosive power within its body drain away like a bursting dam, replaced by an unprecedented sense of weakness.
The sharp aura on its body instantly withered.
The originally staggering attack power boost had been forcefully inverted into a massive reduction by the move 'Contrary'!
"Psycho Cut." Ariel's voice rang out again.
Malamar pointed a tentacle, and a powerful psychic slash slammed into the weakened Zangoose. The latter didn't even have time to scream before being sent flying, crashing into the dark red soil, motionless.
A one-hit KO.
Ariel's eyes lit up.
"Contrary... interesting."
He murmured to himself.
This move was a new addition to Malamar's arsenal.
It was practically the nemesis of all stat-boosting playstyles. Whether it was Swords Dance, Dragon Dance, or Nasty Plot, they would all become gifts for the opponent in the face of this move.
In high-end matches in the future, this would definitely be a trump card capable of instantly turning the tide of battle.
The team's strength had improved once more.
Ariel continued forward and came to a stop beneath a rock wall.
According to the pokédex's detection, something seemed to be hidden in the crevices of this rock face.
"Sneasel."
With a flash of red light, the agile Sneasel appeared before the rock wall.
"Cut it open."
Receiving the command, Sneasel swung its sharp claws without hesitation.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Claw shadows flew, and the hard volcanic rock was sliced open as easily as tofu before it, sending stone fragments scattering.
While cutting through a particularly hard piece of ore, Sneasel's claws suddenly paused.
A silvery-white metallic luster condensed without warning at the tips of its claws, and an unstoppable aura emanated from them.
The next moment, it swung its claws again!
"Clang!"
With a crisp sound like metal clashing, that hard ore split apart, the cut as smooth as a mirror.
Ariel looked at Sneasel's metal-glistening claws and understood.
This was a new gain for Sneasel, Metal Claw, which nicely increased its coverage.
As for Krokorok, the big brother of the team, its growth was even more stable.
In a battle against a wild Sandslash, it relied on its great strength and Moxie ability to forcefully raise its level by two, reaching Level 33.
Meanwhile, Malamar and Sneasel's levels had also increased by one.
The entire team's strength had undergone a significant transformation on the way to Fallarbor Town.
Just as Ariel was immersed in the joy of his team's increased strength, several young voices came from behind him.
"Hey! Brother up ahead, wait for us!"
Ariel turned back to see three youths around his age catching up, panting. They carried travel bags, were accompanied by an Oddish and a Skitty, and wore warm, simple smiles.
"Hello."
Ariel stopped, his attitude neither hot nor cold.
"Hello, hello! I'm A Cheng, and these are A-Ming and A-Liang."
The lead youth introduced himself cheerfully. "We're Trainers from Fallarbor Town. From the looks of it, you're heading there too, right?"
"Yeah."
Ariel nodded.
Information was arriving.
"Great! We can just walk together!"
A Cheng seemed very happy.
"Brother, are you traveling alone? That's amazing! Your Pokémon look really strong!"
"They're alright."
Ariel was concise.
The group soon became acquainted—or rather, the three youths became acquainted with Ariel unilaterally.
They chattered all the way, talking about the Contest in Fallarbor Town, where the best berries nearby were, and the newly opened Battle Tent in town.
"Speaking of which, things haven't been very peaceful around town lately."
A-Ming suddenly lowered his voice. "I heard from my dad that several Trainers' Pokémon have gone missing. They suspect those despicable Pokémon Hunters are behind it!"
"Pokémon Hunters?"
A Cheng was immediately filled with righteous indignation.
"Those scumbags! They'll do anything for money! If I run into them, I'll definitely have my Charmeleon burn them to ash!"
"Exactly! Pokémon are our partners, how can they be bought and sold!" A-Liang chimed in.
Listening to their righteous condemnation, Ariel added a comment:
"That group is indeed despicable."
But his heart remained unmoved.
From their conversation, Ariel also confirmed the information he needed—there was a newly opened 'Battle Tent' in Fallarbor Town.
This was likely the key entry point for his objective on this trip.
He bid farewell to the three enthusiastic youths at the entrance to Fallarbor Town.
At that moment, the pokédex on Ariel's person gave a faint, imperceptible vibration.
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