After securing victory, Aiden Flint withdrew Grovyle and Pidgeotto from the System Space.
He checked his current status panel briefly, then set off to leave Petalburg Woods, continuing toward Petalburg City.
The journey ahead focused mostly on travel. Whenever they rested, Aiden would send his Pokémon into the System Space for simulated battles.
This time, the simulated opponents were mainly Slakoth and Vigoroth.
After all, the Petalburg Gym Leader, Norman, specialized in Pokémon like these.
Letting Grovyle and Pidgeotto fight similar opponents in advance would help them prepare for the upcoming Gym challenge and build valuable experience.
Time passed steadily.
And in exchange for that time—
Came real, tangible growth.
With Grovyle scouting ahead on the ground and Pidgeotto patrolling the skies, its Keen Eye ensuring nothing escaped its vision, Aiden encountered no danger along the way.
The route was smooth and uninterrupted.
As for navigation—there was no issue at all.
Professor Birch's Pokédex included complete maps of Hoenn, Kanto, Johto, and even the Orange Archipelago.
After several days of travel, Aiden finally emerged from the edge of Petalburg Woods and stepped into Petalburg City.
The moment he exited the forest, Aiden headed straight for the Pokémon Center.
With a Pokédex in hand and Professor Birch's recognition, he was now officially considered a League-recognized Trainer.
Anywhere under League jurisdiction was open to him.
And the Pokémon Center, naturally, provided its services free of charge.
Still, the sudden shift in scenery felt strange.
One moment, endless forest.
The next—tall buildings and bustling city streets.
The contrast made Aiden pause for a moment.
It also seemed like someone had been specifically waiting near the forest exit.
As soon as Aiden appeared, a boy around ten years old hurried over, clutching a Poké Ball.
"Hey! Are you a traveling Trainer?"
Aiden took one look at the boy's posture and expression and immediately understood.
A challenger.
One of those Trainers who waited around to battle passersby.
He nodded.
"That's right. I'm a Trainer. What's up?"
The boy's eyes lit up.
"Perfect! Trainers shouldn't dodge challenges! My name's Kohu. Battle me! I'll bet all my allowance on it—do you dare?"
Aiden laughed.
"If you're offering to give me money, of course I'll accept."
"But I've been in Petalburg Woods for quite a while. My Pokémon aren't at peak condition."
"I'm heading to the Pokémon Center first. If you really want to battle, wait for me there."
Kohu hesitated briefly, then followed Aiden toward the Pokémon Center.
At the counter, Aiden handed Grovyle's and Pidgeotto's Poké Balls to Nurse Joy.
Not long after, with Chansey's assistance, Nurse Joy completed their examination and returned the Poké Balls.
"You've raised your Pokémon very well, Aiden," she said with a warm smile.
"They're back to perfect condition now."
Aiden smiled back.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy. By the way—can I still register for this year's Ever Grande Conference?"
Hearing that he intended to challenge the Hoenn League, Nurse Joy nodded.
"Of course you can. But the conference starts in just seven months."
"As a new Trainer, collecting eight Gym Badges and completing final verification within that time will be quite difficult."
"If you don't mind, you could always participate next year instead."
Aiden was just about to reply—
When the system intervened.
"Ding! Host detected at a crossroads. Divine Choice System activating."
Option One:
Accept Nurse Joy's suggestion and compete next year.
Reward: Nurse Joy's favor + 1 random Mega Stone
Option Two:
Decline and still compete this year.
Reward: Nurse Joy's favor + 1 random Mega Stone + Key Stone
Option Three:
Decline, immediately register for this year's Ever Grande Conference, and challenge the Petalburg Gym right away.
Reward: Nurse Joy's favor + Sceptile Mega Stone + Key Stone
Seeing the three options, Aiden froze for a moment.
Honestly—
After waiting so long to finally begin his journey, now that he had Pokémon and his strength was growing rapidly—
There was no way he'd skip this year.
Option One was immediately eliminated.
The real question was whether to challenge the Petalburg Gym right away.
By normal standards, Aiden knew full well—
His current strength was not enough to defeat Norman fairly.
Even if Norman didn't use his main team, winning the Gym Badge would still be extremely difficult.
But—
What if Rayquaza entered the battle?
The Petalburg Gym used three-on-three battles.
And Rayquaza was one of Aiden's Pokémon.
The decision became simple.
Why risk getting a random Mega Stone that might not even match a Pokémon he wanted?
Better to secure the Sceptile Mega Stone directly—ready for when Grovyle completed its final evolution.
And as for hiding Rayquaza?
Aiden had no intention of doing so.
If he couldn't win, he'd just send Rayquaza out.
Rayquaza was his Pokémon.
Why should he be afraid of people knowing that?
If even Team Aqua and Team Magma showed up together with Kyogre and Groudon, Aiden still wouldn't panic.
He'd already lived cautiously once.
Now that he had Rayquaza, living cautiously again would be pointless.
With that—
Aiden chose Option Three.
"Ding! Choice confirmed."
"Rewards acquired: Nurse Joy's favor, Sceptile Mega Stone ×1, Key Stone ×1."
Current Status:
Name: Aiden Flint
Age: 18
Funds: 980,000 PokéDollars
Pokémon: Rayquaza, Grovyle, Pidgeotto
Items: Luxury Ball ×3, Sceptile Mega Stone ×1, Key Stone ×1
Special: System Space
After storing the Mega Stone and Key Stone in the System Space, Aiden smiled at Nurse Joy.
"Have you ever seen a brand-new Trainer whose starter evolved this quickly?"
"So—I'll be challenging the Hoenn League this year. Please help me register."
"And after that, I'll be heading straight to the Petalburg Gym."
At first, Nurse Joy thought Aiden was being overconfident.
After all—
Norman was the strongest Trainer in Petalburg City, famously known as 'the strongest under the Elite Four.'
And Aiden was still a newcomer.
But seeing his calm, confident smile, Nurse Joy reconsidered.
Only confident Trainers had the potential to become truly strong.
"Then give it your best, Aiden," she said warmly.
"I've successfully registered you for this year's Ever Grande Conference."
"I hope you achieve great results."
After thanking her, Aiden collected his Poké Balls and prepared to head for the Petalburg Gym—hoping to see May and Max along the way.
Before he could leave, however, Kohu blocked his path again.
"If you can't even beat me, you've got no right to challenge Mr. Norman!"
So the kid was a Norman fan.
Aiden chuckled.
"Alright then. One-on-one battle."
They headed to the Pokémon Center's battle field.
"Go! My partner!" Kohu shouted.
A red flash burst from the Poké Ball—
A Machop appeared.
Pokémon: Machop
Level: 15
Ability: Guts
Type: Fighting
Potential: Green
Moves: Leer, Low Kick, Karate Chop, Low Sweep, Focus Energy
Aiden didn't hesitate.
"Machop, huh?"
"Then let's treat this as a warm-up for the Gym."
"Pidgeotto—let's go."
Pidgeotto emerged from its Luxury Ball, eyes locked on Machop.
The battle began.
"Pidgeotto—Twister. End it."
"Machop, dodge!"
The whirlwind engulfed the field.
When it faded—
Machop lay unconscious.
"Ding! Pidgeotto gained 87 experience."
"Level increased. Current level: 23."
Aiden turned toward the Petalburg Gym.
The real challenge—
Was about to begin.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/SorenSwiftTL