Next Stop, Dragoncrest City

Arrived at Maplewood Station. Next stop: Dragoncrest City Station .

John settled by the window, lost in the game on his gameboy device while taking in the landscape rushing by outside. He was on the train to Riverstone University, three days having passed since his triumphant battle against the Rustboro Gym Leader, Roxanne.

After defeating her, John had logged off to take a well-deserved rest. The following day, as he exited the Rustboro Gym, he ran into an elderly man from the Petalburg Gym. Fate seemed to have it out for him, as the man had just been robbed of his briefcase right in front of his own company, Devon Corporation, by members of Team Aqua.

Determined to help, John set off into the Rusturf Tunnel, located just east of Rustboro City, where he confronted the same goon from Team Aqua who had faced him before. Despite the lack of improvements in the goon's Pokémon, John made quick work of him again, retrieving the briefcase without much trouble.

Along the way, he also assisted an old man named Mr Briney, helping him get back a Wingull that Team Aqua had also stolen. After returning to Rustboro, Mr Briney introduced John to the chairman of Devon Corporation, President Joseph Stone, who turned out to be the father of the Hoenn Region Champion, Steven Stone. He entrusted John with a letter to deliver to Steven, who was currently mining in Granite Cave on Dewford Island.

So, John made his way back to Route 104 and took Mr Briney's boat to Dewford Island. During the trip, he was relieved not to encounter any rivals, particularly May, whom he had expected to face again before leaving Rustboro.

Upon reaching Dewford Island, John knew he had to tackle the local gym, which specialized in Fighting-type Pokémon, before heading to the dark Granite Cave to deliver the letter. The move "Flash" was crucial for navigating the cave's darkness, but it could only be used outside of battle with a Gym Badge. He needed to defeat the Dewford Gym Leader, Brawly, first.

John entered the gym confidently, but soon found himself on the receiving end of a fierce beating. While the lower-ranking trainers in the gym had Pokémon at LV 17 and 18, Brawly's first Pokémon, Meditite, was LV 23, followed by a Machoke at LV 26. Before he could even see the third Pokémon, John was sent back to the Pokémon Center, his pride bruised.

Fortunately, in this game version, he wouldn't lose half his money as a penalty for losing, but that didn't alleviate the sting. With a bank balance nearing 300,000 Pokédollars, losing even 150,000 would have been gut-wrenching.

Determined to succeed, John entered "leveling mode." He had two options to train: fishing or exploring Granite Cave. Talking to a fisherman on Dewford Island got him a " Fishing Rod," allowing him to fish from the beach. However, the only Pokémon he seemed to catch were Magikarp or Tentacool, both at LV 10 to 15, with a greater chance of landing the useless Magikarp.

The other option was to venture into Granite Cave, where the first floor was still somewhat visible. He could encounter Zubat, Makuhita, Geodude, or Abra here. While Zubat could evolve into Crobat, and Makuhita into a powerful Hariyama, John had his eye on Abra, which could evolve into the mighty Alakazam. He figured he could always rotate it in with Gardevoir in the future.

"Arrived at Dragoncrest City Station. Next stop: Firehaven City."

John quickly gathered his belongings and exited the train, relieved to finally reach his destination. As he stepped into the bustling station, he was struck by the throngs of people around him. The world had changed significantly since his previous life, with Pokémon now adding to the chaos.

Fortunately, urban regulations prohibited larger Pokémon, like Snorlax and Rhyperior, from train stations and airports, or the already crowded place would be even worse.

As he made his way through the station, John noticed a girl in cool attire, earbuds in, cradling an Eevee in her arms. A bit further away, he spotted a stylish young man wearing a floral shirt and glasses, waiting for his girlfriend with a Smeargle by his side.

Stepping outside, he saw security personnel managing the crowd, accompanied by a Stoutland. Sunlight bathed a massive Poké Ball-shaped building nearby, where cheers and excitement emanated from inside. It was the Pokémon Battle Tower—a grand arena, akin to a gym for serious trainers.

"I'll definitely have to come back here to battle someday," John mused to himself, filled with a sense of purpose.

After hailing a taxi, he checked into a hotel called "Munchlax." Tomorrow would mark the beginning of his journey at Riverstone University, where he would take the admissions test for the Department of Breeding.