Ralt or Abra?

It took John two hours to cross Route 102. Along the way, he encountered only four trainers, but one of them—a Youngster named Yong—gave him some trouble. In addition to a LV 4 Zigzagoon, Yong also had a LV 4 Taillow.

'Great, a Flying type. Just what I needed.' John thought. Taillow, with its advantage in Flying, put pressure on Torchic for the first time. Fortunately, Taillow was only Level 4, and the only Flying move it had was "Peck." Without giving it a chance to soar, Torchic chased after it with Ember, quickly ending the battle.

At the same time, Torchic reached LV 7 and learned "Focus Energy," a move that increased the likelihood of landing critical hits. 'That'll come in handy.' John thought, feeling a swell of confidence. Every little bit helps against the gym challenges ahead.

However, he decided to turn back halfway to return to the Pokemon Center in Oldale Town. Unwilling to use Potions, he opted to run instead.

"It would be great if I could catch a Pokemon that knows Teleport," John pondered. In the game, using Teleport outside of battle would send the protagonist directly back to the last healed Pokemon Center.

If I could just get my hands on an Abra, that would save so much time. No more running back and forth. But where can I find one? Speaking of Teleport, John remembered Abra. There was a place to catch one right near Rustboro City.

Once he arrived in Rustboro City, he could use Abra as a trump card against Fighting-type gyms. But I can't just rely on Abra. I need a solid team and the right Pokemon to back me up.

It was a bit disappointing that he hadn't encountered any Pokemon he wanted to capture on Route 102. Besides the three he faced, there were two more Pokemon: Lotad and Seedot. The former eventually evolves into Ludicolo, while the latter evolves into Shiftry.

'Both are decent, but are they what I really need?' John mused. 'I can't afford to settle for "decent" when I'm trying to build a strong team.' Both Pokemon had attributes that were effective against the first Rock Gym. But "decent" wasn't enough; they paled in comparison to the Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon he sought. Additionally, he wasn't particularly interested in either Ludicolo or Shiftry.

'Let's put those thoughts aside for now. If the Rustboro Gym proves to be a challenge, I can always come back for Lotad or Seedot with good IVs.' Furthermore, on Route 102, John also picked up a Potion and gathered two Oran Berries and two Pecha Berries that could cure poisoning from the fruit trees along the roadside.

'Every little bit counts, especially when I'm heading into the unknown.' Upon exiting Route 102, he arrived in Petalburg City. First, he went to the Pokemon Center for treatment before heading to the Petalburg Gym to find his father.

The protagonist father, the Gym Leader of Petalburg Gym, was named Norman, and he was known for his iconic Pokemon, "Slaking." In the comics, he even once awakened Rayquaza to stop Kyogre and Groudon from fighting.

When John arrived at Petalburg Gym, he found that the protagonist had just been reminiscing with his father when a green-haired boy entered through the door. His name was Wally, and he had recently moved to the Hoenn Region. He had come to ask John's father for help in catching a Pokemon.

John remembered that this was a "novice coaching" scenario, where players new to Pokemon games learned how to catch Pokemon. Ah, the classic tutorial.

Norman led the protagonist and Wally to Route 102. As soon as they entered the grass, they found themselves in a battle.

[A wild Ralts jumps out of the grass.]

"Ah, this…." John looked at the Pokemon that resembled a small girl with a green mushroom head, his eyes widening. "Ralts!"

'I can't believe it's actually here!' John had never encountered one on Route 102 before because Ralts were very rare, and even knowing it was there, finding one was still difficult!

"Could it be that I can bring one out?" John felt a thrill as he watched Norman help Wally subdue the Ralts in front of him.

'If I could catch Ralts, it would be an amazing addition to my team.' Compared to Abra, John preferred Ralts. However, he recalled that Abra had a higher encounter rate than Ralts, which led him to catch Abra during his time playing the Emerald version. Capturing Abra took a lot of luck; before it evolved, it only knew one move, "Teleport." If a Pokeball didn't capture it on the first try, it would simply vanish.

Ralts is more reliable, even if it takes longer to catch. Without an "instant save" feature, this method risked wasting Pokeballs, making Ralts a more cost-effective option, albeit requiring more time.

After returning to the gym with Norman, he heard his father say, "Son, you're still too young. Get four badges first, then challenge me!"

Four badges, huh? Guess I better get to work. John silently controlled the protagonist to leave the gym.

Standing at the gym entrance, he hesitated. Should he go after Ralts or follow the plot first? "Let's battle first." John quickly made a decision.

Although Gym Trainers adjusted their Pokemon according to the challenger's strength, they typically sent out Pokemon that were at least Level 15, with three Pokemon in total. I can't afford to go in unprepared. I need to level Torchic if I want a chance to beat Roxanne.

If he traveled from Petalburg City to Route 104, then through Petalburg Woods, and finally to Rustboro Gym, he estimated that it would take at most half a day. However, John doubted he could level Torchic from LV 7 to LV 16 in that time, making it unlikely he could defeat Roxanne.

'I'll just have to push hard. I can't let up now.' Therefore, John decided to level up Torchic while circling back. He immediately controlled the protagonist to speed back to Route 102, just as Norman had helped capture the Ralts for Wally moments ago, beginning his own training.