Training Along The Way

Floette had truly experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.

Knowing the truth, Floette once proud expressions vanished, and she appeared listless as they continued their journey, bearing an expression as if her world had collapsed.

Seeing her this way, Yuga had to console her again.

"Alright, alright, don't be disheartened. You've only been training for a few days. You're still getting used to battles. After a little more time, you'll be able to easily defeat Pokémon of the same level as you."

Yuga thought to himself, "I'm really putting my heart and soul into this. It's not good for her to be overly inflated, but it's not good for her to be disheartened either. Either way, I have to worry about her."

Floette weakly nodded and her tense expression relaxed slightly.

To avoid provoking Floette resistance, Yuga cautiously asked, "How about we find another opponent to practice against? If we find more opponents to train with, you'll become familiar with battling in no time."

However, Floette mental resilience was apparently better than Yuga had imagined, or rather, she was quite bold.

As soon as she heard they were going to find another opponent, she clenched her fists, her little face tightened, and she looked very serious, displaying a highly spirited demeanor.

Yuga couldn't help but find this amusing.

This time, the opponent they found was a level 13 Shroomish, slightly stronger than the previous Wurmple.

The Wurmple could only use String Shot and Tackle, while this Shroomish not only had Tackle but also Absorb and Stun Spore. It had both offensive and control moves, making it much more challenging than the Wurmple.

Yuga said, "Floette, use Vine Whip to bind it."

Upon hearing Yuga command, Floette swiftly extended two green vines towards Shroomish.

Shroomish was quite agile, easily dodging Floette Vine Whip attack with its hops.

Following that, a cloud of yellow powder erupted from the top of Shroomish head, similar to volcanic ash scattering after a volcanic eruption. The powder floated towards Floette.

Yuga instructed, "Floette, use Fairy Wind to blow Stun Spore back."

Floette immediately understood, and a gentle pink breeze emerged, scattering the yellow Stun Spore in all directions.

Seeing Stun Spore ineffective, Shroomish leaped into the air, charging towards Floette like a cannonball.

Startled by the sudden movement, Floette was at a loss, attempting to turn and dodge, but it was too late.

Seeing Floette panicked state, Yuga had to quickly remind her.

"Use Vine Whip to pull it back."

Upon hearing Yuga voice, Floette eyes brightened, and following Yuga advice, she vigorously whipped two vines towards the approaching Shroomish.

Due to the force of Floette Vine Whip, the charging Shroomish changed its trajectory and crashed into a nearby tree trunk.

The intense impact with the tree left Shroomish dazed and disoriented, stumbling on the ground without a clear sense of direction.

Yuga immediately spoke up, "Floette, take this opportunity to try out your new move, Magical Leaf."

Upon Yuga words, a green light emanated from Floette, and a flurry of green leaves appeared in front of her. She vigorously hurled the leaves towards Shroomish.

Under the attack of Magical Leaf, Shroomish struggled to get back up.

Yuga looked at Floette use of Magical Leaf and couldn't help but feel speechless.

She could only produce a lone Magical Leaf, and its gathering speed was hardly faster than a snail crawl. If it weren't for Shroomish being caught off guard, she wouldn't have been able to use the move. It seemed she needed more practice in the future.

Seeing the battle come to an end, Floette flew towards Yuga with a delighted expression on her face. Yuga offered some encouraging words.

"You performed really well. You've made great progress compared to before."

Receiving Yuga praise, Floette was elated, clenching her fist to show her determination to continue improving.

Afterward, they gradually found more opponents, including Wurmple, Shroomishes, Taillows, and Zigzagoons—basic forms of Pokémon.

To help Floette adapt to battle rhythm and intensity, Yuga chose opponents with levels gradually increasing from low to high.

Despite this, the highest level of these Pokémon didn't exceed 17. The strongest was a level 17 Taillow, which Floette lost to.

Although Floette lost several times, she didn't become disheartened again. She maintained her high spirits and urged Yuga to find more opponents for her.

Around noon, they took a break on a grassy roadside, having a lunch break.

Floette lunch consisted of energy cubes, while Yuga had a bag of cookies and a bottle of mineral water.

Normally, Floette meals were divided equally between energy cubes and regular food, often the same as what Yuga ate.

However, when Yuga decided to train her, he stopped her human food and switched to energy cubes.

Human food was fine for everyday consumption, but for Pokémon needing to replenish energy after intensive training, it wasn't sufficient. Only energy cubes provided what their bodies required.

Moreover, wild Pokémon in the wilderness primarily survived on berries, which possessed unique energy not found in other foods. This energy sustained them during high-intensity battles and activities.

Regular food could only support Pokémon daily activities and not their battles.

After lunch, they rested for a short while and resumed their journey.

In the subsequent battles, Floette unexpectedly leveled up without them noticing, reaching level 20 amidst these "arduous" fights.

Floette rapid leveling was mainly because her level was still relatively low. Her leveling speed would gradually slow down in the future.

Having defeated another Shroomish, Yuga and Floette finally arrived at Rusturf Tunnel.

Rusturf Tunnel was a project undertaken by Hoenn Alliance, aiming to provide trainers with a more convenient route from Verdanturf Town to Rustboro City. Additionally, the tunnel was located adjacent to Lava Path, allowing quick access to Lavaridge Town as well.

Without using Rusturf Tunnel, one would need to travel from Route 117 to Lilycove City, then follow Route 111 and Route 112 to reach Lavaridge Town. This detour was quite lengthy, and Yuga, reliant on the "11" bus, couldn't use this option.

Another approach was to traverse through the forest after reaching Route 117, which would also lead to Lavaridge Town quickly.

However, those forests were undeveloped areas, inhabited by many powerful wild Pokémon and harboring unknown dangers. Yuga, being a novice, would never dare attempt that route. It was practically a suicidal endeavor.

As they stood before the dimly lit tunnel, Yuga led Floette inside.

Prior to its construction, Rusturf Tunnel was a gathering place for Whismur. Even after its completion, many Whismur remained in the tunnel, continuing to reside there.