Pokémon: Just won the championship, the newbie growth system is here!

"I never expected to meet Ye Luo in person, I'm so lucky!"

The trainer girl was overjoyed to receive an autograph and was extremely excited.

"Before my trip, I watched your championship match over and over again every day; that match was absolutely thrilling!"

Ye Luo remained silent to the side; what could he say? He could only keep smiling.

He didn't expect to be recognized.

It was just a simple greeting.

"I noticed it when he greeted me. The upturned corners of his mouth and the slightly melancholy look in his eyes confirmed it was definitely him."

Wow, she's so observant! Even Ye Luo herself thinks she's disguised herself quite well.

If one's gaze lingers too long on his face after winning the championship, such details would be completely missed by the average person.

When Ye Luo was recognized, he neither denied nor confirmed it, so the other party simply took it as an admission.

"My name is Xiaozhi, and I come from Songxin Town."

"Oh? Not from Pallet Town?"

"No, no, my home is next to Zhenxin Town, which can't compare to such a developed small town."

In her eyes, even Zhenxin Town was a developed town.

Xiaozhi explained that the level of development in Songxin Town was originally similar to that of Zhenxin Town.

However, since the champion was born in Pallet Town, Pallet Town's economic strength has stood out among the surrounding towns due to increased visitor traffic and the trainer economy.

Xiao Zhi spoke somewhat shyly.

"Zhenxin Town has changed a lot in the past ten years, but my hometown is still pretty much the same as it was ten years ago."

The lively trainer girl beside him, with her short brown ponytail swinging back and forth, occasionally glanced at Ye Luo.

It really is the new champion of the Kanto region, and he's even on the same route to Pewter City as me. I'm so lucky today.

Xiaozhi was so excited she felt like she was about to fly away.

Ye Luo felt that the gazes cast at her from the side were too enthusiastic. She felt a little uncomfortable, as if she were under a spotlight, so she changed the subject.

"Did Xiaozhi travel alone?"

"Yeah, I'm the only trainer from our town who's embarked on this journey this year. All the other kids are under 10 years old."

Just a few months ago, she was one of the "kids," but now she is a rookie trainer who can stand on her own, or at least that's what she thinks.

"It felt like he was the hope of the whole village."

"That's right, that's exactly what I meant. When I left, all the uncles and aunties on the street came to see me off."

Xiaozhi chatted cheerfully about her hometown.

They didn't chat for long along the way, as they were already close to leaving Viridian Forest.

Miss Hope of the whole village plans to go to the Pokémon Center to get her Pokémon treated.

"Um, how about we go to the Pokémon Center together?"

"No, my Pokémon isn't hurt."

Ye Luo declined her invitation, and for a moment Xiao Zhi's face showed a hint of disappointment, but she quickly returned to her lively state.

"I see. Well, then we'll meet again sometime."

"Okay, bye-bye."

Ye Luo finally breathed a sigh of relief after Xiao Zhi ran and jumped away with the little fire dragon.

"I feel like I'm suffocating."

He's still not good at getting along with people, especially those who are particularly enthusiastic.

That gaze, like a cat seeing something new and exciting, always made people uncomfortable. Ye Luo was especially bad at dealing with that kind of knowledge-seeking look.

"His sparkling eyes seemed to have a million questions for him."

He simply couldn't handle it and decisively declined the invitation to go to the Pokémon Center together.

Meloetta also appeared quietly and landed on Ye Luo's shoulder.

[Where to go for fun?]

"Let's go shopping first and see what the nearby convenience stores have."

[Hmm~.]

There's really no need to treat Ye Luo's Pokémon. Let's go to the shop first and see what's worth buying, and also replenish our inventory.

I remembered something else, so I took out my Arceus phone from my backpack to check it.

"Quest: Pass through Viridian Forest (Completed)."

Reward: 1000G.

The money has already been deposited into the account, so it's perfectly reasonable to use it for some spending.

"While I'm at it, I'll go to the shop and exchange the gold coins."

The gold coins that Sai Fuhao gives to trainers can be exchanged for precious metals at the shop. High-purity precious metals such as gold beads and gold coins can be exchanged for money.

After a journey from one city to another, even without earning money through Pokémon battles, Ye Luo's funds actually increased rather than decreased.

Ye Luo did think that this guide was indeed helpful to new trainers.

If I had given it to him earlier, it would have been useful, and I wouldn't have had to worry about travel expenses so often. Now... well... it's better than nothing.

"However, my travel expenses have run upside down. I'll see what my next target is and see if I can earn some extra pocket money."

Considering Arceus's internet speed is rather slow, and it's uncertain when the mission notification will arrive, I'll wander around the city for now.

Dark Grey City is known as the Rock City in the Kanto region.

The name is primarily derived from the mineral resources located near the city.

Nestled amidst towering mountains and backed by the Evergreen Forest, this area once relied heavily on high-quality copper, iron, and coal resources for development.

There were also factories, ore processing and smelting facilities, and manufacturers of daily necessities.

Although it happened a long time ago.

As Ye Luo walked, she looked at the local tourist guide, while Gardevoir kept an eye out for any obstacles ahead.

"Cities that rely primarily on mining will inevitably face resource depletion in the end."

There are no high-quality mineral resources left. Tsukimiyama on Route 3 is now only a mine shaft that was mined by the previous people and is now used as a passageway between cities.

Some hikers search for decent minerals in Mt. Tsukimi, and moonstone is one of the mountain's specialties.

Whether you can find it or not depends on luck.

Some people make a living by mining these unique minerals, which has even given rise to the profession of gem hunter.

"We're looking for minerals and moonstones. If we find fossils, the Shenhui Town Museum is willing to pay a high price to buy them."

Travel magazines even listed the astonishingly high purchase prices for some fossils.

In short, if a complete Pokémon fossil could be found, the museum's offer for a single fossil of an Aerodactyl would be enough for a Gem Hunter to not have to work for three years.

Digging for stones is like treasure hunting; the risks and rewards are directly proportional.

Ye Luo was somewhat tempted by what he saw, and if he had the chance to go to Mount Tsukimi in the future, he also planned to go down into the mine to search for treasure.

Meloetta, perched on the shoulder, hummed a melody as usual, remaining hidden from view, when it smelled a fragrance.

[Fallen Leaves, I want to eat that~.]

"Which one?"

Ye Luo raised her head and looked in the direction Meloetta was pointing: Rock Buns, a specialty of Dark Grey City.

As its name suggests, if it weren't for the word "steamed bun" written after the product description, Ye Luo would have really thought it was a rock.

"What flavor is this?"

"The black 'coal lumps' are filled with black sesame paste, and the 'iron ore' is filled with red bean paste."

Goodness, even the names of the different types of steamed buns are so bold! Ye Luo hesitated for a second before deciding which one to buy, then gave up.

"I'll buy two boxes of each type."

"Okay! Thank you for your patronage."

Now that I have money, and with the travel allowance from the mission, what's there to hesitate about? I'll take it all.