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

The little geomancy stone rolled over.

"Shin-nee, jump away!"

"Meow!"

"Create distance, use leaves!"

"Meow~ Haha!"

Geodude was knocked down by the leaves, and the Grass-type gust of the tender green leaf storm effectively damaged the Rock Pokémon.

The little geodeer fell to the ground and couldn't get up.

"Not bad."

Xiao Gang found today's challenger quite interesting and nodded in approval, but the warm-up was over, and he threw out the Poké Ball.

The enormous figure and roar of Onix echoed throughout the gym hall.

"The real challenge is just beginning. Can you handle it, Xiaoxu?"

Xiao Xu's eyes were serious as he silently said, "...We can do it!"

...

"Great!! We got the badge!"

The octagonal gray badge held aloft gleams in the sunlight, a reward for hard work and sweat.

Of course, gym leaders also give trainers who defeat the gym a considerable sum of money to cover their travel expenses to the next city.

Xiao Zhi excitedly hugged the Fire Dragon's neck.

"I didn't expect it to evolve during the battle. It was thanks to the evolution that I was able to barely win. Charmeleon is truly amazing."

"roar!"

The Charmander let out a spirited roar.

In a critical moment during the battle with Onix, Charmander evolved into Charmeleon and used the power gained from the evolution to turn the tide of the battle.

Xiaozhi was deeply moved; the little fire dragon had actually gone to such lengths for her goal.

Although evolution is inevitable, it's still quite touching that Pokémon and their trainers refuse to give up when faced with a tough battle, evolving as if in response to that effort.

Looking at the sunset on the horizon, Xiaozhi felt happy and made up her mind.

"Xiao Xu has already set off before us, we can't fall behind, let's set off today!"

"roar!"

Run down the gym steps at top speed and head towards Mt. Moon with Charmeleon.

If you want to go to the next city, Mount Tsukimi, located west of Dark Grey City, is the only way to get there.

The melodious sound of a harmonica filled the mountain path, while the crackling campfire illuminated a warm area.

Meloeta is singing along to the harmonica.

A melody ends.

Ye Luo threw a piece of firewood into the campfire, making it burn even brighter, as it was quite cold outdoors at night during this season.

It was so cold that he had to call out his Gyrocopter and sit next to it to feel warm.

"Those two newbie trainers should have gotten their badges by now."

Ye Luo thought to herself.

Newleaf Cat is naturally strong against Rock-type Gym Leaders, and its battle abilities are quite good. As long as Xiaoxu coordinates the command, the probability of passing the challenge is actually quite high.

I heard that Xiaozhi's little dragon has challenged the gym many times. With the experience she has accumulated and her confidence, she should be close to succeeding.

"Maybe Charmander has already evolved, then our chances of winning would be even greater."

Originally intended for novice trainers, these starter Pokémon are advantageous because they are suitable for beginners, have balanced abilities, and grow relatively quickly.

Providing support and guidance to newlyweds can make the journey smoother at the beginning, but it's not always the case.

The strength of a Pokémon depends on its training. Although there are weak Pokémon, ultimately it depends on the trainer's understanding.

Even a seemingly ordinary Pidgey can be trained into a formidable opponent that strikes fear into the hearts of its rivals. Such trainers have been encountered in the League Tournament before.

Trainers are professionals who focus more on battling while raising Pokémon.

If you prefer to breed Pokémon and help them grow healthily, and are not interested in battling, you might choose to become a Pokémon breeder instead of a trainer.

Even the training of Pokémon has now been divided into different career types.

A Pokémon trainer who specializes in battle.

A Pokémon breeder who focuses on breeding.

There are also Coordinators who focus on lightweight battles and place more emphasis on performance.

There are many career paths to choose from, and you don't necessarily have to stick to the trainer path.

Many trainers discover their true purpose during their journey, and some even change careers.

After all, ten years old is considered adulthood in this world, and even if you waste a few years and change careers, the sunk cost won't be too high.

Ye Luo, lost in thought, gently patted the Growlithe's neck and took out a stiff-bristled comb to brush its fur.

"Waaah~".

Arcanine let out a pleasant growl, turned its head to lick a fallen leaf, then obediently shook its head and lay down to rest.

He picked up a stone from the roadside and ate it in his mouth like a snack.

Rock-type Pokémon can even eat rocks, and their body structure is very unique.

Ye Luo pondered the journey ahead.

"It takes three days to travel through the mountains from Dark Grey City to Cerulean City."

This is the speed at which we walk; in reality, the speed of crossing mountains and valleys is much slower than expected, even slower than walking through a forest.

The straight-line distance from Phantom City to Cerulean City is shorter than that of Viridian Forest, but it is nowhere near as easy as walking on flat ground.

Beyond Mount Tsukimi, there are layers upon layers of mountains and forests surrounding you.

It took Ye Luo a whole day to reach the "transfer station" of Mount Tsukimi. If you just keep going up the slope, you will see a three-way intersection on the left, where a cave entrance and a cliff path meet.

He then had two choices.

"Should we continue climbing the mountain and follow the trail along the endless cliffs, or should we choose to go through the cave and pass straight through the mountain?"

Both routes lead to Cerulean City, but they present different levels of difficulty.

It's faster to walk through the caves. The caves that our predecessors dug through the mountains connect one mountain to another, allowing us to walk directly from the tunnels to the forest outside Cerulean City.

It's also the fastest route, assuming you don't get lost in the cave.

Over the years, many backpackers have come to Tsukimi-yama and the surrounding mountains to dig for fossils and fossils, and many new caves have been discovered in the mountains.

In addition, wild Pokémon also dig caves as nests, and if you have a poor sense of direction, you can easily wander around in the same place as if you are in a maze.

Although the mountain path is rugged, you can see exactly where you are. By following the path along the cliff, at least you won't go wrong.

The path can be a bit rugged, so be careful where you step, as there might be danger. There are railings everywhere along the cliff path.

Moreover, the route along the outer mountain path is winding, with a section often going uphill in an S-shape, which takes more time to walk.

Going in any direction is an adventure; danger is inevitable, it just depends on what kind of danger you want to encounter.

Ye Luo pondered carefully.

"Hikers who come to Mt. Tsukimi often choose to take the cliff path, while trainers who want to get to Cerulean City faster mostly choose to take the cave path."

It's worth mentioning that going through the caves also means encountering more battles.

Ultrasonic bats are everywhere. They are very timid and will attack their trainers if disturbed by the slightest noise.

There are also many Pokémon that live in caves, and you can battle them if you happen to encounter other trainers.

But this is not a problem for trainers; more battles are actually a good thing.

It can hone your Pokémon and your own command skills, giving you more confidence when challenging the next gym.

Ye Luo hesitated about whether to take the cliff path when a figure quickly ran up from the bottom of the slope.

He rushed to the campfire, leaning on his knees and panting heavily.

"Great, great, I caught up."

Ye Luo was brushing the fur of the Growlithe when she saw what it looked like and was somewhat surprised.

"Xiao Xu?"

Xiao Xu was panting heavily, sweat dripping down his face from running at full speed. He looked at Ye Luo with a confident smile and took out a silver octagonal badge from the inside pocket of his clothes.

"Look, I got the gray badge! I came here specifically to thank you for your guidance!!"

After speaking, he bowed to Ye Luo.