After claiming the Knuckle Badge from Brawly, Aiden Flint said his goodbyes and continued his journey toward Mauville City, home of the next Gym.
At this point, Aiden held three Badges—
the Balance Badge, the Stone Badge, and the Knuckle Badge.
His next target was the Dynamo Badge.
The Mauville Gym Leader, Wattson, was a veteran Electric-type specialist and the most senior Gym Leader in the Hoenn League. To face him, Aiden planned to give his newly caught Pokémon a chance to shine.
Which meant his next training focus was clear—
Aron and Beldum.
Both were already close to their evolution levels. If they could evolve before the Gym challenge, they would finally be able to step onto the battlefield as true main-team members.
As for Grovyle, its level had long surpassed the point where it should have evolved—but for some reason, it still hadn't. Aiden suspected it was building up power for a more dramatic breakthrough.
And Chimchar… well, the little guy had just hatched. There was no rush. A newborn deserved time to grow and play before being pushed too hard.
By now, it had been almost two months since Aiden left Littleroot Town with his Treecko. Only five months remained until the Ever Grande Conference began.
Time was tight. He needed every remaining Badge.
The Verdanturf Capture Contest
While traveling toward Mauville, Aiden stopped to rest in a place called Verdanturf Town.
At the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy healed all of his Pokémon and returned six Luxury Balls.
As she handed them back, she smiled.
"Aiden, Verdanturf Town will be holding a Pokémon Capture Contest in three days. If you'd like to participate, the entry fee is 2,000 Poké Dollars."
"Contestants receive thirty Park Balls and can freely catch Pokémon inside the Nature Reserve for three days. The top three Trainers win special prizes—but even if you don't place, you keep any Pokémon you catch."
Aiden's interest was instantly piqued.
A Capture Contest?
That sounded perfect.
For a Trainer, more encounters meant more possibilities. And for Aiden—who was building entire ecosystems inside his system space—this was pure gold.
Even just two Pokémon could start a breeding population.
And if their offspring had high potential, they could become future mainstays.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
After Nurse Joy explained everything in detail, Aiden finally understood why Verdanturf Town was so special.
Long ago, Verdanturf had been a poor settlement—until gold was discovered nearby. Massive mining operations followed, turning the town wealthy… but at the cost of its environment.
Wild Pokémon gradually disappeared.
Sixty years ago, after the gold ran out, the townspeople decided to restore what they had destroyed. They invested huge amounts of money to create a massive Pokémon Nature Reserve outside town.
Generations of effort brought the ecosystem back to life.
Now, Verdanturf was famous for its rich biodiversity—and that was what led to the annual Capture Contest.
With enough money, importing and nurturing Pokémon from all over the world wasn't difficult.
The contest itself was meant to promote harmony between humans and Pokémon, encouraging Trainers not to over-capture or exploit wild Pokémon.
Pay 2,000 Poké Dollars.
Get 30 Park Balls.
Catch as many Pokémon as you can.
Rare and numerous captures meant better rewards—Evolution Stones, items, even huge cash prizes.
To Aiden, though, none of that compared to the chance to fill his system space with new species.
"Count me in," he said immediately.
After paying the entry fee, Aiden settled down in Verdanturf Town to train while waiting for the contest.
Evolution Breakthroughs
During training, something big finally happened.
After defeating a wild Onix, Beldum leveled up—and began to evolve.
When the white light faded, a powerful Metang hovered before Aiden.
Pokémon: Metang
Level: 22
Ability: Clear Body
Type: Steel / Psychic
Potential: Gold
Bond Evolution: Locked
Mega Evolution: Unlockable
Moves: Zen Headbutt, Confusion, Metal Claw, Flash Cannon, Bullet Punch, Tackle
Friendship: 140
Background: Entrusted by Steven in Dewford; dreams of surpassing Steven's Metagross
Likes: Fighting, eating minerals
Aiden nodded with satisfaction.
Even with a Potential Evolution Stone, Metang had remained Gold-tier instead of jumping to Red. That only proved how incredibly rare Red potential truly was.
His hopes now rested on Aron .
Not long after—
"Ding! Aron defeated Graveler. Gained 281 EXP. Level increased—current level: 32!"
White light erupted around Aron .
Its evolution had begun.
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