The hustle and bustle of Slateport City seemed like something from the previous season.
Petalburg Woods, located south of Rustboro City, is a vast and ancient woodland.
The canopy of towering giant trees is like a dense, airtight net that blocks out most of the sunlight, with only scattered spots of light stubbornly piercing through the gaps to sprinkle onto the thick layer of fallen leaves.
The light in the forest is dim, and the air is perpetually filled with a unique scent of damp soil mixed with humus.
This is a paradise for wild pokémon, especially those low-level Bug-type pokémon that like to nest in the grass, which can be seen everywhere.
Of course, deep within the forest, some rarer existences also reside.
A dark shadow darted through the woods at high speed, agilely avoiding the crisscrossing tree roots and vines.
That was a Vigoroth!
Unlike the lazy appearance of Slakoth and Slaking all day long.
Vigoroth, in its second evolutionary form, seems to have an inexhaustible amount of vitality.
Jiang Han stopped in his tracks, leaning against a thick ancient tree trunk to steady his slightly ragged breathing.
It had been three months.
Ever since leaving Slateport City, he had plunged headfirst into this forest and begun hellish special training.
"Rustle..."
The ground beside him surged, and a pokémon covered in sand-colored skin with a ring of black markings around its eyes burst out of the earth; it was none other than Sandile.
At this moment, Sandile's body was more than a size sturdier than it had been three months ago, and its gaze had shed some of its naivety, gaining a bit of ferocity.
"Wula!"
On the other side, Inkay floated lightly on Jiang Han's shoulder, its small tentacles poking his cheek every now and then, seemingly claiming credit.
Just now, they had teamed up to deal with a small group of aggressive Linoone.
The battle process had been simple and brutal.
Sandile dived underground and launched a precise Sucker Punch from beneath the leader's feet, instantly dismantling the opponent's formation.
Inkay, meanwhile, used Psycho Cut in the air to harass and block them, throwing the remaining Linoone into chaos until they were picked off one by one.
The entire process took less than a minute, which could be called highly efficient.
Jiang Han took a Potion out of his backpack and skillfully treated some of Sandile's minor scratches, but his mind was replaying something else.
That gritty rock he had swiped from the Ocean Science Museum had been used up as early as a month ago.
Of course, it wasn't lost.
Rather, he had used it on Sandile in a way that could be described as a complete waste of a precious resource.
He hadn't chosen to let Sandile hold this priceless item to extend the duration of the Sandstorm weather in battle.
Instead, he had directly crushed the stone into a fine powder and mixed it into the food, letting Sandile absorb the purest Rock-type and Ground-type energy within it bit by bit.
If Curator Namu or Fujiki knew about this, they would probably jump up in anger on the spot.
The gritty rock is a top-tier item for enhancing weather moves; it can be used repeatedly and is worth a fortune.
Even for Gym-level or even Quasi-Elite Four Level Trainers, most would use it as a held item for their pokémon, to be passed down after use or resold at a high price.
But Jiang Han didn't care.
In his view, items are ultimately external things.
If it can be carried, it can be stolen or damaged.
Only the power truly eaten into the stomach, turned into one's own flesh and blood, and completely mastered is eternal.
His philosophy was very pure and also very extreme.
Anything that can maximize a pokémon's potential, no matter how valuable, should be used when needed, and used where it matters most.
As it turned out, his choice was absolutely correct.
Three months of high-intensity combat, combined with the perfect absorption of the energy from an entire gritty rock, had caused Sandile's level to skyrocket from level 13 to level 20! It had increased by a full 7 levels!
And that wasn't even the key point.
Most importantly, its foundation had been polished to be incredibly solid.
It had comprehended the skill Stomping Tantrum on its own.
One must know, this skill is the key to learning the major Ground-type move, Earthquake, in the future!
Moreover, Sandile could already manifest a very small Sandstorm at any time!
As Sandile slammed its claws onto the ground.
Dust swirled up, and for a moment, streaks of a weak Sandstorm had already kicked up in the area with a one-meter radius in front of it.
Although this weak Sandstorm couldn't be considered a weather skill and even looked a bit ridiculous.
But Jiang Han understood that the hardest step is always going from 0 to 1!
And many pokémon get stuck at exactly this step!
Sandile could now comprehend a simple way to use Sandstorm; in the future, when it evolved into Krokorok and Krookodile.
Would it still need to worry about not being able to learn the weather move Sandstorm?
Clearly, turning the gritty rock directly into nourishment for Sandile was a move Jiang Han had made correctly!
Now, whether in strength, defense, or control over Ground-type energy, Sandile far exceeded others of its kind at the same level.
As for Inkay, it had also risen from level 11 to level 16, and its use of mental power was becoming increasingly proficient.
It had even learned the skill Psycho Cut ahead of time; theoretically, this was a skill it might only have learned around level 20.
Jiang Han guessed that while Inkay's Psychic talent was one factor, it definitely also had something to do with that white stone it had absorbed in the desert island cave.
This kind of growth speed would be like a fairy tale if placed on an ordinary Trainer.
"Money really is the primary productive force."
Jiang Han couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Recalling the chaos on the top floor of the museum, he still felt some regret.
If that Team Aqua Executive could have held out a bit longer and hadn't been finished off so quickly by Fujiki's Hariyama, he might have been able to swipe a Heat Rock or an Icy Rock as well.
What a pity.
That guy Fujiki is so vigorous and resolute in everything he does; he didn't give any chance to pick up scraps at all.
Jiang Han shook his head, tossing these unrealistic thoughts out of his mind. After treating Sandile's wounds, he patted its head.
"Good job, keep it up."
Sandile squinted its eyes comfortably and rubbed its head against Jiang Han's palm.
He stood up, preparing to continue deeper.
The outer perimeter of this forest had been pretty much cleared by him; it was time to go deeper and try his luck.
Just as he turned around, a glimpse of an unusual color caught the corner of his eye.
It was on a nearby, seemingly ordinary short tree.
Through the layers of leaves, a pink, gourd-shaped fruit was hanging quietly on a branch.
The fruit was pink and tender all over, with a smooth surface, emitting a faint glimmer of energy in the dim woods.
Jiang Han's breathing momentarily stalled.
A lum berry!
His brain worked rapidly, and information about this kind of Berry immediately surfaced.
This wasn't some one-time item that could only weaken the power of Psychic-type moves like in the games!
In this real world, a lum berry is a natural treasure that can directly enhance Psychic-type energy! Its effect is much more overbearing and pure than those pokéblocks mixed with various materials!
For an Inkay with the Psychic attribute, the value of this thing was not small!
Although not as rare or powerful as a gritty rock, it was still a rare and good material!
Jiang Han didn't rush over immediately but instead calmly observed his surroundings.
Around natural treasures, there are often guardians.
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