Route 104 of the Hoenn region stretched in a clear north-south direction. To the east, it connected to Petalburg City, to the north, it led to Rustboro City, and to the south, it opened to Route 105, a waterway.
This vital road also sliced through the Petalburg Woods, creating a natural divide within the forest. Adventurous Trainers traveled back and forth along this path in a constant stream.
Fresh from the city, Sieg strolled along the wide road with Crawdaunt trailing faithfully beside him.
"They say there's a Shroomish deep inside the Petalburg Woods," Sieg murmured as he glanced down at the navigation screen on his Pokédex, "but I haven't seen one yet. I wonder if what they posted on the forums was true."
Crawdaunt remained alert, eyes darting across the surroundings, ready to ward off any surprise attacks from wild Pokémon.
Before setting out, Sieg had scoured the web for information on Route 104. Topping the charts of recent news was a reported Shroomish sighting. Naturally, this rare and practical Pokémon was one Sieg eagerly wanted to catch.
The mushrooms on its back were known to be rare medicinal herbs. Aside from that, Shroomish was remarkably easy to care for. It only needed decomposing leaves and damp soil to survive.
Whether it was the "Effect Spore" or the "Poison Heal" ability, both were considered top-tier traits.
(Effect Spore: When attacked, the opponent has a chance of being paralyzed, put to sleep, or poisoned.)
(Poison Heal: When poisoned, the Pokémon restores HP instead of taking damage.)
Sieg quickened his pace, muttering to himself, "Shroomish usually appears in damp places, especially after heavy rain. That's when they tend to gather."
Lost in thought, Sieg didn't notice the boy in shorts who suddenly leapt into the middle of the road.
"Hey, you there with the Corphish!" the boy called out.
His clothes were dusty and slightly tattered, but his eyes sparkled with energy.
Startled by the sudden shout, Sieg stopped in his tracks. After a brief hesitation, he pointed to himself. "You talking to me?"
"That's right. Want to have a battle between your Corphish and my Pokémon?" the boy asked with a cocky grin.
Sieg stifled a laugh and replied, "Better not. The difference in our levels is way too big. Besides, this isn't a Corphish, it is a CRAWDAUNT. It's an evolved form."
The boy frowned, clearly irritated by the rejection. A flicker of confusion passed through his eyes, as if he didn't recognize the Pokémon in front of him.
"Hmph, you're just scared, aren't you?"
Sieg sighed, the corners of his mouth twitching. "If we're battling, there should be a wager. What can you offer?"
That question seemed to stump the boy.
After a long pause, he finally muttered, "I know the Petalburg Woods really well. I could tell you some useful information."
Sieg shrugged. "Fine. If I lose, I'll give you a box of Pokéblocks."
The mention of Pokéblocks lit up the boy's face. Without hesitation, he tossed a Poké Ball.
"Go, Wurmple!"
Sieg: ...
Crawdaunt finished the battle with a single Vice Grip. The poor Wurmple didn't stand a chance.
At least Sieg got the information he wanted.
"Keep going a bit farther. In the northeast corner of the woods, there's a huge moss-covered rock. It's said that if an Eevee is near it, it can evolve into Leafeon. A bunch of people have gathered over there."
Sieg gave a thoughtful nod, and at his waist, a Luxury Ball shook gently. A soft pop sounded as a furry little Eevee appeared at his feet.
"Eevee-ee!"
Apparently, it had heard them talking about it and decided to pop out on its own.
"You want to go take a look at that rock?" Sieg asked, a little conflicted. "Well... alright."
After all, Eevee wasn't at a high enough level to evolve yet, so even being close to the rock wouldn't trigger anything.
"Eevee-ee!" it chirped, wagging its tail in delight before leaping into Sieg's arms.
It always seemed to prefer this spot in his embrace, enjoying his strokes with unmistakable satisfaction.
"You really are hopeless," Sieg muttered with a helpless smile. "It's fine while you're small, but once you grow up, it won't work anymore."
"Eevee-ee!"
To pick up the pace, Sieg unfolded his multifunctional Mountain bike and pedaled toward the northeastern section of the woods.
Soon, he arrived at the designated area, but what he saw there caught him by surprise.
This place didn't feel like a forest at all. Several tents were pitched around the clearing, and the atmosphere buzzed with chatter and activity.
It looked like a full-fledged camp.
"Seriously? Did all these people come here to party?" Sieg muttered.
He quickly stored his bike in his spatial backpack and counted. There were quite a few Trainers gathered here.
His arrival naturally drew some attention, but most people didn't give him a second look. After all, almost everyone had come here for one of two reasons: either to hunt for rare Pokémon in Petalburg Woods or to find the giant moss-covered rock.
"Eevee-ee!"
Eevee peeked its head out of Sieg's jacket, its bright eyes sweeping across the campsite.
"Eevee-ee!"
Look, there are more of us!
Both Sieg and Eevee noticed a number of other Eevee in the area.
"Everyone's here to evolve their Eevee into Leafeon, huh?" Sieg mused.
It was the first time Eevee had seen so many of its kind. Overjoyed, it completely forgot Sieg's instructions and leapt out of his arms, bounding toward the group.
"Careful, Eevee!" Sieg called out in concern.
Just then, a young girl suddenly stepped into his path.
"Aww, what an adorable Eevee!"
Her excited voice immediately drew a few more curious glances.
"Eevee, come back here!" Sieg said sternly, frowning.
But Eevee, oblivious to its Trainer's frustration, continued to prance around, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Is this your Eevee?" a scholarly-looking man in glasses approached slowly. "It's been raised beautifully. The fur is thick and soft, its eyes are bright, and it moves so elegantly. May I ask for some advice?"
Sieg gently scooped Eevee back into his arms, stroking its soft little head.
"This Eevee came from the Petalburg Gym," he said simply.
That one sentence was more than enough. Most of the nearby Trainers looked puzzled, but a few had sudden realizations in their eyes.
"Petalburg Gym? The one in Petalburg City? I've never heard of that before," someone muttered.
"You dummy, it's a newly established Gym. Just check your Pokédex for updates."
"Ah, that explains why there are so many Trainers in Petalburg Woods lately."
While the crowd focused their discussion on the new Gym, a few individuals shifted their attention to Sieg himself.
"My name is Matthew. May I ask yours?" the scholarly man said, pushing up his glasses and holding out his Pokédex.
Sieg smiled subtly. He knew what the man was after: probing his connection to the Gym, maybe even trying to identify his status.
He took out his own Pokédex, and with a tap, their devices exchanged information. When Matthew saw that Sieg was a direct disciple of the Petalburg Gym, his smile widened with genuine enthusiasm.
"Come on, Sieg. I've gathered a few like-minded folks here. We're exchanging ideas on how to raise Eevee. Care to join us?"
Sieg was glad to be invited. He had been wondering how to break into this circle, and now the opportunity had come to him naturally.
Given Matthew's demeanor and background, it was likely that the others in his group were also top-tier Trainers. Their company would surely be worthwhile.