"He has become stronger."
Kurata murmured softly while watching Gu Yuan.
"I will definitely surpass him before we reach the Sinnoh region!"
Taishi Utsunomiya's voice sounded resolute, though it was unclear if his heart was truly as firm as his words suggested.
At the same time, the members of the Sinnoh League participating in the Regional Battle Tournament began their research, focusing entirely on Gu Yuan. For the Sinnoh League, they could not afford to lose like the Hoenn League. Otherwise, it would be far too embarrassing.
"Great job, Gu Yuan!"
"However, before we leave the Hoenn region, you had better stay in the hotel. Otherwise, I'm afraid you might be beaten to death by the locals!"
Back in the lounge, Dar was not stingy with his praise. His final warning, in particular, made a lot of sense to Gu Yuan. If he really intended to go out, he would have to disguise himself well so he wouldn't be recognized under any circumstances.
"A single failure is nothing, even a crushing defeat."
"What matters is whether you can withstand the blow of failure and find your own weaknesses to improve upon."
"If you only know how to be annoyed, you should give up on being a trainer as soon as possible."
After saying this, Bavi left them there to reflect while he went out to handle the aftermath.
Just like during the Johto League tournament, after a series of interviews and activities, Gu Yuan's group finally returned to their hotel. Dar also gave them a break to rest, allowing them to move freely during this time. Once the communication with the Sinnoh region was finalized, they would set off again.
"Let's go. We should head out for a stroll too, but I'll need your help, Ditto."
Having finished his preparations, Gu Yuan prepared to go out. Just as Dar had advised, he deliberately disguised himself to avoid being discovered by the people of Hoenn.
Being recognized in the Kanto region would result in being surrounded for photos or signatures at most. However, being recognized in the Hoenn region would likely result in a beating. Specifically, it was forbidden to use Pokémon to attack residents within the city. If Gu Yuan dared to let Charizard and the others take action, many people would likely release their own Pokémon to fight him, resulting in everyone being locked up in the Hoenn police station together just to vent their frustrations.
After completing his disguise, Gu Yuan used Teleport to leave the hotel. After several jumps, he finally began to wander around boldly.
The city they were in was Slateport City, a port city. It housed the Oceanic Museum, a shipyard, a Pokémon Fan Club, and more. The market here was also famous for rare items, and many people had managed to find hidden treasures there. Of course, even more people spent money on useless junk. This was exactly what made the market so charming.
Gu Yuan's goal was clear: this famous market. Most of the vendors here were open-air traders, essentially people who laid out a cloth as a stall to sell goods. Common items included Poké Balls, medicines, held items, and Evolution Stones. However, these sellers often disguised these items as higher quality to sell them at a high price; whether one could tell the difference depended on their own eyes.
For Gu Yuan, who was no longer short on resources, he naturally wouldn't buy those things. Instead, he looked for special objects, like the Moltres's Feather he carried.
In the Pokémon world, many miraculous items became plain and unremarkable over time. If they encountered a special situation, these objects might be activated, causing something magical to happen. Unfortunately, too many people had the same idea as Gu Yuan. Additionally, vendors checked these items thoroughly before selling them to ensure nothing was missed, making it even harder to find a "diamond in the rough."
"Forget it. It looks like we don't have that kind of luck. Let's look elsewhere."
After a lap with no discoveries, Gu Yuan was ready to give up. In his arms, Hattrem was also tired. As a girl, she liked shopping, but not for "trash" in a street that lacked jewelry and pretty clothes.
Just as Gu Yuan was about to leave, a flicker of blue light flashed before his eyes. Looking closely, he saw that the light came from a blue bead with very crude craftsmanship. Its only extraordinary feature was the material, which wasn't common glass or plastic.
Squatting down, Gu Yuan pretended to be a regular customer while secretly observing the blue bead. Finally, he decided to take a gamble; even if it was useless, he could treat it as a souvenir. With that thought, he prepared to learn from his "transmigration predecessors" by pretending to buy something else to take the blue bead as a bonus.
"Young man, you want this bead, right? Ten thousand yen, non-negotiable. Don't think about buying something else and having me give this to you for free; it's impossible."
Before Gu Yuan could speak, the boss spoke first. Gu Yuan sighed helplessly, realizing his level was still a bit too low. Compared to these veterans who had struggled in the market for a long time, his small movements couldn't hide anything.
"Fine, I'll take it. Swipe the card."
Having his thoughts exposed, Gu Yuan no longer hesitated. He took out his card, swiped it, and took the blue bead away.
After leaving the market, he began to study the blue bead in his hand. Unfortunately, the system could not identify items, which would have been more convenient. He tried to condense psychic power into the bead, but it was like a stone sinking into the ocean with no response.
Refusing to give up, Gu Yuan immediately rented a training room. He had Charizard burn it with fire, then let Sylveon and the others take turns testing the bead with various energies. Even with Ditto transforming into Pokémon of every type and using various moves, the bead remained unresponsive.
However, being able to withstand various elemental powers without being damaged was enough to show that this blue bead was extraordinary, even if Gu Yuan couldn't use it yet.
"Whatever, at least I didn't lose money."
Tossing the blue bead into his spatial backpack, Gu Yuan continued to wander with Hattrem and Dreepy. He visited famous buildings like the museum. Finally, he met a decent opponent at the Pokémon Fan Club, allowing Ceruledge and the others to fight to their hearts' content.
Unfortunately, to avoid exposure, Gu Yuan left after a short battle. He would have to find another chance for Ceruledge and the others to fight later. While Gu Yuan was wandering, Team Aqua and Team Magma also began their preparations.