After withdrawing Tyrunt and Feebas back into their Poké Balls and bidding farewell to Wallace, Theo stepped out of the venue.
The night breeze outside was exceptionally refreshing, carrying a faint, cool moisture. By the time he returned to his hotel room, the sky had already turned completely dark.
Theo first prepared Pokémon food for Feebas and Tyrunt. Watching the two little ones wolf down their meal with such enthusiasm brought a gentle smile to his face.
Once Tyrunt and Feebas were full and satisfied, Theo spent some time playing with them, keeping them company.
Tyrunt hopped energetically around the room, its thick, stubby tail swishing back and forth with each jump. Feebas floated in the air-supported water stream, spinning in circles as its tail fin swayed rhythmically. The two little troublemakers tumbled and chased each other, and Theo's eyes were filled with warmth and contentment as he watched them.
Letting the two play on their own, Theo summoned the panel of his livestream system within his mind.
On the faint blue virtual display, the large number 510,000 points stood out prominently—his rich harvest from the recent Pokémon Contest.
It was time to put these points to use. Without a trace of hesitation, Theo directly selected the highest-tier option: Advanced Lottery Draw.
His consciousness brushed lightly across the shimmering button on the panel, crisp and decisive.
He chose to draw all of them at once.
In an instant, the screen burst into dazzling light. Notification windows popped up one after another, and the dense list of rewards almost made his eyes blur.
[Advanced Energy Orb ×12, Rain Dance ×1, Aqua Ring ×1, Dragon Claw ×1, Iron Tail ×1, Psychic Fangs ×1, Scale Shot ×1, Protein ×6, Calcium ×5, HP Up ×7, Carbos ×4, ...]
Seeing the massive haul, Theo couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth, satisfaction flooding his chest.
The various attribute boosters needed no explanation—they were precious items that could enhance a Pokémon's fundamental stats.
As for the Carbos, Theo hadn't yet decided who to assign them to. He planned to store them for now and wait until he captured new Pokémon in the future.
After all, his livestream system was already operating smoothly. Earning points was no longer difficult.
Whether he was unleashing charm in Pokémon Contests or demonstrating strength in Gym battles, he could now build up a considerable reserve of points with ease.
But what truly satisfied him was the twelve Advanced Energy Orbs displayed on the panel.
Tyrunt still needed to accumulate a certain amount of energy before evolution.
With this batch of high-level energy orbs, it could rapidly gather the energy required for evolution in a short time, bringing it one big step closer to shedding its old form and becoming Tyrantrum.
…
Theo finally withdrew his gaze from the system rewards and slowly turned his attention to the Hoenn map pinned to the wall—covered densely with route markings and notes.
At the very center, outlined with a bright orange circle, was Mauville City—the next destination he had long planned out.
Information from the forums naturally surfaced in Theo's mind—detailed notes about Mauville's Gym Leader, Wattson.
Wattson was a famous Electric-type specialist, with the personality of an excitable, mischievous old child. His Gym was one of the most popular first-stop challenges for new Trainers in Hoenn.
Before every official Gym battle, Wattson loved setting up all sorts of whimsical, bizarre obstacle courses, and sometimes even sent out his personally crafted "Robotic Raikou" to entertain challengers and give them a spectacle to enjoy.
But the real reason Trainers flocked to his Gym wasn't the robot—it was because his Dynamo Badge was widely known as one of the easiest badges to earn in Hoenn.
As long as a Trainer accompanied the old prankster and kept him entertained, even if they struggled in the actual battle, there was still a high chance Wattson would gift them the badge cheerfully.
However, Theo's goal this time wasn't the Dynamo Badge.
What truly excited him was the upcoming Pokémon Contest to be held in Mauville City.
The official Contest website had already published the schedule for all cities:
The earliest upcoming event would be held in Pacifidlog Town, just one month from now. Although it was the soonest available Contest, the route to this floating town was extremely treacherous.
To reach Pacifidlog, one had to depart from Slateport's harbor and cross a perilous sea region filled with unpredictable whirlpools.
The currents there were chaotic and powerful. Giant whirlpools could swallow small boats whole, and ferocious Water-type Pokémon lurked beneath the waves, ready to ambush unsuspecting travelers. It was considered the most dangerous sea route in all of Hoenn.
Attempting to traverse it alone was impossible unless one was an exceptionally strong, veteran Trainer with powerful Water-type Pokémon capable of controlling the tides and breaking apart whirlpools.
Otherwise—there was only a slim chance of survival.
The only alternative was to take a large charter ship protected by Wailord.
As the largest Water-type Pokémon in Hoenn, Wailord could stabilize vessels with its massive body, disperse whirlpools, and even dive up to three thousand meters to scout the sea floor for danger. It served as the ultimate "safe pass" through that treacherous route.
However, those escort ships only operated twice a month and required booking weeks or even months in advance.
For Trainers eager to compete, the situation was highly inconvenient.
In comparison, although Mauville City's Contest would take place fifteen days later, its transportation was far more accessible and hassle-free.
More importantly, Mauville lay just north of Hoenn's most famous desert.
Rumors said that in the distant depths of that desert, some fortunate Trainers had witnessed a mirage become real.
Under the blazing sunlight, drifting sands and shimmering light intertwined—forming the silhouette of a grand, towering stone structure.
Its surface was carved with ancient patterns, weathered and indistinct, like a monument awakened from primordial slumber.
This was the legendary Mirage Tower spoken of throughout Hoenn.
A Trainer who once succeeded in entering the Mirage Tower shared their experience on the forums:
Inside the dim passageways, the floor was covered with fine sand. Deep within the dark caverns, swarms of Trapinch made their nests.
The news made countless Trainers' hearts burn with desire.
After all, Trapinch could eventually evolve into the Ground/Dragon-type powerhouse Flygon.
Though not as overwhelmingly strong as Dragonite or Salamence, Flygon was still a genuine Dragon-type Pokémon, making it a dream partner for many competitive Trainers.
Even more enticing was one crucial detail:
The Trainer who entered Mirage Tower reported that the Trapinch inside lived in groups.
This meant that anyone who managed to enter the Tower would be able to find Trapinch with ease.
Such a rare capture opportunity turned the once-desolate desert into a bustling destination year-round. Waves of Trainers ventured into the sea of sand in hopes of discovering Mirage Tower and capturing a Trapinch of their own.
However, Theo wasn't particularly focused on Flygon for now.
What truly attracted him was the unique training environment of the desert.
Inside his backpack, the Hard Stone item gifted by Roxanne still lay quietly—perfect for helping Tyrunt practice the move Sandstorm.
There was also the Stealth Rock TM he had drawn at the very beginning. (TN: Back at chapter 4)
[Stealth Rock: Harness Rock-type energy to form invisible rock shards, which are scattered across the battlefield as hidden traps. When opposing Pokémon enter the field or move across it, contact with the invisible rocks will immediately deal Rock-type damage.]
Tyrunt, being a Rock-type Pokémon, absolutely needed to master at least some Rock-type STAB moves.
Moreover, the newly obtained batch of advanced energy orbs, TMs, and all kinds of attribute vitamins could all be invested into Tyrunt.
With proper training, Tyrunt could quickly convert all these resources into fuel for its evolution.
(End of Chapter)