In Slateport City, Aroma Lady welcomed her fourth Pokémon to the team.
A Vaporeon.
To be precise, this Vaporeon had been abandoned. At the time, Aroma Lady was treating a male Trainer's Pokémon for heatstroke when a female Trainer suddenly appeared.
Misinterpreting the situation as some sort of romantic tryst, the newcomer flew into a jealous rage and demanded a battle.
Aroma Lady tried to explain the reality of the situation, but the woman refused to listen.
Left with no choice, Aroma Lady accepted the challenge.
In the ensuing battle, Roserade secured a decisive victory with ease.
To her horror, the female Trainer immediately released the defeated Vaporeon on the spot, grabbed the male Trainer, and stormed off.
The cold-heartedness of the act was chilling.
Aroma Lady couldn't stand to see such cruelty. She immediately took in the bewildered, pathetic little creature and healed the wounds Roserade's Petal Dance had inflicted.
[You obtained Vaporeon. Your traveling party has grown!]
"What a piece of work. Another 'Paul-style' jerk from the early seasons," Kashiwagi cursed under his breath.
The simulation was actually making him angry.
It was fortunate that Aroma Lady shared Ash's deep love for Pokémon.
Had she not taken Vaporeon in, the world would have gained another Pokémon full of resentment and hatred toward humanity.
The unpleasant encounter left Aroma Lady in low spirits, but thankfully, her essences helped her relax. She didn't linger in Slateport, instead heading toward the city hosting the third Gym.
The process remained consistent: heal sick Pokémon, and work hard to improve her battle awareness.
Shortly after, she arrived at the location of the third Gym. This was a place Kashiwagi didn't recognize at all—likely a small town existing only within the anime's expanded lore.
Naturally, the Gym Leader was a stranger.
Interestingly, they also used Grass-types, but Aroma Lady secured the win smoothly using only Masquerain and Roserade.
In this town filled with flower beds and groves, Aroma Lady obtained her fifth Pokémon... or rather, an Egg?
She had treated a Pokémon living in a flower shop that suffered from severe pollen allergies.
After gifting the shop owner an essence that relieved the symptoms, the owner entrusted her with a Pokémon Egg as a reward.
They explained it was a Chikorita Egg—one of the starter Pokémon from the Johto region.
The owner believed that a Trainer as beautiful and kind-hearted as her would be the perfect person to look after it.
Kashiwagi: "!"
Is being high-tier beautiful really this broken?
She started with two flowers, and now Pokémon were either falling into her lap or being handed over as gifts.
Aroma Lady's journey was remarkably smooth sailing.
The fourth Gym was located in Verdanturf Town. A quick search on his phone showed that the "old" Gym there had closed over a decade ago, replaced by a "new" Gym with a twenty-year history.
It looked like the new establishment had simply out-competed the old one.
Aroma Lady won the battle handily, earning her fourth Badge and finally meeting the minimum requirement to challenge the Lavaridge Gym. During this time, the Egg hatched into a healthy Chikorita.
[You obtained Chikorita. Your traveling party has grown!]
However, even though Verdanturf Town was quite close to Lavaridge, Aroma Lady didn't head back immediately. Instead, she detoured to the west of Hoenn, arriving at the pinnacle of high-tech progress: Rustboro City.
Clearly, she hadn't forgotten her original goal. Challenging Gyms and participating in the League were merely means to an end; her true purpose was to see as many different Pokémon as possible.
[You arrive in Rustboro City. The modern style—so different from most towns—with its skyscrapers, city-wide trams, and bustling atmosphere leaves you in awe. ]
[The sight of so many unfamiliar Pokémon makes you feel the trip was well worth it.]
Thanks to her status as a Trainer, Aroma Lady quickly integrated into Rustboro's local circles.
Her reputation exploded as people experienced her nurturing expertise and the exceptional effects of her essences.
She even drew the attention of the local TV station.
To promote her research, Aroma Lady decisively accepted an interview.
[Your interview is a hit with the people of Rustboro. ]
[Your name begins to spread across the Hoenn region. ]
[To learn more about you and your essences, the TV station chooses to conduct a special feature on you.]
It seemed she had come to the right place. As her fame grew, perfume companies invited her to consult, and factories hoped to mass-produce her essences.
However, she knew her formulas weren't yet stable enough for mass production, nor did she have the energy to manage manufacturing and sales.
While she could have delegated, she wisely realized that without her personal oversight, quality control would be impossible.
She stopped just short of commercialization. She was satisfied that her essences' efficacy had been validated, she didn't want to rush the next steps.
To escape the constant influx of people, she took a boat to Dewford Town.
At this time, Dewford was a tiny island community with a small population and scarce medical resources.
Aroma Lady's arrival as a "Pokémon Doctor" was met with immense gratitude.
She stayed there for nearly a month, treating countless sick Pokémon daily.
Her own Pokémon acted as her "nurses," scurrying about to help. During this busy period, the young Chikorita even evolved.
[Your Chikorita evolved into Bayleef!]
"Is this really a 'Barefoot Doctor's Journal' now?" Kashiwagi teased.
Still, he knew she held official certification; the narrator had mentioned her credentials during the Rustboro interview.
...
The scene shifted.
Aroma Lady finally returned to Lavaridge Town, where her friend was waiting.
[Your friend tells you that your name and essences are famous even in Lavaridge, which brings you great joy. ]
[However, she also brings bad news: the League Championship starts in only three months. ]
[You must hurry to collect your remaining four Badges.]
Having spent so much time in Rustboro and Dewford, her schedule had become tight. Being a person who likes to see things through to the end, Aroma Lady didn't give up.
She headed straight to the Lavaridge Gym.
This was arguably her toughest battle yet. Fire-types had a massive advantage over her team; only Vaporeon held a clear lead.
However, under the effects of a harsh Sunny Day, even Vaporeon's condition became precarious.
Fortunately, Vaporeon had spent those weeks observing how the "seniors" handled difficult patients.
On a whim, Aroma Lady called out,
"Prepare for treatment!"
Vaporeon immediately treated the opposing Magcargo as a patient.
It used Baby-Doll Eyes to dull the opponent's spirit and Fake Tears to catch it off guard.
It finished with a Yawn.
The Magcargo fell into a deep slumber right there on the field, leaving it completely at the mercy of Vaporeon and Aroma Lady.
The Lavaridge Gym Leader was stunned.
How are you so practiced at this?!
The fifth Badge was hers.