(A/N: Delayed Chapter—busy week, but here it is! Thanks for your patience!)
John thought Tyranitar could fly.
However, the nature of the move Aerial Ace—darting back and striking unexpectedly—hadn't changed, and its classification as a Flying-type move remained the same. This technique could potentially catch opponents off guard during close combat.
After returning Steelix to its Pokeball, John noticed Tyranitar already seated on the ground, happily playing with the sand.
It was at it again—building little mounds and... eating them.
The sight was both amusing and unnerving.
"Hey, hey, hey! Cut that out!" John smacked Tyranitar's armored shoulder. "Pile castles, not people!"
'Castles?' Tyranitar tilted its massive head, looking at John with a blank expression. Castles? What were those? Could you eat them?
John facepalmed. "Forget it. Do whatever you want."
Back in his room, John pulled up his Gameboy to check his rewards.
The move Fly had become something extraordinary: Advanced Fly.
[Advanced Fly: Power: 110 Effect: Doubles Flying speed.]
The power boost wasn't massive—only a 20-point increase—but the key was the speed enhancement. Doubling a Pokemon's Flying speed was an incredible advantage in reality.
In the games, Flying involved a Pokemon taking off during one turn and landing on the next, rendering speed irrelevant. But in the real world, doubling speed was a game-changer. For Flying Pokémon, it effectively doubled their agility and maneuverability, making it a formidable asset.
John scanned his team. Unfortunately, none of his main Pokemon could learn Fly. Not even Garchomp, despite its ability to glide.
"Looks like I'll need to prioritize training Bagon," John mused.
The power of Fly made it more than just a mobility move. It was a combat advantage, and John wasn't about to waste it on a non-essential Pokémon. Among his potential options—Hydreigon, Salamence, and Dragonite—he leaned toward Salamence. Its sheer dominance on the battlefield was unmatched.
But John wasn't in a rush. Any Bagon he trained would need to have perfect stats—at least 5V, preferably 6V. He was determined to maintain high standards. Better to wait for the right candidate than settle for mediocrity.
For now, he decided to use Flygon as a temporary flier. Its boosted speed would make traveling between cities much more efficient.
Turning his attention to Winona's Flying Pokémon experience manual, John started flipping through the training tips.
Winona's notes detailed strategies for three Pokémon: Swellow, Pelipper, and Altaria.
Swellow's section focused on Aerial Ace and Brave Bird. The latter was particularly interesting—a high-risk, high-reward move comparable to Sky Attack.
Pelipper's section covered Tailwind and Air Slash, while Altaria's included Hurricane and Roost.
"These are solid moves," John muttered. The training techniques for Aerial Ace alone could potentially benefit several Pokémon.
Still, none of these Pokémon were part of his core team, so he set the manual aside for now.
After finishing up in Fortree City, John headed east toward Route 120. There wasn't much time for exploration, so he swapped Flygon into his team, used Fly to travel to Lavaridge Town, and made his way to Mt. Chimney.
Monthly quests were refreshed here, and before leaving the Hoenn region, John intended to squeeze out every resource available.
For the third time, he entered the Mt. Chimney dungeon.
Previously, he'd faced Maxie when his team was far less powerful, and it had been a tough battle. Now, with Tyranitar in his lineup, it wasn't even a contest.
Team Magma was annihilated. John even had time to look for Archie and the Team Aqua, hoping for a bonus challenge, but they were nowhere to be found.
The dungeon cleared, John received two rewards.
The first was a rare TM: Teleport.
Few non-Psychic Pokemon could learn it, and in John's current lineup, only Gardevoir had the potential to master it.
"Well, this goes into storage for now," John decided. If he added any Psychic Pokemon to his team in the future, he'd revisit the move.
The second reward was a premium item: Mystic Water.
[Mystic Water: Boosts Water-type moves by 40% and enhances water control and doubles the weight of water.]
"Doubles the weight of water?" John mused, tapping his chin.
His mind immediately jumped to Surf. Normally, Surf summoned powerful waves to crash down on opponents, with the water's sheer momentum doing the damage. But if the water's weight was doubled, the move's destructive force would be unparalleled.
John handed the Mystic Water to Greninja.
"This is going to be a challenge," he noted. Greninja would need to strengthen its body to handle the increased weight of its Water Shuriken. The extra power would come at the cost of greater strain during battles.
With his loot distributed, John turned his attention to harvesting berries.
He meticulously gathered the ripe fruits, knowing they wouldn't survive untended during his upcoming trip to the Johto region. Planting a new batch, he calculated that by the time he returned, another harvest would be ready.
Berry farming had proven to be a lucrative venture. Over the past two months, John had accumulated more than 400 million Pokedollars from his crops, providing ample funds for high-standard Pokemon training and top-tier items.
The financial strain of acquiring treasure-level Pokemon items was finally easing, and John felt confident he'd have plenty of resources left for future endeavors.
As he wrapped up his preparations, John couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. The Johto region awaited, promising new challenges, adventures, and opportunities to further his journey as a trainer.