Test Your Luck in Rockridge Village!
Time passed little by little, and soon it was afternoon.
The trees ahead grew sparser, and the path beneath our feet gradually smoothed, showing clear signs of human activity.
"Next."
Suddenly, Lucas looked up and ahead, speaking abruptly.
"Rockridge Village."
Benjamin spoke slowly, "Rockridge Village is one of the few villages near the Diamond Forest. It's home to hundreds of people whose ancestors have lived here for generations."
"Let's see what good things they have," Lucas said with a smile, looking forward to it.
Benjamin raised his chin in response and said excitedly, "Last time, I found a Fire Stone there."
"Oh?" Lucas shot him a surprised glance, then smiled and said, "You're lucky, kid."
Lucas turned to Bruce and explained, "Young Master Bayne, when we enter the village, they'll bring out some peculiar items, most of which are just oddly-shaped stones."
"However, if you're lucky and spot something valuable like elemental stones, don't hesitate to trade for it right away."
"For the Rockridge villagers, such things aren't worth much to them—they'd rather have daily necessities."
After a brief pause, Lucas added, "Of course, the odds of finding something as good as a Fire Stone like Benjamin are very low. Most of it is just common stuff."
"Still, it's a fresh experience," he concluded.
Hearing this, Bruce's expression flickered with excitement, a hint of anticipation forming on his face.
As a time traveler, shouldn't it be perfectly normal to stumble across something valuable in such situations?
With this thought in mind, Bruce stepped into Rockridge Village with large strides.
Before entering the village, Bruce returned Gardevoir to its Poké Ball.
Rockridge Village was small in scale, with a concrete street running through the middle and clean houses lining both sides.
Bruce glanced around and noted that the village seemed quite decent. The infrastructure was complete, the houses were orderly and clean, and even in such a remote area, there was a proper concrete road.
This was thanks to the Pokémon world's higher productivity, where Pokémon could perform various tasks.
Even in a remote area, development was feasible with Pokémon assistance.
However, the village's geographic isolation and lack of accessible routes in and out meant it had little contact with the outside world, leading to slow development.
But the villagers didn't seem to care much about that.
As soon as the group of four entered Rockridge Village, the villagers, who had been chatting outside, swiftly set up stalls, each standing behind their booth and waiting for the group to approach.
Bruce was slightly taken aback by their efficiency and looked around. As Lucas mentioned, the stalls were filled with oddly-shaped stones and trinkets, and Bruce even spotted some Pokémon pups...
"Just one evolution stone," Bruce silently prayed.
"Let's see if there's anything good today," Lucas said with a faint smile.
The four of them dispersed, each exploring the stalls.
Bruce approached the first stall, run by an elderly woman. Her deeply wrinkled face and snow-white hair revealed her age.
"Take your time," the old woman said cheerfully, gesturing to the items on display.
Bruce glanced down, but the assortment was mostly strange stones—no sign of an evolution stone.
With an apologetic smile, he moved on to the next stall.
However, his search was equally disappointing—still no evolution stones.
"Maybe the third stall will have a Gardevoirite," Bruce thought optimistically.
"Surely, there must be a mega stone at the third stall," he reassured himself, approaching it.
The stall owner this time was a small boy holding a Bulbasaur. His cheeks were rosy, and his thick black hair looked slightly messy.
The boy was playing with his Bulbasaur, laughing together. When he noticed Bruce standing at the stall, he quickly pushed Bulbasaur behind him and smiled. "Big brother, take a look."
Bruce nodded faintly and looked down.
But alas...
Still no evolution stones here either.
After a quick scan, Bruce sighed inwardly. His luck seemed terrible today.
However, some of the trinkets on this stall looked quite appealing, catching his attention.
Seeing this, the boy's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "These bring peace!"
Bruce was used to such sales pitches, but the trinkets did seem adorable. He figured they'd make nice gifts for Alice and his cousin.
After all, Alice would be helping him catch up on his missed studies, and his cousin had been a great support since he started university.
With that decision, Bruce traded two packs of biscuits for two cute hanging ornaments.
"Come back again, big brother!" the boy called out enthusiastically as Bruce walked away.
The boy then dashed into the house behind the stall, shouting excitedly, "Mom, I traded for two packs of biscuits!"
"Come taste them!"
By the end of their exploration, Bruce regrouped with the others at the village entrance, holding the two ornaments he had acquired.
These ornaments were all Bruce managed to gain from his search.
It was clear that Lady Luck wasn't on his side, and any evolution stones remained hidden, waiting for Bruce to find them another time.
The other three had similar luck, finding nothing of significant value.
"Well, I'll have to wash my hands before leaving next time," Lucas muttered under his breath.
Hearing this, Bruce thought to himself, I understand the phrase. Maybe those jinxed words need to go first.
Stowing the ornaments into his backpack, the group continued their journey north.
Soon after leaving Rockridge Village, the path ahead narrowed, revealing a steep rock wall about a hundred meters high. From a distance, it looked like a natural barrier.
The wall seemed split in two by a sharp blade, leaving a narrow path in the middle—the very route Bruce and the others needed to take.
"This is the easiest route from south to north. Any other way would take a significant detour," Lucas explained.
"From here, we can directly enter the depths of Diamond Forest."
He added with a serious expression, "This spot has high strategic value, so we call it the last barrier to Diamond Forest."
"That's why there's an outpost here, to prevent unauthorized personnel from entering Diamond Forest."
Bruce listened silently and glanced around. Sure enough, he spotted two metal houses at the narrowest part of the path—likely the outpost Lucas had mentioned.
"If any unauthorized personnel are spotted here, they immediately alert the Vortex base and pass the message to nearby outposts, forming a pincer attack," Lucas added.
"Let's go say hello," Lucas said, moving ahead.
The outpost was staffed by two guards, both Professional-level trainers, though their strength wasn't remarkable.
Their primary role was to act as sentinels, where their strength mattered less than their ability to communicate effectively.
After confirming their identities, Lucas led the group onward.
"Let's pick up the pace and try to reach the temporary camp before sunset," Lucas said, glancing at the sky.
The group quickened their steps, continuing forward.
On the way, Bruce sent out Gardevoir, while the others directed wild Pokémon directly toward him, effectively spoon-feeding him experience points.
With such considerate support, Gardevoir gained plenty of experience, edging closer to the next level.
Metang, meanwhile, stayed quietly in its Poké Ball, watching as Gardevoir defeated one Pokémon after another. The pressure in its heart grew.
Am I going to be the last one on the team?
Wait, there's another Ponyta...
All right.
Realizing it wasn't completely left behind, Metang calmed down, staying patient in the Poké Ball and waiting for Bruce's favor.
Time passed, and the sun began to set, its light bathing the distant snow-capped mountains in a soft amber glow.
"Perfect timing," Lucas said, spotting several wooden cabins not far away. He exhaled a long breath of relief.
It was fortunate to reach the temporary camp before nightfall—nobody wanted to wander the darkened Diamond Forest.
"This is a temporary camp where passing patrols can rest," Benjamin explained to Bruce.
As the group approached the wooden cabins, several people opened the doors and greeted them with smiles.
Noticing Lucas, one of them shouted, "Whoa, it's Chief Sterling!"
"Chief Sterling joining a patrol? That's rare!" someone else joked.
"Don't mess around. I'm on duty," Lucas said, feigning seriousness before gesturing to Bruce.
When they saw Bruce, the smiles quickly faded, and they greeted him respectfully, "Young Master Bayne."
It was clear that Bruce's identity wasn't a secret to them.
His recent online fame had made him widely recognized.
"Let's head in," Lucas said.