Chapter 184: Farewell

Quietly standing in place, Bellossom suddenly opened her eyes wide as her diagonally slung Leaf Blade sliced through the air.

Though she couldn't wield a big leek like Farfetch'd, Bellossom had managed to execute her own form of laido—a display of swift, precise technique that recalled, in Ron's mind, that legendary strike of Farfetch'd.

"Your Bellossom has now caught its first glimpse of the true sword heart," Frostmoon said to Ron. "Although without my guidance your progress may slow from here on out, there's nothing that can be done about it now—you may continue your journey with your Bellossom."

Hearing Frostmoon's words, Ron didn't feel he was boasting; rather, he was stating a fact.

A master's guidance at the right moment can save one from many detours, compensating for long periods of arduous self-training. And yet, it was inevitable—after all, Ron had already spent over a month here at the Bamboo Grove Gym.

To see Bellossom embark on the path of swordsmanship in such a short time was more than enough for Ron; he couldn't possibly ask for anything more.

Now, his next task was clear: lead Bellossom to further level up, train her in Finger Pistol, and explore her unique move combinations along with any derivative techniques.

Even though there was still about a month and a half left before the Indigo League Conference, a sense of urgency lingered.

"Thank you for your guidance with Bellossom," Ron said sincerely, bowing before departing.

In a world where even powerful League figures schemed endlessly for every edge, Frostmoon's selfless month-long mentorship—helping Bellossom take her first steps into swordsmanship—had undoubtedly earned Ron's respect.

"Alright, alright—if you're leaving, then be off! Don't disturb an old man's peace," Frostmoon replied with a casual wave of his hand as he watched Ron exit the gym, gently closing the door behind him.

On the road, Bellossom kept glancing back toward the gym.

In just over a month of living and training together, Bellossom, Frostmoon, and Farfetch'd had forged a bond that was as much mentor–friend as it was teacher–student.

Now, with this sudden parting, Bellossom's claim that she wasn't sad was little more than self-deception; for Ron's sake, she buried her reluctance deep within her heart.

"Don't worry, Bellossom. We'll meet again someday. For now, all you have to do is work hard to become even stronger," Ron gently stroked her bud as he sensed her unease.

Bellossom nodded firmly and returned him a sweet smile.

Over the past month, Bellossom's intense focus on swordsmanship had netted her only one level increase.

As one of the main pillars for the upcoming Indigo League Conference, Ron's goal for her was simple: break through to High Elite level, and if possible, reach or even surpass the current level of Persian.

For the Indigo League Conference, the main forces were unquestionably Machamp, Persian, and Bellossom—with Nidoking and Gardevoir close behind.

Given Combusken's current state, Ron couldn't yet guarantee how far its strength might eventually go.

Therefore, the previously caught Gyarados was now put to good use.

Even though Ron hadn't specifically trained Gyarados, the accumulated energy from persistent training and frequent battles had steadily increased its level.

Now, Gyarados had surged from the low twenties to level 33 and had learned four moves: Twister, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, and Scary Face.

In addition, it had picked up another four moves—Ice Beam, Blizzard, Iron Tail, and Earthquake—from the likes of Machamp and the others.

With the nurturing of Fighting Aura and top-tier Pokéblocks, the wasted innate potential Gyarados had once shown in the wild was gradually being restored.

As long as Ron continued to focus on its development, there was every chance that Gyarados would eventually break through to Mid Elite level.

Alas, Gyarados found it difficult to master the Six Powers, and its natural aptitude wasn't particularly outstanding—otherwise, Ron would have trained it just like he did with Machamp.

From now on, Ron's goal was clear: devote all his efforts to leveling up Bellossom and Gyarados.

As for how far Machamp and the others could eventually grow, that would depend on the gains they made during this period.

With his targets set, Ron's next plan was straightforward: lead Machamp and the rest deep into the forest.

While others might settle in one place with a fixed rest area to patiently await the start of the Indigo League Conference, Ron had no choice but to traverse the vast sea of trees.

To maintain his currently fragile state, he had to keep growing stronger—he could not afford to have regrets for slackening when the tournament finally arrived.

With one month left until the Indigo League Conferencet, preparations were already underway at Indigo League.

First on the agenda was ensuring that there were enough resting places for both competitors and spectators; ticket sales indicated that this year's numbers had increased by around twenty percent over last year.

Consequently, ample accommodations were a must.

In the Kanto region, trainers who had secured qualification for the tournament had already begun their special training—especially those who had managed to collect six or seven badges.

With just a month remaining, it seemed that with a bit more effort, enough badges would be gathered for most to enter.

In this situation, the greatest challenge wasn't the gym battles, but rather the maintenance of one's composure.

 No matter the condition of the opponent, gym trainers never went easy—this was as much a sign of respect for themselves as for the challengers.

But all that didn't concern Ron; armed with the dual insurance of eight badges and qualification certificate, he needed only to focus on boosting his own strength.

In just half a month, both Bellossom and Gyarados appeared to have transformed.

Bellossom reached level 51—attaining Ron's target of High Elite level and positioning herself to break into level 52—and even learned a new move called Petal Blizzard.

Gyarados, on the other hand, surged to level 40, achieving Mid Elite level strength and learning two new moves: Crunch and Dragon Rage.

Moreover, Machamp had successfully mastered Iron Body, which introduced a new dimension to its fighting style.

Persian trailed close behind but still fell just short of fully mastering Iron Body—an understandable setback for an assassin-type Pokémon attempting such a technique.

Beyond boosting their strength, Ron's team had also grown by one new member: Larvitar. And even Gastly had finally shed its reputation as the weakest link.

Normally, Ron was accustomed to cradling newborn Pokémon like Larvitar to nurture a bond with them.

But this time, he truly felt overwhelmed.

Without the glow of a protagonist, carrying Larvitar—a hefty 144 jin (about 72 kilograms)—proved to be a real strain.

It didn't help that Ron's Larvitar seemed even heavier than the standard weight, so he could only let the little creature shuffle along on its short legs at his side—a contrast that was, in its own way, rather endearing.

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