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Route 121 was a densely forested area located west of Lilycove City.
To the north, it bordered Hoenn's Safari Zone, while to the south, it connected to Route 122. Continuing west eventually lead to Route 120.
Sato currently had nine days to return to Pewter City in Kanto. To reach his destination as quickly as possible, the best plan was to head to Slateport City in Hoenn and take a flight back to Saffron City in Kanto.
According to the map of Hoenn in his possession, Sato's shortest route to Slateport City was to cross Route 122 to reach Route 123, traverse Route 118 to Mauville City, and then take Route 110 southward. If everything went smoothly, he estimated it would take him four days to reach Slateport City.
At the moment, Sato was making his way toward Route 122. According to the map's description, there was a dock on Route 121 that provided transportation to Route 123. He could catch a boat or a ferry there.
However, Sato's journey had actually been far from smooth. The reason was simple: this densely forested area was home to a large number of wild Pokémon.
Even sticking to the main road hadn't spared him from frequent encounters with aggressive wild Pokémon.
Furthermore, this region appears to be a primary habitat for packs of Poochyena. These Pokémon, known for their strong territorial instincts and vindictive nature, have been targeting Sato, who was traveling alone. They viewed Sato, a lone human traveler, as an easy target.
So far, he'd already fended off five waves of attacks from Poochyena packs.
Just now, after having his Marshtomp and Growlithe fend off an attack led by a Mightyena, another wave had appeared—this time, three Mightyena accompanied by nearly twenty Poochyena.
Despite their numbers, the levels of these wild Pokémon weren't that high. The leaders, the Mightyena, were only around level 30, while the Poochyena were typically level 20 or 21. Sato wasn't too worried.
"Go easy on them; just drive them away," Sato instructed.
Given the large number of attackers, Sato sent out Golbat and Bellossom to join the battle. Packs like these were skilled in coordinated attacks. Letting them form a unified assault would spell trouble.
Marshtomp, towering and muscular, charged forward. Even holding back, as per Sato's command, his Ice Punch dealt significant damage. Only the three Mightyena leaders posed any challenge; the Poochyena fell with a single blow.
Growlithe radiated intense orange flames, creating a barrier that deterred any enemies from approaching within a meter. A powerful Flamethrower erupted from his mouth, and agonized howls echoed as the fire swept across the battlefield.
Golbat, gliding effortlessly through the air, focused on the strongest Mightyena. With a well-aimed Air Cutter, he forced the leader into a frantic retreat, rendering it unable to coordinate its pack.
Bellossom, true to her gentle nature, adhered strictly to Sato's command to hold back. Preferring not to engage in unnecessary violence, her job was to stay by Sato's side, using Grass Knot to entangle any Pokémon daring to approach within five meters.
The battle ended rather swiftly.
After Marshtomp took down two of the Mightyena leaders in direct combat, the remaining Poochyena fled with their tails between their legs, following the last Mightyena leader.
Following the battle, Marshtomp finally reached level 36. Throughout the journey, Sato had deliberately relied on Marshtomp as the primary defender against wild Pokémon. As his body began to emit the light of evolution, Sato couldn't help but marvel at how far they'd come.
Reflecting on Marshtomp's journey, Sato found it almost unbelievable. Less than a month had passed since they met, back when Marshtomp was a small Mudkip at level 13.
Now, he was undergoing evolution for the second time.
As the light of evolution enveloped Marshtomp, his body underwent significant changes. His already robust frame grew over twice its size. Previously standing at about 1.2 meters—just reaching Sato's chest—he now towered at approximately 2.5 meters, with Sato, now barely coming up to his chest.
Marshtomp's once-sleek form transformed into a massive Swampert, now a true powerhouse. His once-small fists were now massive, resembling sledgehammers as large as an adult human's head. His gills had expanded and gained an additional protrusion, giving him a distinctive whisker-like appearance.
The fins on his head split into two, while his tail fin merged into a single, broad fan.
After about two minutes, the light faded, revealing a fully evolved Swampert. Standing before Sato was a massive, powerful Pokémon.
"Let's keep working together, Swampert," Sato said, looking up at the powerful Pokémon with immense satisfaction and pride. He held out a fist.
"Swamp~" Swampert's voice had deepened, resonating with power. He carefully extended his massive fist and bumped it against Sato's much smaller one. Though their sizes had changed, the bond between the trainer and his Pokémon had grown even stronger.
With this evolution, Swampert became Sato's first Pokémon with a base stat total exceeding 500, cementing Sato's position as a true professional trainer.