"Don't be so shocked—this is a city, not a village," Gary reminded her.
Zinnia really was a stranger to modern life; if she spent much time around ordinary people, she was bound to give herself away.
"What? You mean places like this aren't called villages? Aren't there villages outside?" Zinnia asked, astonished.
"No. Settlements like this are called cities.
A village grows outward and becomes a township; a township expands again and becomes a small town; keep expanding, and eventually you have a city. So every city originally started as a village.
There are still villages in Hoenn, but they're mostly in the countryside," Gary explained.
"Oh." Zinnia nodded, only half understanding.
"Remember—talk less and observe more. Whatever you do, don't tell strangers you're from Meteor Village. If someone asks, just say you come from a small village outside Rustboro City. Got it?" Gary said firmly.
"I know, I know. Don't worry—I won't spill anything." Zinnia patted him on the shoulder in reassurance.
The moment they entered Rustboro, Zinnia trailed after Gary, gawking at everything and asking questions about anything she didn't recognize. Gary answered patiently all the way to the Pokémon Center cafeteria.
"This is a Pokémon Center," he explained. "Trainers rest here. If your Pokémon are injured, you can have them treated, and the Center also offers food and a place to sleep."
Because Gary couldn't babysit her forever, he made sure to highlight the places she would need most once she was on her own.
"There's a place this convenient?" Zinnia stared in amazement. She hadn't imagined one building could handle treatment, meals, and lodging.
"Of course. But treatment isn't free unless you have Pokémon health insurance—otherwise you pay full price. Do you have any money?" Gary asked.
In Meteor Village they still bartered; in modern society, cash ruled. Without money—or somewhere to keep it—Zinnia would struggle.
"Money? What's that?" Zinnia tilted her head.
"Instead of trading goods, people out here use coin or electronic currency. Much simpler," Gary said.
"So how do I get money?"
"Plenty of ways. Without an ID you could take odd jobs, but a shady boss might dock your pay."
"What? You do the work and they still cheat you?" Zinnia was indignant.
"That's life. But you can support yourself as a Trainer," Gary continued.
"The Trainer path…?" She leaned forward, eager to hear more.
"Trainers can battle for stakes. Both sides agree on an amount first; if you win, you get the purse," Gary said.
"Oh, that sounds great! I want to try that," Zinnia said excitedly. She was the strongest of her age back in Meteor Village and was itching to test outside competition.
"You should wait," Gary cautioned.
Zinnia frowned. "Why? You think I'm weak?"
"You have only two Pokémon. Shelgon can battle, but it's slow—relying on it will delay its evolution. You really need another battler," he said.
At the moment, Zinnia owned only Whismur and Shelgon.
Whismur had decent potential but wore an Everstone because Zinnia didn't want it to evolve yet, leaving Shelgon as her lone capable fighter. But a mid-evolution Shelgon had to conserve energy for its eventual metamorphosis into Salamence; frequent battles would slow that process down.
"But I don't have any moves that stop a wild Pokémon from escaping. How am I supposed to catch something new?" Zinnia said, rubbing her temples.
"That part's easy—I can help you capture one. You just have to raise it," Gary offered.
Catching a solid, Gym-caliber Pokémon wasn't hard for him.
"I only want Dragon-types. I'm going to be a Dragon Master," Zinnia declared.
Gary raised an eyebrow. "You realize Dragons aren't exactly cheap to raise, right? Even I don't have that many."
"Then we'll take our time. I'm traveling with you for now, and we're not broke," she said with a grin.
In Hoenn, non-Legendary Dragon Pokémon basically meant the Bagon, Trapinch, and Swablu lines—Salamence, Flygon, and Altaria once they evolved. All three were worth raising; it was just a matter of finding one.
"Hm-m." Zinnia's attention shifted as the waiter delivered their meals. Compared with the simple fare back home, the flavors were a revelation; every bite of seasoning lit up her taste buds.
After lunch, Gary took her to the Rustboro Department Store, explaining that nearly every Trainer supply imaginable could be bought there. He purchased a small space backpack for Zinnia, stocked it with basic provisions and capture tools, and made sure she was set. They would leave Rustboro the next morning.