Heading up the stairs by Kimya puts you in a good position to grab a Dire Hit, a one-use item that will boost a Pokemon’s critical hit rate when used in battle.  If you find yourself building up a critical hit specialist, this can be useful, but otherwise it basically reads as ‘sell for cash’.  The second layer of the hill has nothing else of note on it, so go on up to the top level.

This last chunk of Route 20 starts with a duo battle, so make sure your pokemon are prepared for it.  There’s very little quite like suddenly dropping into a duo battle with the pokemon you most needed to have gain levels and the one you least needed experience for, when another lower-level team member is lurking in the third slot.

Battle: Twins Lia & Lily (144 Poke)
Opponent: Sunkern Lv 9 and Sunkern Lv 9

In the gatehouse to the East, you’re stopped as you pass through by the gate greeter.  She calls you to her desk, and tells you that while she sees you have some pokemon with you, you should have more, so you can have more fun on your journey- and then gives you some Great Balls.  This is a pretty nifty gift, so take a moment to appreciate it- but only a moment- and move along.

As you enter Virbank City, your Xtransceiver rings- your mom is calling.  She mentions that there’s ‘a complex’ in Virbank, and says she heard it looked nice at night, and will give you a chance to train your pokemon- they can do some activities there and you can do others.  Wishing you well, she signs off.

When you try to head further into the city, you’re stopped by the presence of two people in front of the Pokemon Center.  Calling the white-haired woman ‘Roxie’, the other tells her not to try to stop them, and that they’re off to ‘Pokestar Studios’ to make something of themself, as a ship captain movie star.  Roxie steps up to them, insisting that they’re a captain already and they need to keep their head on straight: if the ship doesn’t move, there’s going to be trouble.