Time On My Side (Ch.2) Pages 63-64

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Dave bests Barry for the first time, and Carla begins putting her puzzle together.

I figure that most routes between cities would have some sort of "wild-free" path that, while usually longer, would ensure the safety of anyone walking by without any Pokemon on-hand. Barry isn't one for taking the long route, so Dave's main concern is that Barry runs into the wilderness without any protection.

Normally, this is where Dave would take Barry back home, but since he recently took on another mission at Betty's "request..." he figures that should really come first.