Well, no one forces you to do it - except maybe the locals on the roads between the cities if you run into them. And there are people who don't like it, and some pokemon don't like it either... But most pokemon want to battle and train to become stronger to protect you. [Does that even make any sense?] I guess some of them do? A friend of mine has a really hyperactive friend, who couldn't stay still at all, because he was so excited to be here.

And some newbies might have arrived a little earlier than you and went ahead, because they couldn't find company from that town. They're probably still somewhere near, on that route from that town to the next city. [And she's talking too much, again.] Or I could be wrong and everyone's still there.