So I stop fighting tidus and the gang at level 7. Once the storm hit, you had to fight the heartless a head to the door by the secret place and unlocked the door. Instead of doing that I kept fighting the heartless and leveling up. I would search the whole island over and over again. I'm gonna level up to 20 before leaving the island. Fighting the heartless is a better way of leveling up then fighting tidus and the others.