"Whoa~!"
Sensing danger, Grotle quickly launched a barrage of Magical Leaf and Power Whip to intercept the incoming attack. At the same time, a Leech Seed shot out, latching onto Ursaring to restrain and hinder its movements.
Meanwhile, the ground beneath Ursaring began to rise with Grass Knot, a technique it had learned from Roserade, forming entangling vines to trip the charging beast.
But none of it worked!
"Ursaa!"
With its powerful physique, sheer brute force, and a body engulfed in flames, Ursaring bulldozed through every obstacle in its path. The Grass Knot vines were incinerated, its energy completely shattered.
In the blink of an eye, Ursaring was in front of Grotle, raising its arm high before bringing it down with overwhelming force.
BANG!
"Ursaa?"
Just as its fist was about to strike, Ursaring froze in surprise—
A shimmering Protect barrier had emerged around Grotle, stopping its Guts-boosted attack with unbreakable force.
"Grrr~"
Under the protective shield, a cunning glint flashed in Grotle's eyes.
It may appear to know many moves, but if you exclude those tied to its Growth Training Method, its move pool was actually quite limited.
So, learning Protect as a safeguard was perfectly reasonable decision, right?
Up above, Electabuzz came crashing down like a meteor, throwing a devastating punch at the shield.
CRASH!
The once-indestructible Protect barrier shattered instantly, and Electabuzz's punch slammed into Grotle's body.
Ursaring seized the opportunity—raining down a flurry of Fire Punches, working in tandem with Electabuzz to quickly subdue Grotle.
BOSS BATTLE—Cleared!
"Grrr~"
Grotle soon regained consciousness. Thanks to its Growth Training Method, its injuries began to mend at an astonishing speed, drawing power from multiple sources to recover.
But it couldn't understand—how did massive Protect shield break so easily?!
"Buzz~"
You learned Protect to defend yourself—so why can't I learn Feint while practicing my punches?
Electabuzz folded its arms, a smug grin on its face.
It had picked up Feint purely for its technical applications, thinking it would never actually use it in battle. But Grotle had given it a surprising opportunity.
"Ursaa..."
Watching these two casually pick up new techniques, Ursaring remained silent.
Why didn't I randomly learn new moves while I was at the Pokémon Center?
The only exception was when it was practicing Stomping Tantrum and accidentally picked up Earthquake.
"Battle's over. Come remove your training gear and prepare for the Bloodline Awakening Ritual."
Not far away, Paul called out while stirring a freshly brewed pot of Dragon Fang Soup.
"Ursaa~"
"Grrr~"
"Buzz~"
Hearing Paul's command, the three Pokémon immediately hurried over to stand guard by his side, carefully removing their training equipment and Power Items for Paul to collect.
"Gaaa~"
Hearing that the soup was ready, Gabite—who had been practicing its moves alone—came rushing over, tail wagging, eagerly waiting for Paul to feed it.
"Drink up."
Paul didn't bother worrying about whether Gabite, who could use Fire Fang and Flamethrower, would find the soup too hot. He simply poured the steaming liquid directly into its mouth.
"Gaaa~"
After gulping it down, Gabite smacked its lips in satisfaction.
It wasn't that the soup tasted particularly good—it was just packed with energy.
After all, what was it really drinking?
Profit.
Power.
"Go ahead. Use Dragon Dance followed by Outrage. Adjust as necessary."
"Gaaa~"
Having done this a few times before, Gabite didn't need further instructions. It let out an eager cry and darted off to a nearby clearing, twirling into a Dragon Dance as blood-red energy began to surge within it.
"You guys get ready too—Bulk Up, Motivate Yourself, and Growth to enhance your power."
Leaning against Grotle's sturdy shell, Paul addressed his three Pokémon.
Unlike at the Pokémon Center, the wild held unpredictable dangers. They couldn't afford to let Gabite unleash its power recklessly, nor could they engage in drawn-out battles of equal footing that left both sides battered.
Instead, the three Pokémon would take turns—or fight together—ensuring their strength was just slightly greater than Gabite's at any given moment, allowing them to both contain and provoke its full potential without excessive collateral damage.
Understanding Paul's intent, the trio kept their eyes locked on Gabite's aura, adjusting their own power levels to keep up.
Finally, Gabite stopped spinning. It stood motionless, head slightly lowered, as Outrage began to stir deep within its bloodline.
Its presence surged rapidly. Thick, red energy smoke billowed from its body, almost solidifying into form.
"Ursaa~"
Even though it wasn't the first time witnessing this transformation, Ursaring was still awestruck.
This power, this pressure—perhaps Gabite's current state wasn't as refined as their own peak forms, but the sheer intimidation factor was off the charts.
"Grrr~"
Grotle nodded in agreement.
Its Unlimited Growth Mode was undoubtedly the strongest in terms of sustainability, but its effects were subtle, manifesting mostly as a soft glow.
Unlike Gabite—whose very presence alone could send newborn Pokémon into shock.
"Buzz~"
Electabuzz, meanwhile, flashed a cocky grin.
Gabite is terrifying, isn't it? Absolutely monstrous, right?
He's my little bro!
"Gaaa~"
Outrage activated!
At that moment, Gabite resembled a warlord awakening from its slumber, its glowing crimson eyes slowly rising as it gazed at Paul and his team.
"Come—wait, hold on. Something's off."
Paul was just about to let Gabite attack when he suddenly picked up on a strange noise in the distance.
"Creak..."
"Boom..."
It was an odd mechanical sound—like vehicles traversing rocky terrain.
Paul and his Pokémon turned their heads in unison.
From his vantage point, he saw several armored vehicles approaching from the distance, stopping just a few dozen meters away.
The doors swung open, and a group of heavily armed men in tactical gear stepped out, their expressions filled with cruelty as they set their sights on Paul.
"Hunters?"
Paul's gaze turned icy cold.
In the wild, if a group of people suddenly tracked you down, they were either Pokémon Hunters—or something equally sinister.
"And what if we are? Kid, hand over all your Pokémon, and we might let you walk away with your life."
The lead hunter sneered, his greedy eyes scanning Paul's team—not just Ursaring and Grotle whom his boss wanted, but also Gabite and Electabuzz, both of which looked like prime catches.
"Oh... You guys sure came at the right time."
A cold glint flashed in Paul's eyes as he let out a chilling chuckle.
Of all times, they just so happened to arrive when his Pokémon were at their absolute peak?
Talk about perfect timing.
"What the hell do you mean by that, kid?"
The hunter frowned in confusion.
"Enough talk. Capture him!"
"Go!"
"Attack!"
With that, the hunters released their Pokémon—each tossing out two Poké Balls, summoning flocks of Crobat into the air.
Paul narrowed his eyes.
They lacked the petrification weapons from the anime's most notorious hunters.
That meant—nothing to fear.
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