As the evolution ceremony continued, the ancient Venusaur remained focused, acting as a massive biological conduit that processed and channeled moonlit energy to the gathering of Bulbasaur.
Feng Che felt his own psychic powers stirring. His blood surged, and a refreshing clarity filled his mind. It seemed the life energy gathered by the Venusaur provided a secondary benefit to his own human potential. His Pokémon, too, were quietly absorbing the radiant energy.
Feng Che kept a close eye on his Bulbasaur. At regular intervals, he poured Stamina and Spirit Elixirs onto the seed on its back. His partner had initially been trembling with anxiety—terrified that it would fail to evolve and be discarded. But as the sheer volume of energy increased, its cells began to crave the power.
Under the cooling influence of the elixirs, the mental shackles holding the Pokémon back finally shattered. Feng Che watched as the bulb on Bulbasaur's back swelled and split open. A pink bud, cradled by four sturdy leaves, emerged.
The "troublemaker" was greedily siphoning nearly half of the available energy in the clearing.
It's happening again, Venusaur thought with a sigh. This one is a literal black hole for evolution energy. If it stayed here much longer, it would eventually drain me dry. The ancient Pokémon channeled every ounce of its strength to maintain the flow for the rest of the flock. Finally, as the moon dipped below the horizon and the first rays of sun touched the garden, the ceremony ended.
The clearing was now filled with newly evolved Ivysaur. But when Venusaur looked at Feng Che's partner, its eyes widened.
[Venusaur: It... it actually evolved!]
The ancient leader felt a wave of relief so strong it nearly moved it to tears. In previous years, this Bulbasaur had absorbed enough energy to evolve twice over, yet always remained unchanged, leaving the Venusaur utterly exasperated. Now, the burden was finally lifted.
The new Ivysaur stood tall. To support the weight of the massive pink bud on its back, its legs had become thicker and more powerful.
Pokémon: Ivysaur Potential: Epic (Cyan) Level: 28 Status: Freshly Evolved Skills Added: Vine Whip, Razor Leaf Evaluation: This Ivysaur harbors a gargantuan reservoir of energy. Once mastered, it will be the ultimate provider of rare berries and herbs.
"Ivysaur, from here on, we travel together," Feng Che said, placing a Poké Ball against its flank. The light turned red, the ball clicked once, and the capture was complete.
"Congratulations, Trainer," Venusaur sent a telepathic message. "Treat it well. And if you are ever in the area, you are welcome to return."
The ancient Pokémon extended a vine and tapped Feng Che's forehead. He felt a green spark settle in his mind. He realized he could no longer speak or write about the Garden's location; whenever he tried, his mind went blank.
"I have placed a geis of secrecy upon you. Do not try to break it, or it will consume you," Venusaur warned solemnly.
"I understand. Your secret is safe with me," Feng Che promised. After a final farewell to its kin, the Ivysaur followed Feng Che through a gap in the Frenzy Plant barrier.
"Next, the Bounty Hunter assessment," Feng Che planned. He had his Grand Canyon data; with nearly three months of free time before his next report, he wanted to focus on leveling.
He checked his GPS. He was currently between Fuchsia City and Cinnabar Island, with the Safari Zone in between. Cinnabar is famous for Fire Stones. Vulpix is about to hatch, and I'm still missing a Fire Crystal to match the Ice one. I need to find a way to the island.
He decided to hike to the nearest pier and catch a ferry. Along the way, he'd hunt for rare Pokémon to boost his Bounty Hunter rank.
While walking a forest path, a boy with a bug net jumped out. "Let's have a battle! If I lose, I'll give you the location of a rare Pokémon."
Feng Che raised an eyebrow. "Unless it's something better than a Beedrill or Butterfree, I'm not interested."
"It's a Scyther. A young one. Interested?" the boy smirked.
Scyther... Feng Che mused. Scyther could evolve into Scizor (the "Red Flash") or Kleavor. While Scizor's base stats didn't increase from Scyther's 500, its typing and Mega Evolution made it a beast.
"Deal."
They agreed on a 3v3 match, swapping Pokémon after each round regardless of the outcome.
"Go, Beedrill!" the boy shouted. This specimen was twice the size of a normal one, with massive stingers.
"Go, Litten!"
The Beedrill lunged with Twineedle, but Litten ducked with feline grace.
"Fury Swipes!"
Litten's claws extended, parrying a second stinger and leaving a series of scorched gashes across the bug's thorax.
"So fast!" the Bug Catcher muttered. "Beedrill, Pin Missile!"
A barrage of glowing needles rained down. "Litten, Ember!"
Litten opened its mouth and unleashed a roaring pillar of flame that incinerated the needles and engulfed the Beedrill.
"Is that a joke?! That's not Ember, that's a Flamethrower!" the boy cried as his Beedrill tumbled from the sky, smelling of burnt protein.
Feng Che tossed the boy a specialized burn ointment. "It'll be fine. Pokémon are hardy. Here, use this."
"Thanks..." The boy applied the cream, then braced himself. "Next is my real ace!"
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