Chapter 713: Forest Blessing, Evolution's Light!

Chapter 713: Forest Blessing, Evolution’s Light! (Combined Chapter, Requesting Monthly Votes!)

Johto, Champion's Path, Ascending Forest.

Tall trees blocked most of the light, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

The closer Jinghe got to the summit, the more serious his demeanor became as he walked along the path.

By his side, Aipom Lady and Snivy remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings.

After passing through the Heracross colony, they encountered several attacks from wild Pokémon, each of which was defeated by Snivy and Aipom Lady.

It was no wonder the Champion's Path was so daunting. The initial leg of the journey alone was enough to deter most trainers. It was no surprise that many top-tier trainers, whose skills had plateaued, chose to train here.

Rustle, rustle, rustle—

The leaves suddenly began to shake in an irregular pattern.

The next moment, the forest fell silent, as if enveloped by an eerie stillness.

"The main event is here", Jinghe whispered.

From the audience's perspective, they could see the Pokémon responsible for the attack—a vicious, three-headed dragon with a menacing presence.

The silence was abruptly shattered.

"Roar!!"

The sound preceded the sight.

Three attacks representing ice, fire, and electricity shot out from the forest.

Boom!!

"Ai!"

Aipom Lady's expression turned serious, and she raised her arms to summon a transparent barrier, blocking the sudden assault.

Even though the barrier blocked the most direct attack, the residual energy still left a destructive mark around Jinghe.

Ice, charred earth, and splattered soil.

A Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon!

And an exceptionally powerful one at that!

The audience, witnessing the destruction caused by the three-headed dragon's attack, held their breath.

They immediately realized that this three-headed dragon might be the most important and powerful "gatekeeper" in the Ascending Forest.

"Even through the screen, you can feel the power of this three-headed dragon."

"Not only is it a Pseudo-Legendary, but it’s also a powerful one!"

"Dark and Dragon types, that’s a significant disadvantage for Aipom Lady. Jinghe should call out another Pokémon, right?"

The audience voiced their thoughts.

Meanwhile, the league's filming team, including Magnemite camera operators and Rotom drones, focused on the scene. The league's special medical team was also on standby in a helicopter.

Seeing its attack blocked, the three-headed dragon roared in fury, flapping its wings and charging towards Jinghe.

Its three mouths, filled with dark energy, looked menacing.

Crunch!

"Snivy!"

Jinghe called out.

"Hiss!"

Snivy, who had been ready, extended its Vine Whip and lashed out at the three-headed dragon.

The three-headed dragon, initially dismissive of the "weak" Snivy, soon realized its mistake when the Vine Whip's sharp whistling and the forceful wind against its face made it clear that Snivy was just pretending to be weak.

One misjudgment, and the initiative was lost.

Slap!!

The Vine Whip didn't strike the three-headed dragon but wrapped around its mouth, tightening and interrupting its Crunch.

However, as the "gatekeeper" of this area, the three-headed dragon had both the strength and combat experience to quickly adapt. The dark energy around its mouth dissipated, replaced by a powerful dragon energy that enveloped its entire body.

Dragon Dive!

"Tsk." Jinghe, sensing the change, clicked his tongue.

On one hand, he marveled at the three-headed dragon's quick reaction, which rivaled that of Pokémon commanded by experienced trainers. On the other hand, he acknowledged that the Champion's Path truly lived up to its name, testing, wearing down, and training the resolve, strength, and abilities of its challengers. This three-headed dragon's power was on par with that of a typical Elite Four Pokémon.

It was rare for a wild Pokémon to grow to such a level.

Of course, after encountering Pandirant in Alola, this three-headed dragon wasn't quite enough to surprise him.

"Snivy, Leaf Storm!" Jinghe commanded without hesitation.

"Hiss!"

Snivy stood firm, its Vine Whip creating deep grooves in the ground as it pulled. Despite its small size, it showed no fear.

In fact, the three-headed dragon's arrogance and initial disdain only fueled Snivy's own pride.

I, Snivy, will not allow such arrogance to exist.

Rustle, rustle, rustle—

The leaves in the forest shook violently as Snivy released its grip on the three-headed dragon and began to gather energy. Leaves swirled and formed a tornado, heading towards the three-headed dragon.

Boom!!

"Roar!!"

Breaking free from the Vine Whip, the three-headed dragon opened its three mouths and let out a roar, followed by three streams of scorching fire.

Flamethrower!

The three-headed dragon excelled in special attacks, and fire was the best way to deal with a Grass-type Pokémon.

Jinghe looked at Snivy and could sense a subtle connection forming between Snivy and the surrounding forest.

"Snivy, again, Leaf Storm!"

"Aipom Lady, help!"

"Ai~!"

Aipom Lady, sensing Snivy's determination, fully supported its teammate. A gentle light enveloped Snivy, granting it greater strength. Meanwhile, Snivy's Contrary ability significantly boosted its special attack.

Leaf Storm swept out again.

Boom!!

The leaves, facing the flames, held their ground.

This time, even the three-headed dragon was surprised.

But Snivy didn't stop there. It swung its tail, releasing a surge of Grass energy. Grass began to sprout around its feet, and the leaves in the forest moved more vigorously.

Once more, Leaf Storm!

"Hiss!!"

With the Contrary ability, Snivy's special attack had reached its peak.

Leaves fell from the trees, glowing with a faint green light, and swirled in the air, heading towards the three-headed dragon.

The three-headed dragon didn't sit idly by. It couldn't dodge in time, but it didn't think a small Snivy could match its power.

Its three mouths closed, and fiery embers escaped from its teeth, forming a blazing orb that split into dozens of fiery projectiles, colliding with the Leaf Storm.

Meteor Shower!

Boom!!

The explosion created a massive disturbance, nearly knocking Snivy off its feet. The three-headed dragon was also sent flying.

"Aipom Lady, use Hypnosis."

"Ai~"

Aipom Lady's eyes glowed with a light blue energy, replicating Snivy's aura.

[Hypnosis: By hypnotizing and suggesting to itself, it gains the same ability changes as the target!]

Through three Leaf Storms, Snivy's special attack had reached its maximum. Aipom Lady, using Hypnosis, gained the same boost.

Special attack, maxed out!

"Magic Shine."

"Ai!!"

Aipom Lady's aura surged, and a brilliant light shot from its fingertips, dispersing the smoke and striking the weakened three-headed dragon.

The three-headed dragon's eyes widened in shock.

Unfair, how did it become a two-on-one battle?!

But in the wild, there were no rules. The best strategy on the Champion's Path was to end battles quickly and conserve energy.

Moreover, Aipom Lady was one of the best Pokémon for double battles, capable of powerful combinations with Jinghe.

Boom!!

The three-headed dragon was engulfed by the light of Magic Shine and sent flying.

Bang—

It landed on the ground, its eyes rolling in circles, unable to battle.

"Hiss!"

Snivy extended its Vine Whip and paused in front of Aipom Lady.

"Ai~"

Aipom Lady smiled, tapping Snivy's Vine Whip gently.

Slap—

They worked well together.

"One Magic Shine and the three-headed dragon is out?"

"Snivy and Aipom Lady, one using Contrary to enhance and counter, the other either setting up barriers or using Hypnosis to finish the battle. Great teamwork!"

"Seriously, this Snivy can face a powerful three-headed dragon head-on without being overpowered?"

"Hmph! Haven't you heard of Jinghe's nickname? His Pokémon are specifically used to fight powerful foes. The last one, Yuki, could even challenge Groudon after evolving twice!"

"..."

The audience buzzed with excitement.

The rescue team began to move, aiming to help the three-headed dragon and the other wild Pokémon Jinghe had defeated.

Jinghe, however, started to move faster.

With Snivy and Aipom Lady's special attacks maxed out, why not leverage their advantage?

"Aipom Lady, spread your power!"

A swarm of Aerialaces fell from the sky.

"Snivy, Leaf Storm!"

Rocks and boulders were swept away by the attack.

The path ahead was clear, but the visual impact was far more impressive than before.

Sweep!

Sweep!

Sweep!

No Pokémon or group could stand against the combination of Aipom Lady and Snivy.

"If this were a game, I could max out the levels of all Pokémon here."

Jinghe mused as he walked.

There was no better place to "grind levels."

"Others say the early part of the Champion's Path is boring, but where's the boredom? This is thrilling!"

Someone commented on the live stream.

"Of course, in the past, trainers either avoided battles to save energy or didn't have the confidence to face such challenges. Jinghe is the only one who charges through like this."

"Just an hour after defeating the three-headed dragon, he's already covered twice the distance."

"Wow! Another group of Bellsprout cleared, that's impressive."

Meanwhile, on the Champion's Path.

Jinghe chose to speed up for several reasons.

First, Snivy and Aipom Lady's special attack boosts were significant, and neither was showing signs of fatigue.

Second, Jinghe sensed a growing connection between Snivy and the untouched, primeval forest. The more Snivy fought, the stronger this connection became, and the bond grew more stable and solid.

The green glow surrounding Snivy became more evident.

Snivy, however, was too engrossed in the joy and excitement of battle to notice.

Even the boost from Contrary and Leaf Storm was overshadowed by the continuous improvement in Snivy's strength and aura.

Jinghe and Aipom Lady, however, were acutely aware of these changes.

Therefore, they let Snivy take the lead in battles.

"Hiss!"

Snivy slashed with wide leaves, defeating the obstructing Pokémon instantly.

Rustle, rustle, rustle—

The leaves swayed, as if cheering or congratulating.

They had crossed the Ascending Forest and entered the Sleeping Forest.

"Whoo!!"

The leaves and branches shook violently, and a group of Mankey swung through the trees, arms flailing.

Jinghe's eyebrows raised.

Mankey?

If there were Mankey, then...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The ground trembled.

A Primeape, instead of lazily lying around, had climbed down from the branches and approached Jinghe.

"Is this... a Primeape that can overcome the 'Lazy' ability?"

If so, this would be a pleasant surprise.

As the Primeape approached, it yawned and then lay down.

Phew.

Not a Primeape that could ignore the "Lazy" ability.

Otherwise, it would be a more troublesome opponent than a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon.

Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon have a base stat total of 600, while Primeape has 670, on par with Groudon in its normal form.

If this Primeape could overcome its "Lazy" ability, Jinghe would consider capturing it, not for its combat power, but for the potential research it could facilitate.

The Mankey attacked in a swarm.

Aipom Lady's Psychic Terrain quickly spread, enveloping the surrounding forest.

"Spread your power."

Aipom Lady, experienced from multiple battles, knew how to handle a group.

"Ai~!"

Aipom Lady's eyes glowed with powerful Psychic energy, overwhelming weaker Mankey and rendering them unable to battle.

"Hiss!"

Snivy, filled with battle desire, targeted the Primeape, which seemed to be the strongest.

"Hiss?"

The Lazy King propped his head up with one hand, lying on the ground like a sleeping monk. When he saw the snivy challenging him, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Unlike the Three-Headed Dragon, he didn’t look down on snivy.

In fact, it was the layer of "forest aura" surrounding snivy that had drawn him here with the overactive apes.

"Hiss."

Facing snivy’s challenge, the Lazy King slowly stood up, dusted off his knees, and brushed the dirt and dead leaves from his body. A slight smile curved his lips as he waved at snivy.

"Hiss?" snivy was slightly surprised and exchanged a glance with Jinghe.

Jinghe watched the Lazy King with interest, then suddenly smiled and said, "Alright, snivy, Sunny Day!"

"Hiss!"

Snivy let out a call to the sky, and the emerald glow on its body seemed to brighten. The sunlight above became more intense.

Without hesitation, the Lazy King took advantage of snivy’s Sunny Day and launched a powerful attack.

"Hiss!"

Flames enveloped the Lazy King’s fist as he took a step forward, suddenly appearing in front of snivy. The speed was so fast that snivy was taken aback.

Keep in mind, snivy relies on speed for its attacks.

"Razor Leaf, block it!" Jinghe, though surprised, quickly gave the command.

"Hiss!"

In a rush, large leaves wrapped in magical light gathered in front of snivy, forming a shield of Razor Leaf.

But—

Bang!

The flaming fist, after a brief pause, shattered the leaf shield and struck snivy’s slender body, sending it flying!

Snivy let out a pained cry as its body flew backward.

The disparity in strength was greater than snivy had anticipated, and even Jinghe was somewhat surprised.

"Snivy!"

Jinghe’s eyebrows furrowed, and he immediately moved to intercept the flying snivy.

Bang!

Even with snivy’s body as a buffer and after it had flown a considerable distance, Jinghe staggered backward and let out a muffled groan when he caught snivy.

Wow, this really is a "surprise", isn’t it?

Could Genji’s group have called over Chikara’s Lazy King?

"Hiss?"

Snivy, gritting its teeth, looked up at Jinghe, whose face was contorted from the impact. There was a hint of concern in its eyes.

"I’m fine, are you okay, snivy?" Jinghe quickly smiled and rubbed the little one’s head.

Jinghe had a good sense of his own body’s condition.

Snivy's face was fierce as it let out a hiss.

Who, who would be hurt?

But a surge of anger rose in snivy’s heart.

The involvement of Jinghe changed the nature of the battle for snivy, even though Jinghe had intervened on his own.

"Hiss!"

Snivy landed.

"Alright, Solar Beam!" Jinghe took a deep breath and gave the command again.

Buzz—

The intense sunlight gathered into a dazzling beam of light, striking the Lazy King.

The Lazy King, due to its "Sloth" ability, would normally lose the ability to act after using a move.

But in the next moment—

The Lazy King exceeded Jinghe’s expectations. Facing the Solar Beam, it punched out again, flames enveloping its fist.

Boom!!

The Solar Beam and the fiery punch collided, forcing the Lazy King to take a few steps back, but it quickly regained its footing.

Huh?

Could it really suppress "Sloth"?

However—

After this forced counter to snivy’s Solar Beam, the Lazy King’s eyelids drooped, and it appeared somewhat fatigued.

Finally, it succumbed to "Sloth."

So—

This Lazy King didn’t completely suppress the "Sloth" ability. It just managed to use two moves before needing to rest, instead of one?

Even so, it was impressive.

"Snivy, Giga Drain!"

Taking this opportunity, Jinghe gave another command, allowing snivy to recover some of its condition.

Although the type advantage didn’t apply to the Lazy King, snivy’s maxed-out special attack would still help it recover a significant amount of HP.

Especially since—

Snivy had learned some Giga Drain techniques from Tapu Fini.

"Hiss!"

Snivy’s face was fierce as it bared its teeth. Grass energy burst from its body, forming tendrils that wrapped around the Lazy King, both attacking and draining its HP.

But then, a surprising scene unfolded.

Rustle—

The leaves in the surrounding forest suddenly trembled in unison, as if responding to snivy’s Giga Drain.

Buzz—

Glowing, emerald-green light points, like fireflies, floated out of the forest and quickly merged into snivy’s body.

With this infusion of forest power, snivy’s aura began to rise.

Huh?

This is—

The same kind of connection snivy had with the Miracle Fruit tree?

It’s somewhat similar to how Tapu Fini draws power from the trees it nurtures to strengthen itself.

"Forest Blessing..."

Jinghe murmured, a realization dawning in his mind.

The blessing of the Verdant Forest is Verdant Power.

The most impressive user of Verdant Power was not Giovanni or Koga, but Yellow!

A group of Pokémon, all below level 30, soared to level 80 after being empowered by Yellow’s Verdant Power, rivaling Red’s team!

Snivy might not be as extreme as Yellow.

After all, the protagonists of the special editions, whether Red, Green, Gold, Silver, or Yellow, were all bug-level beings.

But snivy’s current state and the forest’s “reward” gave Jinghe an idea to further develop this ability.

"Hiss!!"

The Lazy King, drained of HP, suddenly exerted its strength, breaking free from snivy’s Giga Drain and overcoming the "Sloth" restriction.

Leaping into the air, it delivered a seemingly simple but powerful kick!

The sound of the air splitting echoed, and energy enveloped its foot.

Million Ton Kick!

"Snivy, dodge!"

After experiencing the Lazy King’s punch, Jinghe knew that snivy couldn’t match it in raw power. Guerrilla tactics were the way to go.

Swish—

A Vine Whip shot out from snivy’s body, wrapping around a nearby tree trunk.

As the Vine Whip retracted, snivy dodged.

Boom!!

The ground shook violently, creating a massive crater as debris and rocks flew everywhere.

In the rising smoke—

The Lazy King, missing its target, pursued snivy again, surrounded by a black aura.

Foul Play!

Seizing the gap in the opponent’s movements, it aimed for the vital points!

But this time, Jinghe and snivy were prepared, knowing the Lazy King could partially suppress "Sloth."

"Leaf Storm!"

As the Vine Whip retracted, snivy’s tail swung with force.

A massive tornado of leaves, like a thick whip, lashed out at the charging Lazy King.

Boom!!

The Lazy King chose to endure the Leaf Storm’s impact without stopping its attack.

Swish—

A vicious palm strike hit snivy’s face, sending it flying again.

"Hiss—!!"

The Lazy King landed, panting heavily.

Even with snivy’s maxed-out special attack, the attack wasn’t easy to withstand.

The Lazy King relied on its robust physique, knowing it would have the upper hand in a war of attrition.

But it hadn’t anticipated—

The forest would become a massive aid for snivy.

Sliding to a stop, Jinghe saw the emerald glow on snivy’s body reaching its peak. He knew it was time.

"Snivy, Giga Drain, draw on the forest’s power, and form an energy ball!"

"Hiss—!"

A green Grass energy ball formed in snivy’s hands.

And—

A large amount of green forest energy floated out from the surrounding forest, converging on snivy.

"Gengar! (Д)σ"

Gengar, who had been hiding in Jinghe’s shadow, emerged for the first time, looking at snivy in surprise, pointing at snivy, then at itself.

This move, I know it well!

At first glance—

Snivy’s move was very similar to how Gengar uses the Ghost Army’s energy to form a massive Shadow Ball.

Not just Gengar—

Jinghe, of course, recognized it too.

A thought crossed his mind.

"From this, it seems that Gym Leader Kusuda’s move might indeed be related to ‘Verdant Power,’ drawing inspiration from it?"

The difference is—

‘Verdant Power’ and snivy’s ‘Forest Blessing’ are derived from the forest and nature, while Kusuda’s move comes from her own Ghost Army.

Building a “special ability”?

The older trainers really have some tricks up their sleeves.

The thought flashed through his mind as—

Snivy, using the forest’s energy, formed a sizable emerald energy ball and, taking advantage of the Lazy King’s “Sloth,” launched it with force.

Boom!!

The overwhelming Grass energy engulfed the Lazy King.

"Hiss!" snivy bared its teeth, head held high with pride.

"Final strike, one more time!" Jinghe waved his hand.

Hearing this, snivy quickly formed a second energy ball!

With the experience from the first attempt, the second one was faster and more powerful.

Boom—!!

The massive explosion shook the forest, and the leaves rustled as if cheering for snivy.

When the dust settled—

The Lazy King lay in the ruins, unable to battle!

"Gengar~!" Gengar gave snivy a thumbs-up.

You’ve got the spirit, nice job!

As he spoke—

Buzz—

A brilliant white light erupted from snivy’s body.

The light of evolution!

Jinghe’s eyes lit up.

Sure enough.

Honestly, snivy’s power had long surpassed that of an ordinary snivy, but it couldn’t evolve due to ‘Forest Blessing.’

Now—

With enough personal growth and a deeper understanding of ‘Forest Blessing,’ snivy could even harness the forest’s power to some extent.

Defeating the Lazy King was the final catalyst.

In the white light, snivy’s small frame rapidly grew taller.

Its overall shape didn’t change much, but its body became more slender, and leaves began to appear on its back, not just its tail.

Its eyes shone brighter, and its smile was proud and disdainful.

As snivy evolved, the forest leaves continued to infuse it with energy.

When the light faded and the forest calmed—

Servine stood before Jinghe.

It was twenty centimeters taller.

"Hiss~"

Its voice was more mature.

"Congratulations, Servine." Jinghe smiled.

He had been worried that snivy might resist evolution, but it seemed his concern was unfounded. When faced with evolution, snivy, now Servine, didn’t resist.

Seeing snivy evolve into Servine, the happiest ones weren’t Jinghe or Servine, but the viewers watching the live stream.

"Phew—Finally, it evolved."

"That’s terrifying. Jinghe’s snivy just took down a Lazy King. I can’t even imagine what it will do in the ‘Junior Cup.’”

"Evolution is good, evolution is good."

"Ahem, while I don’t want to dampen the mood, I should point out that Servine is still a baby, right?"

"Shut up, no one’s asking you to talk!"

"Stop arguing! Is there any possibility that for Jinghe, any tournament isn’t a Junior Cup?"

"..."

Servine, now evolved, was showing signs of fatigue.

"Servine, take a rest." Jinghe took out a Poké Ball and recalled it.

The consecutive battles and evolution, though it could recover HP, were mentally draining. Using the forest’s power was also a burden for Servine and couldn’t be used as a regular tactic, much like Verdant Power or Aura Power.

But snivy evolving into Servine—

Exceeded Jinghe’s expectations.

Rest when needed. He had plenty of eager Pokémon ready for action.

They continued their journey.

In the "Four Kings Fortress"—

"Chikara’s overactive apes and Lazy King didn’t give Jinghe much trouble", Hibana said, propping her chin on her hand.

"That’s Jinghe", Bony said.

Indeed.

The others nodded in agreement.

Jinghe, the one aiming for the championship, was a different league.

"Hey", Genji grinned like a mischievous old man.

"Let’s see if I can give Jinghe a bigger ‘surprise.’”

"The Champion’s Path is harder, but the value of the title is greater."

As for the difficulty—

It might be a challenge for others, but not for Jinghe.

---

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end