In the blink of an eye, several days had passed.
Paul had yet to head toward Twinleaf Town. Instead, he was searching for a particular forest not far from Snowpoint City.
This forest existed in his memories—home to a massive ancient tree said to have stood for a thousand years.
However, the tree itself was not Paul's primary objective. The Pokémon living within it were.
He recalled an animation scene where a Tangrowth, accompanied by a group of Grass-type Pokémon, used Absorb to drain the energy of passing Pokémon. The energy was then transferred through Growth, allowing the ancient tree struck by lightning—to recover and continue thriving, avoiding its inevitable demise.
Paul wasn't particularly interested in the tree's miraculous growth. What caught his attention was how these Grass-type Pokémon could absorb their targets' stamina so rapidly without causing any physical injuries.
Moreover, if their growth energy could be transferred to the ancient tree, could it also be passed on to other Pokémon?
If his Grotle could master such a technique, its strength would undoubtedly reach new heights.
With that in mind, Paul temporarily returned Ursaring to the Pokemon Center and retrieved Grotle.
After several days of inquiries and searching, he finally located the forest.
"Find the largest tree in the area."
Paul released Electivire from its Poké Ball and gave the command before stepping into the dense woodland.
"Viree!"
Electivire leaped into the air, its body crackling with electricity, and soared above the forest canopy. Scanning the vast greenery below, it eventually spotted a towering tree at the heart of the woods.
"Viree!"
Descending from the sky, Electivire called out to Paul and extended its tail toward him.
Having trained rigorously for the so-called "Recharge Tournament," Electivire had improved its tail strength significantly—it could now even lift Paul into the air with ease.
"Let's go."
Paul grabbed onto its tail without hesitation.
"Vireee!"
To ensure Paul's safety, Electivire wrapped its tail around him twice before stabilizing itself and ascending smoothly.
The scenery below shifted rapidly. The further they rose, the smaller everything appeared. From above, the vast sea of green pulsed with vibrant life.
Yet, at the heart of the forest lay a peculiar clearing, and in its center stood a colossal ancient tree.
With Electivire's assistance, it took only a few minutes for them to reach the tree's vicinity and begin their descent.
"Tangrooo!"
Beneath the ancient tree, a large Tangrowth emerged from a tree hollow, accompanied by a Bellsprout, Sedot, Shroomish, and other Grass-type Pokémon. Their wary eyes fixated on Paul, as if warning him to stay away.
But in the next instant, Bellsprout suddenly shrieked in alarm, pointing frantically at the tree's backside.
Even across different worlds and timelines, the fate of this ancient tree remained unchanged—it had been struck by lightning once again.
Now, the tree's fractured section had begun to rot, signaling the early stages of decay.
"Tangrooo! Tang!"
"Mooosh!"
The Tangrowth and its companions, setting aside their concerns about Paul, rushed to the damaged section. Standing together, they raised their arms and unleashed beams of green energy through Growth, transferring life force to the wounded tree.
Under their combined efforts, the decay at the break slowly faded, and for a moment, everything seemed to be improving.
"Huff... Huff..."
But soon, the Pokémon abruptly stopped, panting heavily. Their energy had been nearly depleted.
"Looks like you need some help."
At the sound of Paul's voice, the Pokémon turned to face him, their eyes filled with a silent question:
"You? Help us? How?"
Were they supposed to drain energy from his Pokémon?
Their gazes collectively shifted toward Electivire. They could tell it was far stronger than them, so they dared not act recklessly.
But if Paul gave them permission... they wouldn't hesitate for even a second!
"Come out, everyone."
Paul didn't answer right away. Instead, he tossed out several Poké Balls, releasing his entire team.
"Gaaa!"
"Woo!"
"Grrr!"
"Eeno!"
"Grroo!"
Ninetales, Grotle, Gabite, Froslass, and Metagross appeared simultaneously. Each one radiated an extraordinary presence, making the surrounding Grass-types' eyes gleam with excitement.
If they could drain all this energy... perhaps the ancient tree could survive for much longer.
"Grrrrr!"
Grotle, who hadn't seen Paul in a long time, slowly stepped forward, rubbing against him with a cheerful grin.
"You've grown again. Not bad."
Paul reached out and patted Grotle, noticing that in the time they hadn't seen each other, its body had grown once more, now standing at roughly 1.6 meters tall.
At this size, Grotle had reached a midway point between an average Grotle and a Torterra. To think that it had once been just a regular-sized Turtwig...
It seemed that Grotle had made yet another breakthrough in its growth-based training method.
"Grrrr~!"
Receiving Paul's praise, Grotle beamed with joy.
"Alright, it's time to learn two new techniques. Start growing."
Paul didn't waste words and gave his command directly.
"Grrrr~!"
Upon receiving the order, Grotle immediately planted its roots and began to grow. It started absorbing four types of external energy simultaneously: Earth's Power, Life's Power, Solar Power, and Nature's Power. These energies were converted into nutrients for its growth.
"You all want to save this tree, don't you? Then drain Grotle's energy to do it."
Paul's tone was indifferent.
He wasn't a purely benevolent person. The only reason he was allowing his Grotle to act as a 'battery' just like Ash's Torterra had done—was to help it master the special applications of Absorb and Growth.
With Grotle's talent, it wouldn't take long for it to fully grasp these two techniques through this process.
"Tangrowth, use Giga Drain!"
"Shroomish, your turn too!"
Several Grass-type Pokémon responded, led by a towering Tangrowth as they activated their abilities and released red beams of energy toward Grotle, siphoning its power.
Feeling its energy rapidly draining away, Grotle instinctively absorbed external forces to replenish itself. Soon, it reached a state of equilibrium with the energy being drained.
"Pay close attention to how they use Absorb and Growth—it may prove useful for your own training."
"Grrr~!"
Understanding Paul's nature well, Grotle nodded seriously. While continuously supplying energy, it focused intently on observing every movement and detail of the other Pokémon, carefully studying their techniques.
"The rest of you, don't just stand around—watch closely."
Paul turned to the five Pokémon spectating nearby.
For most Pokémon, observing this process might not be particularly useful. However, for those who could wield Psychic abilities and practice special meditation techniques, carefully analyzing this energy absorption process might actually enhance their own ability to harness external forces.
As for Gabite...
Well, it was better off just sitting back and watching the show.
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