The Vileplume let out a happy sound, its eyes full of satisfaction.
"Vileplume, I'd like to ask you for a favor, if that's okay? If you're willing, I'll even give you more of these tasty treats," Nathan said gently.
Upon hearing this, Vileplume looked at Nathan as if confirming he was a good person and nodded in agreement.
"Vileplume, do you know how to use Energy Ball?" Nathan asked.
Vileplume nodded and immediately formed a glowing green Energy Ball in its hands.
Energy Ball—a Grass-type move.
It fires off life energy drawn from nature. Though it causes damage, it also contains abundant energy.
Looking at the Energy Ball, Nathan smiled. "Alright, Vileplume, throw that Energy Ball to Pangoro. Pangoro, eat it straight up, okay?"
"Ding?"
Vileplume tilted its head in confusion. It glanced at the Energy Ball, then at Pangoro. This thing… is edible? Really?
Its small eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Pangoro patted its chest and let out a loud grunt, signaling Vileplume to throw it over. Pangoro had complete trust in Nathan—if his trainer said it could be eaten, then it must be fine.
Hearing that, Vileplume nodded and didn't hesitate any further. It tossed the Energy Ball toward Pangoro.
Pangoro opened its mouth and swallowed the Energy Ball in one gulp.
Instantly—
White steam burst from Pangoro's nose, excitement glowing in its eyes. Its fur shimmered with a faint green light.
"Roar!"
Pangoro bellowed and pounded its chest like a gorilla.
Nathan quickly activated his Viridian Force to communicate with Pangoro.
"How do you feel, Pangoro?"
"Roar! I feel amazing! So pumped! I really want to fight!"
Just as he said that—
The bushes in the distance rustled, and several Pokémon appeared in Nathan's field of vision.
There was a Victreebel, a Parasect, and a Deerling. They had all been drawn here by the aroma of the Pokémon incense.
Seeing them, Nathan immediately said, "Pangoro, prepare for battle. Metang, support Pangoro!"
The moment the words left his mouth—
Pangoro charged forward. The burst of speed made Nathan widen his eyes in surprise. That speed—did it just match the speed of using 'Shave' without actually using it?
While Nathan was still in disbelief, Pangoro had already reached Victreebel and delivered a powerful punch that sent it flying.
"Roar!"
Pangoro let out another roar, looking incredibly satisfied. It then turned to face the Deerling.
Their eyes met.
Deerling didn't hesitate for a second—it immediately turned and fled.
It had seen that look before. Yep, this is one of those guys I can't mess with.
But before it could get far, Pangoro, now significantly faster thanks to the Energy Ball, caught up in a single breath's time and smashed it with a Hammer Arm, sending Deerling flying and knocking it out.
Boom!
Battle cries echoed throughout the area.
Moments later—
Nathan looked at the Pokémon that had been swiftly defeated by Pangoro. He also noticed that the faint green glow on Pangoro's body had faded.
That meant all the energy it had gained from the Energy Ball had been used up.
"Nice, it really works." Nathan's face lit up with excitement. He immediately pulled out his notebook and pen to jot everything down.
He had originally come up with this idea because of Pangoro's ability, Sap Sipper, which made him immune to Grass-type damage. Since Energy Ball, while offensive, also carried life energy from nature, he figured it was worth testing whether Pangoro could absorb it to enter a kind of "berserk" state.
And it looked like it actually worked.
Plus, since the energy was life-based, it might even have the potential to heal injuries.
Nearby, Vileplume looked at the unconscious Pokémon lying on the ground, then back at Pangoro. After hesitating for a moment, it quietly formed another Energy Ball in its hand and stared at it deeply—clearly considering whether it might be safe to try eating one too. It looks like it should be edible… right?
Meanwhile, Metang had silently floated off to the side, not saying a word. With this level of destructive power, does it even need my help anymore?
After spending a few minutes documenting Pangoro's reaction, Nathan handed some Pokéblocks to Vileplume and smiled.
"Thanks for helping out, Vileplume. These are all for you. But remember—Energy Balls aren't for eating. Pangoro is special. If you eat one, you'll probably get hurt, okay?"
"Ding-a-ling~"
Watching Vileplume leave, Nathan called Pangoro over.
Even though Pangoro didn't appear to be hurt, Nathan still wanted to check it carefully. He also needed to understand the specifics of this "berserk state" to decide if it could be used regularly in the future.
If it caused hidden damage, it just wouldn't be worth it.
"Pangoro, do you feel any discomfort anywhere?" Nathan asked as he examined Pangoro.
Pangoro shook its head and patted its chest, signaling that it felt great.
Nathan nodded and continued his inspection.
After a few minutes, the checkup was complete.
There were no signs of internal damage.
"Looks like the Sap Sipper ability completely negates Grass-type move damage both externally and internally. So, the damaging part of the Energy Ball was nullified, but the life energy it contains remained and was absorbed by Pangoro. Since it's life energy, it allowed Pangoro to unlock its potential while the energy lasted, boosting all its physical attributes significantly."
Nathan stroked his chin and jotted this down in his notebook.
"Next, I'll need to test whether the Energy Ball's internal energy can also help heal injuries."
For Nathan, this was big news.
If the energy could help with healing too—
Then in a double battle scenario, he could pair Pangoro with a suitable Grass-type Pokémon. The Grass-type could just lob Energy Balls from the backline, and Pangoro would become an unstoppable, regenerating tank.
That would be insane.
"A Grass-type partner… Bulbasaur could work," Nathan muttered, writing Bulbasaur's name in his notebook.
Then he shook his head and closed it.
This was just an experiment for now. His current focus was still on leveling up Metang, so he put the Energy Ball theory on hold.
He returned to guiding Metang in battles against the Pokémon being drawn in by the incense.
Time passed.
…
Three days later.
Still deep in the forest.
Now in its densest part.
In a clearing, Nathan was directing Metang in battle.
Their opponent: a Grass-type Carnivine.
Carnivine looked like a living flytrap, and right now it was lashing out at Metang with a barrage of Vine Whips.
"Iron Defense—take the hit. Then use Agility to close the distance and follow up with Metal Claw," Nathan ordered calmly.
A metallic sheen covered Metang's body as Iron Defense boosted its toughness. The vines struck, but barely did any damage.
Then Metang suddenly lightened its body, zipped forward at high speed, and slashed with a gleaming claw.
Bam!
Carnivine was sent flying.
"Finish it with Bullet Punch!"
Metang didn't hesitate. It pulled its claws inward into fists and rocketed toward Carnivine with blinding speed, punching it hard.
Boom!
Carnivine was thrown back again and collapsed, unable to continue fighting.
[Your Pokémon "Metang" has won the battle! Gained 174 EXP! Level up! Metang is now Level 40!]
Only two more levels until it reached Gym Tier.
Letting Metang rest for a while, Nathan treated Carnivine's wounds. Then, noticing the fading light, he said, "Let's call it a day. Time to prep food. Mimikyu, Pangoro, stay alert."
"Q~"
"Roar."
Mimikyu and Pangoro, who had been watching a horror movie, responded immediately and went on alert duty to prevent any ambushes like last time.
Nathan set up the tent, prepared food, Pokéblocks, and some milk.
Once the tent was ready, he lit a campfire and began cooking dinner for himself and the Pokémon.
Before long, the forest was swallowed by night.
When the food was ready, Nathan and the Pokémon ate together. After eating their fill, Nathan pulled out the Azure Flute and brought it to his lips.
Since obtaining it, Nathan had practiced the flute whenever he had free time. Though not a master yet, he'd improved enough that his playing was no longer unbearable.
As he played—
A sound echoed from the flute. Not quite beautiful, but oddly calming.
The flute's melody drifted into the forest.
Some Pokémon, listening from their dens, yawned and rubbed their eyes before drifting off to sleep.
Others, returning from hunting, paused where they stood and simply listened in silence.
Back at camp—
Nathan was fully absorbed in playing.
But in the shadows of the forest behind him, a figure quietly emerged, watching Nathan with interest.
The flute continued.
After about a minute, the music faded.
Nathan let out a breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"This really is a difficult instrument," he muttered. "But playing it feels kinda nice. I should keep learning."
Shaking his head, he packed the flute away and opened his notebook once more to resume his thoughts.