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[Pokemon] Chapter 34: VS Arboliva
🕑 Added 2024-08-19 04:30:04 +0000 UTC"Wow..."
"Fue..."
As Jin and his team finished their battle with Annihilape and headed toward the large tree where they were supposed to meet, Roy and Fuecoco had already reached the base of the tree.
"Alright! Let's climb, Fuecoco!"
"Fuee!"
After parting ways with Jin and the others, Roy and Fuecoco had gone ahead to scout the area. After thoroughly exploring the surroundings, they arrived at the giant tree. There was no other tree in sight that was as large as this one. Roy figured that if they climbed this tree and looked out over the entire forest, they might be able to spot their target, Arboliva.
"Just... a little more..."
With Fuecoco in his backpack who was struggling to climb, Roy was having a bit of a hard time. However, having spent his childhood on an island surrounded by nature, climbing trees was not too difficult for Roy, even with some extra weight.
"Fue? ...Fue! Fuecoco!"
"Fuecoco?"
As they climbed the tree, Fuecoco suddenly noticed something and started thrashing around in the backpack, desperately looking up towards the top of the tree. Following Fuecoco's gaze, Roy spotted a familiar-looking strange Poké Ball.
"That’s... an Ancient Poké Ball!?"
It was the same kind as the one Roy had, which contained the black Rayquaza. He had treasured it ever since his grandfather gave it to him, so there was no mistaking it. Determined to see if it was real, Roy gathered his strength and hurriedly climbed the tree.
"Whoa!"
Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and the tree began to shake violently. Roy stopped climbing and clung to the tree to avoid being thrown off.
"What... what’s happening?"
As he clung to the tree, Roy realized something. The tree he was climbing had a heartbeat, a thumping sound like that of a living creature. It almost sounded like...
"It's... alive..."
***
"Is that...?"
"The landmark tree is shaking?"
As Jin and Liko were making their way towards the large tree, which was their meeting point, they suddenly felt tremors coming from the direction of the tree. When they looked over, they could see that the tree itself was shaking.
"Maybe something’s happening over there..."
"Let's hurry!"
"Yeah! Let’s go, Sprigatito!"
"Meow!"
Something was definitely happening. Both Jin and Liko could sense it instinctively. However, they had no idea what exactly was going on. Even though they understood that there might be danger ahead, their curiosity was too strong to hold back.
Jin, Liko, and Sprigatito started running towards the large tree. Fortunately, the tremors and the shaking of the tree stopped shortly after. However, they didn't know when it might start again. They wanted to reach the tree before anything else happened, so they dashed through the forest at full speed.
"...This place too."
"Another forest fire here..."
As they ran towards the tree, they soon left the lush, green forest behind and emerged into an area that had been reduced to a charred wasteland. Seeing the widespread damage caused by the fires pained their hearts, but they pressed on. It was then that Sprigatito noticed some drag marks on the ground. Following the trail with their eyes, they found a Pokémon lying on the ground.
"Oh no!"
Jin and Liko hurried over to the Pokémon. The Pokémon lying there was a Wooper (Paldean Form). This was Jin's first time seeing a regional form from the Paldea region, and while he found it fascinating, he knew that treating it was the priority.
"W-What should we do!?"
"Stay calm."
While Liko was panicking, Jin took out his Rotom Phone and began to research the Wooper.
"Wooper (Paldean Form) - Poison Fish Pokémon - Poison/Ground type. It lives in marshy areas on land after losing territorial disputes. To prevent drying out, it covers its body with a toxic mucus."
After listening to the Rotom Phone's explanation, Jin gently touched Wooper's body, but he didn't feel any trace of toxins. Instead, it felt extremely dry.
"Its skin is completely parched. It’s really weak..."
"Then, we need to give it water first!"
Jin and Liko took out their water bottles from their bags and began to gently pour water over Wooper's entire body. After that, Jin touched Wooper again, and this time, he felt the definite sting of toxins.
"Jin, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I’m fine. It’s working."
The toxic mucus had returned to Wooper's once-parched skin, indicating that it had absorbed the water and its body was starting to function normally again. Jin could sense a will to survive from Wooper's body. The next step was to help it recover some of its strength.
"Liko, give me an Oran Berry. And if you have a handkerchief, I’ll need that too."
"A... handkerchief? Um, okay!"
Following Jin’s instructions, Liko took out an Oran Berry and a handkerchief from her bag. She understood how the Oran Berry would help, but she wasn’t sure what Jin intended to do with the handkerchief. Trusting that he had a plan, she handed them over. Jin wrapped the Oran Berry in the handkerchief and squeezed it tightly, causing some juice to seep out from the cloth.
"There’s a method like that..."
"Even if it can't eat, it should be able to drink this."
Although the juice from an Oran Berry isn’t as effective as the whole berry, it could still help restore some energy. Once Wooper's strength starts to return, feeding it the Oran Berry properly should keep it stable for a while. Jin knew that his first aid was only a temporary measure, but there was a Pokémon doctor named Mollie in the forest. If they could just keep Wooper stable until they could get it to her, they’d be okay. With that in mind, Jin tried to get Wooper to drink the Oran Berry juice.
"Can! Mish! Hopp"
"Nyaa!"
"What!?"
"Ahh!"
Just as Jin was about to feed Wooper the Oran Berry juice, a Pokémon suddenly attacked them from behind. Thanks to Sprigatito’s warning cry, Jin and Liko managed to dodge in time, but they were forced away from Wooper, and Jin dropped the handkerchief with the Oran Berry juice. More Pokémon appeared, including Cacnea, Shroomish, and Hoppip, who surrounded Wooper and glared at Jin and Liko.
"Could they be... after this little one?"
(No... that look...)
The eyes of the Cacnea and the others weren’t filled with the anger of a predator whose prey had been stolen. Instead, they were filled with anger over a beloved companion being hurt. Jin hurriedly tried to explain the situation, but before he could, Shroomish released a Stun Spore.
"Sprigatito! Leafage!"
"Nyaaa!"
Sprigatito successfully blew away the Stun Spore with Leafage, but in that brief moment, the Cacnea and the others escaped, taking Wooper with them. Normally, humans shouldn’t interfere with wild Pokémon, but Jin couldn’t just leave them like this, so they decided to give chase.
After running through the forest for a while, Jin and Liko finally caught up to the Cacnea near the large tree where they had planned to meet. There, they found not only the Cacnea but also several Smoliv, who were gathered around Wooper, clearly worried about it. When they noticed Jin and Liko, the Smoliv scattered, and the Cacnea assumed a defensive stance.
"That Pokémon is really weak. We might be able to help it. Please, let us treat it!"
"Cacn!"
Liko pleaded desperately, but the Cacnea were on high alert, making it clear that any attempt to get closer would be met with an attack.
(…It’s unfortunate, but we have no choice.)
Talking things out didn’t seem to be an option. Meanwhile, Wooper was growing weaker by the minute. Jin thought quickly and reached into his pocket, pulling out a Poké Ball and tossing it into the air.
"Garde!"
"Use Disable."
The Gardevoir that emerged from the ball used Disable, forcing the Cacnea to stop moving.
"Sorry about this. Just stay still for a bit."
This was the same method Jin had used on Bug-type Pokémon back on the remote islands of Kanto. It was the most efficient way to immobilize them without causing unnecessary harm. As Jin approached Wooper to resume treatment, Mollie and her partner Chansey came rushing over from another direction.
"Jin! Hold it there just like that!"
Molly’s eyes immediately locked onto the weakened Wooper, and with a swift change in her expression, she hurried over with her medical kit, preparing to start treatment right away.
"Cac! Cacnea!"
"Quiet! I'm treating this Pokémon. Don't interfere!"
"Cac... Cacnea..."
Cacnea, thinking Wooper was being attacked, let out a threatening cry despite being immobilized. However, after Mollie sternly scolded it, the Pokémon quieted down. With the Cacnea calmed, Mollie resumed treating Wooper. She put on medical rubber gloves and began applying a cream.
"Incredible..."
"She's quick. And precise too."
Since becoming a trainer, Jin had learned how to treat Pokémon injuries. He had plenty of opportunities to use those skills during his journey and had gained a fair amount of experience. But compared to Mollie, it was no contest. Her skills were nothing short of remarkable.
"I never told you why I left the Pokémon Center, did I?"
As she continued the treatment, Molly spoke to Jin and Liko.
"Not all injured Pokémon can make it to a Pokémon Center, right? Wild Pokémon, or those hurt somewhere out of reach, might be suffering. Just thinking about it was unbearable."
"You left to help wild Pokémon..."
"Yes... Waiting around just didn’t suit me."
There might be other doctors who think the same way, but few would actually live out that belief. Mollie’s words carried a strong sense of conviction to help Pokémon as a doctor.
"Cac! Cac!" "Hoppp!" "Noko, Noko!"
"...Please, just stay quiet. I won’t do anything to harm you."
As Mollie continued her treatment, the immobilized Cacnea suddenly began to shout. Then, without warning, the ground started shaking violently, just like before. Jin and the others were shocked by the source of the tremors.
"The tree is moving!?"
"No, that’s not a tree... It’s a giant Pokémon!"
What they had thought was a massive tree began to shake, and the branches, which seemed to be entangled vines, started to spread out like arms, revealing the Pokémon's true form.
"No way, this must be the Arboliva of the forest!"
This Pokémon was distinguished by its large arms, each bearing three olive-like orbs, spread out like wings. It looked exactly like the Arboliva they had read about the night before. However, one exception was its massive size. A typical Arboliva was about 1.4 meters tall, but this one was far, far larger.
(Brassius... You knew about this and didn’t say anything?)
If they had known about the giant Arboliva from the start, they could have aimed for this place and prepared accordingly. That thought made Jin want to grumble, but he quickly pushed those feelings aside. Now wasn’t the time. Observing the gigantic Arboliva before him, he suddenly spotted Roy clinging desperately to its chest.
"Roy!?"
"That idiot, what is he doing?!"
Roy was holding on tightly, but the giant Arboliva’s movements finally shook him loose.
"Gardevoir, catch him with Psychic!"
Gardevoir released the Disable on the Cacnea and used Psychic to catch the falling Roy and Fuecoco, gently lowering them to the ground.
"Th-thank you!"
"Never mind that! How did this happen?"
"I-I don't know! I was climbing, and then it just started moving! But look at this! There’s another ancient Poké Ball!"
Roy pointed to the neck of the giant Arboliva, where another ancient Poké Ball, identical to the one he held, was visible.
"So, this really is..."
"This must be the Pokémon we've been searching for."
They had finally encountered the Arboliva of the forest, their target, but it was clearly hostile towards them. With a sharp glare, it sprayed something like oil from the olives on either side, launching an attack.
"Gardevoir, Protect!"
Gardevoir stepped in front of Jin and the others, creating a green shield to block the oil. Once the Protect was lifted, Gardevoir used Teleport to move them to where Molly and Chansey were still treating Wooper.
"How's the treatment going?"
"Sorry, I still need more time to finish."
Mollie responded while continuing the treatment. It was clear that she had no intention of moving until Wooper's treatment was complete. Abandoning Mollie and the injured Wooper wasn't an option. That left Jin with only one course of action.
"...Alright. I'll buy you some time, so keep up the treatment."
"J-Jin!"
"That's crazy! There's no way you can win against something like that!"
Liko and Roy tried to stop Jin as he walked alone towards the Arboliva.
"Don't worry. I'll figure something out."
"F-Figure something out... Do you have a plan?"
"Don't ask the obvious... Of course, I don't have one."
"Wh-What!?"
Jin had heard about the Arboliva of the forest from Brassius and had spent the previous night preparing a strategy, just in case. However, the plan he had devised was based on the assumption of facing a normally-sized opponent. It was unlikely to work against this gigantic Arboliva.
"S-So what are you going to do?"
"Every Pokémon has a weakness. If I can figure it out during the battle, we might just manage."
"B-But..."
"Anyway, until Wooper's treatment is finished, we can't leave here. We have no choice but to fight."
This gigantic Arboliva, holding an ancient Poké Ball, was undoubtedly connected to the black Rayquaza. There was no longer any doubt. Its size was beyond what could be expected from an ordinary Pokémon, and its strength was likely formidable.
(But... it's not on the level of the black Rayquaza.)
Jin recalled the black Rayquaza he had encountered on the remote island of Kanto. The overwhelming strength and tension he felt when facing it were absent from Arboliva. Since that day, Jin and his Pokémon had trained hard and grown stronger. This Arboliva seemed like a good opponent to test their progress.
"Gardevoir will block all of Arboliva's attacks. You two, stay close to Mollie and protect her in case any other Pokémon attack."
"O-Okay. Leave it to us!"
"Jin! Be careful!"
Leaving the treatment to Mollie and the protection of Mollie to Liko and Roy, Jin moved to face the Arboliva head-on, taking a closer look at its massive form.
"...Seeing it up close, it's really huge."
He couldn't determine its exact size, but it seemed to be nearly 20 meters tall. It was at least ten times the size of a regular Arboliva. Whether it had grown this large naturally or through some mutation was a question that piqued Jin's curiosity, but there was no time for that now. He needed to buy time for the treatment. Switching his focus to battle mode, Jin reached for a Poké Ball.
"Count on you, partner."
The Pokémon that emerged from the Poké Ball was none other than Jin's strongest partner, Sceptile. Sceptile briefly showed surprise at the sight of the giant Arboliva but quickly shifted into battle mode.
"We're not holding back. We'll go all out from the start."
"Scep!"
Jin touched the pendant hanging around his neck. In that instant, the Key Stone in the pendant reacted with the Mega Stone attached to Sceptile's scarf, enveloping Sceptile in light.
"Surpass your limits—Mega Evolution!"
As the light gradually faded, Mega Sceptile emerged from its center. Arboliva, sensing a formidable foe, instinctively began preparing an attack by moving its right arm and aiming the olives growing there at Mega Sceptile.
"Agility!"
Arboliva fired oil once again, but Mega Sceptile swiftly dodged using Agility, increasing its speed. With such a massive size, each of Arboliva's attacks would be incredibly heavy. Sceptile wasn't a particularly tough Pokémon; taking even one hit would surely result in significant damage.
(Then I just have to make sure it doesn't get hit!)
"Sceptile! Use Agility again! Keep Arboliva off balance!"
Sceptile increased its speed further, darting around Arboliva in every direction. Arboliva continued firing oil, but Sceptile deftly dodged, drawing closer to Arboliva's legs.
"Now! Leaf Blade!"
Sceptile's arms transformed into sharp leaves, and it dashed through Arboliva's legs at high speed, slashing as it passed. Arboliva winced in pain but remained standing.
(It seems the legs are the target...)
Those two legs supported Arboliva's massive body. If they could keep attacking and damaging them, Arboliva would eventually collapse. Once that happened, its ability to target with oil attacks would be greatly reduced, allowing Sceptile to go on the offensive.
"Sceptile, again!"
Sceptile prepared to attack the legs once more. However, Arboliva wasn't going to make it easy. It targeted the right side's oil attack at Sceptile and used the left side for defense, trying to prevent Sceptile from getting close. Arboliva understood that its enormous size made it slow, and if its legs were taken out, it would be defenseless.
(...So it's guarding its legs. I get the strategy, but it's a mistake.)
Earlier, Sceptile had to keep moving quickly because Arboliva was firing oil from six olives, aiming directly at it. But now, only three olives were being used for attacks, making it easier for Sceptile to dodge. Before, Sceptile had no choice but to force its way in for an attack because there was no time to stop. Now, however, it had the opportunity for a long-range assault.
"Leaf Storm!"
Dodging all of Arboliva's attacks, Sceptile put some distance between them and fired a barrage of sharp leaves directly at Arboliva's face, engulfing its upper body. Though the move was not particularly effective, the sheer power of Leaf Storm, combined with the increased Special Attack from Mega Evolution, made even Arboliva struggle. Arboliva, now in distress, moved its left arm from guarding its legs to shield its face.
"Sceptile! Leaf Blade on both of Arboliva's legs!"
Sceptile interrupted the Leaf Storm and rushed towards Arboliva again. Arboliva tried to stop it by firing oil from its right arm, but Sceptile dodged and closed in, slashing both legs as it passed by. This second strike to the legs caused Arboliva to not only show signs of pain but also let out a pained cry, shaking its massive body.
(Now's the time!)
"Grass Knot!"
The grass beneath the wobbling Arboliva's feet suddenly twisted together, forming a large loop. Arboliva tripped over it, completely losing balance and crashing to the ground. The move Grass Knot becomes more powerful the heavier the opponent is, and for the enormous Arboliva, this resulted in significant damage.
"This is our chance! Get on top of Arboliva!"
Arboliva had taken considerable damage and couldn't easily get back up. Since the battle began, this was their golden opportunity. Following Jin's command, Sceptile leaped onto Arboliva's back as it lay on the ground.
"Keep attacking as long as you can—X-Scissor!"
"Sceeeeeptile!"
Sceptile, now atop Arboliva, relentlessly struck it with repeated X-Scissor attacks. Arboliva's pained cries echoed from the ground, but Sceptile didn't let up, continuing to attack with unwavering determination. The super-effective hits kept landing, and if the assault continued, the battle would be decided. Just as Jin felt certain of victory...
"Jin!"
"The treatment is done. Everything's okay now!"
Mollie, holding the now-treated Wooper, stepped in between Jin and Arboliva, with Liko and Roy following closely behind, urging them to stop the battle.
"...Sceptile, that's enough."
"Scep..."
Seeing them, Jin and Sceptile realized that their role was over. Although the battle had ended without a clear resolution, Jin remembered that their goal wasn't to defeat Arboliva. Reluctantly, he called off the battle.
(...Maybe I went a bit too far.)
It had been a long time since Jin had battled such a massive Pokémon, not since the black Rayquaza incident, and he wondered if he had overdone it.
"...Va...Vaa..."
But as Sceptile stepped down, Arboliva, despite breathing heavily and being severely injured, managed to stand up again. Its sharp gaze showed that its fighting spirit was still intact.
"Go on, Wooper."
"Woo...Woop... Woop!"
Mollie released the Wooper she was holding, sending it toward Arboliva. Although the Wooper was still covered in wounds and struggling to speak, it desperately tried to convey something to Arboliva. After a while, Arboliva's expression began to soften.
"We both care about Wooper just as much as you do!"
Hearing Mollie's words, Arboliva lifted one arm and extended it toward her. Mollie gently touched her fist to Arboliva's hand.
"I'm sorry... and thank you."
As she spoke, Arboliva's expression softened even more, and the anger that had radiated from it just moments ago completely faded away.
"Mollie did it! Arboliva understands that she was trying to help Wooper!"
"...It seems so."
(A bit envious, aren't I...)
Unfortunately, Jin wasn't as good at making peace as Mollie and Arboliva. His approach was always to defeat any rampaging Pokémon before figuring out the next steps. And he had the skill to do so.
If Mollie hadn't been there, Jin might have been able to treat Wooper after defeating Arboliva, but the chance for reconciliation would have been lost.
(It seems that not everything can be solved by winning battles...)
"...Vaaa...Vaaa..."
As Wooper and the wild Pokémon in the area safely dispersed, Arboliva suddenly began to cry out. This cry was different from the angry roars earlier—it sounded filled with sorrow.
"It looks like Arboliva wants to tell us something..."
When Liko said this, Arboliva lowered her hands, lifting Liko, Roy, and Jin into the air. From that vantage point, they could see the entire forest, ravaged by the wildfire.
"The forest is so damaged..."
"Yeah... It's terrible..."
"Arboliva wanted us to see this..."
Jin gazed over the scarred forest and then turned back to Arboliva's face, which was filled with sadness. If the forest remained in this state, powerless Pokémon like Wooper might suffer and struggle to survive. Arboliva was deeply concerned about this.
(I want to help, but what can we do... wait a minute. Arboliva's ability is...)
As Jin thought it over, he surveyed the entire forest again. Many areas had been devastated by the fire, but there were still places visible from here where berries and other food sources remained.
(There are quite a few trees with berries. If we can get seeds from them, we might be able to restore the forest... We can ask Aggron and Sceptile to help with the plowing. The only thing left is water... That could be tricky with my current team, but once communication is restored, I can trade for what we need... Yeah...)
"It’s worth a try. Besides, I went too far earlier, so this will be an apology to Arboliva as well..."
"Jin?"
"What is it?"
"Liko, Roy... Let’s bring this forest back to life. I need your help."
// END
I ended up writing almost 4k words this time, and I’m a bit tired... I want to post daily, but it’s proving difficult.
Regarding Arboliva's strength, I decided that Mega Sceptile could take it down since Sprigatito and Fuecoco were able to push it back in the anime. I hope this doesn't create inconsistencies later on.
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