After the Espartha slowed down, Angie and Arven finally felt like they had come back to life.
Behind them, the two Oinkologne and Mabosstiff had also caught up while panting heavily.
━Σ(Д|||)━ Both Oinkologne and Mabosstiff were gasping for air, looking at the Espartha with expressions that seemed to say: Are you… are you made of gold or something?!
Angie said, "Espartha, from now on, we'll take it slow. Only run fast when I ask you to, okay?"
The Espartha thought: Was that fast? I was just running at my normal speed!
But she still nodded lightly.
After adjusting themselves, Angie finally said, "Let's keep moving."
"Espartha~ Espartha~"
At that moment, the Espartha twisted her long neck and nudged Angie's clothes with her beak.
Angie asked, puzzled, "What is it, Espartha?"
"Espartha~ Espartha~"
The Espartha gestured for a while, and Angie finally guessed her meaning: she was saying that she knew where Smoliv lived and was willing to lead the way.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Espartha," Angie said, stroking her head.
The Espartha nodded and started running again, though this time she deliberately slowed her pace. She even adjusted her stride to keep Angie from being jostled on her back.
How considerate!
Under the Espartha's guidance, Angie and the group soon arrived at a grassy meadow.
There, they saw several Arboliva basking in the sun with a group of Dolliv and Smoliv.
Angie climbed off the Espartha's back, walked over to the Smoliv, Dolliv, and Arboliva, and said, "Hello! I'm a chef and would like to capture two Dolliv as partners. May I?"
After some thought, Angie decided on Dolliv.
Smoliv's oil couldn't be used right away; she'd have to be nurtured into a Dolliv first, which would take time.
While Arboliva produced more oil of better quality and flavor, they were the protectors of their community. Capturing them could cause trouble for the group.
So, capturing Dolliv was the best choice.
Hearing Angie's words, the Smoliv, Dolliv, and Arboliva, who had been relaxing with their eyes closed, all opened their eyes.
Smoliv looked like a small fruit with a leafy stem and was adorably cute.
Dolliv resembled a young girl with twin pigtails and was also quite endearing.
Arboliva, on the other hand, exuded a gentle, protective aura like a family elder. Just looking at them gave a sense of security.
At this moment, one Arboliva stepped forward from the group.
"Arboliva~ Arboliva~"
Angie didn't understand what it meant, but the Espartha stepped forward with her long legs, standing across from the Arboliva.
Angie quickly caught on and asked the Arboliva, "Are you saying that if I want to capture a Dolliv, I must defeat you?"
"Arboliva~ Arboliva~"
The Arboliva nodded.
They didn't mind their kin being captured by human Trainers. After all, following a human meant a life free from worries about food or shelter.
"Alright," Angie nodded, accepting the challenge.
Just as he was about to send out Komala, the Espartha turned her head back and called out to him.
"You want to fight?" Angie asked, surprised.
The Espartha nodded eagerly. Losing to Komala had been a heavy blow, and she urgently needed a battle to prove she wasn't weak.
After a moment of thought, Angie nodded in agreement.
He used his Eye of Observation skill to check the Arboliva's stats.
...
[ Arboliva ]
Type: Grass, Normal
Ability: Seed Sower
Gender: Female
Level: 42
Moves: Sweet Scent, Mirror Coat, Safeguard, Tackle, Absorb, Growth, Helping Hand, Razor Leaf, Flail, Grassy Terrain, Seed Bomb, Energy Ball, Solar Beam, Leech Seed, Synthesis.
...
[ Individual Values (IVs) ]
HP: 10
Attack: 16
Defense: 20
Special Attack: 21
Special Defense: 24
Speed: 11
...
Her stats were noticeably weaker than the Espartha's. The Espartha shouldn't lose.
But even if she did, it wasn't a big deal—Angie could always have Komala to challenge the Arboliva afterward.
Once the two Pokémon were standing face to face, Angie announced, "You may begin!"
The moment his voice fell, something surprising happened. Arboliva suddenly emitted a flash of light, and it was engulfed by a cluster of crystalline shards. When the crystals vanished, its body was covered with gem-like facets, and atop its head was a crown resembling a bouquet of sparkling jewels.
This Arboliva turned out to be a wild Terastalized Pokémon!
What... What kind of unfair tactics is this?!
Wait!
Angie suddenly remembered something. He quickly retrieved a purple orb from his system backpack—his reward for a previous mission, the Tera Orb!
Looking around, his gaze landed on a nearby Tera Crystal. Excitedly, he dashed toward it and placed the Tera Orb on the crystal.
As time passed, the previously dim Tera Orb gradually began to glow brighter, while the originally radiant Tera Crystal dimmed slightly.
Before long, the Tera Orb was fully charged.
Holding the recharged Tera Orb, Angie ran back to Espathra's side and tossed the orb toward it.
As Tera energy overflowed from the Tera Orb, it surrounded Espathra. In a flash, crystalline shards enveloped its body. When the shards vanished, Espathra had completed its Terastalization.
Espathra itself had experienced Terastalization before, so it was no stranger to the process. Now fully Terastalized, it let out a ferocious roar at Arboliva.
Let's fight!
Both Arboliva and Espathra's Tera Types matched their original (one of their) typings—Arbolivawas Tera Grass, and Espathra was Tera Psychic.
(Note: When a Pokémon Terastalizes, its Tera Type replaces its original type(s), but it still benefits from the STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) of its previous type(s). For instance, Arboliva, which was Grass and Normal, becomes a pure Grass-type after Terastalizing but retains the 1.5x bonus for Normal moves. Grass moves, however, receive a 2x bonus.)
"Alright, let's begin!" Angie declared.
As soon as Angie spoke, both Pokémon launched attacks at each other simultaneously. Espathra used Lumina Crash, while Arboliva countered with Energy Ball.
With the amplification from Terastalization, the power of their STAB moves was significantly enhanced.
The prismatic beam and the green energy sphere collided midair, causing an explosion that sent shockwaves rippling outward, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
"Arven, get everyone to move back!" Angie shouted.
"Got it!" Arven responded quickly, leading Masbosstiff, the Oinkologne, and Charcadet farther away.
The other Arboliva also guided the Smoliv and Dolliv to a safer distance.
Once the initial clash ended, Espathra suddenly blurred, using Agility to disappear from sight. Its greatest strength lay in its speed. During the previous battle with Komala, it had been overwhelmed so quickly that it hadn't been able to utilize its advantage.
Arboliva barely had time to react before Espathra appeared behind it and fired another Lumina Crash.
Boom!
Arboliva was knocked to the ground, but suddenly a flash of light emanated from it, and a verdant field spread beneath its feet.
Grassy Terrain!
Arboliva have Seed Sower ability and it was activated when it's attacked, turning the battlefield into Grassy Terrain.
A green glow rose from the terrain, healing Arboliva's injuries.
Arboliva climbed back to its feet and fired another Energy Ball at Espathra, who retaliated with a Lumina Crash without hesitation.
Boom!
The explosion resounded, and a plume of smoke enveloped the area, blocking everyone's view.
Espathra leaped into the smoke, using its psychic senses to pinpoint Arboliva's location, then launched another Lumina Crash directly at it.
This time, Arboliva's cry of pain was even more intense.
Lumina Crash isn't just powerful; it has the added effect of sharply lowering the opponent's Special Defense. The more Espathra attacked, the more damage it could deal.
After the strike, Espathra vanished from its position, leaving Arboliva's retaliatory Energy Ball to fly harmlessly into the air.
Espathra's Speed Boost ability was continually activating, making it faster with each passing moment.
As the smoke cleared, Angie saw Arboliva spreading its arms wide, the leaves on its body glowing golden. The sun's energy gathered around it, rapidly healing its injuries.
Arboliva was using a recovery move—Synthesis.
With its Special Defense drastically lowered, the damage from Espathra's attacks was too high for Grassy Terrain's healing to keep up. Synthesis was the only way Arboliva could sustain itself.
Arboliva's recovery was swift, and in mere moments, its injuries were completely healed. Simultaneously, it launched a barrage of seeds.
This wasn't Seed Bomb or Bullet Seed. Instead, it was Leech Seed.
Espathra noticed and began dodging swiftly, its incredible speed allowing it to evade the seeds.
However, Arboliva's Leech Seed was trickier than expected; even seeds that landed on the ground would take effect.
Before long, the battlefield was littered with hidden Leech Seeds. As Espathra ran, it accidentally stepped on one.
In an instant, a green vine burst from the ground, wrapping around Espathra's long legs and binding its body.
Espathra let out a cry of pain as its energy was drained, restoring Arboliva's health once more.
Using its psychic power, Espathra tore through the vines and regained its freedom. However, the effects of Leech Seed lingered, continuously siphoning its energy to heal Arboliva.
Seeing Espathra falling behind, Angie grew increasingly anxious. His mind raced as he tried to devise a way to break the deadlock.
"Espathra, use Uproar!"
Hearing Angie's command, Espathra paused briefly, hesitating for a moment before deciding to trust him.
As it ran, Espathra began emitting an ear-piercing, grating noise. Arboliva, who had been preparing another Energy Ball, winced in pain, its face contorted. The attack it was charging fizzled out.
"Keep using Uproar, Espathra!" Angie instructed.
Espathra nodded and continued its screeching, even infusing its voice with psychic energy.
Under the relentless assault of the noise, Arboliva was overwhelmed with a splitting headache, unable to focus enough to execute any moves.
"Now, Espathra! Use Lumina Crash!"
Without hesitation, Espathra launched a prismatic energy sphere directly at Arboliva.
With its Special Defense already lowered twice, Arboliva couldn't withstand Espathra's full-powered attack. It collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
The moment it fainted, it reverted from its Terastalized state.
The other Arboliva, along with the Smoliv and Dolliv, rushed to their leader's side, their faces full of worry. For a moment, they didn't know what to do.
Angie approached, feeding a berry to Arboliva while reassuring the group of Pokémon. "Don't worry, Arboliva will recover soon."
Sure enough, after a short while, Arboliva slowly regained consciousness.
"Arboliva~~"
It thanked Angie with a soft cry, then stood up and used Synthesis, fully recovering its strength.
Angie then asked, "Arboliva, may I capture the Dolliv now?"
Arboliva nodded in agreement.
Upon hearing this, Angie excitedly began selecting which Dolliv to capture.
Before he started, he asked, "If there are any Dolliv who don't want to be captured, feel free to step back."
Upon hearing this, several Dolliv stepped back, not wanting to leave their group.
"Anyone else?" Angie asked again.
The Dolliv exchanged glances, and several more stepped back, leaving only about five or six Dolliv that were still willing to be captured.
Angie used his Eye of Observation skill to carefully select the two with the best stats from the willing candidates.
...
[ Dolliv ]
Type: Grass, Normal
Ability: Early Bird
Gender: Female
Level: 25
Moves: Tackle, Leaf Blade, Sweet Scent, Absorb, Growth, Helping Hand, Grassy Glide, Synthesis.
...
[ Individual Values (IVs) ]
HP: 30
Attack: 11
Defense: 14
Special Attack: 18
Special Defense: 20
Speed: 11
...
[ Dolliv ]
Type: Grass, Normal
Ability: Harvest
Gender: Female
Level: 28
Moves: Tackle, Sweet Scent, Growth, Leaf Blade, Helping Hand, Magical Leaf, Energy Ball, Synthesis.
...
[ Individual Values (IVs) ]
HP: 18
Attack: 9
Defense: 13
Special Attack: 21
Special Defense: 4
Speed: 3
...
Neither of them had great stats, but Angie wasn't concerned with that. He was capturing them mainly for their oil, so their stat didn't matter very much.
After throwing two Poké Balls, both Dolliv were captured inside.
Smoliv GET DA☆ZE!
Angie picked up the Poké Balls, released the Dolliv back out, and extended his hand to them. "Dolliv, nice to meet you!"
"Dolliv~"
"Dolliv~"
The two Dolliv were not shy at all. Both of them were very lively and cheerful by nature, and they placed their hands in the center of Angie's palm, showing their approval of him.
Noticing the time was getting late, Angie bid farewell to the remaining Arboliva, Smoliv, and Dolliv.
"We need to take our leave now."
The leader of Arboliva nodded in response.
At that moment, a few other Smoliv and Dolliv stepped forward from the group, giving the two Dolliv Angie had just captured a heartfelt hug to express their reluctance at the parting.
"Let's go."
With that, Angie mounted Espathra with Arven, while the two Charchadet climbed onto the male Oinkologne and the two Dolliv hopped onto the female Oinkologne.
As Espathra's long legs began to sprint, Oinkologne and Mabosstiff quickly followed, while the Dolliv on Oinkologne waved goodbye to their relatives.
As they were about to embark on their new journey, the Dolliv's hearts were filled with both the sadness of leaving their group and the anticipation and excitement for the future.