Pokémon: Trainer Paul

"Grr~"

The newly evolved Grotle swayed its body unsteadily, clearly unaccustomed to its new form.

Its weight, now tens or even hundreds of times greater than before, had drastically reduced its agility and speed. If it weren't rooted to the ground in its current state, it might have toppled over after just a few steps.

The energy consumed during evolution had been immense, completely depleting the reserves it had built up prior. Yet, Grotle felt a terrifying surge of strength coursing through its body, along with a significant boost in its defensive capabilities. Aside from its reduced speed and flexibility, every other aspect had undergone a monstrous improvement.

"Grr~"

Freshly evolved, Grotle instinctively turned to look at Paul.

"Not bad!"

Standing outside the battlefield, Paul's lips curled into a satisfied smile as he appraised Grotle's new form.

Although Grotle's appearance wasn't as endearing as Turtwig's, it had taken a step closer to the formidable Torterra.

More importantly, the original Turtwig had an average build. Whether it was due to Paul's unique growth and training regimen or the energy provided during evolution, Grotle's size now far exceeded that of its peers. It was likely one of the largest Grotle in the world.

Paul even had a hunch that as Grotle's strength increased, its size would expand even further when it evolved into Torterra.

"Grr~"

Encouraged by Paul's praise, Grotle's spirits soared, and its fighting intent intensified.

"How is this possible?!"

On the opposing side, Lucas stared at Grotle in disbelief.

"This doesn't match anything I know about Pokémon!" He exclaimed.

"Pokémon sizes are supposed to be innate, only growing slightly through training. How did it get so big just from evolution?!"

Beside him, Barry was equally dumbfounded. "This is totally unfair! Something this big should be fined… Wait, what?!"

Barry suddenly noticed that Grotle's body was completely unscathed, its stamina fully restored.

In contrast, even though his Staraptor had also evolved, it was still riddled with wounds and visibly fatigued.

"Staraptor, use Roost!"

"Starr~"

Hearing Barry's command, Staraptor quickly perched on the ground, activating Roost. Its stamina recovered rapidly, and many of its injuries faded.

"Grotle, set up Sunny Day and keep Growing."

Paul wasn't in any hurry to attack. While Grotle's condition was excellent, it wasn't yet familiar with its new body. Rushing into battle would only make it easy prey.

"Grrr~"

Grotle fixed its gaze on Staraptor, its roots absorbing energy from the ground. The tree on its back radiated a dazzling light, resonating with the sun above. The battlefield instantly became scorching under the intensified sunlight.

Drawing on solar and terrestrial energy, Grotle began its first post-evolution growth.

"We can't let them keep powering up! Time to try out your new move."

"Staraptor, use Close Combat!"

"Starr~"

Staraptor took to the skies, then dived down at high speed. Mid-flight, it adjusted its posture, its razor-sharp claws glowing white as it aimed straight for Grotle.

The plan was clear: engage Grotle in close quarters, leveraging claws, wings, and beak to overwhelm it.

Paul smirked. "Grotle, use Frenzy Plant!"

"Grrr~"

Without moving a muscle, Grotle's eyes gleamed faintly. The ground around it cracked open, and massive roots burst forth, lashing out at Staraptor from all directions.

Staraptor's claws slashed through the incoming roots, cutting them cleanly in half as it continued its descent toward Grotle.

But Grotle remained unfazed, controlling the remaining roots to strike at Staraptor.

"Starr~"

Staraptor twisted and turned to evade, its claws and wings cutting through the relentless onslaught of roots. However, the roots seemed endless, growing denser and striking harder with each passing moment.

After taking several hits, Staraptor finally managed to escape the barrage, retreating to the sky where it hovered, panting heavily.

"What?!"

"Grotle knows Frenzy Plant?!"

"And it's using Ingrain like this?!"

The spectators were stunned into silence, struggling to process what they had just witnessed.

"What now, Lucas? How do we beat this thing?" Barry asked, looking to his friend for answers.

Lucas could only shake his head.

This wasn't a game where you could trade blows in turns. Staraptor couldn't even get close to Grotle.

With its control of the battlefield, near-unlimited stamina from Ingrain and Solar Power, and the ability to continually boost its stats, Grotle had turned the fight into an insurmountable challenge.

Speed and flight were Staraptor's only advantages, and even those were being nullified.

"Grotle, use Magical Leaf."

Paul's voice was calm and composed.

"Grrot~tle!"

The leaves on Grotle's back glowed and detached, filling the air with countless luminous green blades that homed on Staraptor.

"Staraptor, use Agility and Air Slash!"

Staraptor's speed surged as it darted around, generating blades of air to counter the Magical Leaf.

At first, the tactic worked, but as Grotle's growth continued, the number of Magical Leaves increased dramatically, each blade stronger than the last.

"Speed is power. Staraptor, use Brave Bird!"

Staraptor's body glowed with a red aura as it folded its wings and dived straight toward Grotle, accelerating like a falling meteor.

As it neared the ground, it spread its wings, now enveloped in a brilliant blue light, aiming directly at Grotle in a full-power Brave Bird attack.

"Solar Beam, fire!"

Grotle opened its mouth, unleashing a Solar Beam that clashed with the incoming Staraptor.

"Go, Staraptor!" Barry shouted, his voice filled with determination.

Staraptor pushed through the Solar Beam, inching closer to Grotle with every moment.

Five meters… Four meters…

Finally, it reached within one meter of Grotle.

But at that moment, the Magical Leaves Staraptor had evaded earlier came crashing down, striking it repeatedly.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Staraptor fell to the ground in front of Grotle, battered and exhausted.

As he struggled to hold on with his last bit of strength, it struggled to rise, only to see the admiration in Grotle's eyes—and the Solar Beam charging in its mouth.

"Zap!"

"Boom!"

A flash of yellow light engulfed the battlefield as Staraptor collapsed, unconscious.

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