Chapter 9: Anomalies in the Forest

"Dark Pulse!"

A sphere of rippling, ominous black energy coalesced in mid-air. Zorua tossed its head back and snapped forward, hurling the condensed pulse with lightning speed. The attack struck true, slamming into the Pidgeotto circling above.

The Pidgeotto plummeted the moment it was hit, crashing heavily onto the forest floor. The battle was over with that single decisive blow.

This was the Nichiyo Forest, the place where N regularly took Zorua for its specialized training.

"Well done."

N leaned over to stroke Zorua’s head. He then walked over to the fallen Pidgeotto, reaching out his right hand to gently touch the dark, singed feathers on its wing.

A faint golden-green glow emanated from his palm, enveloping the injured area. Within a few breaths, the Pidgeotto’s wounds began to knit back together at a visible rate. This was his standard practice after every battle.

When a wild Pokémon is knocked out in the wilderness, it loses its ability to defend itself. In such a state, it could easily be preyed upon by other predators before it regains consciousness. While N needed wild Pokémon to serve as sparring partners for Zorua, he refused to leave them for dead just for the sake of training. Leaving them incapacitated and abandoned was essentially a death sentence.

"Your mastery of Dark Pulse is coming along nicely, but your physical conditioning is still lagging."

Currently, Zorua’s small frame was encased in a set of heavy "armor" that wrapped around its entire body, making the Tricky Fox Pokémon look somewhat bloated. These weights were designed to severely limit its natural speed and combat prowess, forcing it to build raw physical stamina and strength.

N reached into his bag and pulled out an Oran Berry, offering it to Zorua as a reward for its hard work. The hungry black fox bared its fangs and began to devour the fruit with a series of satisfied "crunches."

Zorua had a stoic and stubborn personality; it never complained about the grueling nature of the training. It bore the weight of the specialized drills without a sound, a level of perseverance many other Pokémon lacked. Perhaps it was because of its competitive nature and thirst for power, but once Zorua realized it was making steady progress, it became obsessed with the feeling of growth, wanting to train with N at every possible moment.

"Alright, that’s enough for today. Any more would be counterproductive."

Seeing Zorua’s expression drop with disappointment at the news, N couldn't help but chuckle. Zorua’s strength was still categorized as Mid Elite, but it was worlds apart from when he had first caught it. It could likely take on one and a half of its "past selves" with ease. All it needed now was a spark, a battle against a powerful foe, to push it into the High level.

BOOM!!

Just as N was lost in thought, a deafening explosion erupted nearby. A massive tree, dozens of meters tall, snapped at the trunk and came crashing down as if struck by a colossal force.

The falling tree was just the beginning. It served as a signal as a series of further explosions began to ripple through the forest ahead.

"..."

N frowned. Rationally, he should leave immediately. Any Pokémon capable of causing that much destruction was certainly no weakling. If they stumbled into something dangerous, even his natural affinity for Pokémon might not be enough to save them.

"Zua!"

Zorua called out to him, its face alight with excitement. Seeing the little fox so eager for a challenge, N smirked. He gestured for it to follow, and they hurried toward the source of the commotion.

As they approached the heart of the Nichiyo Forest, the sounds of destruction became clearer. When they were finally close enough, N reached out a hand to signal Zorua to stop.

CRASH!!

A nearby tree took a heavy blow, a massive hole blasted through its center, leaving only a few jagged splinters to keep it from toppling. The culprit stood tall and imposing, a fierce Pokémon that looked like a small mountain.

An Ursaring!

It was hulking and muscular, with the characteristic pale yellow ring on its chest. This particular brown bear was significantly taller than the average member of its species. Thick fur covered its powerful limbs, but its sheer physical dominance was unmistakable. Its aura was terrifying; just standing there, it seemed to blot out the very light of the forest. N recognized its level of pressure instantly.

[Alpha Level] — Potential: Middle Grade!

This Ursaring was likely an Alpha, a powerhouse that usually served as the leader of a pack. Its strength was far beyond anything a normal trainer would encounter.

Opposite this giant stood a Pokémon that was noticeably smaller. It had grey skin, a white silk cloth tied around its head, and a compact but incredibly muscular build. Pink veins bulged slightly across its body.

[Timburr]

Level: Low Elite

Potential: Special Grade

"A Timburr?"

N identified them both immediately. He was particularly struck by the Timburr; a 'Special Grade' potential was rare, even among the highly-prized Starter Pokémon. Furthermore, Timburr usually lived near human settlements and were seldom found in the deep wild.

They were known for being friendly toward humans, often helping with construction and heavy lifting, much like the Machamp lines in the Kanto region. Usually, they lived in groups; seeing a solitary Timburr was unusual.

For this Special Grade Timburr to be out here alone, and picking a fight with an Alpha Ursaring that clearly shouldn't be messed with, something was definitely wrong.