Sceptile lay beneath the tree, basking lazily in the sunlight and replenishing its energy. Pidgeot perched on a branch, grooming its feathers, looking majestic and heroic. Milotic coiled gracefully beside the pond, bathing as its beautiful tail shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.
As the three Pokémon that had followed Aiden from the very beginning, they had grown stronger together step by step. Now, their levels were all around sixty-five.
Compared to before, their growth had naturally slowed down.
Aggron and Metagross stood side by side, sparring in friendly combat as they practiced Fighting-type techniques. Nearby, Infernape swung its fists, giving tactical guidance.
After all, with a true martial arts master like Infernape—possessing the Iron Fist ability—among Aiden's Pokémon, it was undoubtedly the most authoritative Fighting-type in his team. Once Combusken evolved into Blaziken, it could receive even more instruction from Infernape.
Under Infernape's guidance, Metagross and Aggron began adjusting their techniques, learning how to exert power more efficiently.
It had to be said that these three Pokémon—currently the only non-Legendary Pokémon in Aiden's team with red-tier potential—shared an unusually close bond, and their growth speed was the fastest.
In terms of levels, they had already caught up with Sceptile, Pidgeot, and Milotic.
It wouldn't be long before they surpassed the Pokémon Aiden had obtained in his earliest days.
Adding Aerodactyl, now at level sixty-four, Aiden already possessed seven Pokémon at the early Elite Four level. At this point, even without counting his Legendary Pokémon, he was already a genuine Elite Four–level trainer.
With such strength, no matter which region he traveled to, he would receive the highest level of respect from official forces.
Not to mention that he also commanded three major Legendary Pokémon and one lesser Legendary.
With such power, even if the world's top experts joined forces against him, they probably wouldn't stand a chance.
A few Dragon Breaths from Rayquaza, Kyogre unleashing world-drowning seas, Groudon submerging oceans in magma—who could possibly stop that?
Aerodactyl soared freely through the skies, surveying the surroundings of Littleroot Town with unrestrained flight.
Aside from those seven Elite Four–level Pokémon, Glaceon, Umbreon, Sylveon, and the two Gardevoir were all around level fifty-five.
Glaceon, Umbreon, and Sylveon lay resting beside Aiden's feet, while the two Gardevoir stood on either side of him.
The lively and mischievous younger Gardevoir used psychic power to move grapes from the table, gently placing them into Aiden's mouth.
Seeing this, the elder Gardevoir laughed softly and placed Aiden's head on her lap, giving him a comfortable lap pillow.
"…Why do I feel like I've fallen into some strange situation?"
Watching Aiden enjoy himself so comfortably, Cynthia couldn't help but purse her lips.
She didn't know whether it was because of Joy Sakura or something else, but it felt as if Aiden's relationship with his Pokémon was… unusually close.
As for Arcanine and Shelgon, their levels were now around forty-five. Shelgon still needed quite some time before it could evolve into Salamence.
At the moment, Arcanine lay on the ground, quietly enjoying the warmth of the sun, while Shelgon gazed into the sky, staring at the freely flying Aerodactyl with eyes full of anticipation.
It longed to complete its final evolution and soar through the skies.
The rest were the starter Pokémon Aiden had obtained after winning battles and receiving them from professors across various regions.
Combusken, Charmeleon, Snivy, Croconaw, and Turtwig—these five were all around level thirty-two now. Before the Ever Grande Conference began, they should all be able to complete their final evolutions.
At this moment, they gathered together in a circle, quietly basking in the sunlight.
Absol, currently at level thirty-five, stayed beside the Eeveelutions, looking as if it were pretending to be one of them.
Dragonair stayed beside Milotic. Both were serpentine Pokémon, so they seemed to have more topics in common.
After Dragonair joined, it and Milotic began spraying water at each other, playing happily.
This pseudo-legendary Pokémon gifted by Lance had already fully evolved into Dragonair, reaching level thirty-eight—its growth astonishingly fast.
"Ding! Dragonair's current status is as follows:"
Pokémon: Dragonair
Level: 38
Ability: Shed Skin
Type: Dragon
Potential: Gold
Bond Evolution: Locked
Mega Evolution: Locked
Moves: Twister, Dragon Breath, Extreme Speed, Water Pulse, Dragon Tail, Agility, Dragon Dance…
Friendship: 220
Background: The most outstanding talent of this generation in the Dragon Clan, entrusted by Lance to follow the host. After evolution, it gained partial control over weather forces.
Hobby: Likes eating berries and playing in water.
After checking Dragonair's status, Aiden estimated that, like Shelgon, it would probably reach red-tier potential after its final evolution.
Then there was the Shiny Donphan.
Having just joined the team, it hadn't fully integrated yet and could only lie alone on the ground.
Seeing this, Aggron—the only other Shiny Pokémon—brought Shiny Donphan over to its side, letting her watch it practice combat techniques.
And the Donphan, longing for love, began to look at Aggron with a completely different gaze.
That feeling…
It seemed like affection.
Sensing the emotions of all his Pokémon, Aiden felt a deep sense of joy.
Spending such peaceful moments with all his Pokémon—this kind of life was truly relaxing and comfortable.
The only problem was that his house was too small to accommodate so many Pokémon, making it feel crowded.
So Aiden quickly came up with an idea.
He decided to buy a piece of land in Littleroot Town and build a private estate and Pokémon training grounds exclusively for himself.
Without hesitation, he contacted Shelly and asked her to start preparations.
With Aiden's current wealth, building a personal estate—甚至 a ranch—was no problem at all.
Only then would all the Pokémon in his system space be able to appear freely.
And the giant Claydol wouldn't have to stay alone inside the system space anymore.
After months of intense growth, Aiden finally allowed himself a period of true rest.
Before the Ever Grande Conference began, he planned to enjoy this peaceful life properly.
It was also a well-deserved vacation for his Pokémon.
…
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