A Gym Leader–level Pokémon!!
This was the second time Aaron had faced a true Gym-level opponent head-on.
The first had been during the terrorist attack at Sealine, against a member of the Symbiosis Society.
Back then, he had fought with everything he had, barely managing to kill his enemy by the skin of his teeth.
That battle had let him truly feel death breathing down his neck. He would never forget it.
But this time—
He was no longer the same.
A Gym-level Pokémon?
He could take it.
A fierce battle intent ignited in Aaron's eyes.
Deep down, he had always longed for a real, exhilarating Pokémon battle—not just crushing weaklings.
Having cheats was honestly kind of frustrating. It took away so much of the fun.
Aaron let out a quiet sigh.
"Ding~ Detecting host intent to shut down the system. The system will automatically deactivate in five seconds and will never restart."
The system's cold, emotionless voice echoed in his mind.
"Wait—wait!!"
"I was wrong!!"
"I love cheating!!"
"I can't go a single day without it!"
"Don't shut down—don't shut down—don't shut down—!"
Aaron screamed internally without hesitation.
"Ding~ Host may rest assured. Unless the host dies, the system will not shut down."
"Ding~ That was merely the system talking in its sleep."
Aaron: "…"
The corner of his mouth twitched.
This damn system really was something else.
"Torterra—!"
Furious at being ignored, Torterra let out an enraged roar.
A surge of powerful green energy erupted from its body. From the massive tree on its back, razor-sharp leaves shot forth, slicing through the air toward Aaron.
"Damn it—no fair play at all?!"
Aaron's pupils contracted as he barked out an order:
"Sceptile—Sage Mode!!"
"Sage Art—Wood Release: Wood Barrier Technique! Double shield!"
"Sceptile—!"
Sceptile's vertical pupils flared with white light, shifting into cross-shaped slits as mysterious black markings spread from the corners of its eyes.
Sage Mode activated.
Slamming both hands onto the ground, Sceptile unleashed a surge of green-and-white energy.
Boom! Boom!
The earth trembled as two massive wooden shields, engraved with intricate totems, rose in front of Aaron and stacked together.
Torterra's Razor Leaf slammed into them head-on.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the blink of an eye, the wooden barriers were blasted into splinters, fragments scattering across the ground.
Aaron sucked in a sharp breath.
Sceptile's Sage Art Wood Barrier had been shattered to splinters.
A chill ran down his spine.
Good thing he had ordered two shields. One alone would never have held.
It seemed he had slightly underestimated the power of a Gym-level Pokémon.
His expression hardened.
"Snorlax—Fourth Gear, Boundman Form!!"
"Gyarados—create Flame Clouds and take to the air!"
"Greninja… stay by my side and guard me."
The commands came in rapid succession.
This time, Aaron intended for Snorlax, Gyarados, and Sceptile to launch a coordinated three-on-one assault.
The objective was clear: gain as much combat experience as possible and push toward Elite tier.
Snorlax and Gyarados had already reached Advanced (Peak Stage)—just one step away from Elite.
Only Sceptile remained at Advanced (Late Stage).
"Snorlax—!"
With a thunderous roar, Snorlax's body erupted with scorching steam. Within the swirling vapor, its limbs darkened like black steel, deep shadows framed its eyes, and mysterious markings spread across its massive form. White vapor coiled around it as it began bouncing heavily against the ground.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Snorlax's Boundman Form had entered the battlefield.
"ROOOAR—!"
Gyarados unleashed a sky-shaking roar. Flame Clouds condensed beneath its massive body as it surged into the air, glaring down at Torterra from above.
Sceptile's cross-shaped pupils locked onto its opponent, aura surging.
The battle was about to erupt.
"Sceptile… Sage Art—Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!!"
Aaron's voice turned ice-cold.
"Sceptile—!"
Sceptile's pupils tightened as an overwhelming surge of green-and-white light burst outward.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground convulsed.
Countless towering trees erupted from the earth, each six to seven meters tall. Roots twisted and coiled like wooden dragons, weaving above and beneath the surface.
Within a radius of several hundred meters, a dense forest materialized in an instant.
Wood Release—Deep Forest Emergence had descended.
This was the technique Sceptile had unlocked after breaking into the Advanced tier. It was also its first time using it in real combat.
Aaron stared at the newly formed forest, astonishment flashing in his eyes.
Worthy of being the First Hokage's signature technique.
A move capable of reshaping the entire battlefield.
Once Sceptile grew stronger, this ability would be no weaker than that certain flightless Legendary Pokémon's Desolate Land—nor would it fall short of that sea tyrant's Primordial Sea.
"Sage Art—Wood Release: Flowering Forest World!"
Aaron's command rang out again.
"Sceptile—!"
Another burst of white light flared from Sceptile's body.
Pink blossoms bloomed across the towering trees, and a sweet, intoxicating fragrance spread throughout the forest.
"Torterra—!"
Torterra roared uneasily at the sudden change in its surroundings.
Earth-yellow energy surged from its body as it slammed both forelegs heavily into the ground.
The renowned Ground-type move—
Earthquake.
BOOM—
A thunderous shockwave exploded outward.
And then…
Nothing.
"…?"
Confusion flickered in Torterra's eyes.
Where was its Earthquake?
Gone?
Neutralized?
Aaron's lips curved slightly.
Just as he'd anticipated.
The vast network of roots created by Deep Forest Emergence had reinforced the entire battlefield. The ground was tightly bound and stabilized.
Earthquake was useless here.
"Sceptile—bind it with the roots!"
"Sceptile—!"
Emerald light surged once more as Sceptile took control of the underground roots.
Like countless wooden dragons, they coiled upward and wrapped tightly around Torterra.