After the battle, Eric considered giving Growlithe the tier-2 Fire Crystal he had, but decided against it.
A Pokémon enters a rapid growth phase after finishing its infant stage. Still, there was a limit. Eric preferred to let Growlithe get used to his current energy before giving him the crystal.
And so, 2 days passed in a similar routine.
After Growlithe had reached level 9 and reached Grade 1 (condensed) in fire type energy, Eric decided it was time and handed him the tier-2 crystal to absorb.
It took Growlithe 3 hours to absorb this crystal fully.
In just this one session, the grade of fire-type energy inside Growlithe reached the peak of Grade 1, and Growlithe broke through the level 10 bottleneck, reaching all the way up to level 12!
In these 2 days, Eric pushed Growlithe, Poliwhirl, and Fearow through rigorous training. While Haunter's strength remained the absolute pinnacle of his team, the team was slowly showing some signs of balance.
Poliwhirl's water-type energy broke through Grade 3, and Fearow wasn't far behind from that level.
They were currently navigating a dense, fog-covered pathway bordering Route 7. The trees here grew tall, blocking out most of the sunlight, casting long, eerie shadows across the damp earth.
'This area is a bit too quiet,' Eric thought, keeping his hand close to Poliwhirl's Poké Ball. Haunter remained merged in his shadow, acting as a silent radar.
Suddenly, Haunter's cold energy spiked slightly within his shadow, alerting Eric.
Screech!
A high-pitched, desperate cry echoed from the thick brush ahead. It sounded fragile, filled with genuine terror.
"Fearow, scout ahead," Eric ordered, releasing the large bird.
Fearow took to the air, her massive wings cutting through the fog. She circled once before let out a sharp cry, pointing her beak toward a rocky ravine a hundred meters to their left.
Eric sprinted toward the location, keeping low. As he parted the thick ferns, the scene came into view.
Backed against a sheer stone wall was a small, bipedal Pokémon with a green, helmet-like growth covering its head.
A Ralts.
She was trembling violently, her tiny hands clutched against her chest. Her body was covered in small scrapes, and her energy was fluctuating wildly in panic.
Opposite her stood three wild, aggressive Mankey. Their eyes were blood-shot and angry, their fists clenched as they snarled, slowly closing in on the cornered psychic-type. The lead Mankey was Level 15, while the other two were Levels 12 and 13.
'A Ralts in Kanto? How rare,' Eric thought, his eyes narrowing.
He wasn't the heroic type. Normally, he would ignore wild Pokémon conflicts. But looking at the small, defenseless Ralts protecting herself, a familiar feeling of helplessness resonated within him. It reminded him of his own past, cornered in that dark alleyway.
Furthermore, his system scanned the Ralts's data, and the results made his heart skip a beat.
Pokémon: Ralts
Gender: Female
Level: 7
Type: Psychic/Fairy
Ability: Trace
Held Item: None
Potential: Purple
Was Lady Luck shining on him?
Purple potential.
A rare, high-talent psychic-type right in front of him.
There had to be a story behind why such a high-potential Pokémon was here - that too a Ralts.
"Poliwhirl, Growlithe, get ready," Eric whispered, releasing the water-type.
The Mankey lunged at the Ralts, the leader's fist glowing with fighting energy for a Karate Chop.
"Poliwhirl, handle the other two! Growlithe, Ember on the leader!"
The sudden commands shattered the silence of the ravine.
Poliwhirl reacted instantly. Under the damp, humid fog, his water-type energy surged. He fired a high-pressure, swirling ball of water that slammed directly into the Mankey on the left, sending it crashing into the rocky wall.
At the same time, Growlithe sprinted forward, his paws moving with practiced, explosive maneuvers. He slid underneath the leader Mankey's swipe, turned on his heel, and unleashed a burst of hot ember right into its face.
Scree!
The wild Mankey shouted in pain, backing away as the flames scorched its fur. The third Mankey, seeing its pack mates easily overwhelmed, hesitated, its aggressive posture crumbling into fear.
It was then that a group of 15 Mankey showed up.
Eric didn't care, though - all of them were at the beginner level.
"Handle it, Poliwhirl!"
Poliwhirl stomped his foot, summoning a large wave of water that swept across the ravine, completely knocking out all of the remaining Mankey. Those who didn't pass out scurried to their feet and ran away.
Ralts looked at the scene in bewilderment.
Eric walked forward slowly, keeping his hands visible and empty. He gestured for Growlithe and Poliwhirl to stand back so as not to intimidate the tiny Pokémon.
Ralts looked up, her red eyes visible beneath her green hair, wide with fear. She began to glow with a faint blue light, trying to use Teleport to escape, despite her earlier failure.
"Wait," Eric said softly, his voice calm and steady. "We aren't going to hurt you."
Ralts paused, the teleportation energy flickering out. As an empathetic Pokémon, she was incredibly sensitive to the emotions of those around her.
There was a deep, cold caution in his mind, but beneath it lay a genuine, unwavering honesty and a strong protective instinct. He wasn't looking at her like a tool to be exploited, but as someone who understood what it felt like to be weak.
Eric reached into his pocket and retrieved a basic Potion and an Oran berry, placing them gently on the dirt a few feet away from her.
"You're hurt. This will help," Eric said, taking a step back.
Ralts looked at the Oran berry, then at Eric. Slowly, hesitantly, she crawled forward and picked up the berry, taking a small bite. Sensation of warmth returned to her body, her trembling slowly subsiding.
Eric pulled a Poké Ball from his belt and knelt down, placing it on the ground in front of him.
"This world is dangerous for someone alone. If you come with me, I will make sure you get strong enough that no one can ever corner you like this again. The choice is yours."
He stood still, waiting.
Ralts was tempted after feeling Eric's genuine emotion.
She was about to reach out to the Poke Ball, but then she remembered something and started trembling.
She then focused as psychic-type energy surrounded both her and Eric.
Eric's Pokémon were alerted, but he told them to stop.
'Is she already using telepathy at her level?'
Eric thought as Ralt's memories struck his mind like a wave.
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