Chapter 89: Arboliva and Dolliv

After Espathra slowed its pace, Andrew and Arven finally felt as though they had survived an ordeal.

Behind them, Oinkologne and Maschiff had managed to catch up, panting heavily. Both were out of breath, glaring at Espathra as if to say:

"Are you some kind of rocket or something?"

Andrew laughed. "Espathra, let's take it easy from now on. I'll tell you when to pick up the pace."

Espathra looked back, puzzled. 'Was that fast? I was just running normally.'

But it nodded anyway.

After taking a moment to regain their composure, Andrew said, "Alright, let's keep going."

"Espaa~ Espaa~"

Espathra stretched its long neck and began pecking at Andrew's clothes.

Andrew blinked in confusion. "What's wrong, Espathra?"

"Espaa~ Thra~"

Through a series of gestures, Espathra made Andrew realize it knew where Smoliv lived and was offering to lead the way.

Andrew smiled, patting Espathra on the side. "Thanks, Espathra."

Espathra bobbed its head and began running again, this time at a gentler pace. It was careful not to jostle Andrew too much, adjusting its stride for a smoother ride. Such a considerate creature.

Before long, Espathra led them to a grassy meadow.

In the clearing, a few Arboliva stood in the sun, accompanied by several Dolliv and Smoliv.

Andrew dismounted from Espathra and walked toward the Pokémon. "Hello! I'm a chef, and I'd like to make friends with a couple of Dolliv as partners. May I?"

After much thought, Andrew had decided capturing a Dolliv was his best option.

Smoliv oil wasn't usable right away—it required time to develop into Dolliv. Arboliva, on the other hand, produced higher-quality oil, but taking one from the group could cause problems since they acted as protectors.

Thus, capturing Dolliv seemed like the perfect balance.

Upon hearing Andrew's request, all the Smoliv, Dolliv, and Arboliva opened their eyes and focused on him.

Smoliv resembled small fruits, complete with little leaves on their heads, exuding an adorable charm.

Dolliv, with their twin leaf-like hair tufts, had an elegance to them, like young maidens.

Arboliva, on the other hand, radiated wisdom and tranquility, much like the elder of a family who ensured peace and safety.

One Arboliva stepped forward from the group.

"Arbooo~~"

Andrew didn't understand, but Espathra stepped forward to engage with the Arboliva.

It clicked for Andrew. "You mean I have to defeat you in battle to earn the right to take a Dolliv?"

"Arbolivaa~~"

Arboliva nodded.

They didn't mind if one of their own joined a human trainer, as they knew life with a human would provide care and comfort.

"Alright," Andrew agreed.

He was just about to call out Komala when Espathra turned and chirped at him.

"You want to battle?" Andrew asked, surprised.

Espathra nodded eagerly. It still hadn't gotten over its previous loss to Komala and was determined to redeem itself.

After a brief pause, Andrew gave a nod of approval.

He activated his Observation Eye to check Arboliva's stats.

Arboliva

- Type: Grass, Normal

- Ability: Seed Sower

- Gender: Female

- Level: 42

- Moves: Sweet Scent, Mirror Coat, Safeguard, Tackle, Absorb, Growth, Helping Hand, Razor Leaf, Take Down, Grassy Terrain, Seed Bomb, Energy Ball, Solar Beam, Leech Seed, Synthesis

[Individual Values]

- HP: 10

- Attack: 16

- Defense: 20

- Sp. Atk: 21

- Sp. Def: 24

- Speed: 11

Arboliva's stats were much lower than Espathra's, so it seemed like a fair fight.

But just in case Espathra struggled, Andrew knew he could fall back on Komala.

As the two Pokémon faced each other, Andrew signaled the start of the battle.

To Andrew's surprise, Arboliva began glowing, and crystals formed around its body. When the light faded, Arboliva was encased in gem-like crystals, with a crown of radiant jewels forming on its head.

It was a wild Terastallized Pokémon!

'That's not fair!' Andrew thought, frustrated by the sudden turn of events.

But then he remembered something. He rummaged through his system backpack and pulled out a purple orb—his Tera Orb, which he had earned from a previous mission.

Nearby, he spotted a Tera Crystal. Rushing over, he placed the Tera Orb on the crystal.

Gradually, the once-dull orb began to glow brightly, while the Tera Crystal dimmed slightly.

Once fully charged, Andrew hurried back to Espathra and threw the Tera Orb at it.

As the Tera energy surged from the orb, Espathra became enveloped in crystals, and when they shattered, Espathra stood tall, now Terastallized as well.

Having experienced Terastallization before, Espathra confidently let out a fierce cry, challenging Arboliva head-on.

'Let's see who's stronger!'

Both Arboliva and Espathra's Tera Types matched one of their natural types—Arboliva's Tera Type was Grass, while Espathra's was Psychic.

(Note: When a Pokémon Terastallizes, the Tera Type replaces its original types, but it still benefits from the original type's bonuses. For example, Arboliva, which is normally Grass/Normal, becomes pure Grass when Terastallized. It still gets a 1.5x bonus for Normal-type moves, but Grass-type moves now deal 2x damage.)

"Alright, let's begin!"

As Andrew's voice rang out, both Pokémon launched their attacks at the same time. Espathra used Lumina Burst, while Arboliva fired an Energy Ball.

With the power boost from Terastallization, both Pokémon's respective type moves gained a massive increase in strength.

The colorful Lumina Burst and the green Energy Ball collided in mid-air, causing an explosion that sent shockwaves through the area, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.

"Arven, get everyone to back off!"

"Got it!"

Arven quickly led Maschiff, Oinkolognes, and Charcadets to a safer distance.

The other Arboliva also guided Dolliv and Smoliv further away.

As the initial clash ended, Espathra's figure blurred as it used Agility to vanish from sight. Its greatest advantage was its speed. In the earlier battle against Komala, it had been suppressed so quickly that it couldn't showcase its full potential.

Before Arboliva could react, Espathra had already appeared behind it, unleashing another Lumina Burst.

Boom!

Arboliva was knocked to the ground, but as it hit the earth, a flash of light spread out beneath it, covering the area with a lush, green field.

It was Grassy Terrain!

Arboliva's ability, Seed Sower, activated when it was attacked, transforming the battlefield into a Grassy Terrain.

The green glow of the terrain quickly began healing Arboliva's wounds.

Arboliva got back on its feet and immediately fired another Energy Ball at Espathra, who retaliated with another Lumina Burst.

Boom!

Another explosion echoed through the battlefield, kicking up a cloud of smoke that obscured everyone's view.

Espathra took a long stride and jumped into the smoke, using its psychic abilities to sense Arboliva's location. It launched yet another Lumina Burst directly at its opponent.

This time, Arboliva's cry was even more pained.

Lumina Burst, aside from dealing damage, also has the additional effect of drastically lowering the target's Special Defense, making Espathra's attacks hurt even more with each hit.

After delivering its attack, Espathra vanished from its spot once again, causing Arboliva's next Energy Ball to miss its mark entirely.

Espathra's Speed Boost ability was in full effect, and with every moment, its speed only increased.

As the smoke cleared, Andrew saw Arboliva spreading its arms, the leaves on its body glowing a bright golden light as the energy of the sun gathered around it, quickly healing its wounds.

Arboliva was using Synthesis to recover.

With its Special Defense heavily reduced by Lumina Burst, the damage from Espathra's attacks had become overwhelming. The healing provided by Grassy Terrain was no longer enough.

Synthesis worked quickly, and in the blink of an eye, Arboliva's injuries were completely healed. At the same time, it began launching seeds into the air, one after another.

Don't be mistaken—this wasn't Seed Bomb or Bullet Seed. These were Leech Seeds.

Espathra swiftly moved its feet, using its speed to dodge the Leech Seeds.

However, Arboliva's Leech Seeds were far more troublesome than expected. Even when they landed on the ground, they remained effective.

Before long, the battlefield was littered with hidden Leech Seeds, and while running, Espathra unknowingly stepped on one.

In an instant, a green vine shot up from the ground, quickly wrapping around Espathra's long legs and binding its body tightly.

Espathra let out a cry as its energy was sapped, and Arboliva's injuries were healed once again.

Espathra used its psychic power to tear away the vines, regaining its freedom. However, the effect of Leech Seed persisted, continually draining Espathra's energy and restoring it to Arboliva.

Seeing that Espathra was now at a disadvantage, Andrew grew anxious. His mind raced, trying to think of a way to help Espathra turn the battle around.

"Espathra, let's use Uproar."

Hearing Andrew's command, Espathra hesitated for a moment, briefly pausing its movements. In the end, it chose to trust him.

As it ran, it let out a harsh, grating sound. Arboliva, who had been preparing an Energy Ball attack against Espathra, winced in discomfort, and the move was interrupted halfway.

"Espathra, keep using Uproar."

Espathra nodded, continuously producing the piercing sound from its mouth, even infusing its noise with psychic energy.

The disruption from Uproar caused Arboliva's head to pound painfully, preventing it from using any skills.

"Now's the time, Espathra, use Lumina Burst!"

Upon hearing Arven's command, Espathra wasted no time, hurling a colorful energy orb toward Arboliva.

With its special defense lowered twice, Arboliva couldn't withstand Espathra's full-force attack. It collapsed to the ground, knocked out cold.

As soon as it fell, it immediately reverted from its Terastallized state.

The other Arbolivas, along with several Dollivs and Smolivs, hurried to their leader, their faces filled with concern. They looked at it in a daze, unsure of what to do.

Andrew approached, feeding a berry to Arboliva while reassuring the remaining Arbolivas, Dollivs, and Smolivs, "Don't worry, Arboliva will recover soon."

Sure enough, before long, Arboliva slowly opened its eyes.

"Thank you~~"

It expressed its gratitude to Andrew and stood up, using Synthesis to heal its injuries entirely.

Andrew asked, "Arboliva, can I catch some of the Dollivs now?"

Arboliva nodded in agreement.

Andrew, pleased by the response, eagerly began to select a Dolliv.

Beforehand, he asked, "If any of you don't want to be captured, please step back."

Upon hearing this, several Dollivs stepped back, clearly not wanting to leave their group.

"Anyone else?" Andrew asked again.

The Dollivs exchanged glances, and a few more stepped back, leaving only five or six willing to be captured.

Using his observation eye, Andrew finally chose two Dollivs with the best stats from those willing to be caught.

Dolliv

Type: Grass, Normal

Ability: Early Bird

Gender: Female

Level: 25

Moves: Tackle, Razor Leaf, Sweet Scent, Absorb, Growth, Helping Hand, Flail, Grassy Terrain, Synthesis

[Individual Values]

HP: 30

Attack: 11

Defense: 14

Special Attack: 18

Special Defense: 20

Speed: 11

Dolliv

Type: Grass, Normal

Ability: Harvest

Gender: Female

Level: 28

Moves: Tackle, Sweet Scent, Growth, Razor Leaf, Helping Hand, Magical Leaf, Energy Ball, Synthesis

[Individual Values]

HP: 18

Attack: 9

Defense: 13

Special Attack: 21

Special Defense: 4

Speed: 3

Although their stats weren't outstanding, Andrew was only capturing them for their use in making cooking oil, so their stats didn't matter much.

After tossing the Poké Balls, the two Dollivs were successfully caught.

Dollivs, GOTCHA☆!

Andrew picked up the Poké Balls and released them again. Reaching out his hand, he said, "Dollivs, looking forward to working with you!"

"Dolliv~"

"Dolliv~"

The two Dollivs, neither shy nor reserved, were lively and bright. They placed their hands on Andrew's, showing their approval.

Seeing it was getting late, Andrew bid farewell to the remaining Arbolivas, Dollivs, and Smolivs.

"It's time for us to go."

The Arboliva leader nodded in acknowledgment.

At that moment, a few Dollivs and Smolivs stepped forward from the group and hugged the two recently captured Dollivs, expressing their reluctance to part.

"Let's head out."

With that, Andrew, along with Arven, mounted Espathra. The two Charcadets rode on the male Oinkologne, while the two Dollivs mounted the female Oinkologne.

As Espathra stretched its long legs and sped forward, the Oinkolognes and Maschiff quickly followed. The Dollivs, riding atop the Oinkolognes, waved goodbye to their kin.

As they set off on their new journey, their hearts held both the sorrow of leaving their group and excitement for the adventures that lay ahead.

(End of Chapter)