"Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble," Ace said, trying to reassure the Blaziken. "I just want to pick some berries, nothing else..."
Before he could finish, the two Blaziken sprang into action. The berry trees behind them were essential for their survival, and with an outsider trying to lay claim to them, they were thoroughly enraged. The two Blaziken moved in from the left and right, unleashing Flame Kicks toward Ace. Their decisive and swift actions left Ace feeling a bit helpless.
"Looks like there's no room for negotiation."
Ace sighed and looked at his Blissey. Blissey immediately charged forward, blocking a Flame Kick with each hand. Then, with a simple reversal, she grabbed their lower legs and slammed them into the ground with a powerful Seismic Toss.
Thud! Thud!
The Blaziken were left dazed, lying on the ground and staring blankly at the sky.
"Seriously, you're too stingy. Are there not enough berries on this tree for you?" Ace said with a touch of exasperation. "Did you really have to get yourselves beaten up before you'd cooperate? Why go through all that?"
As he spoke, Ace stepped over the Blaziken and headed toward the berry trees. The remaining five Combusken in the Torchic flock were protecting the younger Torchics, but they were intimidated by Ace's approach and didn't dare to attack him.
"Their courage is lacking. But they're the rulers of this small island with no natural predators, so it's understandable," Ace thought, shaking his head as he glanced at them.
Originally, when he first saw the Torchics, Ace considered catching one. After all, Blaziken can Mega Evolve, and raising one would be a good investment. But after seeing how timid the Torchics were, Ace immediately gave up on the idea. The two Blaziken, while not strong, at least had the guts to attack him. However, the remaining ones lost all will to fight after seeing the Blaziken defeated. To Ace, this meant their character wasn't up to par. Training a Pokémon without fighting spirit would be too much of a hassle.
Ace casually picked an Oran Berry, wiped it, and took a bite. The flesh was soft and juicy. The sweet flavor made him hum in satisfaction. It was no wonder so many Pokémon loved berries; they tasted great.
"Let's grab some to take back," Ace told his Pokémon. Crobat and the others immediately rushed to the berry tree, picking and eating. Soon, they had gathered many Oran Berries.
However, this "plundering" behavior completely angered the Torchics. One Torchic ran out from behind a Combusken and, without a word, shot a torrent of Sparks at Ace. Its bravery was commendable, but its power was too weak.
Victreebel fanned a leaf, swatting the Sparks away. The Torchic's attack couldn't even get close to Ace. Realizing its ranged attack was useless, the Torchic charged at Victreebel, pecking at it with its beak. Victreebel simply flicked a leaf, sending the Torchic sprawling. Its weak attacks couldn't even scratch Victreebel.
But this particular Torchic was surprisingly stubborn. After being knocked down, it defiantly stood back up and charged at Victreebel again. It charged once, twice, three times...
After a while, Victreebel started to get annoyed. It opened its mouth wide, ready to unleash an acidic Sludge Bomb.
"Let's go. We're done picking." Ace's words snapped Victreebel out of its anger. It sent the Torchic flying with a leaf, knocking it unconscious. Victreebel then happily hopped after Ace, heading back to their camp.
Even after Ace and his Pokémon left, none of the other Torchics dared to step forward and stop them. On this small island, they might be able to handle other wild Pokémon through sheer numbers. But when faced with a Trainer like Ace, they were nothing more than a disorganized mob. They were weak, lacked combat experience, and aside from their numbers, they were completely useless.
Ace and his Pokémon returned to their campsite. With the extra Oran Berries, their dinner was quite a feast. Ace chopped up the berries and mixed them with Pokémon food and Rare Candies, giving his Pokémon a unique treat. Blastoise and Lapras had caught a Magikarp and a Kingler. One was made into a fish soup, the other steamed. With fruit for dessert, Ace was very satisfied.
Just as they were eating dinner, a rustling sound came from the bushes in the distance. Ace put down his steamed Kingler claw and frowned slightly. Soon, a bruised and battered Torchic burst out of the bushes. It let out a high-pitched cry toward Ace before charging at him.
Victreebel's vines instantly shot out, wrapping up the Torchic when it was still ten feet away.
"This little guy has some guts," Ace smiled. As Victreebel brought the Torchic closer, Ace extended a hand and placed it on the Torchic's head. He quickly understood what the Torchic meant. Ace looked at the Torchic with a playful expression. "You want to come with me?"
The Torchic, bound tightly by the vines, let out a muffled cry. Ace couldn't tell what it meant.
"Don't resist this time, got it?" Ace warned the Torchic. Then, he placed his hand on its head again. The Torchic understood Ace's intentions and submitted without resistance.
Soon, Ace was able to access the Torchic's memories. Its life story unfolded before him.
The Torchic was only six months old. From the moment it was born, it disliked its environment. The tiny island felt like a cage, and its fellow Pokémon were lazy and unmotivated. It was more aggressive than its peers, but every time it tried to train or battle, its flock would reject it. They felt their current life was great—they had plenty to eat and drink. Their flock was large, so no foolish Pokémon would dare try to steal their food, which in turn led to their mediocre fighting skills.
It was a result of their unique environment on a small island. If this berry tree were on the mainland, the Torchics wouldn't be able to defend it at all. The scarcity of berry trees would mean only the strongest could enjoy them. A place with such a unique geography was likely one of a kind.
This Torchic wanted to change, but everything around it encouraged complacency, which made it feel helpless. But today, Ace's arrival showed the Torchic what true strength looked like. Even when faced with a large flock, Ace didn't back down, and the entire group couldn't do anything to him and his Pokémon. It saw the Blaziken defeated, the Combusken silenced, and experienced the gap in strength firsthand.
So when it woke up, it dragged its painful body to find Ace. It didn't want to live a life of decline. It wanted to battle. The fighting genes within it made its choice clear.
It wanted to leave with Ace and see the world!