The morning sun streamed into the room as Serena stood at the second-floor bedroom door, gently knocking.
"Carl, breakfast is ready."
She remembered Carl mentioning the gym's grand reopening today, but after knocking for a while, there was no response.
"That's odd, could he have already left?"
Turning to head downstairs, she bumped into Emboar. The big guy pointed toward the back of the mountain, indicating that Carl had already gone up.
"No way?" Serena stared up at the mountain peak in disbelief. "He went hiking this early?"
At the summit, Carl stood before the sapling of the World Tree. Skillfully, he let a drop of blood fall onto its roots, causing the sapling to glow a vibrant green.
In the glowing light appeared an ancient-looking stone tablet, capturing Carl's curiosity.
"Could it be a legendary artifact?" he joked to himself. "I'm getting ahead of myself; such things don't just appear."
Examining the tablet, Carl discovered its practical function. This magnetic stone could create a natural magnetic field within a 20-meter radius, aiding certain Pokémon evolutions and enhancing Steel, Rock, and Electric-type skills. Additionally, the field could help Steel-types regain stamina and attract specific Pokémon. Best of all, he could control it at will, simply by marking it as his own with a drop of his blood.
The gifts from the World Tree were indeed extraordinary. Though he grumbled about the blood, Carl didn't hesitate. With another drop, he felt a subtle connection to the stone. Now, he could control the magnetic field anytime.
"Perfect for replacing my makeshift device in the front yard," Carl mused, pleased as he pocketed the stone. "Perhaps today Blaziken will master Thunder Punch."
Before leaving, he checked on the two mysterious Pokémon eggs and the personality mint seeds planted around the World Tree, ensuring everything was in order. The garden soon returned to its tranquility.
On his way down, halfway up the mountain, Carl encountered a breathless Serena.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised.
"Ah!" Serena jumped at the sudden voice, but quickly recognized Carl and ran over. "Carl, we need to leave. Something's off here."
"Off?" Carl frowned. Within the World Tree's domain, he had absolute control and security. How could there be a problem?
Serena clung to his arm, her voice trembling. "I just got caught in a ghost wall."
"A ghost wall?" At first, Carl was puzzled, then he chuckled. He knew Serena had a love-hate relationship with spooky stories, often scaring herself with ghost tales.
In reality, the World Tree's sapling created a protective field covering most of the mountain. Without Carl's permission, outsiders could only wander in circles.
"Did you try walking back?" Carl stifled a laugh.
"No way!" Serena shook her head vigorously. "The books say turning back in a ghost wall traps you forever."
Carl suddenly spun her around. "Now, head back!"
Serena's face turned pale. "I'm doomed!"
Carl mischievously used telepathy to call out, "Serena, come here!"
"Ah—!" The unexpected voice startled her into a scream, and she fainted.
Looking at the unconscious Serena, Carl realized he might have taken the joke too far.
"Such a scaredy-cat," he muttered, picking her up to carry her down the mountain. Along the way, they ran into the fox and Emboar.
The two Pokémon exchanged knowing glances. Carl quickly clarified, "It's not what you're thinking."
The fox blinked in understanding, and Emboar gave him an encouraging nod.
"You guys don't know anything," Carl sighed.
When Serena awoke in the dining room, the warm light left her disoriented. "Was it another nightmare?"
"Awake now? Breakfast is getting cold. Hurry and eat," Carl called out, having sensed her stirring.
"Carl, about the back of the mountain..." Serena pointed toward it, still a bit shaken.
"Don't worry, it's nothing supernatural," Carl reassured her, wiping his mouth. "I set up something special back there, creating a maze effect. I'll guide you through it another day to prevent getting lost."
Relieved that it wasn't a supernatural occurrence, Serena felt much better. She wisely refrained from prying further, knowing Carl didn't want to elaborate.
"Let's have breakfast. The soy milk and fried dough sticks are quite nice. Afterward, we'll head to the gym for the reopening. I need to sort something out in the front yard," Carl said, heading out.
Serena's culinary talent was undeniable. Her first attempt at making fried dough sticks and hand-ground soy milk was already comparable to renowned eateries. What more could she achieve with practice? Carl thought, walking along.
The taste was indeed special. As Serena savored her breakfast, she recalled how, back in Havenport, she rarely visited the few American diners in her suburban area, honing her cooking skills instead.
"If this is what ordinary ingredients can do, imagine using Pokémon-related materials," she mused, naturally pondering how to enhance flavors. If Carl found out about her innate talent, he'd surely be in awe.
In the front yard, Carl placed the magnetic stone from the World Tree sapling near an artificial magnetic field. "Rhino, dig a hole," he instructed.
Carl waved at his Rhyhorn, munching on some rocks. Reluctantly, Rhyhorn paused its meal and trotted over, using its Dig skill to carve a hole. Carl buried the magnetic stone and had Rhyhorn fill it back in. Though the stone was useless to thieves, hiding it felt safer.
"Activate the field," Carl thought.
An invisible magnetic field spread from the underground. While Carl felt no change, Rhyhorn reacted intensely. It suddenly stopped, dashing to the buried stone's spot, rolling around like a jovial armored dog.
Carl shook his head, amused but left it be, as he received new information: the field could enter an enhanced mode for three hours monthly, attracting Steel and Electric-types from a fifty-kilometer radius, with even stronger allure for Rock-types. The closer and higher-quality the Pokémon, the more likely they were to come.
Understanding Rhyhorn's excitement, Carl realized the potential of drawing in high-quality Pokémon. With this thought, he released Blaziken.
"Blaziken, try Thunder Punch. See if it feels any different."
Blaziken hesitated, reminding Carl, "Aren't we saving energy for the gym battle today?"
"It's not formal training, just testing if the modified field helps skill practice," Carl explained.
Blaziken nodded, focusing on channeling its inner electric energy.
For a Fire and Fighting-type like Blaziken, mastering Thunder Punch wasn't easy. Over a month of intense training allowed it to initially harness electricity, but full control was still elusive.
Sparks danced on its fists, the blue-gold glow flickering. Yet, as the energy neared formation, it suddenly unraveled, dissipating into the air.
Carl and Blaziken exchanged a glance, not with disappointment, but shared excitement.
Previously, training had only allowed Blaziken to briefly summon electricity, struggling with stability. Given the volatile nature of electric energy and its lack of experience, progress had been slow.
In this world, Pokémon learned skills through relentless practice, battle experience, or trainers' unique techniques. Carl's patient guidance was paying off, as the magnetic stone's aid led to significant improvement.
"So, feeling anything new?" Carl asked eagerly.