A torrent of psychic energy—so dense it was almost tangible—spiraled and condensed into a beam as thick as a water barrel. In an instant, it blasted forward, its target locked squarely on Charon, who was still hovering midair!
"Holy—DAMN IT!!"
Charon's soul nearly left his body as he cursed at the top of his lungs.
Without hesitation, he hurled out two Poké Balls.
"Quick! Protect!!"
A prismatic barrier barely wrapped around Toxicroak and Skuntank before the next second—
BOOOOM——!!!
The violet beam slammed home.
A mushroom cloud erupted in midair, completely swallowing Charon. Even the clouds above were blown apart, leaving a clear, empty sky.
Crack…
The sound of something shattering echoed—like glass breaking.
Two figures, wreathed in smoke, fell limply from the sky.
"So… so strong…"
Marley covered her mouth, staring at Peter in utter disbelief.
Peter shook his head, disappointed. "What a shame…"
At the distant edge of the sky, Charon, his clothes in tatters, was already fleeing at full speed.
With two Pokémon shielding him—and that absurd defensive tech of his—even Stored Power, boosted to thirty stacks and an effective power of 2480, still wasn't enough to keep him here.
Still… forcing a Team Galactic executive to retreat with heavy losses was already something to be proud of.
Just as Peter and Marley finally relaxed and waved toward Officer Jenny approaching from afar—
A chilling aura of destruction quietly bloomed from within the flower field.
Peter's expression changed instantly. He whirled around.
On the ground, the Skuntank that had crashed earlier was now radiating a blinding white light!
Explosion!!
"Dolliv—DANGER!!" Peter roared.
The closest one to the blast—
Was Dolliv, who had been standing at the very front of the formation the entire time.
Time seemed to freeze.
Peter didn't hesitate.
No—his body moved faster than his thoughts ever could.
He dove forward, pulling Dolliv tightly into his arms.
Dolliv possessed defense far beyond normal limits—but this was a near Gym-tier Explosion!
Peter didn't dare gamble.
But then again… how could his body possibly withstand it?
In that instant, instinct made the choice for him.
To protect.
BOOOOOOM————!!!
The earth shook violently. The deafening roar nearly tore Peter's hearing away, and the blinding white light forced his eyes shut.
Yet—
The pain he expected never came.
No numbness. No tearing agony.
Peter opened his eyes in confusion.
They were enveloped in a shimmering rainbow barrier.
It was Protect.
"Ha… I thought we were done for…" Peter exhaled shakily. "Are you okay, Dolliv?"
Dolliv forced a faint smile and shook its head.
"Dolli-no~"
But then—
Its small face scrunched in pain. Its tiny body began trembling uncontrollably.
The Explosion outside hadn't ended yet.
And Dolliv's stamina was completely depleted.
The rainbow barrier flickered—bright, dim—on the verge of shattering at any second.
"Hang on, Dolliv! I'll get us out right now!"
Peter pulled out a Summoner Skill Stone — Flash.
[Ding! Current area energy fluctuations are too intense.
To ensure safety, the summoner skill will activate after a 5-second guidance period. Countdown initiated…]
"…What is this, Hextech Flash?! Ensure safety my ass—if we don't blink now, we're DEAD!"
The system, of course, ignored him and began counting down anyway.
[5… 4…]
"Dolli-no…"
When the countdown reached 3, Dolliv's expression suddenly dimmed.
CRASH—!
The Protect barrier shattered instantly.
…It's over.
Peter instinctively lowered his head, clutching Dolliv tightly against his chest, shielding it with his own body.
In Dolliv's pitch-black eyes, scenes flashed one after another—memories, moments—
Until, in the end, there was only the boy in front of it.
"Stand behind Braum!"
That familiar, powerful voice echoed in its ears.
The despair vanished from Dolliv's gaze—replaced by a resolve stronger than ever before.
Dolliv broke free from Peter's embrace.
It stepped forward.
"Dolli-no!
(Master—stand behind me!)"
Peter stared at it blankly.
A dazzling radiance burst forth from beneath Dolliv's feet.
At the same time, a translucent wall formed in its grasp—rapidly expanding—before slamming down between them and the onrushing Explosion.
The overwhelming shockwave crashed into it—
And was stopped cold.
Moments later, the dust settled.
But the Pokémon standing before Peter—
Was no longer Dolliv.
Instead, there stood a brand-new Pokémon, towering at nearly 1.6 meters tall.
The seed atop its head had sprouted into a crown-like crest. The grass skirt around its body had shortened, extending outward into olive branches over a meter long, densely covered in green leaves and seeds.
Its once-round black eyes had become slender, serene slits. Long legs were wrapped in a fitted green skirt that split near the feet.
From afar—
It looked like a noble, elegant lady of the forest.
…
[Arboliva ♀ lv35 (Advanced)]
Ability: Seed Sower
(Seeds rich with life energy grow on its olive branches. When hit, they fall to the ground and automatically create Grassy Terrain.)
Talent: 510 (Reached species maximum)
HP: 90
Attack: 30
Defense: 110
Sp. Atk: 130
Sp. Def: 120
Speed: 30
Friendship: 222
Held Item: Leftovers
Move Proficiency Increased:
Protect (Mastered → Proficient)
Newly Learned Moves:
ReflectLight ScreenSafeguard
Description:
Arboliva, who achieved a perfect evolution by unleashing the power of its bond to protect its Trainer in a moment of crisis. Through this awakening, it unlocked dormant techniques in its bloodline, and its mastery of Protect increased dramatically.
…
Peter stared at Arboliva, completely stunned.
His chest felt… full.
Before the emotion could even settle, the system chimed again:
[Ding! Countdown complete. Confirm use of 'Flash'…]
"Get lost, get lost, GET LOST—what use are you now?!"
Peter shoved the skill stone back into his bag.
Nearby, the rest of his Pokémon rushed over, their worry impossible to hide.
"It's okay, it's okay…" Peter smiled warmly. "This time, we have Arboliva to thank~"
When his eyes met Arboliva's—
That subtle resonance of their bond made his smile even brighter.
"Don't move! Police! Raise your hands immediately!"
A motorcycle screeched to a halt. Officer Jenny leapt off, gun raised, and promptly kicked the three Team Galactic grunts on the ground.
Peter's mouth twitched violently.
How does someone like this even become an Officer Jenny?!
And why are you rewarding the bad guys with a free foot massage?!
His gaze drifted—entirely unintentionally—to Jenny's long, polished legs and high heels.
…Yeah. No idea why his brain went there.
-----
After that, things were straightforward.
Following a brief explanation from Peter and Marley, the three grunts were arrested on the spot, their Pokémon confiscated.
When the steel factory was searched, they discovered two men tied to office chairs—
The Fuego Ironworks director, Mr. Fuego, and the Pokétch Company President, Teruhiko.
According to them, Teruhiko had come to discuss a long-term partnership—only to be caught in a Team Galactic raid.
They had been imprisoned there for two full days.
During that time, every resource in the steel factory had been stripped clean by Team Galactic—
All for the sake of some unspeakable scheme yet to come…
--------------
Support the Story and Read 40+ Chapters early on P@treon:👉[email protected]/MPHFics