"Chaa~"
Deep within the Eterna Forest, a green blur flickered through the canopy. Sceptile, the undisputed Grass-type ace of Ash's roster, moved with the silent grace of a forest phantom. Its training sessions over the last few days had been grueling but rewarding; it had successfully mastered Dragon Pulse, Aura Sphere, and Earthquake—moves designed to give it the coverage needed to handle any threat the Sinnoh League might throw its way.
But this morning, Ash hadn't called for more move practice. Instead, he had patted Sceptile's leg and given it a directive that the red-armored Scizor had already made legendary: Wild Leveling.
Sceptile recalled its "friendly" sparring match with Scizor back at the lab. The steel mantis had shown off its Mega Stone, explaining that true strength wasn't just found in the gym, but in the efficiency of the "grind." By defeating large quantities of high-quality opponents, a Pokémon's internal energy would surge, and Ash would provide the items to facilitate that growth.
"Find groups with high quality or high quantity," Ash had instructed. "And remember—knock them out, don't kill them. We're here for the experience, not a body count."
The Search for Quality
Sceptile's first attempt had been the Combee swarms. They certainly had the "quantity," but after knocking out a dozen of the gentle honey-gatherers, Sceptile felt... nothing. Not even a spark of growth. It quickly realized these were "low-level mobs" not worth the effort.
Decisively, Sceptile pushed deeper into the woods, utilizing Quick Attack and Agility to become a green streak. It finally screeched to a halt after a single strike against a mischievous Teddiursa. A tiny, almost imperceptible surge of energy hummed in its chest.
Teddiursa... where there are cubs, there are bears.
Following a thunderous roar, Sceptile emerged into a clearing. There stood a massive group of Ursaring, their brown fur bristling and the yellow circles on their bellies glowing with territorial rage. The leader was currently roaring at the sky, clutching a fainted cub.
Sceptile didn't hide. It walked out into the open, its arm-blades glowing with the emerald light of Leaf Blade.
"Chaa~ (I'm the one you're looking for. Let's begin.)"
The Harvest of the Forest
The Ursaring pack, nearly a hundred strong, charged in a blind frenzy. To an ordinary Pokémon, this would be a nightmare. To Sceptile, it was a buffet of experience points.
It moved like a whirlwind. One punch, one Ursaring down. A Dragon Pulse from its maw cleared a path through three more. A spinning Dragon Tail swatted another into a tree. Within ten minutes, the clearing was silent, save for the heavy breathing of a hundred unconscious bears.
Sceptile clapped its claws together, satisfied. Its internal energy had jumped by a full percentage point—a massive gain for a Pokémon of its level.
Behind the fallen giants, fifty Teddiursa trembled in terror. Sceptile looked at them, then shook its head. They weren't worth the energy. Instead, it pulled a blue mechanical dispenser from its pouch. It left a pile of white Energy Cubes on the grass—Ash's signature "apology" for the bruising.
As Sceptile vanished back into the trees to hunt a group of Vigoroth, the Teddiursa crept forward. One nibbled a cube and its eyes lit up with golden light.
"Teddy! (Delicious!)"
The cub immediately forgot about its unconscious parents, happily devouring the high-calorie snacks.
The Trainer's Ledger
By the river, Ash was mid-swing in his own morning workout when the system notifications began to flood his mind.
Ursaring group defeated: +1,200 Gold Coins.
Leader bonus: +500 Gold Coins.
Regional multiplier active.
Ash wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a satisfied laugh. The "Wild King" Scizor was a great grinder, but Sceptile's speed and efficiency were on another level.
"Pika?" Pikachu looked up from his own training.
"The bank is filling up again, buddy," Ash said, looking at the rapidly climbing coin count. "Sceptile is officially a pro-level farmer. At this rate, we'll have enough for another Mega Stone before we even see the Eterna Gym."