After leaving the dense grasslands behind and following the directions on the signposts, Theo and his group stepped into the territory of Fortree City, a place embraced on all sides by a vast and ancient forest.
Little Ice Vulpix, Little Fire Vulpix, and Deino all leapt lightly down from Metagross's back, their round eyes filled with curiosity as they took in the lush greenery surrounding them.
As for Tyrantrum and Volcarona, the two troublemakers who loved to fool around, they had already exhausted all their energy earlier and were now quietly resting inside their Poké Balls.
Earlier that afternoon, while traveling, Tyrantrum had clung stubbornly to Volcarona, insisting that it wanted to play the "growing wings and flying" game again.
After several days of harsh training within Metagross's gravity field, Volcarona had already gained a high level of mastery over the coordination and strength of its three pairs of wings. Its flying moves had become increasingly refined and skillful.
It first used its front two pairs of claws to firmly grip Tyrantrum's back, then activated its Psychic move.
Theo had stored two Psychic TMs in his system space, and over the past few days, he had already used them all on Volcarona.
With the assistance of telekinetic power from Psychic, combined with the force generated by its three pairs of wings, Volcarona quickly managed to lift Tyrantrum off the ground and into the air.
Although the height was not particularly great, the sensation of wings beating so close to its body made Tyrantrum feel as if it had grown wings itself. The thrill was no less exciting than when it had previously flown using the combined telekinetic power of Metagross and Milotic.
Tyrantrum howled wildly in the air, its cries echoing like a ghostly wail mixed with sheer excitement.
Once they resumed traveling, Theo had simply assigned the task of scouting and pathfinding entirely to the two of them.
Encouraged by Tyrantrum's constant praise of "amazing" and "higher, go higher," Volcarona paid no attention to its stamina consumption. It carried Tyrantrum as it darted freely through the air and above the tall grass, weaving and turning with agility.
From time to time, Volcarona would even perform midair spins and sudden directional changes, putting on a dazzling series of aerial maneuvers and tricks, clearly enjoying itself.
The result was inevitable.
The moment they landed, Volcarona's wings were trembling uncontrollably. Even so, it stubbornly insisted that it wanted to return to its Poké Ball to "reflect on its insect life."
When Theo heard that phrase, he almost burst out laughing. The viewers in his livestream had really taught it all sorts of strange expressions.
As for Tyrantrum, after experiencing that series of flashy aerial stunts, especially the spinning and flipping in midair, it found itself completely unable to adapt.
The moment it touched the ground, it could not even stand properly. Its body swayed unsteadily, complaining about dizziness, and it even gagged from time to time. In the end, it too had no choice but to return to its Poké Ball to rest.
After this ordeal, it was very likely that Tyrantrum would not be clamoring to fly again anytime soon.
"Slow down, don't trip!" Theo called out with a smile.
Up ahead, Deino and Little Fire Vulpix were playing a game of tag, chasing each other back and forth, their laughter and playful noises echoing through the forest.
Theo followed behind them at a leisurely pace, holding the well-behaved Little Ice Vulpix in his arms.
Metagross hovered silently at his side, continuously scanning the surroundings with its psychic senses, remaining alert to any potential danger and ensuring the safety of both its trainer and companions.
As they continued forward, something suddenly changed.
Metagross's gaze sharpened slightly. A strand of psychic power gently landed on Theo, stopping him from taking another step forward.
Theo turned his head to look at it. Metagross gave a subtle shake of its head, indicating that something unusual lay ahead.
At the same time, Metagross also used its psychic power to stop Fire Vulpix, who had been chasing after Deino.
Following Metagross's line of sight, Theo focused his attention carefully. Only then did he notice, near a tree in the distance, a faint ring of red patterns floating in midair, flickering in and out of visibility in a strange and eerie manner.
If Metagross had not pointed it out, he likely would have missed it entirely.
Meanwhile, Deino was still running happily, completely unaware of the situation, heading straight toward the tree.
"Bang!"
It was as if Deino had slammed into an invisible wall of air. Ripples spread through the empty space, and it was violently bounced backward, tumbling onto the ground in a clumsy roll.
At that moment, the seemingly empty space beside the tree began to change.
The red ring patterns grew more distinct, gradually outlining a clear shape.
In the end, a lizard-like Pokémon, roughly the same height as Deino and standing upright, appeared before Theo.
Its entire body was a vibrant green, with a striking red band encircling its belly. Its tail curled into a shape resembling a lollipop, giving it a rather unique and charming appearance.
Theo's system panel instantly displayed its information:
[Pokémon: Kecleon]
Type: Normal
Category: Color Swap Pokémon
Ability: Color Change (When hit by a move, its type changes to match the move's type.)]
Moves: Lick, Astonish, Fury Swipes, Shadow Sneak, Psybeam, Shadow Claw, Brick Break, Slash, Screech, Substitute, Iron Tail…
"Dei?"
Deino wobbled as it got back on its feet, shaking its dizzy head. It let out a series of aggrieved and angry cries, as if demanding to know who had just hit it.
Perhaps its head was still spinning, or perhaps its bangs were covering its eyes, but Deino ended up facing the wrong direction entirely, barking furiously at a small tree to its left.
Ice Vulpix, who was in Theo's arms, had initially been startled by the sudden appearance of Kecleon. But upon seeing Deino's confused and pitiful state, it could not help but let out a soft giggle, its gentle, fluffy voice echoing lightly through the forest.
Theo was also amused by Deino's dazed expression. He gently scratched under Ice Vulpix's chin and said with a smile, "Deino, turn your head. It's on the right. You're shouting in the wrong direction."
Hearing this, Deino quickly shook its head vigorously, finally correcting its orientation and spotting Kecleon in the distance.
In an instant, its anger flared up.
It felt that making a fool of itself was entirely this green lizard's fault. It bared its teeth and roared at Kecleon, clearly intent on demanding an explanation.
Kecleon, on the other hand, was equally displeased.
It had been peacefully napping in the forest when it was suddenly disturbed. Not only had this little black creature run into it, but it had the audacity to bare its fangs and act as if it were the victim. The sheer injustice of it made Kecleon furious.
With a battle about to break out, Theo did not step in to stop them. He wanted to see just how much Deino had improved after all this time of training.
Deino quickly calmed its cries, its gaze locking firmly onto this unfamiliar opponent as it launched a probing attack.
It slightly opened its mouth, and a dense mass of dark energy rapidly gathered between its teeth. In the blink of an eye, a sharp black wave of energy shot forward with explosive force.
It was Dark Pulse.
The speed of the attack was astonishingly fast. Kecleon barely caught a glimpse of the dark glow forming in Deino's mouth before the attack was already upon it, leaving it no time to dodge.
The Dark Pulse struck it head-on, sending it tumbling across the ground in a series of rolls, leaving it in a rather disheveled state.
Fortunately, Kecleon's special defense was remarkably high, and it did not suffer any serious damage.
(End of Chapter)