Yozora walked forward with Poochyena for a while longer, and sure enough, he soon spotted a troop of Vigoroth. Some were leaping about in the forest, some were brawling with one another, while others picked wild fruits to fill their stomachs.
Their restless activity formed a sharp contrast with the Slaking sprawled lazily in the grass nearby.
The Slaking lay with half-lidded eyes, seemingly glued to the ground. It was said they only bothered to roll over once all the grass in their immediate reach was eaten, embodying laziness to the extreme…
In stark contrast, the eyes of the Vigoroth blazed with energy, their bodies in constant motion, as though they had never once stayed still.
This was the fundamental difference between the Truant Ability and the Vital Spirit Ability.
Once Vigoroth evolved into Slaking, they would inevitably return to Truant.
"Anger Point…" In this jungle, there were also a few massive Slaking lying on the ground in deep slumber. Seeing them, Yozora suddenly recalled the Anger Point Ability.
A Pokémon with this Ability, when struck by a critical hit, would instantly fly into a rage, its Attack power rising by six full stages.
In other words, its strength doubled in an instant!
Slaking already boasted tremendous raw power—if it doubled that strength, what monster would remain to oppose it?
Moreover, Yozora speculated that once Slaking entered a berserk state, it might temporarily suppress its Truant Ability!
For most Pokémon, taking a critical hit could mean fainting on the spot.
But Slaking's massive endurance and defenses made it a perfect match for Anger Point—almost as if the Ability had been designed just for it.
Of course, these were only Yozora's guesses…
Whether Anger Point Slaking could truly negate Truant while enraged still needed testing.
With that thought, Yozora turned his gaze toward three Slaking resting nearby. If possible, he wanted to capture one immediately.
Pokémon: Slaking
Type: Normal
Ability: Truant
Level: Commander-tier, Mid Stage
Potential: Lord-tier
Notes: Exceptional talent, but the deeply ingrained Truant Ability limits its true potential.
Pokémon: Slaking
Type: Normal
Ability: Truant
Level: Commander-tier, Mid Stage
Potential: Lord-tier
Notes: Exceptional talent, but the deeply ingrained Truant Ability limits its true potential.
Pokémon: Slaking
Type: Normal
Ability: Truant
Level: Lord-tier, Initial Stage
Potential: Elite Four-tier
Notes: Exceptional talent, but the deeply ingrained Truant Ability limits its true potential.
Among the three Slaking, two possessed Lord-tier potential, and the strongest of them even carried the potential of the Elite Four-tier.
Yozora nodded slightly.
With a base stat total of 670, Slaking's lineage rivaled that of lesser Legendary Pokémon. Yet Truant crippled them, turning what should have been unrivaled beasts into useless slackers.
But if that Ability could be negated—even briefly—Yozora believed Slaking could ascend to Legendary potential.
"Then it's settled." Eager to test his theory, he locked onto the most powerful Slaking in the center and hurled a Luxury Ball.
But before the ball could even land, it was knocked away by a flying kick. In the next instant, a Vigoroth covered in snow-white fur and radiating manic energy leapt in front of Yozora.
"Graaaahhh!"
Soon, more and more Vigoroth came rushing in. In no time, nearly thirty of them had gathered, howling and glaring at Yozora.
Though fearless, Yozora's Poochyena at his feet trembled in fright.
In recent weeks, under Yozora's guidance, it had fought many battles and gained confidence.
But against thirty wild and ferocious Vigoroth, its courage faltered…
"Huh?" Yozora blinked in disbelief. Among the troop of Vigoroth stood a lone Slakoth.
The Vigoroth were tall, powerful, and sharp-eyed.
But the Slakoth, with its dull brown-gray fur and smaller body, stood out starkly among them.
More than that—it stood at the very center.
And unlike ordinary Slakoth, which were half-asleep, sluggish, and perpetually sprawled out… this one was upright. Its eyes were still somewhat listless, like dead-fish eyes, yet behind them burned an inexplicable determination.
It wasn't lazy at all. In fact, it radiated fighting spirit.
"Impossible… a Slakoth that isn't lazy?" Yozora was stunned and quickly pulled up its status screen:
Pokémon: Slakoth
Type: Normal
Ability: Bond Phenomenon
Level: Senior-tier, Initial Stage
Potential: Tier 3 Legendary
Notes: Intelligent, independent, and brimming with limitless potential.
"This…" Yozora was left speechless.
To think that aside from Ash's Greninja, there was another Pokémon capable of Bond Phenomenon!
And it was a Slakoth of all things.
If Slaking were freed from laziness, it would already be unstoppable. With Bond Phenomenon added on top…
The implications were staggering.
"Graaaah!" Several Vigoroth suddenly charged, pulling Yozora out of his daze.
"Hold it!" Yozora raised a hand, quickly saying, "What's the point of ganging up on me? By the rules of the wild—you fight one-on-one! No cheating!"
The Vigoroth stopped, exchanged confused looks, then turned toward the Slakoth, as if seeking its decision.
Yozora's eyes widened. They were stronger than it, yet they deferred to its judgment.
That natural leader's aura… irresistible.
He knew then he had to capture it.
"Graaaah!" The Slakoth let out a commanding cry.
The Vigoroth stepped back, leaving only one to face Yozora in a fair duel.
"How about it, Poochyena? No problem now, right?" Yozora crouched and grinned.
Poochyena's eyes hardened. Confidence flickered back into its gaze as it bounded forward, facing off against the lone Vigoroth.
The Vigoroth's glare was sharp, its stance dripping with arrogance. It beckoned mockingly with a hooked finger, taunting Poochyena.
The little Dark-type bristled, baring its teeth.
At that moment, Yozora suddenly felt his consciousness align with Poochyena's.
He could sense its anger. Its fighting spirit.
"Good! Poochyena, use Howl!" Yozora commanded.
"Awooooo!"
Poochyena's body burst with light. Its form swelled and grew, evolving on the spot!
The surrounding Vigoroth howled in alarm.
When the glow faded, Mightyena stood where Poochyena had been—muscular, imposing, with fangs bared.
"Graaaah!"
With a roar, a palpable aura radiated from Mightyena, weighing on its foe.
Intimidate.
The Ability had activated, lowering the opponent's Attack.
The Vigoroth flinched, sweat dripping down its face. Though it refused to yield, its movements grew stiff with fear.
Mightyena struck first, spitting out a ball of shadowy energy—Shadow Ball.
It exploded against Vigoroth with a boom, hurling it into its companions, knocked out cold.
Yozora's eyes lit up. "It learned Shadow Ball upon evolving… and already mastered it? Outstanding talent."
The remaining Vigoroth growled angrily. One after another, they rushed in.
But Mightyena swatted them down, one by one.
Soon, all thirty Vigoroth lay defeated. Only the Slakoth remained, standing tall, eyes blazing with resolve.
Mightyena, however, was weary after so many fights.
"Still good to go?" Yozora asked.
Though panting, Mightyena snarled in affirmation.
"Then finish this with Shadow Ball!"
A dark sphere flew—but the Slakoth sidestepped effortlessly, shocking Yozora.
Fast. Much faster than any Slakoth should be.
In a blur, it formed a Shadow Ball of its own, slamming Mightyena backward.
Its power wasn't overwhelming—only effective because Mightyena was exhausted.
"Rest, Mightyena. You've done enough." Yozora recalled it and sent out Jade, his Miltank calf.
The Slakoth instantly blurred forward, claws raking—Scratch.
But Jade's hide was too tough. The attack was nothing more than an itch.
Frustrated, the Slakoth's eyes flared. Its fists ignited with flames—Fire Punch!
The blows actually forced Jade back a step.
Angered, Jade retaliated with a mighty punch—but hit only air.
The Slakoth had burrowed underground with Dig.
It resurfaced several meters away, body flickering into five copies—Double Team.
Yozora chuckled, both amused and deeply impressed.
"What a dazzling move set… but against me, illusions won't work."
And the true battle was only about to begin.
(End of Chapter)