Pokémon: Trainer Paul

"Return. You did well."

Although he lost this battle, Paul was satisfied with the outcome.

After all, if their roles were reversed, he would have shown his opponent the true meaning of ruthlessness.

"Come back, Drapion. You fought hard."

Aaron recalled his Drapion, feeling a sense of relief in his heart.

He was relieved that Grotle wasn't too strong yet. If it had reached an Elite or Gym Leader level, this battle might have turned into a complete disaster for him.

Even though he won, he couldn't deny that this match had shaken him far more than his battles against Steven Stone or Cynthia.

"Paul, right? Your battle strategy and training methods are impressive—especially your Grotle..."

Aaron paused for a moment before nodding in acknowledgment.

"If you were to specialize in Grass-type Pokémon, based on your battle style and approach, I believe you could—no, at the very least, you would become the Grass-type Elite Four in the future."

"Thanks for the battle, and I appreciate the compliment."

Paul gave a slight bow as a sign of gratitude before replying. "However, I have no interest in becoming a Grass-type Elite Four."

With Pokémon like Grotle and Electabuzz under his command, he saw no reason to raise another Pokémon along the same path. Even if he simply replicated their training methods, his future achievements would still be remarkable.

But as a trainer with ambition, Paul refused to limit himself to such an approach.

"That's a shame..."

Aaron sighed, feeling a deep sense of regret that the Pokémon League would lose a future Grass-type Elite Four.

It was definitely not because he, as a Bug-type Elite Four, didn't want another strong Grass-type specialist competing with him.

Absolutely not.

"Next time, I'll be back for another challenge."

With a slight bow, Paul turned and left.

"Damn! What kind of monster was that? He nearly made you lose!"

As soon as Paul walked away, Arsen couldn't help but exclaim.

Objectively speaking, Grotle was strong, but not overwhelmingly so—it hadn't even reached the level of a Gym Leader's ace Pokémon.

Yet, despite that, it nearly turned the tide against Aaron's Drapion just because Aaron had underestimated it. How ridiculous was that?

"This kind of battle style is easy to misjudge the first time. My main issue was underestimating him. If I were to fight him again, I'd be better prepared. But still... he's a tough opponent."

Aaron let out a sigh. If he faced Paul in another battle, he was confident he could secure an easy win.

But that wasn't something to be proud of.

As an Elite Four, defeating others should be expected—dominating them should be the norm. Struggling in a match was unacceptable.

"Keep working hard. Among trainers of your age, you're just above average—not even a genius yet."

Aaron patted Arsen's shoulder.

"I have another match against Cynthia coming up. Time for some special training."

With that, Aaron left, planning to digest the shock and some inspiration that Paul's battle had given him.

A Trainer's Reflection

Paul didn't head to the Pokémon Center. Instead, he walked to the riverside and released all of his Pokémon.

"Grr~"

"Vul~"

"Cha-cha~"

"Ursa~"

"Gar-de~"

"Kuu~"

All six Pokémon collapsed onto the ground, each one looking more exhausted than the last.

The worst off were Ursaring and Grotle—one had been accidentally injured by an overexcited Drapion, while the other had pushed itself too hard in battle.

Neither of them even had the energy to greet their teammates.

"Gardevoir, use Heal Pulse."

Paul took out all the berries he had, distributing them among his Pokémon to help them recover some strength. Then, he turned to Gardevoir.

"Gar-de~"

Having eaten the most berries and recovered the fastest, Gardevoir raised both hands and released a soothing Heal Pulse to aid the others.

But Heal Pulse wasn't a miracle cure—otherwise, Pokémon Centers wouldn't need operating rooms.

Even after Gardevoir gave it her all, Ursaring and Grotle still had visible wounds.

Paul had no choice but to use the last of his Max Potions, spraying the wounds on Ursaring and Grotle. The medicine quickly reduced the severity of their injuries, though full recovery would still take time.

Ursaring was in relatively better condition. After a good night's rest, it would be back to its full strength.

Grotle, however, was in worse shape. Many of its roots had been damaged during its battle with Drapion, and some of its vital energy had been depleted.

"No training for today. Take time to reflect on your battles and process what you've learned. If you feel like training, stick to your usual routines."

Since this was a rare opportunity to challenge an Elite Four, Paul decided to let his Pokémon relax and adjust their condition.

"Ursaa~"

Ursaring sat on the ground, chatting with the others about the battle and exchanging insights.

"Cha-cha~"

Dewott didn't immediately rush off to train alone. Instead, it engaged in the discussion, analyzing the battle for any overlooked details.

"Vul~"

Vulpix lay comfortably on Grotle's back—until it suddenly felt itself being lifted.

"Don't lie there. Move."

Paul casually tossed Vulpix aside before gently stroking Grotle's head, checking its condition.

"Can you still use Ingrain?"

Knowing that Grotle's roots had suffered severe damage, Paul asked with concern.

"Grr~"

Grotle nodded, then hesitated before shaking its head.

It could still root itself, but not as effectively as before.

"As long as you can root, that's enough. Focus on growth—restoring your energy and accelerating your metabolism will help you recover faster."

"Grrr~"

Following Paul's advice, Grotle buried its roots into the ground, using Giga Drain to absorb energy. It also summoned Sunny Day, activating Photosynthesis to produce nutrients and stimulate growth.

"I originally planned to let you try this later, but given the situation, we'll do it now."

Paul opened his backpack and pulled out a small-pale yellow seed brimming with life energy.

"Grrr~"

Grotle could immediately sense the seed's powerful vitality.

"This is a Miracle Seed. It contains highly refined life energy. If you carry it, your Grass-type moves will be stronger. But instead of holding onto it—eat it. Use its power to restore your depleted life force."

Items were valuable, but in the end, they were just tools.

"Grrr~"

Without hesitation, Grotle swallowed the seed.

A surge of pure life energy spread from its core, flowing through its body. The energy repaired its injuries, replenished its strength, and even boosted its overall power.

"Pay close attention to this energy. Compare it to the energy you gather when using Energy Ball."

"Grr?"

Energy Ball?

Grotle paused, then focused on the life energy within its body. It soon realized that the energy from the Miracle Seed felt similar to the energy used in Energy Ball.

However, compared to the Miracle Seed's pure energy, Energy Ball's energy was more chaotic and had offensive properties.

Why was Paul making it focus on life energy?

Why had he insisted that Grotle retain a move like Energy Ball, which wasn't often used in battle?

The answer was simple—

Energy Ball: Fires condensed life energy gathered from nature. Sometimes lowers the opponent's Special Defense.

By mastering this move, Grotle was essentially learning how to collect life energy.

And life energy, as its name suggested, could serve as the third major external energy source—alongside Earth Power and Solar Power—in the Growth Training Method.

Ash had demonstrated multiple times in the anime that Grass-type Pokémon could absorb Energy Ball's energy to enhance their power.

This proved that life energy could be used for power enhancement.

Moreover, by integrating life energy into its training, Grotle could refine its Growth Method into something even greater.

And one day—perhaps—it could even create an entirely new superior growth technique.

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