Pokémon: Dreams Come True Starting in Sinnoh

"Dinner's ready, come and eat!"

As dusk fell, an orange curtain enveloped the plains.

In an open area, Ash is commanding Ursaring and Torterra to battle. His goal is simple: to help Torterra adapt to its drastically changed body.

As for Hikari, she unusually didn't train with Ash today. Instead, she crossed her arms over her legs and quietly watched Ash.

At first, Hikari just wanted to figure out what the pattern was in Ash's commands and why he could so easily deal with all sorts of unexpected changes on the battlefield. She wanted to learn more from Ash.

But before anyone knew it, Xiao Guang had already frowned, and his eyes were filled with worry.

As for why...

"boom--"

The grizzly bear's arm swept past the forest turtle. This arm-hammer strike should have hit the forest turtle, but the forest turtle desperately tried to move to dodge it. It wanted to fight as it always had, using its agility to maximize its fighting area and confuse its opponent.

In fact, Turtwig's previous fighting style was perfectly fine, and that style brought it many advantages, leading to many victories for both Turtwig and Ash.

Even the doubles match that led to its evolution this morning.

Ironically, the turtle that had been striving to evolve and become stronger that morning was now completely unable to adapt to its body, its limbs feeling as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

It can no longer run like before; it even struggles to take a single step forward.

Just like now, it tried to move its limbs to avoid the grizzly bear's arm hammer, but it had only taken one difficult step to the side when it could not bear its own weight and fell to the ground.

The Circular Bear looked utterly helpless. It had initially thought it had gained a worthy opponent, but to its surprise, even though it had deliberately slowed down and reduced its strength, the Forest Turtle still couldn't continue fighting properly.

"roar~"

Ursaring let out a helpless roar at Ash.

After being trained by Snorlax, Ursaring no longer has the arrogant attitude it once had, and it no longer dares to show its "domineering and unique" side to Ash.

"Skin......"

Pikachu looked at Ash with pitiful eyes, then glanced at Torterra.

If it could, Pikachu would like Ash to stop training today, since it really didn't want to see Torterra's confused and pained expression.

......

"Hey, time to eat! You guys haven't finished training yet—huh?!"

Before Xiao Gang could finish speaking, Xiao Guang covered his mouth and shushed him. Then Xiao Guang took Xiao Gang back to the camp, leaving Xiao Zhi and the others there.

"really."

Ash didn't say anything about Torterra's behavior. He was just about to finish training today when Torterra stood up and shouted at him as he took out Ursaring's Poké Ball to recall it.

Pain was still evident in his eyes, but at this moment, the pain was mixed with resentment and determination.

That's all.

Ash ignored Torterra's gaze and, amidst Ursaring's relieved expression, recalled it.

“I know what’s going on with you right now, but these things can’t be gotten used to overnight, and it’s not good to rush things.”

"Clam....."

The forest turtle's voice sounded very low; it thought Ash had lost faith in it and for a moment had given up the idea of ​​continuing.

"Skin?"

Pikachu looked at Ash with a puzzled expression. Ash's behavior seemed unlike his usual self. However, Pikachu didn't think that Ash had lost faith in Torterra, but rather that Ash might have some other plans.

"You go back first, I need to talk to the forest turtle alone."

"Pikachu~"

Pikachu responded and then left the scene, looking back every few steps, leaving only Torterra and Ash standing opposite it alone.

......

The wind whistled through the gaps in the branches and leaves, creating a somber and hoarse echo that sent a chill through the forest tortoise.

"You've lost your speed advantage; you're no longer a grass turtle."

"..."

The tortoise kept its head down and didn't reply, thinking that Ash was scolding it.

But the next second, Ash's voice, which had been deliberately deep and serious, suddenly became cheerful, just like usual.

"So you'll have to get used to fighting with a completely new identity from now on~ I didn't expect that just losing speed would make you so dull."

"Clam...?"

The Torterra still doesn't understand what Ash means.

Knowing that the forest turtle might not be able to process what was happening right away, Ash pointed to a medium-sized rock in front of him and said, "Did you learn a new move? Use that move to attack it."

"..."

The Torterra hesitated for a moment, but then followed Ash's instructions and used its newly learned move on the rock.

Super absorption.

Countless vines sprouted from the ground, binding the boulder layer upon layer. After a flash of green light, the once solid boulder instantly turned into a pile of scattered broken stones.

"Clam......"

The forest tortoise didn't even realize that it had smashed the thing itself; it just stood there, stunned.

“Just like you see,” Ash said. “That rock was hard for you to break when you were a Turtwig, but after you evolved, you can crush it at will. You sacrificed your speed, but it filled the destructive power you lacked before like nutrients.”

Seeing the somewhat panicked look on the forest turtle's face, Ash chuckled softly and stroked its head, saying:

"Just like Ursaring had to change its fighting style after I caught it, the future Babydra will also have to make the same change after evolving. And after Ursaring and before Babydra, the one who has to make a change is you, and me as well."

As Xiao Zhi spoke, he said with some emotion:

"Evolution is a wonderful but troublesome thing. Evolution means growth and also challenges. Not only for you, but I, as your trainer, am also challenged. After all, in the future, I will no longer rely on your speed, but on the destructive power you now possess, which was unattainable before."

Seeing that the forest turtle's eyes were becoming clearer and clearer, Ash realized that it must have understood some of the truth.

"You're improving, but if you perform worse than before, that's my fault as a trainer. So don't blame yourself; if you don't perform well in future battles, blame me~"

Xiao Zhi smiled, pointed to himself with his thumb, and said:

"But I don't think that day will ever come. After all, you are very talented... You will definitely become an indispensable and the most solid shield for our team in the future!"

As the sun slowly set, under the bright and gentle moonlight, Ash knelt down in front of the Torterra, looking into its eyes with clear gaze, and made this promise.

The era of the grass turtle has ended, but the end does not mean the end, but rather the emergence of new forces and a new future.

.......

P.S.: I'm getting used to the new rhythm and trying to finish the explanatory story in one chapter QAQ