With a thunderous roar!
As the light of evolution faded, the figure of the Ninetales evolved from Vulpix fully stabilized.
At the same time, Terrance let out a sigh of relief.
Compared to the pure white fur it had as a Vulpix, Ninetales' fur had now turned a pale blue. At the same time, the part where its tails connected to its body had deepened slightly in color, shifting from light blue to a deeper blue.
Unlike Ninetales of other regions, the Alolan form's head hair were now longer and more flowing, while its tails had become even fluffier and graceful. Bathed in moonlight, Ninetales seemed to have merged with the moonlight itself.
It was as if it was—
A Fox of Moonlight!
Ninetales' deep blue eyes seemed to contain a moon within them, making it appear incomparably mysterious, noble, and elegant.
As its evolution completed, Ninetales shook its body once, and in an instant, the lingering Fairy energy around it scattered, turning into glimmering motes of moonlight that danced away into nothingness.
Under the starlit glow, Ninetales slowly emerged from the Fairy Aura and walked toward Terrance, nuzzling him affectionately with its head.
"Congratulations," Terrance said inwardly, filled with joy.
Ninetales' aura surpassed his imagination. Just from its aura alone, it was clear that the evolution had been extremely successful, and all the accumulated potential had finally burst forth through this evolution.
Its strength had reached an extraordinary level.
"Work a little harder, and you'll be able to catch up to your seniors," Terrance said with a gentle smile as he stroked Ninetales on the head.
Having grown up with a golden spoon in its mouth, Ninetales, after later acquiring Fairy Aura, a top-quality Ice Stone, and undergoing the baptism of the power of moonlight, now possessed extraordinary potential and strength. Once it masters the Hail weather to the same level as Castform, its strength will enter the top tier.
For a Ninetales with the Snow Warning Ability, who had been laying a solid foundation since early on, this was not a difficult goal.
"So beautiful…"
Off to the side, Troy and his Beedrill had already been completely captivated by Ninetales. Its beauty almost made them lose themselves.
"Their aura…" Troy's heart raced.
Bathed in the moonlight stood not only Ninetales but also the Mega Altaria radiating Fairy Aura. Both Pokémon exuded a noble and elegant air. To Troy, the sight of these two Pokémon together was the most beautiful thing in the world.
Nothing could surpass them.
Troy, who had never witnessed such a grand scene before, was utterly stunned.
"Beedrill, we'll have to work even harder."
Having witnessed Terrance's process of nurturing Ninetales and seeing such a once-in-a-lifetime moment, Troy's heart burned with fervour. He had glimpsed a broader world.
…
…
Three days later.
The two appeared near Mount Hideaway.
Along the way, Troy continued searching for the plants needed to train Toxic.
According to the Rotom Pokédex, Mount Hideaway was said to grow several ingredients necessary for formulating Toxic.
That was the reason they had come here.
Throughout the journey, Terrance had been fairly satisfied with Troy.
Aside from a few others, Troy was one of the more talented Trainers Terrance had ever met.
His talent was a blend of hard work and intelligence, the kind Terrance appreciated most.
Most importantly, though Troy came from humble origins, he had good character and was pure of heart. Like Ash, he was a born Trainer.
"His talent might not quite match Ash's, but with some guidance, he could very well become an outstanding Trainer in the future. Once he finishes mixing the Toxic formula, I'll send him to Fallarbor Gym. Battling a variety of Trainers there should help him grow rapidly."
Terrance looked at Troy, who was scouting the path ahead, and sighed softly.
Speaking of Ash… Terrance felt a complex mix of emotions.
That person was the type of Trainer blessed with maxed-out luck, someone whose potential was utterly unpredictable. From Terrance's perspective, Ash's bond with Pokémon was unmatched; perhaps that was the key reason behind his countless fortunate encounters. The boy would risk his own life to save a Pokémon he'd never met before. Just that quality alone made Terrance feel inferior. It was only natural that Pokémon would love him, and that he could form such deep connections with them.
Fortune favours fools.
"Why did you stop walking?"
Seeing Troy suddenly stop, Terrance called out.
"He… he… that… that person is…"
Troy stammered as he pointed toward a muscular man shadowboxing amid a pile of rocks.
"…" Terrance slapped his forehead.
He had completely forgotten that Elite Four Bruno was training here at Mount Hideaway. It has been over a month already. Has he not left yet?
"Isn't that one of the Indigo League's Elite Four, the superstar Master Bruno?!" Troy exclaimed excitedly.
"No need to get so worked up, but yes, that's the real deal," Terrance said calmly, pulling Troy behind him.
At that moment, Bruno seemed to notice the two of them. With a powerful leap, he shot nearly ten meters into the air, so high that Troy nearly swallowed his tongue in shock.
Boom!
Bruno landed firmly on both feet and looked toward Terrance, whose lips were twitching.
A monster… Terrance couldn't help but complain inwardly. How could a human jump that high? He had heard the rumors before, but seeing it with his own eyes was beyond comprehension. Psychic abilities felt downright normal compared to this.
"Hahaha, you must be Terrance! I knew you'd come eventually."
"Huh? And this is…?" Bruno asked, looking surprised.
"Master Bruno, allow me to introduce you. This is my Fallarbor Gym's apprentice, Troy," Terrance said, pulling over Troy, who had come back to his senses.
"Master Bruno! Hello! I've watched your battle tapes!" Troy said excitedly. Elite Four were some of the strongest Trainers in the world, and he was meeting one in person!
Wait, something felt off. Did Mr. Gym Leader actually know Master Bruno?
Troy blinked and turned to look at Terrance in disbelief.
"All right…" Terrance rubbed his temples, realizing he had underestimated just how influential the Elite Four were among Trainers.
"Master Bruno, it's been over a month already. I thought you'd left by now."
"If you'd come a few days later, I would've been gone. I came to Mount Hideaway to capture a giant Onix, and that goal's been accomplished. With the Indigo Plateau Conference about to begin, I'll be heading there soon," Bruno said casually.
"Giant Onix?" Troy froze, glancing at the shattered rocks scattered around them. A bad feeling crept up his spine.
Could it be… that Master Bruno had already destroyed the giant Onix?
"Looks like you've caught quite a promising Pokémon, Master Bruno. How about a battle? My apprentice here seems to admire you quite a bit, why not show him some of your skills?" Terrance suggested.
Bruno revealed a surprised expression: "That's actually a good idea. I've been training the newly captured Onix for a while now. This would be a perfect test of its progress."
Huh? A battle?
Troy suddenly realized something was off about how this was all unfolding.
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