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The item Venusaur took out made Ash's hand, which was about to refuse, pause, because the item he took out was of extraordinary significance to him!
Within the smooth, transparent orb was a transparent gene chain. This appearance... wasn't it a MEGA Stone?
To find a MEGA Stone here?! What kind of luck is this?
Just as Ash was thinking this, the faint guidance that had been in his mind also silently dissipated at this moment.
The moment the guidance disappeared, Ash also noticed. He looked at the Stone placed before him, then thought of the guidance that had vanished from his mind, and instantly understood. So, this was also part of the guidance?
Ash took the MEGA Stone from Venusaur's Vine Whip and examined it carefully... but couldn't make anything of it.
He only recognized MEGA Stone, but didn't really know the types of MEGA Stone, so he couldn't tell whose Stone this was. He would have to ask the experts in the group later.
"Ash, how is this gem so similar to the one we found in the cave back then? It's just that the color of the pattern in the middle is a bit different," Brock asked Ash, stroking his chin with a thoughtful expression.
Back in the cave, although the environment was dim, he still clearly saw the gem's appearance, which was almost identical to the current one.
Moreover, when Ash got both of these gems, his face showed joy. Could it be that Ash knew the purpose of these two gems?
"The type is the same, but the usage is different."
"What do you mean?"
"Hey, this is still in the research phase, so it's not convenient to disclose. You guys will know eventually, Brock," Ash put away the MEGA Stone, speaking in riddles to Brock and Misty.
Ash didn't intend to hide the matter of MEGA Evolution from them. They were all companions who spent time together day and night; even if he tried to hide it, it would be impossible. Moreover, MEGA Evolution would appear in reality one day, so there was no point in hiding it from his companions.
However, telling them now that there was another layer of evolution beyond the final Pokémon would probably make them think he had lost his mind.
So, it would be better to show them with facts.
If this Stone were a Stone he could use, then it might come in handy at the next Gym.
Although Misty and Brock were a bit confused by Ash's riddling behavior, they still expressed understanding. After all, Ash always liked to keep something hidden and then suddenly reveal it during battles.
They probably thought this was another item that could boost Pokémon, and then he would perform another leapfrog battle or something.
Hmph, if he thought that this would shock them, then he was greatly mistaken!
They were no longer the same as before! Now, no matter what outrageous behavior Ash did, they wouldn't be shocked!
...After getting what they wanted, Ash and the others bid farewell to Venusaur and left.
Those Ivysaur also returned to nature or their Trainers' sides.
On their way back, Ash and his companions saw many Trainers sleeping on the ground. Those Trainers were probably trying to find the true face of the Mysterious Garden, just like Ash and his companions.
However, they failed to pass the Mysterious Garden's defense system and eventually collapsed on the ground. If Misty and Brock hadn't had Ash's help, they would probably be in the same state now.
After returning to their tent, Misty and Brock immediately got into their sleeping bags and went to sleep.
After so many things, it was almost Platinum!
The giant tree in the Mysterious Garden had emitted a dazzling light earlier, making them momentarily forget that it was still the middle of the night.
It was already past four in the morning when they returned, and the sky would be bright in another two hours.
After the events concluded, they felt extremely tired, so they couldn't endure it at all after returning to the tent and immediately collapsed and fell asleep.
Ash, on the other hand, went into the group chat and asked whose Stone the one in his hand belonged to.
The answer he received surprised him greatly; this Stone was a MEGA Evolution Stone that his Pokémon could use!
And it could be used immediately.
Ash immediately exited the group chat, then, while Misty and the others were asleep, he secretly went out and tested MEGA Evolution with that Pokémon. The result was—a success on the first try!
MEGA Evolution not only required two items but also the bond between the Trainer and the Pokémon, and their bond was absolutely fine.
This success was also a matter of course.
After evolution, the extent of its power surge also exceeded Ash's imagination.
This increase was almost comparable to the Partner form. From now on, Ash would also have two Pokémon that could receive double buffs.
With double buffs, he could even defeat an Elite for you to see!
After the test, Ash returned to the tent. Pikachu, Misty, and the others were still sleeping soundly. Although they didn't do anything tonight, just waking up in the middle of the night was enough to exhaust them.
Not everyone was a prodigy like Ash.
After lying down, Ash entered the chat group again. On one hand, he was going back to report his information to the various experts; on the other hand, he wanted to ask how to train Venusaur.
Previously, Bulbasaur was trained at a normal, flexible pace, but Venusaur's training method was different from Bulbasaur's.
He not only had to train to improve its strength but also to train Venusaur's fighting style.
During the previous battle at the Fuchsia Gym, Champion Ash had already demonstrated it once, but that was only an initial demonstration. Ash still needed to ask for advice on how to improve it further.
"Breeder Ash: My suggestion is to put Venusaur in Professor Oak's backyard. The backyard is actually more suitable for Venusaur to improve."
"Newbie Ash: Put it in the backyard? Why is that?"
Although Professor Oak's backyard could also allow Pokémon to slowly improve, there was still a significant gap compared to training directly with Ash.
After all, in the backyard, only Gengar taught them, which was basically semi-free-range. Moreover, with Ash, they could also be assisted by Aura Power and Viridian Power.
After training and getting tired in the backyard, there were no means of recovery. At most, Professor Oak would help them recover with the machines in the laboratory when he had time, and that was all.
Compared to training with Ash, the progress would be considerably slower.
If there was no difference between training in the backyard and training with him, Ash wouldn't be rotating Pokémon all day long.
"Breeder Ash: Venusaur is different. He now possesses some of Xerneas's power. In fact, the power of a deity needs to be recognized by the deity to be used, whether it's the rainbow wing or the life branch you obtained."
"Breeder Ash: Venusaur received the recognition of the life branch, partly because of his exceptional aptitude, and partly because he has some similarities with Xerneas."
"Breeder Ash: Xerneas is a Fairy type Pokémon, known as the God of Life, the deity who controls the earth... He has many titles, but most are related to life, and Venusaur's commonality with Him is that Venusaur possesses immense vitality."
"Breeder Ash: Since Venusaur inherited some of Xerneas's power, he can naturally also train using Xerneas's training method, which is to absorb the life force of the earth and the life force of all things to improve himself."
"Breeder Ash: The life force of the earth requires Venusaur to be released for a long time, allowing him to continuously absorb it. This kind of improvement takes a very long time, meaning you have to keep Venusaur outside. Such a large Pokémon, if not returned to its Poké Ball and kept outside, would cause considerable obstruction to your travels, wouldn't it?"
Breeder Ash's words made Ash fall into deep thought.
If it was truly as Breeder Ash said, and he had to keep Venusaur outside all the time, then the progress of his journey would indeed slow down considerably, and traveling with such a large Pokémon would also be very conspicuous.
It would be fine in the wild, but in cities, there were regulations against releasing such large Pokémon for extended periods; otherwise, it would severely impede traffic.
So, if he were to train according to the situation Breeder Ash described, sending it back to Oak's Laboratory would actually be the best option.
"Breeder Ash: Additionally, if Venusaur is sent back, besides being able to absorb the life force of the earth, the flowers, plants, and trees in Oak's Laboratory also contain life force. You can't always travel in the forest, can you? Thinking this way, Oak's Laboratory is the most suitable choice in any case."
"Newbie Ash: Uh... if I suck Professor Oak's trees dry, he'll kill me, right?"
The laboratory's backyard had a thriving array of flowers and plants. If he sent Venusaur back and that area turned into a wasteland, Professor Oak would probably come at him with a knife to chop him down!
"Breeder Ash: You're overthinking it. Venusaur's absorption of life force isn't just simple absorption; it's absorption, feedback, then re-absorption, in a cycle."
"Breeder Ash: This positive cycle will not only prevent the surrounding flowers, plants, trees, and the earth from becoming barren, but will actually make them even more lush. Professor Oak will be thanking you."
"Newbie Ash: !!!"
There's such a good thing? Then Professor Oak really should be grateful to him.
Previously, Professor Oak had said that many ecological environments in the backyard took a long time to establish and were very troublesome.
Because different Pokémon live in different environments, to provide suitable living spaces for various Pokémon, the backyard was continuously being expanded and developed.
However, the funds and time required for expansion were not small. For Professor Oak, money was just a number; the main concerns were time and ecological cultivation.
If Venusaur truly had the miraculous effect Breeder Ash described, then it would indeed be suitable to return to Oak's Laboratory.
"Newbie Ash: Thank you, expert. Tomorrow, I'll tell Venusaur the situation and send him back."
"Breeder Ash: No problem. But speaking of which... hasn't your Pikachu been stuck at the professional peak for a while?"
"Newbie Ash: Uh... I don't think he's stuck, right? Pikachu only reached the professional peak less than ten days ago. How could he advance to the next level so quickly?"
"Breeder Ash: Really? Only ten days? I thought it had been a long time."
Ash looked at what Breeder Ash said, and a strange feeling arose in his heart. Could it be that... his Pikachu would encounter a bottleneck after quickly reaching the professional peak?
Or perhaps all Pikachu in parallel worlds were like this?
Ash didn't continue to press the matter. It wouldn't be too late to ask about it in the group once Pikachu really got stuck at this level... The next day, after the three woke up, Ash took them to the Pokémon Center first, called Oak's Laboratory, and told Professor Oak about the Mysterious Garden.
Upon learning that Bulbasaur had evolved directly into Venusaur, Professor Oak was also very surprised. Evolution was common, but two consecutive evolutions were rare.
When Ash first said he wanted to find the Mysterious Garden to give Bulbasaur a perfect evolution, Professor Oak was still a bit confused. Now that he knew Bulbasaur had undergone a double evolution, he finally understood what Ash meant by perfect evolution.
"But I really didn't expect that there would be such a magical thing in the Mysterious Garden..."
"Ahem, Professor Oak, you can slowly study Venusaur later. I've already decided to send Venusaur back." Seeing that Professor Oak seemed about to reveal something, Ash quickly interrupted him and stated the true purpose of his call to Professor Oak.
Misty and Brock were right there watching. If they knew that this trip to the Mysterious Garden wasn't based on information provided by Professor Oak, he would have to find another excuse.
And when Professor Oak heard that Ash was sending Venusaur back, his face also showed surprise.
Logically speaking, Venusaur had just evolved, and its power had increased so much. Ash should spend more time with Venusaur to familiarize himself with its newfound power and train him well, making him one of his main Pokémon.
Why was he sending him back to the laboratory now? This wasn't right, was it?
Subsequently, Ash stated his 'conjecture' for Venusaur's future improvement. He reiterated Breeder Ash's explanation, omitting the name Xerneas, and simply said that after absorbing the life branch, Venusaur gained a magical ability to control life.
He could even absorb life force from the ground to improve himself, and also give back to the ground, making the earth more vibrant, among other abilities.
Upon hearing that Venusaur might be able to assist in the environmental construction of the backyard, Professor Oak immediately became eager and told Ash to send Venusaur back.
He might not care about other things, but if it could enhance the backyard's transformation, then he was no longer sleepy!
This perfectly solved his urgent problem!