After Aiden Flint captured Pidgey, the journey through Petalburg Woods changed completely.
What used to be one Trainer and one Pokémon became an adventure of one Trainer and two Pokémon.
Whenever a wild Pokémon tried to attack Aiden, Treecko and Pidgey would take turns battling to build experience.
Strictly speaking, both Treecko and Pidgey had already reached levels where they could evolve.
But real life wasn't a video game.
Just because the level was high enough didn't mean evolution would trigger instantly.
So Aiden made a decision:
Before reaching Petalburg City, he wanted both of his Pokémon to reach their second stage.
If he could have Grovyle and Pidgeotto on his team, his overall strength would rise sharply—perfect for upcoming Gym battles.
At the moment:
Treecko was Level 19
Pidgey was Level 17
They'd leveled up quickly for a reason—Petalburg Woods was filled with wild Pokémon.
Still, the path from Littleroot Town to Petalburg City was only the outermost edge of the forest. Most wild Pokémon here were barely Level 12.
Against opponents like that, Treecko and Pidgey gained very little experience. In this area, they were practically unbeatable.
What these forest battles truly built was not levels, but teamwork, battle rhythm, and steadily increasing friendship.
Their real growth came from somewhere else.
Inside the System Space, Aiden used simulated battles to earn large amounts of experience—pushing Treecko and Pidgey to their current strength in just a few short days.
And now, to force evolution—
Aiden prepared the perfect challenge.
If equal or weaker opponents couldn't pressure them…
Then he'd make them fight stronger enemies.
Only pressure could force Pokémon to dig deeper and awaken the power needed to evolve.
"System," Aiden said, "set up opponents for Treecko and Pidgey."
"Make it the maximum challenge they can handle—enough to push them to evolve."
The system responded immediately.
A moment later, two new Pokémon appeared on the battlefield opposite them:
A Level 23 Combusken, and a Level 21 Pikachu.
These were their opponents.
The level advantage was obvious—four or more levels higher.
And with type matchups in play, the pressure would be immense.
Aiden's gaze sharpened.
Then he spoke to his partners.
"This battle—we fight as a team."
"It's a Double Battle. We coordinate, we cover each other, and we win."
"Push through… and evolve."
Treecko and Pidgey answered together, their cries filled with determination.
Treecko had always been hungry for strength. Battle and evolution were exactly what it wanted.
And Pidgey—ever since following Aiden—was willing to fight hard for him.
Both of them desperately wanted to evolve.
The Double Battle began.
The moment it started, the pressure hit like a wave.
Their opponents were evolved, stronger, and carried attacks that could end the fight in one mistake.
If Pidgey took a direct Thunderbolt, it would likely collapse instantly.
If Treecko got hit cleanly by Flamethrower, it would go down just as fast.
Even though this was simulated battle, neither Treecko nor Pidgey dared to relax.
Their bodies tensed.
Their instincts sharpened.
"Take the initiative!" Aiden commanded. "Treecko—Pidgey—Quick Attack, both of you! Hit them first!"
Both Pokémon burst forward, white light flaring behind them as their speed surged.
But Pikachu and Combusken moved at the same time.
Pikachu snapped into motion, using Quick Attack straight at Pidgey.
Combusken opened its beak and fired a stream of flames—
Flamethrower.
In the clash of skills—
Pidgey's speed simply couldn't match an opponent as fast and experienced as Pikachu.
After only a few seconds of struggle, Pidgey was slammed away and sent flying.
"Pidgey!"
Hearing Pidgey's cry of pain, Treecko's expression changed instantly—but Combusken's Flamethrower was already on it.
Treecko forced itself to focus, barely dodging to the side at the last possible moment.
First exchange—
Treecko and Pidgey immediately felt the crushing gap.
Aiden didn't panic.
"Pidgey, take to the sky—regroup! Then use Wing Attack and dive on Combusken!"
"Treecko, now! Bullet Seed—target Pikachu!"
His orders were sharp and perfectly timed.
After attacking, the opponents had a brief pause—an opening.
And Aiden seized it.
Also—
If Treecko focused on Pikachu, and Pidgey focused on Combusken…
Then the opponents' type advantage disappeared.
In the next moment, countless green seed-bullets poured from Treecko's mouth.
Pikachu, caught mid-recovery after ramming Pidgey, failed to dodge in time and took Bullet Seed head-on, letting out a pained cry.
Meanwhile, Pidgey forced itself back into the air and struck down with Wing Attack, crashing straight into Combusken.
Combusken clearly wasn't comfortable dealing with a Flying-type opponent.
After several quick exchanges, Wing Attack finally landed hard on its head.
As a Fighting-type Pokémon, Combusken took heavy damage from a Flying-type move.
The counterattack worked.
Both Treecko and Pidgey felt their confidence return—just a little.
But the opponent's next strike was ruthless.
This time, Pikachu unleashed Thunderbolt.
Electricity spread across the battlefield like a net—covering nearly everything, even reaching Treecko and Combusken as well.
Aiden's voice cut through the chaos.
"Pidgey—fly up! Fast!"
"Treecko—Mega Drain, target Pikachu!"
Pidgey tried to escape upward, but Thunderbolt's range was wide.
Electricity grazed its body—
And Pidgey was blasted out of the air, crashing down, its feathers blackened.
Treecko, meanwhile, forced out Mega Drain and held on.
Grass-type resistance helped it survive the electric surge.
And to Aiden's surprise—
Combusken, Pikachu's own partner, was also caught by Thunderbolt and took significant damage.
When the electric storm finally faded—
Pidgey lay scorched but still struggled, refusing to stay down.
Treecko was breathing hard, its eyes locked on the enemy with stubborn intensity.
"Pidgey! Treecko!" Aiden shouted. "Don't give up!"
"The battle isn't over yet!"
Hearing his voice, Pidgey trembled, then forced its wings against the ground, trying to push itself upright.
A sharp cry tore from its throat.
And in that very moment—
A brilliant white light burst from Pidgey's body.
The light of evolution.
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