The light in the forest, on a golden autumn afternoon, seemed exceptionally generous.
It was no longer the stingy light that struggled to penetrate the thick canopy, but rather poured down in large swaths, plating the layered maple leaves, the still verdant pine needles, and the broad leaves that were beginning to yellow and wither, with a warm, melting edge.
In the air, the fresh scent of pine resin, the sweet richness of ripe wild fruits, and the unique dry aroma of sun-baked earth mingled together, dispelling the dampness and dullness of previous days.
Minato sat leaning against a tree trunk, looking up at the sky.
His face had lost much of the greenness he had when he first entered the forest, his skin was slightly tanned by the sun and wind, and his jawline was a bit more defined.
His combat uniform was still stained with dust and grass, and the tear at his elbow had been roughly mended with tough vine fibers, but his overall mental state was like a fully drawn bow, ready to strike.
His gaze followed the swift, brown and white figure in the sky.
Pidgeotto.
Its body was a size larger than it had been months ago, its plumage deeper and heavier, especially the cluster of pink feathers on its head, which was as vibrant as a dancing flame.
Each beat of its wings carried a steady and powerful rhythm, and the airflow it generated could easily sway the tops of small trees below.
It circled above the forest clearing, its sharp gaze sweeping the ground below, like a patient hunter, or a monarch patrolling his territory.
For nearly a year, almost three hundred days and nights, they had traversed almost every inch of the outer perimeter of this vast forest.
From initially having to flee in a panic from Beedrill swarms, to later being able to directly defeat the encirclement of Raticate families, and then to single-handedly dealing with a berserk Ursaring... battle, endless battle, had forged both him and it into their current forms.
Scars became medals, and fatigue transformed into the cornerstone of their growing strength.
They were so familiar with this area that they could distinguish the different sounds of each stream in various seasons, remember which fruit trees bore the sweetest fruit, and predict when and where certain highly territorial Pokémon would likely appear.
"Almost there," Minato muttered to himself, his voice hoarse from prolonged concentration.
He withdrew his gaze from the sky, letting it fall on his open palm, where his fingertips were covered in thick calluses, and the edge of his palm bore unhealed abrasions.
"There's only one or two 'tough bones' left to find in the outer perimeter."
In the air, Pidgeotto seemed to sense his thoughts, letting out a clear, ringing cry.
It folded its wings and dove down like a sharp arrow, the wind pressure it created swirling the fallen leaves on the ground into a vortex.
It landed steadily on a large rock beside Minato, folded its wings, held its head high, its eyes flashing with undisguised battle intent, and a hint of... a desire for stronger challenges.
At its feet lay several feathers belonging to different bird Pokémon, varying in color, indicating that more than one aerial duel had taken place here recently.
"How do you feel?" Minato stood up and walked to the edge of the boulder, habitually reaching out to stroke Pidgeotto's smooth, tough feathers on its neck.
The touch on his fingertips conveyed vibrant vitality and energy that was almost overflowing.
Pidgeotto turned its head and gently rubbed his arm with its beak, letting out a short, affirmative "BEEP BEEP" sound.
Its condition was excellent, so good that it was even a little restless; the power coursing through its body urged it to engage in more intense, more self-proving battles.
Minato nodded, his gaze directed towards a certain part of the forest.
That was one of the recognized "forbidden zones" in this outer area, said to be home to an extremely powerful and ferocious Pokémon, an existence that many outer perimeter Pokémon dared not approach easily.
"Rest for a quarter of an hour," he pat Pidgeotto's back, "Then, we'll go meet that big guy."
The target was an Ursaring.
Not an ordinary individual, but the absolute leader of the bear Pokémon in this area, its body far larger than its kin, standing nearly three meters tall, the yellow ring on its chest so dark it was almost black, and it was said to be able to withstand most attacks and smash rocks with a single paw.
As Minato and Pidgeotto stepped into this Ursaring's territory, an aura mixed with a pungent smell and oppressive pressure immediately assailed them.
Violently broken trees and deep claw marks on the ground silently proclaimed the owner's strength and temper.
There was almost no superfluous probing.
"ROAR—!"
A deafening roar, like a sudden clap of thunder, shook the surrounding leaves to fall.
A huge shadow rose from the depths of the forest, and the Ursaring's crimson eyes instantly locked onto the intruders, its violent aura completely undisguised.
Minato opened the system to check Ursaring.
Name: Ursaring
Level: 42
Aptitude: Green
Skills: Hyper Beam...
Ability: Guts
Pidgeotto is 5 levels higher, we can fight.
"Gust! Disturb it!" Minato immediately ordered.
Pidgeotto's wings flapped rapidly, generating a strong whirlwind out of thin air, sweeping up sand, stones, and dead leaves from the ground, lashing out at Ursaring.
However, Ursaring merely waved its giant paw impatiently, and the wind pressure it created directly dispersed the whirlwind!
It stood upright, its massive body exuding a suffocating sense of oppression, and charged forward fiercely, the ground shaking with its movement.
"Quick Attack, create distance!"
Pidgeotto transformed into a white blur, narrowly dodging Ursaring's powerful pounce, and the spot where it had stood was left with a shallow crater from the bear's paw.
"Hurricane, aim for the eyes!"
A stronger current of air gathered, whipping towards Ursaring's face like an invisible lash.
Ursaring roared, crossing its arms to protect its head and face.
The Hurricane struck its thick arms, leaving only a few white marks, unable to cause effective damage!
Its defense was beyond imagination.
Ursaring was thoroughly enraged, its eyes glowing crimson, and it opened its massive mouth.
An incredibly hot energy began to gather in its throat, and the surrounding air twisted from the high temperature—it was Hyper Beam!
"Don't let it use it! Full power, Quick Attack its jaw!"
Minato's pupils contracted, and he shouted sharply.
This was a gamble; could Pidgeotto's speed interrupt the casting before the Hyper Beam fired?
Pidgeotto didn't hesitate in the slightest, its entire body erupting with white light to the extreme, boosting its speed to its peak, like a true white meteor, it fearlessly crashed into Ursaring's lower jaw!
"Bang!"
A dull thud echoed.
Ursaring's massive head was thrown back by the impact, and the half-gathered Hyper Beam lost control, exploding violently within its mouth!
The intense energy backlash made it howl in pain, its huge body staggered backward, its chest scorched black.
But Pidgeotto was also violently thrown back by the aftermath of the explosion, tumbling several times in the air before barely stabilizing itself.
Its left wing was noticeably bent unnaturally, its feathers disheveled, and its breathing was ragged.
Mutual destruction!
Ursaring recovered from the intense pain and dizziness, and pure rage completely consumed its reason.
It no longer used ranged skills, but instead, relying on its terrifying physical strength, it charged madly at Pidgeotto, who was temporarily unable to fly nimbly, its giant paw raised, carrying a tearing gust of wind, vowing to smash the annoying little bird into a pulp!
In a critical moment!
Minato's heart almost leaped out of his chest.
He watched Pidgeotto struggling to fly, saw the unyielding flame in its eyes, and observed the increasingly strong energy fluctuations that were beginning to uncontrollably emanate from its body... Now was the time!
"Pidgeotto!!!"
He used all his strength, letting out perhaps the most hoarse and desperate shout of his life.
It was as if some shackles had been broken, some power accumulated to its peak had finally found an outlet for release.
"Pidge—ot—!!!"
Pidgeotto let out a long cry that pierced the sky, entirely different from before!
The sound was high-pitched, majestic, and carried a sense of new power.
Dazzling white light, without warning, erupted from its body!
It wasn't the gentle glow caused by an Evolution Stone, but a fierce, brilliant light of evolution, like a small sun!
The light instantly engulfed Pidgeotto's form, and rapidly expanded and stretched!
Minato instinctively shielded his eyes with his arm from the blinding light, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, almost suffocating.
Within the light, a silhouette was vaguely visible, rapidly changing, growing larger, becoming more slender, more powerful...
When the white light receded like a tide, what was revealed before Minato and the Ursaring, which had stopped in surprise and uncertainty, was a brand new existence!
Its body was several times larger than the previous Pidgeotto, and its posture was more majestic and magnificent.
The originally brown and white feathers had transformed into a deeper, more luxurious brown and white color scheme, especially the cluster of feathers on its head, which was no longer pink, but had become incredibly vibrant, like a king's crown, a golden-red long feather that extended to its back, swaying in the wind, carrying a breathtaking majesty.
Its tail feathers also became extremely long, with sharp arrowhead shapes at the ends.
Its eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and as it looked around, it exuded a haughty and powerful aura of looking down on all living things.
Pidgeot!
It stretched its wings, which seemed to contain a storm; this simple action alone stirred up a stronger airflow than the previous "Gust" skill, completely clearing the surrounding dust.
That Ursaring felt a deadly threat from this sudden drastic change and the aura emanating from Pidgeot, which was far more formidable and terrifying than before.
It let out a low growl mixed with fear and unwillingness, actually daring not to advance, but instead retreated step by step.
Pidgeot—having just completed its evolution, its gaze calmly swept over the retreating Ursaring, then turned to Minato, and gently nodded.
The next moment, its wings suddenly spread wide!
Without using any skill, simply by the power of its wings, it transformed into a blurred afterimage, instantly appearing above Ursaring's head!
Its speed was so fast it exceeded the limits of what the naked eye could perceive!
Ursaring only had time to see a huge shadow looming over it, and those cold, emotionless eyes.
Pidgeot's new, stronger and more powerful wings, like two giant axes, descended in a cross-slash, with a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air!
"Boom—!"
A dull thud, and Ursaring's massive body, capable of smashing rocks, was sent flying backward with a wail, as if struck head-on by a battering ram.
It crashed through two trees the size of a bowl, then rolled to the ground, completely losing consciousness.
One hit!
With just one blow, relying on pure physical strength and speed, it defeated a formidable enemy that previously required a bitter struggle or even mutual destruction to handle!
Pidgeot slowly descended to the ground, its golden-red head feathers gleaming with a molten gold luster in the autumn sun.
It looked back at Minato, letting out a long and powerful cry.
"Pidge—ot—!"
Name: Pidgeot
Level: 40
Aptitude: Purple
Ability: Big Pecks
Skills: Brave Bird, Hyper Beam.
Minato used the skill scroll he had drawn earlier.
This cry declared the complete conquest of the outer region, and also heralded the arrival of a new era.
Evolution brought about earth-shattering changes.
The biggest change was in the sky.
When Minato first, somewhat unskillfully and cautiously, climbed onto Pidgeot's broad, sturdy back, tightly grasping the elegant, long feathers on its neck, an unprecedented feeling seized him.
"Take off."
At his command, Pidgeot spread its wings, and its powerful legs pushed off the ground.
"Whoosh—!"
A fierce rush of wind instantly filled his ears, and a sudden sense of weightlessness came over him.
The ground rapidly receded in his vision, trees quickly shrank into green specks, and the mountains, which he once had to look up at, now seemed like models on a sandbox.
They broke through the canopy's blockade and truly arrived beneath the boundless sky!
The sunlight poured down unobstructed, and the clouds seemed within reach.
The wind whistled in their ears, but it was no longer an obstacle, but a companion lifting them to soar.
Looking down, the endless forest stretched like a green ocean, with rivers winding through it like silver ribbons.
The expansive view was exhilarating, and the year's worth of accumulated suppression and confinement in his chest was completely washed away at this moment.
The sky was no longer an unattainable backdrop, but had become their domain, their battlefield!
And this airspace, naturally, had its original owners.
I'm posting many TL fan.
This fanfic will continue or not depends on how well this fanfic, survival of the fittest