In the morning, Chris marched through the Mayan forest against the hazy mist.
Next to him was Totem Venusaur.
The enormous Pokémon bore a vibrant pink flower on its back, supported by a trunk-like connection resembling a light brown palm tree. At first glance, it looked like a tree, but its immense size made the resemblance even more striking.
Chris sat comfortably on Totem Venusaur's back, leaning against the trunk-like stem and shading himself under the petals spread open like a natural hat.
The night Chris received Bulbasaur, he took it to clear Project Volcano. During the adventure, Bulbasaur reached level 16 and evolved into Ivysaur.
With his daily schedule packed—morning studies, afternoon tasks, and evenings spent gaming—Chris made sure to grind experience points at the Mauville City underground power station. Half the experience went to Ivysaur, now a level 33 Venusaur, which evolved just after reaching level 32.
Totem Venusaur, more than three times the size of a normal Venusaur, lumbered through the forest like a moving turquoise hill, occasionally toppling trees in its path.
"Put those wild apples away," Chris commanded.
Two thick, emerald-green vines extended from the flower on Venusaur's back, plucking apples from treetops and carefully placing them in the basket strapped to Chris's waist.
"Four apples, three Chesto Berries, and two Wiki Berries," Chris counted. "Today's target is complete, right?" He glanced at his checklist and checked the basket on Venusaur's back.
Breeder camps weren't fully stocked, relying on resources from the Mayan forest. Trainers were assigned tasks like catching Pokémon, picking berries, or collecting rare soil and ores. Each task offered points redeemable for Pokémon items, some of which were incredibly rare and unavailable in markets.
However, the points required for secret Pokémon items were astronomical. Chris often wondered why anyone would exchange a secret treasure-level item for points when they could trade it elsewhere.
With limited resources, Chris focused on completing simpler tasks to get back to camp sooner. "Let's head back!" he said, patting Venusaur as it turned towards the camp's outskirts.
The forest fruits here had unique, faint aromas that distinguished them from fruits grown elsewhere. The Breeders Association staff could identify counterfeit fruits brought from outside and even caught one Trainer attempting to cheat.
Chris once considered transferring items from his handheld device but quickly dismissed the idea after seeing how strict the staff was.
Finding fruits in the Mayan forest was manageable after mapping out their locations. The real challenge was dealing with Pokémon groups, where a single misstep could lead to a group attack.
Back at camp with Venusaur, the area buzzed with activity.
Students and researchers focused on their respective tasks, but Chris's arrival caused a ripple.
Even though a week had passed, everyone still remembered the night he unleashed a red Gyarados during the Pokémon selection event. Whispers and glances followed him wherever he went. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒·𝗇𝗲𝘁
The disbelief was palpable, especially since word had spread that Chris was only a first-year student at Dragon University. For many, it seemed impossible.
Kaison mentioned that some people had gone as far as protesting to the Breeders Association, accusing Chris of using another trainer's Pokémon, which they claimed was against the rules.
The result? The protesters were thrown out in under a minute.
The Breeders Association had no tolerance for such complaints. Their policy was simple: if you could command the Pokémon, it was fair game. What's more, taming and commanding a notoriously temperamental Pokémon like Gyarados wasn't something anyone could fake. The protesters' jealousy couldn't have been more obvious.
The camp's organizer dismissed the issue entirely, and any lingering resentment against Chris faded into the background, albeit grudgingly.
Now, as Chris entered the camp with Venusaur walking beside him, he drew even more attention.
"Evolved again?" muttered someone, their voice tinged with disbelief. "And it's so big!"
This reaction wasn't new. On the second day at camp, Chris's Totem Bulbasaur had evolved into Ivysaur during a joint expedition into the Mayan Forest. Now, only a week later, Ivysaur had evolved into Venusaur.
The pace of progress was staggering.
Rumors swirled as to how Chris managed it. Some even joked about reporting him for using growth hormones on his Totem Pokémon. But they quickly dismissed the idea—any serious breeder knew better. Growth hormones, while capable of rapid early development, would sap a Pokémon's long-term potential, turning a once-exceptional Pokémon into something ordinary.
No one could believe that anyone as lucky as Chris, who owned a Totem Bulbasaur with seemingly limitless potential, would do something so reckless. Instead, they attributed Venusaur's rapid growth to its Totem nature. After all, Totem Pokémon had unique auras, and perhaps Chris's Venusaur possessed one that accelerated its growth.
Regardless of the theories, the difference between Chris and the other breeders was stark. While some trainers had only just seen their Pokémon reach their first evolution stage, others hadn't experienced any evolutionary progress at all.
The comparison was almost painful.
"Chris!" a voice called out from the front of a tent. It was Theodore, waving him over.
"What's up?" Chris asked, walking over.
"Get ready. We're diving into Mayan Forest!"