"Green Grass Trial?" Carter's i was immediately piqued.

  Naoki nodded and expined, "Yes, this is a trial I retly opehe trial sists of battles against Grass-type Pokémon, desigo help challengers like you practid increase their Pokémon's experience when fag Grass-types."

  "And if you pass all the trials, you’ll get a mysterious prize I’ve prepared!"

  Hearing "experieh Grass-type Pokémon" and the mention of a mysterious grand prize, Carter's eyes lit up with excitement. "I want to participate!" he decred.

  Without hesitation, Carter took out a Poké Ball, and with a fsh of white light, his trusty Delibird appeared before Naoki.

  "Delibird, we've got a new battle! Are you ready?" Carter's voice was filled with determination.

  “Bibi!” Delibird fpped its wings, responding with a firm, fident look.

  "Very good, full of spirit!" Naoki praised with a smile. "But before we begi me expin the rules of the trial to you."

  Naoki led Carter to the simple battlefield he had prepared earlier, waving to the three Gogoats. They quickly trotted over.

  Naoki tinued, "The trial is divided into three levels. The first level is a 1v1 battle, where you send out a Pokémon to fight one of the Gogoats."

  "The sed level is a 2v2 battle. You’ll send out two Pokémon, but you’ll o fight two Gogoats at the same time."

  "And the third level."

  "3v3?" Carter interrupted eagerly. "I send out three Pokémon to fight all three Gogoats in a team battle?"

  "That's right," Naoki firmed with a nod. Then, with a serious tone, he added, "Team battles are a great way to improve a trainer's ability to and multiple Pokémon and to cultivate synergy between your team. It’s an excellent trainihod."

  Hearing this, Carter ched his fists iermination. "I uand! we start now?"

  The Ice-type Delibird naturally had the advantage over the Grass-type Gogoat. Plus, with their grueling training over the past few months, Carter and Delibird were now in top form. With three gym badges uheir belt, Carter believed the Green Grass Trial would be a breeze.

  Naoki gave a nod, signaling his approval. "Of course."

  He stepped bad gave his Gogoat a knowing ghe leader of the goats immediately uood, eagerly charging into the battlefield.

  Naoki approached the Gogoat and whispered, "Take it easy, alright? We don’t want to knock him out too fast. Let’s give him a proper challenge."

  The Gogoat gave a brief look of fusion but quickly caught on, nodding in agreement. "Meah!"

  Pleased, Naoki stepped aside and called out to Koraidon, asking him to grab a few gsses of juid milk from the fridge. These were special drinks, brewed by Naoki himself, known for their powerful restorative effects.

  Carter, watg this, was a bit fused. "Mr. Naoki, aren’t you going to give yoat any ands?"

  Naoki shook his head with a smile. "The Gogoat knows what to do."

  He then asked, "Are you ready?"

  Carter and Delibird nodded in unison.

  Naoki, mimig the referees from the anime, decred, "Let the battle begin!"

  "Delibird, use Icy Wind!" Carter aaking the first move.

  Delibird fpped its wings, sending a wave of freezing air toward the Gogoat. But instead of dodging, the Gogoat stood its grouement gleaming in its eyes. It stamped its hooves, causing a brilliant green light to erupt from the ground, enveloping the etlefield.

  The air shimmered with the glow of the mystical grasses swaying all around.

  To Carter's surprise, the attack seemed to have no sting effect. Instead, a gentle healing light emerged from the grouh the Gogoat, rest its body.

  "What?" Carter gasped in disbelief as the Gogoat charged headlong at Delibird, its hrowing rger and sharper with every step.

  Carter quickly ordered, "Delibird, dodge a airborne!"

  The bird flew upward, barely avoiding the goat's powerful horns, but before Carter could rex, thick vines shot up from the Gogoat's body, stretg high into the sky in pursuit of Delibird, turning the battle into a thrilling aerial chase.

  "Get out of the way! Dodge!" Carter's rhythm was pletely thrown off by Gogoat's relentless pursuit, and he could only shout ands in a panic.

  Unfortunately, the evasive maneuvers didn’t work.

  Gogoat's Vine Whips twisted together during the chase, f one massive vihat surged higher than Delibird in an instant.

  Then, like a crashing stone pilr, the vine smmed down with a loud thud, striking Delibird and sending it spiraling to the ground in a cloud of dust.

  As the dust settled, Delibird y dazed in the crater, its eyes spinning like spirals, clearly knocked out of the fight.

  Carter stood there, stunned.

  What kind of move was that? So powerful!

  "Unfortunately, you’ve failed the challenge," Naoki said as he walked over and handed a gss of juid milk to Delibird.

  Moments ter, Delibird's eyes fluttered open, and after drinking the st sip of milk, it was back to full health.

  Carter rushed over, intending to ask about Gogoat's strange Vine Whip attack, but his attention was quickly drawn to the gss of milk.

  "What’s that? Isn't that healing effect a little too extreme?"

  Naoki smiled. "This is the power of food."

  Carter blinked in fusion. "???”

  Wait! ordinary food really do that?

  Seeing his bewildered expression, Naoki chuckled and expined half-seriously:

  "It’s not just ordinary food. I have a unique ability—when I make food, I i with my heart aions, which creates meals that help Pokémon grow and recover."

  Naoki khat the extraordinary abilities of his Pokémon would likely draw attention iure, so it was better to offer an expnation now. After all, the world had its fair share of strange powers.

  "That kind of ability exists?" Carter paused for a moment, thinking. "Is it like Aura, Psychic powers?"

  The academy library had books that mentiohese mysterious abilities.

  Unlike Pokémon, these powers ma in lucky humans, granting them magical abilities.

  Psychic abilities work simirly to Psychic-type Pokémon.

  Aura is said to enable oo sense everything around them. In aimes, those with this ability were referred to as Aura Guardians.

  "Exactly," Naoki nodded.

  “I see." Carter finally uood. He turned back to Gogoat: "Was that Vine Whip it used just now?"

  "That’s right. Once Vine Whip is fully mastered to the limits, it be used with that kind of power."

  Naoki g Gogoat, who was still eager for more a, and asked, "Do you want to tihe challenge?"

  Carter looked at Gogoat, seemingly an ordinary Pokémon, but the memory of its impressive moves—Grassy Terrain, Horn Leech, and especially the devastating Vine Whip—fshed in his mind.

  Despite Delibird’s Ice-type advantage, one well-pced Vine Whip had ehe battle swiftly.

  There was no denying it; he and Delibird were no match foat at this point.

  Carter felt an instinctive urge to back down. The strength Gogoat had just dispyed was beyond anything even the gym leaders of Paldea had shown.

  But theiced Delibird. Despite its earlier defeat, Delibird was ready, looking at Gogoat with fierce determination.

  “Bibi!” it chirped fidently.

  Carter was taken aback but quickly uood what his partner wanted.

  “Alright! Let’s fight again!”

  Naoki, surprised by Delibird’s unyielding spirit, said, “I didn’t expect Delibird to have such a strong will.”

  He tinued with a calm smile, “You’re wele tain anytime.”

  Then, after a brief pause, he added, “But remember, don’t approach this trial with the usual mi. Winning isn’t the main goal here—gaining experiend learning how to face tough oppos is.”

  “Think of yourself as the Champion of Paldea, and ask yourself, what would a Champion do?"

  Hearing this, Carter felt as if he had suddenly realized something. He thanked Naoki early: "Thank you very much for your teag, Mr. Naoki. I uand now!"

  Naoki breathed a sigh of relief. Using trainers like Carter to help his Gogoat vent its energy was like tending to crops. He couldn't let them lose their spirit before the goal was achieved.

  "Let’s get started!" he announced.

  This time, Carter ged his fighting style.

  He took a more defensive approach, retreating while dodging Gogoat's Vine Whip, carefully looking for opportuo strike.

  Gradually, Carter and Delibird began to focus entirely otle, finding a rhythm as they worked together.

  But just when Carter thought they were getting the hang of it, Gogoat suddenly shifted its tactics.

  It leaned forward slightly, its eyes log with fierce determination on Delibird, who was h mid-air. Grass-type energy gathered in Gogoat's mouth, rapidly f into a massive grass bde.

  In the blink of an eye, Gogoat charged forward with incredible speed.

  The enormous bde sshed through the air, and Delibird was instantly struck, crashing to the ground and losing its ability to fight.

  "O! Defeated i again!" Carter excimed, shock flooding his face.

  After Naoki revived Delibird with some juid milk, Carter hurriedly asked, "What... what was that move?! Does Gogoat know that teique?"

  "Leaf Bde," Naoki replied simply. "But Gogoat didn’t just use Leaf Bde. It bi with the Flying-type move, Aerial Ace."

  Aerial Ace + Leaf Bde: Approach with Aerial Ace, attack with Leaf Bde, and instantly knock the Delibird to the ground.

  Carter: “…”

  Oh my god! How a Pokémon use Leaf Bde like that? Even the Grass-type Gym Leader's Pokémo use Leaf Bde like this!

  This is too unreasonable!

  No, to be more precise, the strength of this Gogoat is terrifying, isn't it? Gym Leader level? Elite Four? Or even Champion?

  Carter felt frustrated after being knocked out i twi a row. But then, he ged his mi and thought, isn’t it a blessing to have such a strong oppo as a sparring partner?

  Seeing the determined expression on Carter’s faaoki smiled and asked, "Are you going to give up?"

  Carter took a deep breath, feeling both the pain of defeat and the thrill of the challehen shook his head firmly: "No! We must pass this trial!"

  "Very good." Naoki gave an approving nod.

  The first level of the Green Grass Trial, third challenge, officially begins!

  Time passed by as the sun rose high and then slowly set.

  Naoki stood aside and watched the battles unfold. His expression ged from joy at the beginning to as time went on.

  Would he turn this kid into a masochist?

  As the su and the horizon turned e, all the energy ihree Gogoat had bee. Though tired, they were happy from the bottom of their hearts.

  After all, battling is much more enjoyable than their usual way of burning off energy!

  Naoki patted their heads, then asked the Cyclizar t a basket of grass dumplings and pour them into the trough.

  The three Gogoat returo their pen and began to eat their dinner tentedly.

  Carter and his Delibird colpsed on the ground, exhausted.

  Although the magical food Naoki prepared could restore Delibird’s physical strength, it couldn’t make up for the mental energy spent on these intetles.

  The Delibird, visibly tired, y on the ground, weakly g before falling into a deep sleep.

  Seeing this, Carter returned Delibird to its Poké Ball and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work, now you rest."

  Naoki looked at the young trainer and couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.

  "To be ho, I admire you two."

  After a whole day of battling, although Carter hysically exhausted, he felt invigorated in spirit.

  He said, "No, Mr. Naoki, we should be the ohanking you."

  Naoki: “…” This kid is really something else.

  Carter gazed at the Poké Ball in his hand and said, "Delibird and I learned so much today. Even though we were knocked out with a si every time, I feel that we’re improving."

  Naoki was a little surprised by Carter's optimism and smiled, saying:

  "I'm gd to have helped. I hope you tio grow through this trial. Your Delibird has great potential."

  "Hmm?" Carter’s eyes lit up. "Mr. Naoki, have you ever seen a powerful trainer with a Delibird?"

  "I’ve heard stories," Naoki replied, thinking of a famous trainer: "There was orainer whose Delibird was so powerful, it could freeze time itself and eve legendary Pokémon."

  "Freeze time a legends." Carter murmured, utterly amazed by this information. "How strong was that Delibird?"

  "Who knows?" Naoki shrugged.

  Carter, p something, suddenly asked, "Mr. Naoki, you must be a very skilled trainer, right?"

  Naoki bliaken aback. "Why do you say that?"

  Carter replied, "Because you’ve traihese Gogoat so well! And you even taught Caterpie how to use Electroweb!"

  Naoki chuckled and shook his head. "Not really a full-time trainer, more of a part-time breeder! But my main job is rang! Remember that special power I mentioned earlier?"

  Incorporating love aion into food, creating magical dishes that make Pokémon happier and stronger.

  Carter nodded with wide eyes. "I remember! The Gogoat must have felt your love and energy when you made their food, which is why they’re s!"

  "Our teachers at the academy always say that emotions and thoughts are powerful forces. Pokémon grow, evolve, and learn new moves through them! Love is limitless, and the power of love is infinite!"

  "They also said that anyone who do what you do must be the best Pokémon trainer in the world!"

  Naoki: “…”

  Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration.

  As it was getting te, Carter stood up, smiled, and said goodbye to Naoki: "Mr. Naoki, I’ll be baorrow for more!"

  "You’re wele anytime."