"Ivy..." Above one of the Evolution Altars, Ivysaur let out a weak cry. Its eyes blinked open and shut, adjusting to the soft light that had automatically dimmed the moment it emerged from the cocoon.
"Don't touch Bulbasaur yet!" Arthur warned, stepping in quickly but cautiously toward the newly evolved Ivysaur.
His voice stopped Wentia in her tracks. She wore a look of anxious affection, her expression full of maternal concern as she took in the changed appearance of her beloved Bulbasaur.
The others also froze, murmuring quietly among themselves. The few Pokémon backed away, watching Ivysaur's transformation with wide-eyed curiosity.
It wasn't that Ivysaur posed any danger—far from it. The concern was fragility. Just as insects are delicate after emerging from a pupa, so too was Ivysaur in this early stage. Its body, likely still soft, hadn't fully settled into its new form.
That certainly seemed to be the case. Its legs trembled slightly with each step, and its skin had a faint, translucent sheen. But even as they watched, those signs were already fading. The color deepened; the flesh hardened. With each passing moment, it grew sturdier and stronger.
In simple terms, Ivysaur's current state looked like a drenched puppy—pitiful, and a little sad.
Observing closely, Arthur raised a notebook and jotted down notes with quick strokes of his pen. He activated the magic circle embedded in the Evolution Altar—a precautionary measure to shield the Pokémon. Technically, his design ensured that Pokémon didn't require post-evolution protection, even in a weakened state. But this was different. This was the first time a non-Bug-type had evolved using this method. He had to be certain. He had to make sure nothing went wrong.
When Arthur first began developing the evolution template, he'd hit a wall trying to integrate it into Pokémon physiology. In the end, he modeled it after the hidden tenth move slot—an extra space that could store the evolved form's appearance and base stats, only activating during metamorphosis. While cocooned, the body would gradually reshape, adjusting until its foundational stats matched the evolved form, all without stripping away the uniqueness that made the Pokémon who it was. It had been a challenge—but not the most difficult one he'd faced during the early stages of Pokémon creation.
Importantly, the original form wasn't discarded—it remained embedded within the Pokémon's genetic framework, acting as a vital foundation for its continued development. Arthur theorized that stripping away this base could lead to serious complications. Without that stable anchor, the evolved form might become unstable, its structure prone to collapse—especially in cases involving multiple evolutionary stages. While the first evolution might proceed without issue, the second could yield a twisted, malformed entity—a biological failure he was determined never to witness.
After confirming that, aside from temporary exhaustion, Bulbasaur had safely and successfully evolved into Ivysaur, Arthur finally smiled.
"Don't worry," he said gently to Ivysaur. "You'll be feeling better soon."
"Ivy..." it replied, voice faint but filled with quiet contentment.
"How is it?" Wentia asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
Arthur, mildly startled, nodded reassuringly. "It should be fine. But it's still in a stabilization phase. Based on my calculations, Ivysaur should regain full strength in about half an hour."
Typically, insects might need one to six hours on average before regaining basic mobility. But Pokémon were different—stronger. Especially one like Ivysaur, raised in a royalty-tier environment with top-grade nourishment and Wentia's tender care. From what Arthur had seen, this Ivysaur would rank among the stronger ones in terms of recovery speed after the evolution.
"Ivysaur?" Wentia's expression remained steady, but Arthur could hear the confusion in her voice. The others looked equally uncertain.
"Yes," Arthur replied calmly. "Your Bulbasaur has evolved into Ivysaur, so that's what it's called now."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
Of course, it made sense. A new form deserved a new name. That logic was easy enough to follow.
Still, it felt strange to them.
Name changes weren't an uncommon concept, but hearing it happen so suddenly made it difficult to process. The creature they'd known so well was still there—just different. And now it had a new identity.
"Beedrill was the final evolution stage, right? What comes before?" Hector suddenly asked.
"You can check your Pokédex," Arthur answered.
Typically, a Trainer needed to catch a Pokémon before its data was registered in the Pokédex. Since Hector only owned a Beedrill, he shouldn't have access to its earlier forms—Weedle and Kakuna. But Arthur had modified that system. Given how new Pokémon were to this world, he believed it was better for Trainers to be aware of each evolutionary stage. The more they understood, the better they could care for their partners—especially if they happened to catch one that had already evolved.
After all, while an evolved form might require different methods of care, its foundation remained rooted in its previous stages. That knowledge wasn't just helpful—it was essential for any responsible Trainer.
As for why he hadn't told his parents about this until now... well, he'd simply forgotten...
While Hector and Anna began scanning their Pokémon with curiosity, Rosalia looked up and asked, "What's Charmander's evolved form called?"
Arthur smiled. "That's for you to discover."
She pouted at him in response.
He added, "Your Charmander's already level 16, right? It should be ready to evolve at level 17—if both of you are ready for it."
Rosalia turned to her Charmander, exchanging a thoughtful look. After a brief, silent understanding passed between them, she looked back at Arthur and shook her head.
"We've decided to wait until level 20 before trying," she said firmly.
Her Ponyta had already reached level 20 and hit a bottleneck, unable to push past it. That experience had helped her confirm something: each Mana Ring seemed to indeed correspond to every tenth level of a Pokémon's growth.
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Go too hard on the min-maxing and next thing you know, your hair's gone and your team still isn't perfect."
"???" Rosalia tilted her head, completely confused by the comment.
Not bothering to elaborate, Arthur turned his attention back to Ivysaur and said to Wentia, "Anyway, if you don't want to change how you address them, you can always give them a nickname."
"Nickname..." Wentia's eyes lit up as she gazed at Ivysaur, who looked back at her with a quiet, expectant gaze.
With newfound confidence, she suggested, "How about Weed Bulb?"
Ivysaur's face immediately contorted with clear disgust, and it turned its head away in disappointment. In the background, Reden and Rosalia burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs, while Arthur and his family could only stand there, too speechless to laugh.
Wentia blushed, wondering, Is the name really that bad?
She quickly composed herself, pretending nothing happened. "I'll call you Ivysaur, then..."
"Ivysaur!" It perked up immediately, clearly relieved. Anything was better than Weed Bulb.
After a brief twenty minutes, Ivysaur hopped down from the Evolution Altar and leaped into Wentia's waiting arms.
Wentia smiled as she gently stroked Ivysaur's head.
Twenty minutes, huh?That's much quicker than I expected... but that's even better! He made a quick note, then tucked away his pen and notebook on the small research desk.
Everything seemed to be going well, with no issues so far.
Arthur rubbed his hands together. With this, I can start the second phase of the plan! But the excitement quickly drained away as he remembered: That's right… Pichu's situation is still unclear. Shoul I wait until it evolves? ...hopefully, it will evolve.
Slightly disappointed, he kept his expression neutral and turned to Wentia, who was clearly smitten with Ivysaur. "For now, while Ivysaur should be fully healthy and capable of fighting, it's best to wait and observe for at least a full day. Also, make sure to feed it well—it'll need a lot of energy after the evolution process."
Wentia nodded thoughtfully. She conjured an artificial mini-sun with magic to help care for Ivysaur and began feeding it some odd-looking fruit that, at first glance, appeared poisonous. As she fed it, she glanced at her Pokédex, deep in thought.
---
[Ivysaur]
[Types: Grass, Poison]
[Ability: Chrolophyll (Hidden Ability)]
[Level: 16]
[As Ivysaur's bulbs grow larger and their power increases, they tend to spend more time basking in the sun to nurture their growth. When an Ivysaur is on the brink of evolving into its next form, it will often seek out the sun even more eagerly. During this time, the bulbs will begin to release a sweet, pleasant aroma, signaling the Pokémon's imminent transformation.]
[Base stats: -Redacted- (Total: 405)]
[Moves: Growl, Ingrain, Vine Whip, Growth, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sunny Day, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder]
---
Sunny Day? Arthur leaned over to peek at Wentia's Pokédex, surprised to see the TM for Sunny Day there. But as he thought about it, it made sense. After all, Wentia had always created mini-suns above Bulbasaur to let it absorb sunlight, so it was likely that the Pokémon had learned the move through that consistent exposure.
Taking away Tackle was an interesting choice as well. Still, it wouldn't change much of Ivysaur's battle style, especially with Ingrain there to prevent it from moving. Even if Ivysaur did need Tackle, it could still use a regular tackle. It wouldn't be classified as a Pokémon move, but it would technically still be a tackle—just one that dealt far less damage than the official move.
"Wentia! Let's battle!" Rosalia's voice rang out excitedly, eager to see the difference between an unevolved level 16 and an evolved level 16.
"Rosalia, I just told you to let Ivysaur rest for a day!" Arthur scolded softly.
"Hehe! Of course, I remember! I meant tomorrow!" Rosalia grinned confidently, though her eyes shifted away, clearly having forgotten about it.
After that, Rosalia and Reden returned to their tent to rest, while Wentia decided to stay in the Pokémon Breeding Room so Arthur could monitor Ivysaur's condition more closely. Though Arthur had assured her it wasn't necessary anymore, Wentia persisted with her usual expressionless face, but there was a hint of pleading in her eyes. So, he relented and stayed as well. It wasn't such a bad arrangement—he could gather more data on Ivysaur, and Pichu would have a playmate, even though Ivysaur mostly ignored its antics.
---
The next evening...
Arthur had planned to hold the battle in the village square, but Rosalia disagreed.
Though Ponyta wouldn't be participating this time, she still required a thick disguise to hide herself.
She could show herself, but that meant she'd have to act regal and poised, which would exhaust her mentally and make it less enjoyable for her during the battle. In the end, they agreed to battle in the Pokémon Battle Dome instead.
The Pokémon Battle Dome stood behind Arthur's house, like a monument to his passion. It was large and circular, with a reinforced glass dome ceiling that let natural light pour in. Inside, four distinct battlefields covered the floor—earth, water, forest, and rocky terrains—each designed to cater to different battle types. Modestly decorated, the arenas were functional and practical, clearly built with serious training and battle in mind.
On one side, a raised spectator stand offered seating for a small crowd, giving the room a professional, structured feel.
So far, only Arthur and Lena had used the Battle Dome for their Pokémon battles, so it had mostly seen private use.
"This place isn't just a house anymore... it's practically a Pokémon Research Lab," Arthur said with a wry smile, observing the awestruck expressions on Rosalia and Reden's faces.
His parents and sister hadn't minded when he showed them the blueprints for the new house, so it had been built as-is—large and eye-catching.
As always, Lena volunteered to referee, while Wentia and Rosalia stood across from each other in the first arena—an earth battlefield with flat ground.
Everyone wanted to observe the battle closely, so no one opted to sit in the spectator stands.
Ivysaur looked calm, while Charmander stood ready, eager to face its friend in its evolved form.
Wentia mirrored her Pokémon—calm and composed—while Rosalia assumed the posture of a typical Cool Trainer, full of confidence.
Arthur took the opportunity to scan Charmander with his Pokédex.
---
[Charmander]
[Types: Fire]
[Ability: Blaze]
[Level: 16]
[Charmander is easily the most mild-mannered and well-behaved of its evolution line. Its feelings and emotions can be read by the flame on the tip of its tail. The flame flares up in a fury when Charmander is angry, while it flickers and dims if it's sick or hurt. It is said that Charmander dies if its flame goes out. It is extremely loyal to its loved ones.]
[Base stats: -Redacted- (Total: 309)]
[Moves: Growl, Scratch, Bite, Ember, Smokescreen, False Swipe, Dragon Breath, empty-, -empty-]
---
False Swipe? Arthur raised an eyebrow as he read the movelist. How did it learn that? he wondered.
Lena, seeing that both Pokémon had taken their positions, raised her arm and declared with excitement, "This will be a one-on-one battle! The side whose Pokémon faints or is unable to continue will be declared the loser.
Battle—begin!"
"Bulbasaur, Sunny Day."
"Charmander! Smokescreen!"
Wentia issued her command with calm precision, while Rosalia shouted hers with eager excitement.
Arthur blinked, raising a brow. Did I just hear that right? He glanced around. No one seemed to notice that Wentia had just called her Ivysaur Bulbasaur.
He sighed inwardly. Looks like it'll take some time for people here to get used to the name changes after evolution. Still, he didn't say anything. It wasn't worth interrupting Wentia's concentration—especially since Ivysaur didn't seem to mind.
The sun blazed down on the battlefield, only to be immediately masked by a thick cloud of smoke that spread across the arena, choking the light and reducing visibility.
"Hehe~ Wentia! Still using the same old strategy?" Rosalia teased playfully as Charmander vanished into the smoke.
Wentia nodded calmly, unfazed.
They had battled many times before, and Wentia had long since realized that Sunny Day was a double-edged sword when facing a Fire-type like Charmander. Sure, Bulbasaur benefited greatly from the speed boost granted by its Chlorophyll ability under sunlight, but that same sunlight also boosted the power of Fire-type moves. To make matters worse, Rosalia had learned to use Ember not for direct hits, but as a method of area denial, spreading flames to control the battlefield and limit Ivysaur's mobility.
But now that her partner had evolved, things were different. Ivysaur was faster—stronger. This time, she might be able to catch Rosalia off guard.
As she thought of Ivysaur—the evolved form of her trusted partner—the earlier name slip-up came back to her. A faint blush rose to her cheeks, but she didn't let it shake her focus.
"Charmander! Dragon Breath!"
"Ivysaur, Vine Whip—form a wall."
A stream of fiery dragon energy burst from Charmander's mouth, slicing through the smokescreen and clearing the battlefield as it surged forward—only to crash against the vine wall Ivysaur had raised just in time. The blast blew away the remaining smoke, and with the haze gone, the sunlight from Sunny Day poured back onto the arena.
Bathed in light, Ivysaur's speed surged. It bolted forward, catching Charmander off guard with a sudden burst of agility.
She's already trained it to use Vine Whip as a wall? Arthur was genuinely surprised. That wasn't something just any trainer could pull off—especially not in a world where Pokémon were still a new concept. It's one thing to come up with an idea, but training a Pokémon to use a move in a way it wasn't originally intended is a whole different challenge.
Wentia allowed herself a soft, confident smile. "Your Highness," she said smoothly, "you're still too predictable."
Without needing an order, Ivysaur instinctively knew what its Trainer wanted to do. It swiftly planted a Leech Seed into Charmander's body, the seed sinking into its skin.
Immediately, Charmander flinched as its strength began to drain away, transferred bit by bit to Ivysaur.
"Tch! Charmander, Ember!" Rosalia shouted, a small tunnel of fire forming in front of her Pokémon, but Ivysaur was already gone—nowhere to be seen.
"This speed improvement is ridiculous!" Rosalia cursed, her eyes wide in disbelief.
To the knight of her strength, Ivysaur still seemed slow.
But to her Charmander?
With Chlorophyll boosting Ivysaur's speed in the sunlight, it was too much for Charmander, who was still getting used to the newly evolved Ivysaur's movements.
No matter how she looked at Ivysaur's build, she believed her Charmander should be much faster. But the stats didn't lie.
"Ivysaur, Sleep Powder." Wentia's calm command rang through the air. Ivysaur appeared in a blur, just behind Charmander, and released a cloud of Sleep Powder from the bulb on its back. The fine powder scattered through the air, and Charmander, already a little worn down, inhaled it, its eyelids growing heavy.
Wentia had initially considered using Poison Powder, but with the battle being more of a friendly spar, she didn't want to torment Rosalia's Pokémon with poison on top of the Leech Seed.
In fact, she had been very reluctant to engage in Pokémon battles at first. It was only when her Bulbasaur expressed eagerness to battle that she agreed to Rosalia's request and began to enjoy it.
"Charmander! Bite!" Rosalia shouted desperately, but it was no use—Charmander, too drowsy to respond, barely moved.
"Ivysaur, Vine Whip to cover its eyes, then follow up with Razor Leaf," Wentia ordered calmly.
Ivysaur's vines shot out, wrapping around Charmander's eyes, blinding it completely. The sharp, pointed leaves of Razor Leaf followed, slicing across Charmander's body. Even though Fire-types resisted Grass-type moves, the combination of drowsiness, the Leech Seed sapping its strength, and the sudden blindness made the attack unbearable.
Rosalia kept urging Charmander on, commanding it to use Scratch on the vine covering its eyes and to unleash Ember at Ivysaur. But with the drowsiness from Sleep Powder clouding its senses, Charmander's strength wasn't enough to cut through the vine. And without the ability to see, it couldn't land a hit on Ivysaur, who was darting around with incredible speed.
As Charmander's health dropped further, its Blaze ability activated. But what use was a stronger Ember if it couldn't even see Ivysaur?
In the end, Charmander's vision blurred, and it collapsed, fainting from the onslaught.
Wentia, always attuned to her Pokémon's well-being, was the first to notice Charmander could no longer continue. She immediately ordered Ivysaur to release it and remove the Leech Seed.
Rosalia stood in disbelief before hurrying to Charmander's side, tending to it with the Potions Arthur had given her.
She had believed that with the type advantage, she would still have the upper hand, even after Bulbasaur evolved into Ivysaur. After all, she had won against Wentia many times before. But the reality was much harsher—Charmander had been completely overwhelmed, with no chance to fight back.
Wentia, on the other hand, knew her easy victory had come from the advantage of surprise. She also understood that future battles against Princess Rosalia would no longer be so simple once Rosalia adapted to Ivysaur's newfound speed. Still, she couldn't help but smile with satisfaction after witnessing the growth of her Bulbasaur—now evolved into Ivysaur—from the earlier battle.
Lena raised her hand, her voice ringing out with excitement, "Rosalia's Charmander is unable to continue the battle—Wentia's Ivysaur wins!"