led between Saown and Jubilife City lies the Eterna Forest, home to numerous Stahese Pokémon possess an innate ability to manipute their enviro, creating illusions to disorient travelers ahem astray.

  Each year, tless people veo this forest, only to find themselves hopelessly lost. Though many mao stumble out after a long struggle, the forest has earned a reputation that pels most to avoid it entirely.

  However, its untouched nature and abundance of wild Pokémon make it an alluriination for adventurous trainers seeking to capture rare species.

  Take, for instance...

  "Let's go. Time to check it out."

  Paul shoved his hands into his pockets and stepped onto the path leading into the Eterna Forest, with Elekid trailing behind.

  In Paul's memory, the "himself" from the anime had fallen into this very forest during a battle with Ash , disrupted by Team Rocket. It was there that he captured a "barely adequate" Ursaring.

  Through rigorous training, that Ursaring grew to be a terrifying powerhouse, rivaling Ash's "bugged Swellow". Niamed "The Stro Sturdy Survivor" and "BUG Bear" by fans, it decimated all oppos save for Ash's Infernape and Brandon's team.

  Although this wasn't the same world, Paul had learned from his enter with the Turtwig that even in parallel universes, certain simirities persisted. That Ursaring, a Pokémon well-suited to his style, was worth searg for in this forest.

  Ihe forest grew signifitly darker. Many Pokémon lurked in the shadows, nearly impossible to detect.

  Paul remained unfazed, Elekid to defeat any visible Pokémon along the way.

  But before long, a Stantler's silhouette flickered in the distance.

  The path ahead twisted and split into two. The once-clear sky was now bed with ominous clouds, and the surrounding enviro darkened.

  "Your illusions need work."

  Paul gnced around briefly, unimpressed, and tinued walking toward what seemed like a dead end. When his hand brushed against a thicket blog his way, the branches rippled like water, and the illusion dissolved into nothingness.

  He pressed on until a sudden dizziness struck him. Closing his eyes briefly, he steadied himself.

  When he opehem again, he found himself surrounded by a vast o. Oep further, and he'd fall into the water.

  "Seriously?"

  "Bzzt, bzzt!"

  Both Paul and Elekid frowheir expressions dark. A sea in the middle of a forest? They felt insulted by the attempt.

  "Elekid, Thunder! Widespread attack!"

  The simplest way to dispel illusions wasn't to break them but to defeat their creator.

  At Paul's and, Elekid rapidly geed electricity, its body crag with power. In moments, it unleashed a massive lightning bolt into the sky, which exploded into a storm of lightning rain.

  "Ahh!"

  "Ugh!"

  "..."

  Cries of shod pain echoed as the illusion of the o shattered like gss, revealing a group of fleeing Sawsbuck.

  One particurly rge Staood before Paul, enduring the storm while its antlers glowed with a strange purple light, attempting to trap Paul in another illusion.

  The purple glow barely rippled in Paul's gaze.

  "You think I didn't see you earlier?" Paul said coldly.

  "Ugh!"

  Realizing it was outmatched, the Staried to flee. But before it could turn, Paul grabbed one of its antlers, swinging the Pokémon in ahe-shoulder throw.

  Snap!

  Holding the broken antler, Paul stared at the dowantler without emotion.

  "Just this onext time, you won't be so lucky."

  Gng at the other Stahat Elekid had subdued with Thunder, Paul tossed the antler aside and tinued deeper into the forest.

  Pokémon heal quickly; the broken antler would regrow in days. Leaving it behind was more of a warning.

  Capture them?

  Stantler? What use were such okémon? Iy, the tradition of evolving Stantler into Wyrdeer had long been lost.

  Unlike Ursaring, which held signifit potential even without evolving, Stantler had little value.

  Paul would only sider capturing one if he found a way to restore their evolutionary line.

  "Quick Attack! Go!"

  After some time, Paul spotted his first target of the day—a lone Beedrill.

  "Bzzt!"

  Electricity surged through Elekid's body as it turned into a streak of light, closing in on the Beedrill with a Thunder Punch ready to strike.

  Sensing the attack, the Beedrill reacted swiftly, raising its stio ter with Fury Attack.

  The two cshed in a flurry of rapid strikes. Beedrill's twin stingers moved like nces, while Elekid's Thunder Punches intercepted each blow with precision.

  Unfortunately for Beedrill, its ck of one-on-one experience soon became evident.

  "Bzzt!"

  Seizing an openiivire deflected oinger and nded a decisive pun Beedrill, sending it flying.

  Before Beedrill could recover, a bolt of lightning struck it, leaving it unscious.

  "Poké Ball, go!"

  The Poké Ball flew through the air, opened mid-flight, and absorbed the fainted Beedrill.

  Ding... Click!

  The capture was a success.

  "Bzzt..."

  As Paul picked up the Poké Ball, a faint noise reached his ears. It grew louder, approag rapidly.

  "Beedrill swarm?!"

  Turning, Paul saw a bck cloud of Beedrill—dozens of them—flying straight toward him.

  The traces of the earlier battle had drawn their ire, and their eyes glowed with a menag red light as they charged.

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