The Tree of Life is a mythic-grade resource, second only to the World Tree. Although only its roots remained here, they were a top-tier resource no less potent than legendary-grade materials. Normally, a Tree of Life stands hundreds of meters tall, yet Feng Che saw no such towering trees on Four Island.
It seems some catastrophe occurred, leaving only the roots behind, Feng Che thought, eyeing the emerald-green roots. There must be remains of the Tree of Life nearby. Once my team is stronger, I'll return to explore further. For now, the only other place I know of a Tree of Life is in the Glimwood Tangle of Galar, where the Zarude dwell.
Suddenly, the leaf-token floating above Feng Che's head shot toward the Serperior, transforming back into one of its scales. The Serperior snapped its eyes open, releasing a wave of terrifying pressure. But when its reddish-brown pupils landed on Ivysaur, it let out a lazy yawn, and the pressure dissipated.
"So, it's the old Venusaur's kin. I suppose I do owe that old frog a favor," the Serperior muttered to itself. It flicked its tail, and massive vines erupted from the earth, wrapping around Ivysaur and dragging it forward.
"The old Venusaur is as cunning as ever," the Serperior sighed. "Sending me an Ivysaur with such incredible potential... do you know how much Evolution Source this will consume?"
It turned its gaze to Feng Che. "You are its trainer, I assume? Being recommended by the old frog is one thing, but the Underground Medicine Field has its own rules. Ivysaur must defeat three Senior Elite-level guardians simultaneously. If it wins, it may enter the Fountain of Evolution. If not, I cannot help you."
A Champion-level Pokémon can communicate directly with humans through mental projection—a far more advanced form of communication than simple telepathy.
"I accept," Feng Che agreed.
"One warning," Serperior added lazily. "These three are ferocious wild Pokémon. Your Ivysaur may be severely injured. You can back out now if you've lost your nerve."
"No objections. I have full confidence in my Ivysaur."
"Fine." The Serperior let out a piercing whistle. A crowd of Grass-types gathered before dispersing, leaving behind three formidable opponents: Vileplume, Victreebel, and Exeggutor.
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Vileplume is a bipedal flower Pokémon with a massive, heavy blossom atop its head. It scatters toxic spores that can cause severe paralysis or allergic reactions, turning the air around it golden-yellow.
Victreebel resembles a pitcher plant with a gaping, toothy maw. It lures prey with sweet-smelling nectar before dissolving them with acid so strong it leaves no bone behind. It is notoriously aggressive and territorial.
Exeggutor is a tall, tree-like Pokémon with multiple heads, each with a different expression. The more heads it has, the stronger it is. This one possessed six heads, a sign of great power.
"The three of them will attack together. You may call for a stop at any time, but doing so forfeits the chance to use the Fountain," Serperior declared. "Begin!"
The Exeggutor's six heads instantly flared with pale blue psychic energy, aiming to lift Ivysaur into the air to leave it defenseless. Simultaneously, Vileplume exhaled a dense cloud of golden Stun Spore, while Victreebel launched a series of meter-long Razor Leaves.
"Ivysaur, use Vine Whip!"
Ivysaur braided sixteen of its vines together into a massive wooden mallet. With a powerful swing, the Wood Hammer swatted the Razor Leaves out of the sky and slammed into the ground. The resulting tremor shook the cavern, causing Exeggutor to lose its footing and stumble. The psychic grip shattered instantly.
As for the Stun Spore, Ivysaur's flower bud on its back created a powerful suction, drawing the golden powder inside. Then, it exhaled the spores back out, targeting the Exeggutor. The tall tree Pokémon breathed in the powder and was immediately wreathed in golden sparks of paralysis.
[Serperior: Impressive. To hold the advantage so quickly in a one-versus-three fight... it has a terrifying level of power.][Serperior: This must be the trainer's doing. I can see the bond between them.]
With Exeggutor paralyzed, Ivysaur swung its massive vine-mallet toward Vileplume, intending to take out the support member first. However, Victreebel lunged forward, using its own rubbery body to shield Vileplume from the blow. This gave Vileplume the opening to scatter a curative pollen to clear Exeggutor's paralysis.
"These three coordinate perfectly," Feng Che noted with admiration. "One for disruption, one for offense, and one for support. Combined, they could give even a Gym-level Pokémon a run for its money."