Sato held a vial of translut blue Potential Enha Serum, hesitating slightly.

  Why did the Fire-type serum look so different after being optimized by the Joy family?

  "Are you sure you didn't give me the wrong ohis looks more like a Water-type Potential Enha Serum."

  "Don't worry! Kiki specifically reminded me multiple times to give this to you."

  The Joy statio the remote Pokémoer smiled as she spoke.

  "What kind of preparation do I o do?"

  "Just make sure Houndour rests properly. No battles or training for seven days. Each day, i a precise amount of Potential Enha Serum at the scheduled time."

  She showed Sato the clearly marked dosage scale on the syriarting with a tiny dose on the first day, only oweh of the vial.

  "Whether or not the serum triggers a breakthrough depends on luck. Even if it doesn't work, don't let it get to you—your Pokémon will still be from the process."

  She seemed slightly worried that Sato might bee too obsessed with results—If it succeeded, that was great.

  But if it failed, there was a ce he might take out his frustration on Houndour.

  "I uand."

  Sato grinned.

  Houndour's potential couldn't be measured by numbers alos intelligence ractically a cheat code pared to other Pokémon.

  The serum was just a bonus—success or failure wouldn't ge how much he valued Houndour.

  So, Sato decided to stay at the Pokémoer for the seven days, ensuring that Houndour pleted the serum iion process.

  To maintain a strict routine, he set the iion time at 6:00 AM, right before m training.

  However—the team had just pleted interaining in Oliviy. What they needed most now wasn't more practice—but real battles.

  As Sato debated what to do, the Joy nurse provided a solution—join her on an ecological field survey!

  A Joy assigo a remote Pokémoer was far more capable than those w in small towns.

  In the wilderness, a Joy wasn't just responsible for treating Pokémon—She also had to monitor the surrounding Pokémon poputions, ensuring ecological bance.

  Before the Ranger profession became widespread, maintaining the local enviro was a core duty for any exceptional Joy.

  This meant that a Joy stationed in the wild rong battle skills and the ability to handle emergencies.

  For Sato, tagging along on Joy's survey had two major advantages:- He could find worthy oppos for battle.- If anythi wrong with Houndour, Joy would be there to help.

  And after just oing, Sato quickly realized—the bes were far greater than he had imagined.

  "This pnt, Frost Dew Grass, is everywhere, and it's great for stopping bleeding—but it stings when applied."

  Joy poio a small, dark-greehat looked pletely ordinary.

  Sato nodded. He actually khis one.

  But before he could react—Joy poio another blue-green shrub, its branches adorned with spiral-shaped white flowers.

  "This one is called Spiral Bloom. Its pollen makes your skin itch, but if you grind it together with Frost Dew Grass, it stops bleeding without pain and prevents scarring."

  Sato examihe Spiral Bloom carefully, itting its appearao memory.

  Ten mier—as Joy tinued casually listing medical herbs, her list had already exceeded seven ingredients.

  At this point, Sato couldn't hold bay longer.

  "Wait! Repeat all of that again."

  He had to memorize it all—every single recipe she had just mentioned was incredibly useful.

  "Alright, enough about herbs for today. Now, let's go settle a family dispute."

  Joy smiled and picked up sey, pig up the pace as she ran toward another area.

  Family dispute?

  When Sato arrived at the se—He immediately uood.

  A Nidoking and Nidoqueen were brawling fiercely.

  No moves.

  No abilities.

  Just pure fists and brute strength!

  "Don't be fooled. They fight all the time, but their bond is really strong. The first time I had sey try to break up the fight, they actually teamed up and knocked her away. Want to battle them?"

  Joy ughed as she spoke.

  The Nidoking couple seemed quite familiar with her, even nodding iing before resuming their fight, pletely unfazed.

  Sato watched the Nidoking and Nidoqueen, who were expressing their bond through brute force, a a rush of excitement—both were at Mid Elite!

  "Ariados, Larvitar!"

  Sato chose his retly evolved Ariados and Larvitar, who had already reached Elite-level power iain aspects.

  The moment the two Pokémon appeared, the Nido couple immediately stopped fighting, standing shoulder to shoulder as they turoward their new oppos.

  They locked eyes—There was no need for words!

  "Ariados, String Shot Web! Larvitar, Dragon Dance!"

  "Nido!"

  Their cries were identical—and their moves were exactly the same.

  Earth Power ×2!

  …

  On the first day, every Pokémon except Houndour went through at least three battles ead the battle quality was extremely high.

  It seemed like the wild Pokémon here all reized Joy—and they also khat sey could quickly heal them.

  So, when challenged by Sato, none of them refused!

  Even the weakest oppos were at Ordinary (Peak Level)—more than enough to give Carvanha the training it needed.

  For the few days, Sato apanied Joy on her ecological surveys, helping Pokémon resolve various disputes.

  And with Sato around, if a problem could be solved by fighting, he fought.If it couldn't be solved by fighting, he still fought anyway.

  Joy couldn't decide whether to ugh or cry.

  Every m began with brief herb identification lessons, which Sato found incredibly valuable.

  After so many days of direct tut, he didn't believe for a sed that Joy was doing this on her own.

  The Joy family was definitely profiting from the Potential Enha Serum—helping Houndour receive free iions was just a minesture.

  The real show of gratitude was assigning Joy to help Sato grow stronger.

  And for Sato, this style of "guided training" ure bliss!- No wasted travel time.- Multiple high-level battles every day.- Improved wilderness survival skills.

  It was like pying a fully leveled-up character in an RPG—Power-leveling a new at through Pokémon Dungeon farming—effit, ve, and with no drawbacks!

  And on top of that—the high-level character was also a dedicated healer, taking none of the battle experience for itself.....On the seventh m, as Sato watched Joy ihe final ohird dose of the Potential Enha Serum into Houndour, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.

  Uhe other Pokémon, who had been fighting intensely every day—Houndour's past week had been nothing but eating and sleeping.

  Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

  And during this fattening process, Houndour really did bulk up.

  It was already rger than normal for its species—and now, it was almost the size of a fully evolved Houndoom.

  Then....

  A brilliant evolution glow erupted from Houndour's body…