LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 1300: The Ancient Thornbush
At this time, the botanical garden of the Ancient Plant Research Institute had already become a complete ruin. A massive thorn plant with an unimaginably thick root had erupted from the ground, and though it was merely a bramble, it resembled a towering giant tree.
Countless thorny vines hung down from the massive bramble, each one thicker than Yuga's thigh.
Amid the ruins of the botanical garden, Yuga discovered the remaining researchers from the institute. They were all unconscious but seemed to be in no immediate danger.
After moving all the unconscious researchers out of the botanical garden, Yuga noticed Venusaur staring blankly at the enormous bramble. He asked, "Venusaur, what's wrong?"
"Venusaur~"
Venusaur had barely replied when an angry screech erupted from the thorn thicket.
Suddenly, Yuga, Venusaur, and Ninetales saw a large bird with radiant, multicolored feathers burst out from the bramble, glaring at them furiously.
Archeops?
Just as the thought crossed Yuga's mind, the Archeops dove straight toward them, its sharp, menacing claws aiming to tear them apart.
Ninetales reacted immediately, opening its mouth to release a Fire Blast. The fiery impact sent Archeops flying, and the scattered sparks quickly ignited the dense thicket of thorns.
As a Level 100 Pokémon, Ninetales' flames were exceptionally hot. Despite the high moisture content of the thorn thicket, the flames easily set it ablaze.
The burning thorns only enraged the Archeops further. It flapped its wings, sending a storm of sharp stones hurtling toward Ninetales.
Ninetales leapt in front of Yuga, willingly acting as his shield. Its eyes flashed with a quick burst of purple light, and the incoming stones froze mid-air.
Taking advantage of the brief respite, Yuga used his Insight skill to examine the sudden appearance of the Archeops.
...
[ Archeops ]
Type: Rock, Flying
Ability: Defeatist
Gender: Female
Potential: Blue
Level: 79
Skills: Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Rock Throw, Agility, Acrobatics, Dragon Breath, Crunch, Dragon Claw, Uproar, Roost, Dig, Steel Wing, Shadow Claw, Dragon Tail, Dragon Pulse, Iron Tail, Sky Attack, Outrage.
...
This Archeops was just a step away from breaking into Champion level. Yuga couldn't understand why such a powerful Pokémon would appear in the Ancient Plant Research Institute.
The researchers at the institute probably hadn't expected things to escalate to this point. If they were conscious now, they would surely regret their decisions.
Not long ago, the researchers had obtained a fossil—an Archeops fossil. It was the most intact fossil they had ever seen, so they decided to revive it.
What they didn't know, however, was that the fossil also contained a fossilized seed. When the Archeops was revived, the seed regained its vitality as well.
Normally, most fossils, when revived, do not retain the same level of power they had in life; their levels typically drop significantly.
But for some reason—perhaps linked to the seed—the Archeops retained nearly all its pre-fossilization strength upon revival.
The researchers had been able to estimate the Archeops' original level through their instruments, so they were both surprised and thrilled by this discovery.
However, as this was the Ancient Plant Research Institute, the researchers were most interested in the seed that had been revived alongside the Archeops. They planted it in the botanical garden and meticulously nurtured it every day.
After cross-referencing their data, they identified the seed as belonging to a special plant that had once commonly grown in Archeops nests during ancient times. While fossilized remains of this plant had been discovered before, this was the first time one had been successfully revived.
Therefore, the researchers became even more attentive in caring for the seed.
During this time, the Archeops remained quite docile. Perhaps due to just being revived and struggling to adapt to the unfamiliar world, the Archeops seemed dispirited and lacked energy.
However, this all changed dramatically once the seed sprouted.
One morning, a researcher watering the seed suddenly noticed it had broken through the soil. Its tender green leaves stood vibrant and full of life.
Overjoyed, the researcher immediately informed the others. Upon hearing the news, the entire research team rushed to the botanical garden to witness the birth of this extraordinary plant.
But as the researchers rejoiced over the seed's sprouting, the Archeops seemed to sense it as well. Its mood became increasingly unstable, though the researchers, focused entirely on the plant, failed to notice.
Finally, the agitated Archeops broke free from its enclosure, soared into the sky, and let out a melodious yet strange cry.
With the call echoing through the air, a sudden dizziness overcame all the researchers. The tiny sprout before them began to grow at an alarming rate.
"Archeops!"
The Archeops called again, and the plant surged even higher, startling the researchers.
Astonishingly, despite the bizarre circumstances, these researchers didn't flee. Instead, they became even more excited, diving deeper into their observations of the rapidly growing plant.
By the time they realized something was wrong and tried to escape, it was too late. Countless thorny vines had overtaken the botanical garden, destroying all other vegetation. Soon, the garden contained nothing but this single, sprawling bramble.
The bramble bloomed almost instantly, covering itself in pink flowers. Although beautiful, the flowers exuded danger. Their enchanting fragrance clouded the researchers' minds, causing them to collapse one after another.
The bramble grew larger and larger, quickly consuming the entire Ancient Plant Research Facility.
The Archeops, seemingly immune to the plant's toxic fragrance, was unaffected. Not only did it remain unharmed, but it also built a nest right at the center of the massive bramble.
By the time Yuga and his group arrived at the botanical garden today, the Archeops had just finished a meal and was napping. Suddenly awakened, it was naturally furious!
The Archeops' food source was the fruits produced by the bramble.
Venusaur could safely consume the fruits because its inherent traits bore similarities to the bramble. But for Archeops, a Rock- and Flying-type Pokémon, to feed on such fruit was remarkable—truly a testament to the concept of mutual opposition and balance in nature.
In ancient times, Archeops had a penchant for nesting near such plants, laying eggs there, and feeding on their fruits and leaves. This made the Archeops naturally unafraid of the bramble.
Moreover, the bramble's hallucinogenic and toxic properties provided excellent protection. Building a nest nearby ensured a high level of safety.
Outside the protective barrier created by Venusaur, the air was saturated with the bramble's intoxicating fragrance. Ninetales, though incredibly powerful, was still susceptible to its effects and found it challenging to face Archeops' Dragon Claw attacks head-on.
Raising its tails, Ninetales deflected Archeops' claws and swiftly turned to unleash another Fire Blast. The roaring flames engulfed Archeops in an instant.
However, the flames also ignited even more of the bramble.
Seeing the spreading flames, Yuga quickly released Lapras, ready to have it use Rain Dance if the fire became uncontrollable. However, Lapras refrained from acting for now, as Rain Dance would affect Ninetales' battle performance.
Archeops burst out of the flames, its feathers scorched and charred black. Despite its injuries, it seemed unconcerned with its own condition. Instead, it became furiously enraged upon seeing the thorns burned and damaged. Having been revived into this unfamiliar world, Archeops felt out of place, and the thorny plant was its sole source of solace. Losing it was unbearable.
Once more, Archeops dove from the sky. Ninetales opened its mouth, releasing a Dark Pulse that sent Archeops flying before it could get close. Due to significant stamina loss, Archeops' Defeatist ability activated, further weakening its already diminished attacks. Unable to match Ninetales in strength, its strikes became feeble. Finally, a powerful Iron Tail from Ninetales sent Archeops crashing to the ground.
The battle ended, and Yuga immediately instructed Lapras to extinguish the flames. By that time, however, most of the thorny growths in the botanical garden had already been destroyed, leaving only the plant's barren main trunk.
Once the fire was completely extinguished, Yuga prepared to head outside to update Masato Shirai and organize a team to clean up the charred remnants in the research facility. But before he could leave, Venusaur gazed longingly at the trunk, extending its two vines and piercing them deep into the bark. Yuga watched as streams of green energy flowed through the vines into Venusaur's body.
Initially, Yuga thought about stopping Venusaur, as the trunk might be crucial research material that would need to be handed over later. However, seeing Venusaur absorb the energy so fervently, he decided against it. After all, he'd risked his life to rescue the researchers—taking a little extra compensation wasn't unreasonable.
As the green energy was drained, the trunk began to decay rapidly. Pieces of its bark flaked off and scattered like snow, and soon the once dark-brown wood turned pale gray. When Venusaur finished absorbing the last of the energy, its body started emitting a soft green glow. The leaves on its back suddenly turned yellow and fell off, replaced by new ones that sprouted almost immediately.
The new leaves were greener and more vibrant, exuding life. Moreover, the massive flower on Venusaur's back became increasingly brilliant, emitting a captivating fragrance eerily similar to that of the thorny plant's flowers.
Smelling the scent, Ninetales quickly warned, "Hold your breath! This fragrance is dangerous!"
In truth, Yuga had already instinctively held his breath the moment he caught a whiff, recognizing its similarity to the toxic aroma from earlier.
At this point, Venusaur appeared to be in a trance. Its eyes were shut, its back leaves quivered gently, and its vines flailed about erratically, forcing Yuga and Ninetales to retreat further.
Fortunately, Venusaur regained clarity before the situation worsened. Otherwise, Yuga and Ninetales might have suffocated from the overpowering scent.
Once Venusaur opened its eyes, Yuga activated his Insight skill to assess its condition.
...
[ Venusaur (Venusaurite) ]
Type: Grass/Poison
Ability: Chlorophyll
Gender: Male
Potential: Indigo
Level: 77
Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Venoshock, Sunny Day, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Power Whip, Grassy Terrain, Synthesis, Solar Beam, Petal Dance, Earthquake, Frenzy Plant, Grass Pledge, Petal Blizzard, Stomp, Sweet Scent.
...
Venusaur's newfound strength and vibrant appearance left Yuga feeling both relieved and impressed. However, the lingering fragrance in the air served as a reminder of the thorns' perilous legacy.
Yuga knew that Venusaur would surely benefit from absorbing the thorny plant's energy, but he didn't expect that Venusaur would not only level up but also have its potential upgraded from blue to indigo.
So, could this thorny plant be some kind of extraordinary treasure?
In reality, thorny plants like this were indeed rare in ancient times, and not every Archeops could find one to build its nest. However, calling it a treasure might be an overstatement—it was simply an exceptional specimen.
Unable to make sense of it, Yuga consulted the system. Although the system couldn't determine the plant's origin, it was able to detect its unique properties.
It turned out that the seed from which this thorny plant had grown wasn't a naturally occurring seed. Instead, it was a special seed produced by an ancient thorny plant using some extraordinary method.
That ancient thorny plant had likely foreseen an impending catastrophe. In an effort to escape its fate, it used all its essence to create a singular seed.
The seed must have later encountered some mishap—before it could sprout, it fossilized along with the Archeops. However, the energy of the ancient thorny plant had remained preserved inside.
Because this type of thorny plant evolved alongside Archeops, it had an instinctual response to the cries of Archeops. Likely, the ancient thorny plant's energy was triggered by the Archeops' cries, leading to an energy surge and the dramatic growth of this new thorny plant.
After listening to the system's analysis and reasonable conjecture, Yuga suddenly understood. The survival instincts of the ancient thorny plant were impressive, though its energy had ultimately been consumed by Venusaur.
Looking at Venusaur, which seemed brimming with vitality, Yuga was certain that it had yet to fully digest the energy it absorbed.
As expected, it didn't take long before Venusaur began to doze off, eventually falling into a deep sleep. Yuga had no choice but to recall it into its Poké Ball.
With the thorny plant's energy fully drained, all the surrounding vines that had been entangled outside the research facility instantly withered. The blossoms on the vines fell one by one, leaving only a few mature fruits that still retained their freshness.
From a distance, Masato Shirai and the others saw this and breathed a sigh of relief. They were confident that Gym Leader Shimizu had resolved the issue.
"Ah, another victory without effort... Working in Verdanturf Town is truly a joy that outsiders just wouldn't understand."
After leaving the research facility, Yuga immediately joined Masato Shirai to send the unconscious researchers to the hospital. As for the Archeops, Yuga had already captured it in a Poké Ball for safekeeping, intending to return it to the research facility later.
Once he left the hospital, Yuga made a stop at the Pokémon Center. By the time he arrived, the Pokémon that had been knocked out by the thorny plant's fragrance had already woken up, including the Xatu.
After taking back the Xatu's Poké Balls from Joyka, Yuga asked, "Are my Xatu all right now?"
Joyka replied, "They're fine. Based on the results of our examination, the fragrance you mentioned seems to have no other properties beyond its hallucinogenic and sleep-inducing effects.
"Could you possibly get me a few of those flowers? I'd like to study them," Joyka said with a hopeful look.
Yuga shook his head. "They're all gone."
"Oh, I see…" Joyka looked a little disappointed.
"But I do have some of the fruits the flowers produced," Yuga added.
"Really? Can I have one?" Joyka's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Sure, but be careful. They might be dangerous," Yuga warned.
"Don't worry. Do you think I'd be less cautious than you?" Joyka said, patting her chest confidently.
After handing over one fruit for Joyka to research, Yuga returned to the ancient plant research institute. There, the withered vines still needed to be cleaned up.