Pokemon: A New Path

Arboliva, a Grass/Normal-type Pokémon from the Paldea region.

The surprise was total. No one had expected Gold King to bring out a new contender at the most critical moment of his qualification run.

Commentator Roger was momentarily speechless.

"That Pokémon is… Wait a moment! Let me scan it!"

He quickly pulled out his Rotom Phone and pointed it at the towering Pokémon standing calmly in the center of the ring.

Within seconds, Rotom chirped and displayed a detailed scan on its screen.

[Arboliva – Grass/Normal Type Pokémon. Known for its gentle and compassionate nature, it shares its rich, healing oil with weakened Pokémon. A species native to the Paldea region.]

"Arboliva! That's Arboliva from the Paldea region!" Roger exclaimed, stunned. "What a surprise! In this all-important qualifying match, Gold King has chosen a Pokémon he hasn't used in any of his previous battles!"

"And… wait a second! According to the Pokédex, a typical Arboliva stands at about 1.4 meters, but Gold King's Arboliva looks much larger than that! This thing's a giant!"

"I wonder what kind of surprise this Pokémon has in store for us, especially compared to the legendary performances of Farfetch'd and Alcremie!"

Down in the ring, Naoki stood calmly in front of his partner.

"Arboliva," he said softly, "I'll leave this to you."

This Arboliva wasn't just any ordinary one.

After spending time atop the World Tree, it had absorbed an immense amount of natural energy. Coupled with the nourishing leaf cakes made from the World Tree's sacred foliage, its strength had grown to an extraordinary level.

Though it wasn't quite as physically powerful as the Gogoat who guarded the ranch pastures, it had surpassed the strength of most typical Pokémon by a wide margin.

"Lii~" Arboliva nodded gracefully in response to Naoki's voice, her foliage gently rustling with serene confidence.

"Ding ding ding!"

The bell rang out, sharp, clear, and urgent.

The final qualifying match had officially begun.

"Arboliva, Grassy Terrain!"

The command came instantly.

Green energy surged out from beneath Arboliva, exploding across the battlefield in a wave of shimmering light. In the blink of an eye, the entire ring transformed.

Lush grass burst forth across the arena floor, thousands of glowing blades dancing in the light like miniature strands of emerald fire. The sterile battle ring now resembled a serene meadow, calm, tranquil, and full of life.

But that peace didn't last long.

Across the ring, the three veteran challengers, Wolf King, Singer, and Boxing King, exchanged sharp glances.

They were no strangers to the Royal Dome or to each other. Having fought side-by-side and against one another before, they knew how to read each other's intent without a word.

Now, facing a new and unpredictable threat, they silently chose cooperation over competition. With a nod, they launched a coordinated triple assault on Arboliva from three different directions.

"Houndoom, Howl!"

"Primarina, Icy Wind!"

"Crabominable, Ice Hammer!"

The commands were shouted in rapid succession.

Houndoom threw back its head and unleashed a feral Howl, its voice echoing like a war horn across the arena. The eerie cry surged through the air, empowering its allies with boosted morale and strength.

Primarina stepped forward, her song-like voice fading into a piercing chill. A freezing gust swirled from her mouth, forming a shimmering stream of Icy Wind that raced toward Arboliva.

On the opposite side, Crabominable charged with thunderous steps. Its massive fists were encased in glittering layers of ice, each punch crackling with power as it prepared to unleash its devastating Ice Hammer.

The crowd leaned forward in unison, holding their breath.

Three powerful opponents, attacking in perfect sync, aiming to overwhelm the mysterious new star on Gold King's team.

"Whoa!" Roger gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Right at the start of the match, the three Trainers have decided to team up, three versus one! Gold King is in serious danger!"

Houndoom's Howl had boosted its allies' strength, while both Primarina's Icy Wind and Crabominable's Ice Hammer were direct threats to Grass-types like Arboliva.

Not to mention, Gold King was facing three opponents at once.

"How is Gold King going to handle this overwhelming pressure?" Roger said nervously, gripping his mic tighter.

Yet down on the battlefield, both Naoki and Arboliva remained perfectly calm.

Crabominable's raw power was certainly intimidating, but its speed was noticeably slower. The first move to land… was from Primarina's Icy Wind!

Naoki's mind was racing. At the very same moment, his voice rang out—cool and decisive.

"Mirror Coat!"

"Lii~!"

Arboliva responded instantly, trusting Naoki without hesitation.

She crossed her arms, and a transparent barrier shimmered into existence before her—a mirror-like wall that reflected the surrounding arena.

Just as the glowing Icy Wind came swirling in, it struck the glimmering surface of the barrier head-on.

The cold air surged into a concentrated ice-blue beam, which was reflected back with even greater force.

"Look out!" the Singer called out, panicked.

But it was too late.

Primarina couldn't dodge in time and was struck squarely by her own reflected attack. She cried out as the chill swept over her in a frosty blast.

Roger's voice shot through the speakers: "Incredible! Gold King used Mirror Coat to reflect Primarina's Icy Wind! That's a perfect counter!"

But there was no time to relax.

Crabominable had closed the distance and now stood towering over Arboliva. Its massive icy fists glowed with frigid energy as it raised them high and brought them crashing down.

BOOM!

The impact cracked the stage—but instead of a direct hit, Arboliva's figure burst into a cloud of bubbles, vanishing from sight.

The audience gasped.

"A—Substitute?!" someone shouted.

A second later, Arboliva reappeared behind Crabominable, her arms open wide.

With a gentle rustle, six glowing Seed Bombs fell like ripe fruit from her branches, landing all around Crabominable before it could even react.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The six explosive seeds detonated in unison, engulfing the ring in a series of thunderous blasts.

When the smoke cleared, Crabominable stood swaying for a moment… and then collapsed with a loud thud.

It had fainted.

The audience erupted in cheers.

"Unbelievable! Six Seed Bombs, fired all at once! Crabominable is down!"

Roger shouted, completely stunned.

"From three-on-one to two-on-one in seconds! Arboliva predicted the Ice Hammer and used Substitute in advance! Gold King read the battlefield like a book!"

The crowd was still buzzing when suddenly—

Houndoom lunged from behind the smoke, its eyes burning with determination.

"Flamethrower!" barked the Wolf King.

FWOOSH!

Houndoom opened its jaws and unleashed a stream of roaring flames.

The fire surged across the ring, engulfing Arboliva in a blazing inferno.

"Liiiii—!" Arboliva cried, clearly in pain as the flames continued to scorch her bark and leaves.

Before she could catch her breath, Primarina, having recovered from the earlier blow, joined the offensive.

A chilling gust swept across the arena once again.

A fierce blizzard swept across the battlefield, the frigid wind howling as it barreled toward Arboliva. But the icy blast didn't just strike her—it also caught Houndoom in its path.

The swirling ice and flames clashed mid-air, and the collision produced a burst of steam and dense white smoke that quickly obscured the arena.

Caught in the blast zone, Houndoom's Flamethrower sputtered and stopped.

"What do you think you're doing?!" the Wolf King barked, glaring at his fellow Trainer.

The Singer smiled awkwardly, brushing back a lock of hair. "Ah—terribly sorry! I didn't mean to… accidentally hit you."

Naoki's eyes narrowed. A perfect opening.

The tension between his two opponents hadn't gone unnoticed, and with Houndoom's attack momentarily stalled, Naoki seized the moment.

"Arboliva—Earth Power!"

"Lii!"

The Grassy Terrain continued to pulse beneath Arboliva, gently restoring her stamina with its soothing green energy.

But now, Arboliva focused her power downward.

She channeled intense energy into the battlefield, and it rippled through the ground like a tremor before surging toward Houndoom in a glowing wave.

"Graaawh!" Houndoom's instincts flared, and it tried to leap aside, but it was too late.

The arena beneath its paws suddenly erupted, a torrent of searing earth energy exploding upward, blasting Houndoom with brutal force. The flames around it were swallowed by the quake, and the Dark/Fire-type staggered back, heavily wounded.

"Houndoom, hang in there!" the Wolf King growled. He had no time to argue with the Singer anymore. His focus snapped back to the fight.

"Use Flamethrower—again!"

But Naoki was already ahead of him.

"Arboliva, Oil Spray!"

Now, this wasn't a traditional move you'd find in a TM list, but a natural ability unique to Arboliva. Known for producing rich, flavorful oils in the wild, this gift could be cleverly repurposed in battle under the right circumstances.

Like now.

A golden stream of olive oil sprayed from Arboliva's body, coating Houndoom from head to tail. The sticky substance clung to its fur and armor-like ridges.

And just as the Wolf King gave the command—

Houndoom's jaws glowed with fiery energy, preparing to launch another Flamethrower.

But the moment the flame built up in its throat…

WHOOSH!

The intense heat from within ignited the oil coating on its body.

In an instant, Houndoom was engulfed in blazing fire—its entire form turning into a searing, terrifying silhouette.

"GRRRRAAAWWWH!!" it howled in shock, its sleek body now cloaked in dancing hellfire.

It dropped to the ground and rolled furiously, trying to extinguish the flames, panic evident in its movements.

The audience erupted into cheers and gasps.

"Incredible!" Roger cried from his platform. "Gold King anticipated the Flamethrower and had Arboliva coat Houndoom in oil first! When the flame hit, it triggered spontaneous combustion! What a brilliant and creative strategy!"

"Primarina, now! Use Icy Wind!" shouted the Singer, seizing the opportunity.

He had noticed that Arboliva's attention was still locked onto Houndoom, and he wasn't about to waste the opening.

Primarina gracefully raised her head, opened her mouth, and began to conjure a freezing current of wind. Glimmering shards of frost gathered rapidly as the Icy Wind surged forward, racing toward Arboliva like a winter storm.

But neither Naoki nor Arboliva flinched.

"Earth Power." Naoki's voice was calm but firm.

"Lii~"

Arboliva's body began to glow, and a surge of vibrant energy rippled outward. The verdant field beneath her feet responded—Grassy Terrain pulsed and gathered at her core, channeling into a brilliant stream of green light.

A heartbeat later, that energy condensed into a dense emerald beam, and with a thunderous sound, Arboliva unleashed it directly toward the oncoming blizzard.

The two opposing forces—icy wind and pulsing earth energy—collided in mid-air.

A storm of frost and light burst across the ring.

Despite the clear type disadvantage, Arboliva's power overwhelmed expectations.

The Icy Wind was gradually pushed back, losing momentum… until the emerald beam consumed it entirely and surged forward without mercy.

"Woo~!" Primarina gasped, her elegant form vanishing into the blinding green light.

BOOM!

A fierce explosion rocked the arena.

When the dust settled, Primarina lay unconscious, her body gently resting on the grass, knocked out in a single blow.

Cheers erupted from one side of the crowd. Gasps echoed from the other.

At the same time, Houndoom was still frantically rolling on the ground, trying to extinguish the burning oil that clung to its fur.

But Naoki didn't wait.

"Arboliva. Finish it."

"Lii~"

The battlefield rumbled once again. Greenlight surged from the grass, funneling into the ground beneath Houndoom.

The earth cracked open beneath its feet, and a shockwave of glowing energy erupted, striking Houndoom from below with unstoppable force.

The flames were snuffed out by the impact, and the Dark/Fire-type let out a final growl before its body went limp, eyes swirling.

Houndoom had fainted.

Silence reigned for a split second.

Then—

"He did it! HE DID IT!" Roger's voice exploded through the stadium speakers.

"Gold King has pulled off an unbelievable one-against-three! That's a clean sweep—a triple knockout! Arboliva stands victorious! Gold King has done it again!"

"He's officially promoted to the Master Tier!"

The arena erupted.

Fans leapt from their seats. Glowsticks waved like a sea of light. Thunderous applause and chants shook the entire Royal Dome.

"Gold King!"

"Gold King!"

"Gold King!"

The name echoed like a heartbeat across the night.

High above, standing near the upper balcony, a towering man leaned casually against the railing.

His red luchador mask glinted beneath the stadium lights. His upper body was bare, revealing a physique carved from years of training and battle.

He watched the scene with a proud, knowing smile.

"Gold King, huh?" he muttered.

"You're strong. Very strong."

The crowd's cheers echoed in his ears as he crossed his arms.

"Looks like our next match is going to be... fun."

This was The Masked Royal—the reigning champion of the Royal Dome.

....

Note:

Looks like the story got shadowbanned here, so just in case, I’m dropping the NovelBin link too. Might be a good idea to bookmark it in case NovelBin decides to fully hide it later.

https://www.NovelBin.com/book/pokemon-a-new-path_31540311300765105