I’m the Owner of the Pokémon Day Care In the World of Pokémon

When Venusaur woke up, Yuga was immediately notified. By the time he arrived at the Ecopark, Venusaur had already gone to the location where the thorn plant was being cultivated.

The awakened Venusaur was in excellent condition, exuding an aura of vitality. Its skin gleamed as if it had been polished, and although it was naturally covered with toxin-storing bumps, they still sparkled brightly.

Yuga saw Venusaur working with Roserade to cast Grassy Terrain on the thorny sapling. The sapling's two small leaves trembled slightly and seemed to grow taller in an instant.

After triple-checking, the surrounding Pokémon confirmed it wasn't just their imagination—Venusaur was indeed more suited to nurturing the thorny sapling than Roserade.

The sapling thrived under their care, much to the delight of Archeops Two, who flapped its wings and danced with excitement.

Yuga shifted his gaze from the sapling and activated his Insight skill to inspect Venusaur's status.

...

[ Venusaur (Venusaurite) ]

Type: Grass, Poison

Ability: Chlorophyll

Gender: Male

Potential: Indigo

Level: 81

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, Flower Shield, Stomp, Sweet Scent.

...

The extended slumber had allowed Venusaur to fully absorb the energy essence of the ancient thorn bush, propelling its level to Champion level.

Yuga hadn't expected his first Grass-type Pokémon to break into Champion level to be Venusaur. Among his Grass-type Pokémon, Venusaur's level wasn't the highest, nor was its potential the best, yet it had surpassed all its peers.

Fate truly works in mysterious ways.

Upon learning of Venusaur's breakthrough, the Pokémon that felt the most urgency was Vivillon.

Vivillon was now the only member of Yuga's main team that hadn't reached Champion level. Even the younger Pokémon were catching up to it in level—how could it not feel pressured?

In fact, when Charizard broke through to Champion level, Vivillon had already started feeling anxious. Recently, it had been working tirelessly—striving, pushing, and persevering. But advancing from Elite level to Champion level wasn't something that could be achieved overnight.

Without a stroke of fortune, relying solely on hard work could take even a Pokémon with purple potential years, or even decades, to break through, depending on the resources invested.

Vivillon wondered: if its level remained stuck at Elite level, would Yuga eventually remove it from the main team?

So, while everyone else was celebrating Venusaur's remarkable progress, Vivillon didn't show up. Instead, it went to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark to find its husband, Volcarona.

Though Volcarona's potential wasn't as high as its wife's, it was a very diligent Pokémon. When it learned that Vivillon wanted to overcome her limits, Volcarona was incredibly supportive, even brainstorming ways to help her.

It had been watching Vivillon's recent efforts with admiration.

However, like Vivillon, Volcarona was also an Elite level Pokémon. Having never experienced the leap to Champion level itself, it had no idea how to guide its wife in achieving that breakthrough.

Although Valcarona didn't know, but other Pokémon certainly did.

So, Valcarona led Vivillon to consult with Ninetales.

Although Ninetales didn't particularly enjoy staying in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, it regularly went to the crater to train, and thus had a decent relationship with Valcarona, who lived there.

After hearing the couple's intentions, Ninetales did not withhold its experience regarding breakthroughs and directly shared it with them.

After all, part of the agreement Angie made with Ninetales back then included teaching the Pokémon in the Ecopark how to train, aside from serving as a "guardian."

The crux of a Pokémon's breakthrough lies in the accumulation of its core essence. Once it's sufficiently amassed, the breakthrough naturally follows.

To build up this core essence, one could either train diligently over time or rely on rare treasures.

However, treasures are treasures precisely because they are difficult to come by. Instead of hoping for a stroke of luck, it's more practical to focus on steady training.

After explaining, Ninetales glanced at the couple. While it was knowledgeable about training Fire-type Pokémon, it had no clue about what to do with Bug-type Pokémon.

"I can guide you," Ninetales said, extending a paw to point at Valcarona. "But I can't teach her." Then, it gestured toward Vivillon.

Vivillon was visibly disappointed, though she was also genuinely happy for her husband.

Receiving personal guidance from a Level 100 Pokémon was an opportunity most Pokémon could only dream of. Such a privilege was possible only because they belonged to Angie.

Volcarona noticed Vivillon's downcast expression and immediately comforted her. "Don't feel disheartened. We can still try asking elsewhere."

While Volcarona was thrilled about learning from Ninetales, it couldn't ignore its wife's predicament. Turning to Ninetales, it said, "Can I come back another day to start learning from you?"

"Suit yourself!" Ninetales replied nonchalantly, waving a paw.

Volcarona's thoughtfulness deeply touched Vivillon.

After bidding Ninetales farewell, Volcarona accompanied Vivillon to the Haunted House Sub-Ecopark.

Ninetales wasn't the only Level 100 Pokémon in the Ecopark. If Ninetales couldn't help Vivillon, maybe Aegislash could. Perhaps Dusknoir might even have some ideas.

After all, both of those Pokémon had lived for millennia. Their vast knowledge was their greatest asset.

The couple first encountered Dusknoir, who, upon learning of their purpose, inspected Vivillon closely, circling her as if trying to discern something specific.

After a long pause, Dusknoir said hesitantly, "Maybe you should ask Aegislash. Vivillon's situation is… a bit unusual. Aegislash might… possibly… perhaps… be able to help."

Hearing Dusknoir's uncertain tone, Volcarona and Vivillon felt unsure themselves.

"Well, why not ask? There's no harm in trying," Dusknoir chuckled lightly.

"Alright… we'll go ask."

Volcarona had arrived full of hope, but Dusknoir's vague and ambiguous response greatly dampened its expectations.

Still, since they were already here, it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot.

The couple bade farewell to Dusknoir and set out to find Aegislash.

What they didn't know was that their conversation with Dusknoir had been overheard by the Malamar who are hiding in the shadows.

This Malamar, bored of staying cooped up in the laboratory, had come out for some fresh air and accidentally eavesdropped on the exchange.

Malamar's eyes gleamed with a cunning light. It let out a sly chuckle and slithered off in the direction Volcarona and Vivillon had taken.

Ever since Mewtwo arrived at the laboratory, it had completely taken over. This shift in authority left the three Malamar deeply frustrated.

To be honest, the Malamar trio had no ambitions beyond pursuing their research freely. They didn't seek to cause trouble.

But their history of misdeeds made Angie deeply distrustful of them.

The loss of control over the laboratory made everything difficult for them, as they could no longer act as freely as before. Even the attitude of the Meowstice and Rotom toward them had become increasingly dismissive.

With the loss of control over the lab, the Malamar, filled with resentment, began harboring malicious thoughts. Now that they had the chance, they were immediately thinking of stirring up trouble.

Volcarona and Vivillon had asked Dusknoir about the location of Aegislash and were on their way to find it when they were suddenly stopped by a voice.

The couple turned around to find it was the Malamar.

"It's you. What's the matter?" Vivillon said indifferently.

As Yuga, their Trainer, didn't trust the Malamar, Vivillon naturally had no favorable feelings for it.

As for Volcarona, he didn't know much about the Malamar and hadn't interacted with it, so he stayed silent.

"I heard you're looking for a way to break through quickly?" The Malamar asked, narrowing its eyes.

"You were eavesdropping on us?" Vivillon said angrily, glaring at the Malamar.

The Malamar was not intimidated by Vivillon's glare and, with a mysterious smile, said, "Actually, I have a way to help you break through."

"Just you? Are you joking?" Vivillon didn't believe a single word the Malamar said.

The Malamar wasn't angered by Vivillon's dismissive tone. Instead, it continued with a smile, "You know, the Innovation Potion was developed by the three of us. Since we could create the Innovation Potion, of course, we can find a way to help you break through."

That was true… Vivillon thought to herself. She had to admit, although the three Malamar were bad, their abilities were indeed impressive.

After thinking for a moment, Vivillon said to the Malamar, "Alright then, I'll come to find you later."

"Alright, we'll be waiting for you," the Malamar said, satisfied with Vivillon's response. It didn't expect her to believe its words right away.

After the Malamar left, Volcarona looked at his wife and asked, "Are you really planning to seek their help? I have a feeling that Malamar doesn't have good intentions."

Vivillon replied, "Let's go find Aegislash first. We'll leave the Malamar for now. I never said when I would go to them; let's just let them wait."

Volcarona didn't press the issue after hearing this.

The couple soon found Aegislash. Just like Dusknoir, it circled around Vivillon for a while before finally speaking, "There's a powerful primordial force sleeping within you, but it hasn't been activated, so you can't assimilate it."

Ghost-type Pokémon are most sensitive to life energy, which is why Aegislash could sense the primordial energy of Genesect sleeping inside Vivillon.

However, the energy inside Vivillon was so lifeless that even Aegislash, being a level 100 Pokémon, couldn't feel it unless it put in a concerted effort.

Dusknoir wasn't powerful enough to fully understand the situation, which is why it was unsure and suggested Vivillon seek out Aegislash.

Vivillon's situation was almost identical to Charizard's.

The crystallized heart of Moltres couldn't be fully used by Charizard. It was only through the stimulation of Moltres that Charizard was able to transform the heart of Moltres into its own power.

Similarly, the fossilized Genesect couldn't be fully absorbed by Vivillon.

The Genesect fossil had originally been given to Vivillon as a substitute for the Heart of the Insect by Yuga. The ritual performed by the Swarm Butterflies helped Vivillon digest part of Genesect's power, leading to a transformation.

However, Genesect was a Mythical Pokémon, so its power couldn't possibly be limited to just that little bit; much of it remained dormant within Vivillon.

If Vivillon could meet a living Genesect, she might be able to fully tap into its primordial energy, just as Charizard did with Moltres. But clearly, that was impossible.

Of course, if Vivillon had told Yuga what Aegislash had said to her, Yuga might have found a solution, since he knew that Ash had encountered Genesect during his travels.

For Vivillon, Yuga would definitely be willing to take a risk.

However, Vivillon didn't say anything.

"So what should I do?" After hearing the words from Aegislash, Vivillon anxiously asked.

Aegislash was silent for a moment before saying, "I do have a solution, but it won't show results immediately. You'll need to take it step by step."

"I'm listening!" Vivillon didn't hesitate. Although she was eager to increase her strength, she understood that rushing things wouldn't bring results.

"Good, then. From now on, you'll come here every day, and I will teach you how to activate the power within you and how to absorb and digest it." Aegislash said, satisfied with Vivillon's response. Patience and steady effort would lead to success.

On their way back, Volcarona said to Vivillon, "That's great. With Aegislash's help, your strength will soon catch up to everyone else's."

Vivillon felt happy inside and nodded at Volcarona. "Yes, it will catch up."

She then looked at Volcarona and said, "Thank you for staying by my side and helping me think of a way."

Volcarona replied, "What are you saying? We've been together for so long; it's only natural!"

At that, the couple shared an affectionate atmosphere.

From that day on, Vivillon went to the Haunted House Sub-Ecopark every day for the rigorous training from Aegislash.

To avoid being left behind by his wife, Volcarona also went to seek advice from Ninetales whenever Vivillon was training.

Soon, the couple was both very busy.

However, no matter how busy they were, Volcarona always went to the Haunted House Sub-Ecopark to pick up Vivillon at the end of the day.

Their situations were different. Vivillon's training was much more exhausting than Volcarona's, and every day, seeing Vivillon return from the Haunted House Sub-Ecopark utterly exhausted made Volcarona feel heartbroken.

Though he felt sorrow for her, he never advised her to give up or take it easy. He knew his wife had her pride.

He understood her past and knew that she had been abandoned by her first Trainer. Her strength was a testament to her hard work.

While Vivillon and Volcarona were busy, the Malamar, waiting for Vivillon to come see it, waited impatiently but never saw her arrive. This made it very anxious.

It thought about meeting Vivillon again, but Vivillon spent all her time training with Aegislash in the Haunted House Sub-Ecopark, so it didn't dare get too close.

The Malamar's bad intentions would be seen through immediately by Aegislash.

The Malamar didn't have the privileges that Yuga had given it, so it couldn't freely enter and leave other areas of the Ecopark. Thus, trying to meet Vivillon outside was also not an option.

In fact, Vivillon had completely forgotten about the conversation with the Malamar. Her days were filled with training with Aegislash, leaving her no time to think about anything else.

Fortunately, all of Vivillon's hard work paid off. Although Aegislash had said that its method wouldn't show immediate results, Vivillon could already feel herself growing stronger. This was much faster than if she had tried to figure things out on her own.

In truth, if Vivillon hadn't found the method with Aegislash, she might have gone to see the Malamar. But now, things were different. The Malamar could go to hell.