Starly #3

It's been 1 year and 5 months.

Rei sat on a thick tree root, watching the sun dip below the horizon. The golden light reflected off Tropius's green leaves, casting long shadows over the forest floor. Tropius stood nearby, unusually quiet.

Something was bothering it.

Rei had noticed for the past few days that Tropius seemed... distracted. It still helped train Staravia and still guided the Pokémon under its care, but there was a heaviness in its movements.

Rei finally spoke up.

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" Rei asked.

Tropius exhaled slowly, rustling its leaf-like wings. "Rei… do you think I am strong?"

The question caught Rei off guard. Tropius was the strongest Pokémon in the area. It had guided the weaker Pokémon and even trained Rei in understanding energy. Yet now, it seemed… unsure.

"Of course you're strong," Rei said firmly. "You're the strongest Pokémon in the forest."

Tropius shook its head. "No. I'm not. Not in the grand scheme of things."

Rei frowned. "What do you mean?"

Tropius looked up at the sky, as if gathering its thoughts. Then, it began to explain.

"A long time ago, there was a Pokémon who was abandoned by humans. It wandered into the forest and stayed for a while before leaving. Before it left, it told me something about the world outside."

Tropius's deep voice carried a weight of experience.

"In this world, strength is divided into five ranks:

1. Normal Rank – The weakest level, where most wild Pokémon and inexperienced trainers' Pokémon belong.

2. Elite Rank – Pokémon that have trained or fought enough to surpass the average. This is where Pokémon like Vileplume and Ludicolo stand.

3. Gym Rank – Pokémon at this level are truly powerful. They can crush Elite Pokémon easily. This is my rank. To become a gym rank. You need to make the energy staravia control become denser and stronger."

Tropius sighed.

"The Staraptor leader was also at this rank. But that Onix you saw? It's not Gym level yet. It's still Elite, but it's close. It will reach Gym level soon."

Rei narrowed his eyes. "So there are ranks even higher than Gym?"

Tropius nodded.

"Above Gym Rank are the monsters. The ones that rule regions."

4. Heavenly King Rank – Pokémon who have surpassed Gym level and are as strong as the Pokémon used by the Elite Four in human societies. They are nearly untouchable by regular Pokémon. To become this you need to comprehend a domain.

5. Champion Rank – The absolute strongest. A Champion-level Pokémon can destroy entire groups of Gym-level Pokémon. These are the Pokémon of true legends."

Rei stayed silent for a moment, absorbing the information.

The Truth About Onix and the Crystals

"What about the Onix?" Rei asked. "Why does it have those crystals in its cave?"

Tropius snorted. "That Onix is smart. Those crystals are filled with Steel-type energy. None of the Pokémon in this part of the forest need Steel energy, so nobody fights him for them. That's why he's been able to keep them for so long."

Rei frowned. "So they're just Steel energy?"

Tropius nodded. "Yes. The Onix has been absorbing them little by little, which is why it's close to becoming Gym level."

Rei's eyes widened. Tropius and the others didn't know about the Flying energy in those crystals.

He had seen it. Felt it. But if even Tropius—one of the strongest Pokémon here—was unaware of it, then... this might be his advantage.

Rei's mind raced.

If Staravia absorbed the Flying energy in those crystals before evolving, it might evolve into something stronger than a normal Staraptor.

Rei's mind was also deducing a way for staravia to become a gym level pokemon more easily. He knew from Tropius that to become a gym level pokemon you only need denser energy.

From this, Rei got an idea. He created a new technique that allowes pokemon to condense a cristal core. He tested this effect by letting the leader Ludicolo tried it. It worked, allowing ludicolo who have been stuck at the mid elite level become a high elite.Ludicolo gave him a mid grade water stone as a reward

After testing the effect he also gave it to Tropus and Vileplume. Tropus gave him a fruit filled with flying energy. Vileplume gave him lots of normal fruits filled with some spiritual energy.

Finally, Rei let Staravia use it, allowing staravia to break through the elite level.