A month quickly passed in Ultra Forest, with Alex's Pokémon working their butts off as they ran around, gathering Master ranked resources and Sparkling Stones. Normally, they would have only scoured the area around the portal, as that was where they were most likely to find Sparkling Stones. Unfortunately, they now had a much bigger backpack to fill, requiring almost 10 times as much scavenging. With the nearby resources quickly picked clean, they ventured further into the forest, taking their time to gather valuable resources rather than rushing to fill the backpack with Sparkling Stones alone.
Given Ultra Forest's environment, the most common Master ranked resource they found was the trunks of evergreen trees, whose incredibly durable wood was perfect for crafting luxurious, high-end furniture. There were also metals and minerals buried beneath the soil or hidden deep inside the mountains, but those were far rarer and required considerably more effort to extract. Fortunately, they had Tyranitar's help, as the big baby was an expert at digging up rare rocks and minerals to eat.
Speaking of the big baby, despite finally being allowed to stay by Alex's side again, Tyranitar couldn't help but feel jealous of the new baby getting all of Alex's attention. Here he was, bringing back valuable loot, while Alex spent all day tending to his stupid new plant. He watered it with care, prepared bowls of food, and made sure it had plenty of sunlight and fresh soil to absorb nutrients.
Alex, meanwhile, wasn't too concerned with Tyranitar's feelings. He was a big boy now and needed to become more independent. Besides, Bulbasaur needed his attention far more.
Bulbasaur's determination came from her desire to become stronger under his training so that, when the time came, she could protect those below her. He tried to console her, telling her there was nothing she could have done in the face of a planetary disaster. Yet she remained convinced that if she had been more powerful, perhaps she could have saved more than just herself.
It made little sense to Alex, but that didn't really matter. The little Bulbasaur had gone under his wing, so he decided to train her using all the free time he had. Still, considering she had been on death's door when he found her, there wasn't much he could do besides give her body time to recover. For the past month, she ate, slept, and photosynthesized with determination.
The intense sunlight and nutrient-rich soil of Ultra Forest, combined with the Expert ranked pellets she ate every day, worked wonders for her. By the end of the month, Bulbasaur had fully recovered, bursting with energy and ready to evolve from the sheer excess of nutrition.
"Bulbasaur!" she declared as multicolored light enveloped her body.
Once the light faded, she had evolved into an Ivysaur without any problems. Her combat and move proficiency were at the lowest possible level for an Ivysaur, but considering everything she had been through, that was perfectly fine.
"Ivysaur!" she exclaimed.
"Good. You're about ready to start training seriously. I hope you maintain that determination," Alex said, taking out his phone. "Now, show me all of your moves."
Ivysaur concentrated as she demonstrated each of her moves. She handled Tackle well, using her stubby legs to launch herself into a quick, headlong rush. Her Growl was sufficiently menacing, backed by enough intent to make it threatening. Her Vine Whip was fast and flexible enough to strike falling leaves with ease, while her Growth was proficient enough to noticeably increase her power.
However, she faltered when demonstrating Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Poison Powder, and Sleep Powder. Her poor proficiency with Poison Powder and Sleep Powder was understandable, as she had only recently learned them. Leech Seed and Razor Leaf were more concerning. Despite having learned them earlier, her proficiency with both remained low because she had sped through several levels during her recuperation, gaining the levels without having enough time to properly practice her moves.
Name: Ivysaur, Novice lvl 16
Type: Grass Poison, Female
Ability: Overgrow
Moves:
Novice: Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder
Basic: Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip, Growth
Description: Ivysaur, the Seed Pokémon. Its body is supported by sturdy legs, while a large bud grows from its back, drawing strength from sunlight and rich nutrients. As the bud absorbs more energy, it gradually grows larger and prepares to bloom. Despite its gentle appearance, Ivysaur can unleash powerful Grass type attacks when threatened.
"There's decades of hard, bloody work ahead of you," Alex said sternly. "Are you sure you're up for it? I could always have you join the home team instead, where you can tend to a garden alongside other Bulbasaur."
"Ivysaur!" she declared resolutely.
"Alright," Alex said with a smile, appreciating her determination. "We'll start slow. I want you to meditate and imagine an enemy standing in front of you. Then use your moves one after another while imagining it attacking you. You don't have any enemies to fight here, so you'll have to rely on your imagination while working on your move proficiency. Focus on faster releases, more accurate hits, and better control rather than raw power."
"Ivysaur!" she declared before running off toward a clearing to begin.
Alex watched her intently, occasionally flaring his aura to give her a taste of what it was like to face a real threat. Actual battles would have been better, but they were in Ultra Forest, where even the weakest enemies were Elite ranked Kartana. For now, this would have to do.
"Gardevoir," Gardevoir said as she teleported behind Alex and delivered her report on their scavenging progress.
"So, it's time to leave. Your speed has gotten even faster compared to before. Good job."
Despite their increased workload, their scouting, hunting, and scavenging had become more efficient through years of experience. They had filled the backpack to about an eighth of its capacity and collected more Sparkling Stones than ever before. Unfortunately, Ultra Necrozma didn't share their success, as its progress had barely increased by 1%. It was becoming increasingly clear that the closer it got to its perfected state, the more resources it required. At this rate, there was a real chance it could end up stuck at 99.99%.
"That's fine," Alex said, completely unbothered. "Tell it to cheer up. No matter what, it'll reach its full state after this expedition, even if I have to spend billions of credits buying Sparkling Stones from the League."
"Gar. Gardevoir?" she asked.
"Yes. Get everyone ready. We'll leave as soon as you've gathered them all."
With their scavenging in Ultra Forest complete, they packed up and portaled to their next destination. They spent a month in each location, hunting and gathering as much as possible before moving on to the next. In this manner, 6 months quickly passed as they scoured the Ultra Dimension for as many Sparkling Stones as they could find, eventually arriving at their final destination, Ultra Ruins.
"Still nothing, huh?" Alex asked as he looked over Ultra Necrozma's powerful form. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be able to complete yourself in this final world."
'You said the same thing in the previous world, and I was already at 99% back then,' Ultra Necrozma replied through telepathy.
"It's better to stay optimistic about these things," Alex replied nonchalantly. "It's not like wasting your emotions on it will improve your state. Better to keep moving forward, and you'll achieve your goal before you know it."
"RRRAAAUGH!"
A familiar roar echoed through the area before a black form rushed toward Ultra Necrozma, slashing at it with the full weight of its momentum. Completely unfazed, Ultra Necrozma turned aside, evading the strike before swinging a wing into its midsection. Night Slash cut through it and sent it flying. Before it could get too far, Prismatic Laser descended, bombarding it with pinpoint accuracy and halting its momentum as it was driven into the dirt.
"Looks like your best chance is here," Alex said mid-fight. "Better get to it and return to your former glory."
Ultra Necrozma didn't need to be told twice and rushed off with excitement. If there was anything that could help it bridge the gap it was missing, this wild Necrozma was it.
Their battle was devastating as they fought at close range, exchanging Night Slash after Night Slash, with the wild Necrozma at an obvious disadvantage. Before long, the winner was decided as Necrozma predictably tried to flee for its life. This time, Ultra Necrozma was ready. It disrupted the portal Necrozma was trying to create, preventing its escape. It wanted this hunt so badly that it didn't even consider asking for help as it continued the fight.
Finally, with one last Night Slash, Necrozma fainted, leaving Ultra Necrozma standing over its unconscious body. It immediately dove in and feasted, ripping chunks of crystal from its body to fill its own. Its voracious hunger was finally answered, and once it had fully consumed Necrozma, the light of evolution shone from its form.
When the light faded, it stood proudly at its full height of 7.5 meters, feeling as powerful as it remembered from so long ago.
"KRRRRAAAOOOR!"
The light gradually dimmed as Ultra Necrozma roared in triumph, its cry echoing across the Ultra Ruins after finally overcoming the ordeal the humans had put it through.
"Congratulations," Alex said, having approached without notice. "What do you plan to do now?"
Ultra Necrozma regained its composure before landing on the ground and turning its head away from Alex.
'You already know, human. Do you really want me to say it?' it asked in Alex's mind.
"I like things to be definitive. So yes, I'd appreciate it if you said it clearly," Alex said with a teasing smile.
'I… I want to stay with you,' it admitted, its telepathic voice filled with embarrassment.
"Happy to have you," Alex said, reaching out his hand. "Now, let's make this official."
Ultra Necrozma extended a wing for Alex to reach. The moment they made contact, Alex fed it his energy with the full intent to form a bond. This time, his energy was completely accepted, and a flood of memories immediately poured into his mind.
He saw Ultra Necrozma peacefully watching over primitive humans as they built their world, only for that peace to end when they attacked, subdued, and captured it. What followed was a long period of experimentation, with pieces of its body being broken off again and again until there was little left but a wild beast consumed by an overwhelming craving for light.
Eventually, it escaped in a violent rampage and began its single-minded pursuit of becoming whole again. World after world, it stole their light until its body was restored, yet it still wasn't truly complete. It was powerful, yes, but that power was dependent on the energy it continuously stole. If those worlds perished or the energy sustaining it was lost, it would return to being a mindless beast.
That was when it encountered Alex.
It had been subdued once more, but this time, things were different. There was a promise, the surrender of its power, and a journey toward becoming complete once again. Now, after this final hunt, it had regained its full power without needing to steal the light from entire worlds.
For that, Ultra Necrozma was grateful to Alex from the bottom of its heart. He had given it another chance when it had thought there was nothing left for it but endless hunger.
"Ultimately, it was the food, wasn't it?" Alex accused.
Ultra Necrozma responded with a telepathic cough.
"Well, that's fine. It's part of the deal, so eat to your heart's desire," Alex said with a chuckle as he pulled out his phone. "Now that you're finally complete, how about showing me all your moves?"