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Sato did not stay long at the Pokémon Center. After collecting a stack of the latest bounty notices from the reward hall on the second floor, he quietly left.
Some League elites stationed at the Pokémon Center noticed that Sato was merely a lone bounty hunter passing by. Without further suspicion, they withdrew their surveillance to avoid causing unnecessary misunderstandings.
After leaving, Sato immediately rode on his Crobat and flew toward the eastern side of Slateport City—Slateport Woods. With Crobat's speed, it took no more than two or three minutes for him to reach the boundary between the city and the forest.
"Come out, Venipede. From here on, this forest will be your training ground."
As soon as Sato landed, he released Venipede and spoke to her.
Ever since he captured her, this Venipede—with her rare Speed Boost ability—had been essentially left to free-range growth. Judging from her current size, close to one meter, she must have been living extremely well at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
After all, Sato remembered that when he caught her, she was only about half a meter long.
Similarly, Venipede seemed a bit unfamiliar with Sato, the one who caught her. Yet she made no attempt to act out of line. Instead, she obediently stood before him and lowered her head.
Though they hadn't seen each other in a long time, Venipede had learned quite a bit about Sato from her "big sister," the shiny Beautifly. She understood her trainer's temperament.
Beautifly had also told her that if she behaved and listened, she would receive many benefits.
Seeing Venipede so obedient, Sato felt quite pleased. And through his system's scanning ability, he discovered something rather interesting.
"Leaving her at Professor Oak's Lab really was the right decision. I never even trained her—yet she's learned so many new moves. What a pleasant surprise."
Looking at Venipede's updated data, Sato felt delighted and impressed by the excellent Pokémon-raising environment at the lab.
.....
Venipede – Updated Data
Pokémon: Venipede
Level: 28
Type: Bug / Poison
Ability: Speed Boost
Gender: Female
Known Moves: Defense Curl, Rollout, Poison Sting, Screech, Pursuit, Protect, Poison Tail, Bug Bite, Venoshock
Egg Moves: None
Tutor Moves:Pin Missile, Toxic, Double Team, Solar Beam
TMs: None
Held Item: None
IVs:
HP: 22 (31)
Attack: 22 (31)
Defense: 30 (31)
Sp. Atk: 19 (31)
Sp. Def: 31 (31)
Speed: 25 (31)
Rating: Purple (Total IVs: 149)
...…
From the data, Venipede had not only grown in level but also learned Toxic, Double Team, and Solar Beam during her time at the lab.
Sato didn't even need to think to know she must have learned them from other Pokémon living there. Many powerful Pokémon were kept at Professor Oak's Lab by trainers from Pallet Town. Living alongside such strong Pokémon was a blessing for her—it only took a little advice from them for her to gain a great deal.
And clearly, Venipede had indeed received guidance from those powerful Pokémon—thus mastering Toxic, Double Team, and Solar Beam.
After reviewing her data, Sato praised Venipede a few times, then had her demonstrate all her moves one by one.
Soon, Sato gained a good understanding of her control over them. Her Defense Curl and Rollout were especially refined—they had become her instinctive means of movement.
Through telepathy, Sato learned that she had been taught this movement style by a Scolipede living at the lab, and that her three new moves were also passed down by that same Scolipede.
Furthermore, the reason she had not evolved yet was also on that Scolipede's advice—delaying evolution would greatly help her physical growth.
This was indeed true. Venipede growing this large was closely tied to her well-nurtured larval stage.
According to Pokémon scholars, Bug-types' size depends greatly on the nutrition they receive as larvae.
Venipede explained that the Scolipede at the lab was enormous—five meters long and three meters tall when standing. Before it, she was like a toddler.
"A larger body will benefit you, since your Speed Boost ability works perfectly with Rollout. The added weight won't hinder you—it will actually make Rollout far stronger."
"But if you grow too big, you'll lose too much mobility. Charging in a straight line won't be enough to win real battles."
"Your size right now is excellent. Next, all you need to do is complete your evolution."
After pondering for a moment, Sato used telepathy to give Venipede this advice.
Venipede obediently nodded, then rolled to Sato's feet, clearly expressing her willingness to follow his guidance.
Sato already had a clear role in mind for Venipede within his expanding team: she would be pure support. Her main job was to provide stat-boosting buffs for Nidoking.
With Nidoking covering all type matchups as a powerful attacker, Venipede hardly needed to intervene. She only needed to support him—then cheer him on from the sidelines.
Of course, if needed, Venipede could act as a secondary attacker. With Speed Boost combined with Defense Curl and Rollout, her offensive power shouldn't be underestimated.
Everyone knew: the longer Rollout continues (or the more it hits, in game terms), the stronger it becomes—up to a maximum of 480 power, and up to 960 when paired with Defense Curl.
Venipede's Speed Boost drastically shortens the time required for Rollout to reach maximum power. The enemy only had to underestimate her for a moment and she could flatten them with a single hit.
This was why Sato felt both impressed and excited that Venipede had already internalized Defense Curl and Rollout as natural movement.
The only pity now was that he didn't possess a Swords Dance TM. If he did, he could let her learn it after evolving into Scolipede.
If Venipede learned Swords Dance, she herself would become terrifying—and Swampert, Nidoking, and the rest of the team could all inherit massive boosts from her through Baton Pass.
For now, what Sato needed to do was simple:
Help Venipede evolve into Scolipede as soon as possible.