After the little Eevee officially joined Xu Li's team, many Pokémon were still attracted by the smell of Xu Li's barbecue.
There was a Bibarel Family and Bidoof Family curiously watching Xu Li from the periphery, and Buizel playing in the water.
There were also a few Shinx staring at Xu Li, wanting to ambush him, but Xu Li's own Shinx persuaded them to leave with food.
After eating his fill, Xu Li didn't feel like moving much, so he continued to lie down and rest where he was, with Eevee in his arms, grooming her fur.
"Little Eevee, you need to eat a lot from now on. Look how thin you are. You need to eat until you're glossy and plump."
"Look at your Growlithe brother; he was in a similar state when I first met him, but now his fur is shiny and glossy."
"Eevee—!"
[Eevee ♦
Attribute: Normal
Level: Lv14
Ability: Anticipation
Moves: Nuzzle, Helping Hand, Tail Whip, Tickle, Covet, Quick Attack, Baby-Doll Eyes, Swift
Affection: 72 (She thinks you are a super good person)]
It seems Eevee's birth was good; she has many inherited moves and a hidden ability.
Just as Xu Li was enjoying his afternoon.
"Axew~"
Axew had a new discovery and ran over, pointing to the opposite bank of the water, alerting Xu Li.
Xu Li got up and saw a blue figure on the opposite bank, crouching down to drink water.
Its body was white, and from its Head to its tail and even its limbs, it had burning blue flame manes. If you looked closely, the fur on its Head was neater than the rest.
"Here it is, our target, the Shinny Ponyta."
"While it's drinking water, let's sneak over quietly."
Recalling Eevee into her Poké Ball, Xu Li decided to sneak close to Ponyta first for a surprise attack.
He took out silent spray, sprayed it on everyone, and slowly approached along the grass by the water.
"Paras, first Stun Spore, then Spore."
Paras can compress Stun Spore into a smaller volume, shooting it out like a bullet. Although the coverage area is reduced, it activates quickly, making it suitable for surprise attacks, while Spore flies much slower.
Therefore, to be safe, Stun Spore was used first.
But even though Paras's Stun Spore was compressed into a small ball and expelled at a very fast speed, the Shinny Ponyta still detected the Stun Spore.
With a powerful stomp of its hind legs on the ground, the entire Ponyta leaped into the air, avoiding the Stun Spore.
"So alert," Xu Li thought, cursing inwardly.
After Ponyta leaped into the air, Growlithe used Rock Slide and simultaneously charged towards it with Double-Edge, wanting to finish it before Ponyta landed.
But Ponyta was more agile than Xu Li had imagined. It twisted its body in the air to dodge Rock Slide, and upon landing, it immediately transformed into blue flames and galloped away.
Growlithe could only chase from behind. Ponyta had clearly used Flame Charge, and its speed was increasing.
Growlithe watched Ponyta's figure grow increasingly distant ahead. Its competitive nature was ignited, and with determined eyes fixed on the Shinny Ponyta in front, its body also began to emit flames as it vigorously pursued Ponyta.
Xu Li had originally intended to wait for the next opportunity and call Growlithe back, but seeing the flames erupting from Growlithe, indicating a potential new move, he didn't call him off. Instead, he and Axew and the others chased after Growlithe and Ponyta.
The chase on the grassland was destined to be a long one.
Xu Li was also closely following them, and the trees on both sides kept receding. His heart pounded wildly in the rapid chase, like a frantic drumbeat.
Finally, in his line of sight, in an area with particularly many trees, Growlithe's figure was getting closer and closer.
"Phew~ If my physical fitness hadn't improved so much this month, I really wouldn't have been able to keep up."
"Woof~ (I couldn't catch it.)"
Growlithe looked a bit dejected, lowering his Head.
"It's okay if you didn't catch it. The important thing is, how are you? Did you feel a new move?"
Growlithe nodded heavily, then transformed into a ball of grayish-red flames and ran around Xu Li, getting faster and faster. However, the previous chase had consumed too much stamina, and he was panting after only two laps.
It seems Growlithe has learned Flame Charge.
Just as Xu Li was marveling at Growlithe's learning ability.
"Wur—!"
Suddenly, a resentful Growl came from behind Xu Li.
Turning around, he saw a Pokémon with red eyes jump down from the tree, glaring angrily at Xu Li, who had disturbed its nap.
Its entire body felt covered in thorns, with short, spiky fur on its red back, and yellow thorns on its tail and Head, even its feet looked like thorns.
It was a Wurmple, and this Wurmple was much, much larger than normal.
Plus, with its red eyes, it was a Head!
The Head Wurmple didn't wait for Xu Li to react. It opened its mouth and spat out a thick stream of String Shot, which wrapped around Xu Li.
As the String Shot made contact with the air, its edges slightly dissipated, as if becoming stickier.
"Oshawott—!"
Oshawott shielded Xu Li, drawing out her scalchop and transforming it into a water blade, cutting through all the String Shot.
The sticky parts of the String Shot were also useless against Oshawott's sharpness.
Watching her signature String Shot easily blocked, the Head Wurmple felt she had never encountered such a strong opponent. In the past, the Wurmple she battled were always overwhelmed by her first wave of String Shot attacks.
So, she got serious! Then—she spat out even more String Shot.
Oshawott easily cut through the String Shot again, looking at the Head Wurmple who was panting from spitting out the String Shot.
"Oshawott? (Is that all?)"
The Head Wurmple was furious; never since birth had she been mocked like this.
She was furious! She was furious! She opened her mouth, intending to spit out more String Shot, but she just puffed twice and couldn't produce any.
"Am I going to die here? No way, my bug life has just begun, I don't want to die."
She had seen her companions easily snatched away and killed by Staravia, so she worked hard to spit out more String Shot to defeat her companions and secure a safer position.
Under the strong will to survive, she felt as if she had broken through some limit, her whole body turned into white light, and her form was changing.
"Wur…mple!"
Seeing this, Xu Li was a little curious.
"Evolved? What will it evolve into?"
The white light became oval and slowly dissipated.
"Coo—!"
It evolved into a cocoon, and its cry changed too.
Its whole body was wrapped in grayish-white fine silk, and there were two small holes on its cocoon, through which two red eyes observed the outside. It had evolved into a Silcoon, and its next evolution would be a Beautifly.
The Head Silcoon was feeling very arrogant now. It had evolved, so dealing with this small blue Oshawott would be a piece of cake, right?
Before evolving, I couldn't beat you; after evolving, I'll make you unreachable.
Thinking this, she tried to turn her Head to use String Shot again to overwhelm the little Oshawott.
Then, she tried to aim, but found she couldn't move. She wanted to spit String Shot, but found the silk was blocked by the cocoon.
She could only rely on instinct to use Harden.
Watching the Head Silcoon's eyes gradually fill with panic, Xu Li couldn't help but laugh.
He threw a Poké Ball, but the Head Silcoon resisted, breaking out.
"Hmm? Why don't you look at what you're resisting?"
The Silcoon looked outside. Axew, Oshawott, Growlithe, and Shinx had surrounded her, rubbing their paws together.
She closed her eyes and finally let out a cry of submission.
"Ugh~"
She was caught by Xu Li in a Poké Ball.
[Silcoon (Head) ♦
Attribute: Bug
Level: Lv10
Ability: Shed Skin
Moves: String Shot, Harden
Affection: 5 (Wuwuwuwu~)]
Xu Li released the Silcoon and went over to study her. The Silcoon didn't dare to move.
Xu Li tapped on the Silcoon's shell, which was completely sealed except for her eyes, and asked, "With this structure, can you eat?"
On the cocoon wrapped in grayish-white silk, the Silcoon's two red, resentful eyes peered out from the two small holes in the cocoon. Her eyes darted around, and her gaze gradually became bewildered.
"Coo~ (I can't eat anymore? I can't eat anymore!?)"
The Silcoon was a bit anxious. Evolving was supposed to be a good thing, but why couldn't she spit silk or eat now?
"Not necessarily."
Xu Li looked at the Silcoon's only two holes and took out an energy cube.
"Can your eyes retract?"
One of the Silcoon's eyes disappeared, and Xu Li put the energy cube in. Almost instantly, the Silcoon's joyful cry came through.
"Coo~~~ (I can eat! So delicious!)"
"If you eat this energy cube, you'll be my Pokémon, otherwise I won't give you any."
"Coo~ (I want to eat!)"