In the face of a known attack, there's really no need to panic. It wasn't just Natsuhiko who awaited its arrival, but also the ready Weedle.
Scanning over Rattata's fur brightness, degree of tooth wear, and the length of its tail, it wasn't hard to judge this Rattata's strength.
With an in-depth understanding of Pokémon knowledge, combined with continuous learning in Pokémon breeding, Natsuhiko had already developed some basic judgment skills.
Or you could say this is the fundamental ability of every Breeder; otherwise, how could they make suitable Energy Blocks for Pokémon?
This should be a Rattata with Qualified Level strength.
Its fur was somewhat messy, teeth severely worn yet growing slowly, muscles not well-developed, and the tail's end had a small section obviously bitten off; its strength was limited.
Due to the strength disparity and preparatory advantage, this battle had no suspense at all.
"Power Grid."
At the moment the words were spoken, a web sparking with electricity shot out from Weedle's mouth, unsurprisingly wrapping Rattata, with the current making its fur stand on end.
Boom——
Rattata fell to the ground halfway, struggling to stand up, only to be tightly entangled by the sticky web, its previously agile movements dulled by the electric shock.
"Poison Needle."
Thud thud thud——
Three Poison Needles pierced into Rattata's body, and the potent toxin spread rapidly. With Rattata's strength and condition, it simply couldn't withstand the toxin's erosion.
This was an overwhelming supremacy in strength and tactics; the battle result was naturally without surprises.
The more Rattata struggled on the ground, the faster the toxin spread.
Seeing it lost the ability to resist, Natsuhiko didn't linger longer and continued through the thick underbrush.
The scene just now seemed to be a microcosm of Natsuhiko and Weedle's encounters with Wild Pokémon along the way.
Although not much time has passed, Weedle's progress was absolutely astonishing.
If they were to return to the time when they were scrambling for Tree Fruit, apart from that Pinsir, Weedle wouldn't have to fear facing any of the others, even against its fully evolved form, Beedrill.
This shows how important a Trainer is to a Pokémon's growth.
After all, for Wild Pokémon, there is no such thing as training; for them, surviving and living better is everything.
Apart from some gifted or inherently strong-willed Wild Pokémon, most Wild Pokémon's strength might just stay at Excellence Level or Senior Level, with few reaching Elite Level.
Of course, some unexpected situations can't be ruled out.
After a few battles, Natsuhiko and Weedle smoothly passed through the thick underbrush.
Its presence seemed like a natural dividing line.
The forest beyond became more mysterious and dangerous, with the complex scent in the air explaining it all.
The dense trees blocked the sunlight, making the forest's air feel a few degrees cooler.
Animal paths were everywhere, and the faint footprints of various Pokémon indicated the level of activity in this forest, incomparable to the ones around Goldenrod City.
Wooshing——
The faint sound of flowing water reached Natsuhiko's ears.
He compared it to the map and confirmed his location.
"The water flow direction doesn't go against my destination, and getting closer to water increases the chances of encountering water-loving Grass-type Pokémon."
Natsuhiko quickly made a decision to proceed along the water flow.
Of course, water is the source of all things; it's not just Grass-type Pokémon that are active around it but also many aquatic Pokémon.
And sure enough, as Natsuhiko and Weedle approached the water source, they encountered a Pokémon.
With short, light yellow fur and a somewhat stout appearance, it had a pink, pig-like nose and a slender, flexible tail with a brown end, resembling a primate.
Its tail was wagging, and its short legs moved with all their might, in a panic, tears seemingly at the corners of its eyes, charging into the stream with a cry.
"Mankey?"
A Fighting Type Pokémon, Mankey, gave Natsuhiko the first impression of being social and extremely irritable. Once enraged, it would forget its fear and attack recklessly.
Natsuhiko's second impression of Mankey was that both it and its evolved form, Fire Monkey, could learn "Nirvana," one of the ultimate techniques of Dragon-type Pokémon. Combined with the Fighting Type's Cross Slash and Close Combat, plus Dragon-type's Nirvana, it was the epitome of violent aesthetics.
But this Mankey was very frightened, even hastily rushing into water it wasn't fond of.
But in the next second.
Natsuhiko understood what it was afraid of.
Bzz bzz bzz——
The rapidly approaching sound made him stiffen as he saw the source, slightly shifting his footsteps to hide better in the bushes, simultaneously placing his hand on Weedle's head to keep its curious head down.
A swarm of Beedrill, carrying their Golden Dual Guns, emerged from the woods with a menacing force.
And their target was that Mankey.
Such a large group of Beedrill, not mentioning a single Mankey, even a group of them might not stand a chance.
How could it not be afraid? Was it looking for death?
"What did Mankey do to provoke such a swarm of Beedrill?" Natsuhiko gulped silently, gaining a new understanding of this forest's dangers.
Not daring to move, he stayed put obediently.
Fortunately, Beedrill weren't very patient, and after sensing Mankey's disappearance, they left angrily.
Their sharp dual guns and stingers testified to their strength.
"Phew——" Seeing dozens of Beedrill leave the way they came, Natsuhiko let out a long sigh of relief.
"Woo——" Weedle mimicked him, sighing too.
In the wild, you can't become too arrogant just because you gained a bit of strength; harsh reality always knows when to give you a wake-up call.
After ensuring the Beedrill wouldn't return, he slowly stepped out.
"Hogar!!"
Suddenly, as Natsuhiko and Weedle stepped out of the bush, a monkey head abruptly emerged from the water, gasping heavily, its eyes showing a mix of relief and mockery.
"Hogar!! Hogar!!"
Mankey seemed to suddenly realize…
It couldn't swim!
Seeing Natsuhiko and Weedle on the bank, it immediately called out loudly for help.
Natsuhiko glanced at the Mankey gradually being swept away by the river but didn't respond, preparing to leave the dangerous area with Weedle, unsure if the Beedrill might return.
"Hogar!! Hogar!!"
Seeing Natsuhiko ignoring it, Mankey panicked, its eyes rapidly turned, reaching into its seemingly sparse fur to grab a soft, glistening object in the sunlight.
"Woo~~" Weedle sensed something, couldn't help but look at Mankey, and its eyes lit up when it saw the item in its hand.
"Hmm?" Noticing Weedle's reaction, Natsuhiko also looked at Mankey.
"Is that… Beedrill honey?" Confirming the object in Mankey's hand, Natsuhiko was a bit stunned, also understanding why Mankey was "hunted" by Beedrill.
This daring fellow, did it raid Beedrill's nest?
Mankey continued to call, waving the honey in its hand, seeming willing to trade it for salvation.
After a brief contemplation, Natsuhiko instructed Weedle, "Save it, Spinning Silk."
——————
The third update! Since I promised everyone an extra chapter for votes, I had to give it my all; there's another fourth chapter coming soon! In this new book period, hardworking authors like me aren't many, give some more votes please!