Cheng Tian ran north with Yamper without stopping, continuing until they finally ran out of energy and slowed to a halt.
Gasping for breath, Cheng Tian took out some food and water. He let Yamper eat a little, and he ate some himself.
They were utterly exhausted! After running frantically the entire way, even Yamper had little stamina left. After this incident, Cheng Tian learned a valuable lesson: showing kindness to an enemy in the wilderness is cruelty to oneself.
Cheng Tian vowed never to make such a foolish mistake again.
"But what exactly were those two clumps of foam that flew out?" Cheng Tian was completely baffled.
If those two clumps of foam hadn't intervened, the Beedrill would likely have sent its message, and Cheng Tian would have been pursued relentlessly again.
Judging by the situation, those two clumps of foam were clearly not simple; they were incredibly sticky. What kind of Pokémon could have done that? Cheng Tian couldn't figure it out.
Cheng Tian opened his phone again, launched the Pidove Map, and began searching for his current location.
In his panicked flight, Cheng Tian had only focused on running north, and with all the winding paths, he wasn't sure if they had strayed off course.
However, Cheng Tian seemed to be in luck. Although they had taken some detours, the general direction was still correct. The question now was: what should they do next?
After the intense chase, it was already 5 PM. Should he continue searching for Pokémon, or find a place to set up camp?
After some consideration, Cheng Tian decided it was best to set up camp first. If he continued searching for Pokémon, he might not find one. If he failed to find a Pokémon *and* failed to secure a good camping spot, the night would be extremely dangerous.
Many Pokémon only emerge at night, and these nocturnal predators were generally too formidable for Cheng Tian to handle.
Having decided on their next course of action, Cheng Tian led Yamper to search for a suitable spot—one with enough vegetation cover to remain inconspicuous.
After searching for about half an hour, Cheng Tian finally found an ideal location. It was backed by a massive rock and surrounded by thick bushes, making it a perfect spot for a camp.
Once settled, Cheng Tian and Yamper gathered firewood, piled it up, and then he used a lighter to ignite the wood.
Once the fire was burning, Cheng Tian nodded in satisfaction, knowing the flames would help keep them warm.
Next, Cheng Tian took out his sleeping bag and laid it on the ground. He then retrieved the insect repellent spray he had purchased and sprayed a protective circle around the perimeter.
A simple campsite was complete!
Cheng Tian wiped the sweat from his forehead. "We'll rest here today." "Woof!" He turned to see Yamper wagging its tail. Cheng Tian gently squatted down and stroked the Pokémon. "You worked hard today." Yamper had exerted considerable effort in the earlier fight.
Yamper was delighted by the praise, and its small tail began wagging even faster.
10 AM tomorrow.
This was the deadline Cheng Tian had set for his current expedition. If he still hadn't found the Pokémon he desired by 10 AM tomorrow, he would have no choice but to head back.
After all, the journey home would take time, wouldn't it?
Just as Cheng Tian and Yamper were busy arranging the camp, Yamper seemed to detect something. It let out a sharp "Woof" and bolted toward a patch of tall grass.
"Wait! Don't wander off, Yamper!" Fearing Yamper might run into danger, Cheng Tian hurried after it.
Pushing through the thicket, Cheng Tian saw Yamper peering out, its head sticking through the foliage as if observing something.
Cheng Tian poked his head out as well and saw a Pokémon enjoying a Berry beneath a distant fruit tree.
Its body was purple with dark purple patches. It had large ears with cyan interiors, small incisors, small red eyes, and a poisonous horn atop its head. Three rows of poison spikes ran down its back, with the middle row being slightly longer. Its limbs were short and two-toed.
Cheng Tian instantly recognized the Pokémon.
Pokémon: Nidoran
Gender: Male
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Hustle
Level: 13
Egg Moves: Supersonic (Lv 5), Poison Tail (Lv 5), Helping Hand (Lv 3)
Known Moves: Double Kick (Lv 6), Focus Energy (Lv 4), Peck (Lv 6), Poison Sting (Lv 5)
Tutor Moves: Poison Jab (Lv 5)
Cheng Tian couldn't quite believe his eyes. What exactly was he seeing?
A Nidoran , and one with the hidden ability Hustle, coupled with a Jolly nature—this was a top-tier Nidoran !!!
A Nidoran possessing the Hustle ability will evolve into a Nidoking with the Sheer Force ability.
Sheer Force Ability: Disables the additional effects of moves, but increases the power of those moves.
If Nidoking is paired with a Life Orb, it becomes a terrifying frontline damage machine.
Life Orb: Increases move power by approximately 30%, but the user loses HP with every attack. However, a Pokémon with the Sheer Force ability ignores this drawback when using a move that has an added effect, suffering no HP loss.
Cheng Tian was utterly captivated; he had to have this Nidoran !
The Nidoran was currently eating Berries and completely unguarded. This was the perfect moment to strike. Cheng Tian immediately gave the order: "Yamper, Charge preparation."
"Woof!" Dense currents began to surge around Yamper's body. Perhaps because the Charge move had been used frequently today, its level had reached 4, and the resulting electricity surrounding Yamper was noticeably greater than before.
Charge (Lv 4)
"Quick Attack!" Yamper coiled its hind legs and suddenly shot forward at extreme speed, smashing right into the Nidoran 's head.
"Nido!" The Nidoran was knocked flat, struggling to get back on its feet. Realizing it had been ambushed, it let out an angry cry. The horn on its forehead began to emit a faint purple glow, and a Poison Sting shot out at lightning speed.
"Dodge, then use Thunder Shock!" Yamper leaned sharply to the left, narrowly avoiding the Poison Sting. A final bolt of electricity erupted, striking the Nidoran .
The Nidoran cried out in pain, then opened its large mouth and unleashed a powerful sound wave.
Supersonic. Cheng Tian quickly covered his ears. "Quick Attack, then Bite!" Yamper closed in again, Dark-type energy flashing across its small canine teeth.
But the Nidoran launched a counterattack. It jumped, using its hind legs to kick Yamper's back in quick succession.
Double Kick! Yamper's Bite missed its target, and Yamper itself sustained significant damage.
"When it lands, use Nuzzle!"
As the Nidoran descended, Yamper's Nuzzle struck true. The paralysis effect was added. However, the Nidoran was not immediately affected. Its horn glowed purple, and it unleashed the Poison Jab move.
"Woof!" Poison Jab landed on Yamper. Yamper cried out in agony, a purple tinge spreading across its face as it succumbed to the poisoned status.
He had slightly underestimated the Nidoran . Just as the Nidoran attempted another Poison Sting, its body seized up. The move was interrupted. The paralysis effect had finally taken hold.
Cheng Tian quickly pulled out a Poké Ball, enlarged it, and hurled it toward the Nidoran .
The moment the Poké Ball made contact with the Nidoran , it sprang open, and the Pokémon was sucked inside as a beam of red light. The Poké Ball landed on the ground and began to shake.
One shake, two shakes. Just as the Poké Ball shook for the second time, the lid unexpectedly popped open, and the Nidoran reappeared with an angry roar.
"Damn it, that didn't work!" Cheng Tian was speechless. Nidoran was a Pokémon with a relatively high capture rate. Given that its stamina was low and it was paralyzed, it should have been caught. But Cheng Tian, the unlucky bastard, just couldn't seal the deal.
Yamper's Ball Fetch ability activated, and it ran back, retrieving the Poké Ball in its mouth.
Ball Fetch: Regardless of the type of Poké Ball, if the capture fails on the first turn, the Pokémon will retrieve it for you.
Cheng Tian recalled how, in his previous life, his idiotic self had been so excited by this ability that he thought it could even retrieve a Master Ball. He had brought a Yamper along to test it, using the only Master Ball in his backpack on a Slowbro.
Just as Cheng Tian waited for Yamper to fetch the ball, he heard a "Ding—."
The Slowbro was captured!
You fool! A Master Ball guarantees capture. What exactly were you expecting it to fetch?
"There's no choice. It looks like I'll have to make it faint." Just as Cheng Tian prepared to issue his next command, another Poison Sting flew out from the nearby bushes.
It struck Yamper. "Woof!" Yamper cried out in pain, one leg buckling beneath it. Yamper was truly in danger now!
Cheng Tian's expression darkened. Pokémon like Nidoran almost always appear in pairs; the other one would be a Nidoran ♀.
Sure enough, a light blue Nidoran ♀ burst out of the grass, baring its teeth and shrieking at them.
Pokémon: Nidoran ♀
Gender: Female
Nature: Modest
Ability: Poison Point
Level: 13
Egg Moves: Helping Hand (Lv 3), Supersonic (Lv 5)
Known Moves: Leer (Lv 6), Double Kick (Lv 6), Focus Energy (Lv 4), Peck (Lv 6), Poison Sting (Lv 5)
Tutor Moves: None
Seeing its injured partner, the Nidoran ♀ became enraged. It roared, and a Poison Sting flew straight toward Cheng Tian.
Yamper tried to rush to his aid, but the effects of the poison were constantly draining its stamina. It wouldn't make it in time!
Fortunately, Cheng Tian was quick enough to tilt his head and narrowly dodge the Poison Sting. But just as he felt a wave of relief, another Poison Sting was launched.
This time, there was no way to dodge!