As expected.
Following Jiang Han's line of sight.
A Vigoroth was pacing irritably under the tree. Its white fur stood on end, its gaze was fierce, and its sharp claws occasionally scraped the ground, leaving behind deep gouges.
It couldn't stop for a single moment, as if it had infinite energy inside that needed to be vented.
Further away in the shadows, two Shroomish lurked motionlessly.
They looked like two small figures wearing green bamboo hats. Only their eyes, hidden under the brims, stared intently at the lum berry on the tree, revealing a greedy longing.
Jiang Han didn't move.
He pulled out his pokédex. With a flash of red light, the information of the three pokémon was clearly displayed on the screen.
"Vigoroth, Ability: Vital Spirit (Prevents the pokémon from falling asleep), Level 22..."
"Shroomish, Ability: Effect Spore (May poison, paralyze, or cause sleep on a pokémon that makes contact with it), Level 17..."
The other Shroomish also had the Effect Spore ability and was Level 17.
Vital Spirit ability.
The corners of Jiang Han's mouth curled up slightly.
This meant the sleep status was ineffective against it. Ordinary moves like Sleep Powder or Yawn would be a waste of effort.
However, the Shroomish's ability was Effect Spore. When hit by a contact move, there was a chance to inflict poison, paralysis, or sleep on the opponent.
Since sleep was ineffective, only poison and paralysis remained.
A good show was about to begin.
Jiang Han crossed his arms leisurely, hiding himself deeper in the shadows behind the tree.
He was happy to be a spectator, especially for this kind of'snipe and clam' drama; it was his favorite.
The silence of the forest was broken by a sharp hiss.
The two Shroomish finally couldn't hold back anymore and chose to take the initiative.
Their figures were like two green bolts of lightning, flanking the Vigoroth from different directions.
One Shroomish opened its small mouth, and a cloud of yellow powder instantly sprayed out, carrying a strange sweet fragrance as it enveloped the Vigoroth.
Stun Spore!
Although Vigoroth was irritable, its reactions were extremely fast. With a nimble back-jump, it easily dodged the range of the powder.
However, this was only a feint.
The moment it landed from its jump, the other Shroomish had already closed in. Its arms glowed with green light, and countless energy vines surged from its body, lashing out fiercely at the Vigoroth.
Mega Drain!
"Roar!"
Vigoroth cried out in pain, letting out a deafening roar. It was completely enraged. Its crimson eyes locked onto the Shroomish that had successfully ambushed it, and its massive body turned into a white afterimage as it lunged forward.
Sharp claws swung, creating a sharp whistling sound in the air!
That Shroomish had no time to react before it was swatted away by Vigoroth's claw. Its small body was like a broken kite, slamming into a large tree and sliding to the ground, clearly suffering heavy damage.
Having succeeded in one strike, Vigoroth didn't stop for a second, turning around to deal with the other one.
But at that moment, the Shroomish that was supposedly heavily injured and down actually struggled to crawl back up, its eyes flickering with a frantic rage.
It gave up on ranged attacks and used all its strength to charge straight at Vigoroth's back like a cannonball.
This was a suicidal fighting style.
Vigoroth sensed the movement behind it and impatiently swung its arm back. Its immense strength sent the Shroomish flying once again.
But this time, contact occurred.
Shroomish's Effect Spore ability successfully activated!
A faint, almost invisible spark of electricity flashed across Vigoroth's fur.
Vigoroth's movements suddenly stiffened, its body twitched uncontrollably, and the claw it was swinging at the other Shroomish stopped mid-air.
Paralyzed!
Jiang Han saw everything clearly from the shadows and praised them inwardly.
What a brilliant use of the'self-injury' tactic—using a heavily injured companion as bait to force the ability to trigger, creating a perfect opportunity for the other to deal damage.
The battle situation reversed in an instant.
The remaining Shroomish seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Without any hesitation, alongside its companion who had just recovered, it launched a final onslaught against the immobile Vigoroth.
Mega Drain after Mega Drain, Headbutt after Headbutt.
The powerful Vigoroth, in its state of total paralysis, had no way to use its brute strength. It could only let out unwilling roars until it finally crashed to the ground, losing its ability to fight.
The two Shroomish were also at the end of their ropes. They supported each other, walking step by step, struggling toward the old tree where the fruits of victory hung.
Now's the time!
Jiang Han's gaze suddenly became sharp.
"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Do you understand?"
He whispered to himself, his voice carrying a hint of playfulness.
He didn't need to step onto the field himself, nor did he even need to give a command.
An ethereal blue blade of light appeared out of thin air, precisely severing the branch holding the lum berry.
It was Inkay's Psycho Cut!
Almost at the same time, the ground beneath the two Shroomish exploded. A dark shadow lunged out, its powerful jaws accurately biting them. The immense force prevented them from even letting out a cry before their eyes rolled back and they completely fainted.
It was Sandile's Dig!
Perfect coordination, a silent hunt.
The pink lum berry fell from the air. Inkay floated forward gracefully, catching it steadily with its soft tentacles.
Only then did Jiang Han slowly walk out from the shadows, holding three red-and-white Poké Balls in his hand.
He walked up to the fallen Vigoroth. Although its body was paralyzed, the fire of anger still burned in its eyes as it glared fixedly at him, the uninvited guest.
"Don't look at me like that. If you're going to blame someone, blame your own lack of skill."
Jiang Han chuckled and lightly tossed the Poké Balls.
Three flashes of red light later, the exhausted Vigoroth and the two Shroomish were captured without suspense. The Poké Balls shook a few times on the ground before becoming completely still.
After putting away the three Poké Balls, Jiang Han walked up to Inkay.
He took the lum berry, which was emitting an enticing fragrance, and without any hesitation, he held it directly to Inkay's mouth.
"Eat up, you've earned this."
Inkay gave a cheerful cry, opened its small mouth, and swallowed the lum berry in one gulp.
A gentle pink aura radiated from its body, enveloping its small frame. Inkay squinted its eyes comfortably and did a few happy spins in the air.
Jiang Han could clearly feel that the fluctuations of psychic power on Inkay had become a bit more solid.
This made him feel much better than selling the lum berry for money.
"Next, should I go to Rustboro City, or head back to Petalburg City first?"
Jiang Han sat down against the tree trunk and began to plan his subsequent itinerary.
Rustboro City had a Rock-type Gym. The Gym Leader Roxanne was a strong opponent, but with Sandile's current strength, it was a fightable challenge.
But Petalburg City's Gym Leader Norman was also the protagonist's father in the game's plot. The Normal-type attribute was also good, making it a great opportunity to farm a badge.
Speaking of which, it was strange. Three months had passed since that incident in Slateport City.
The mission rewards Laic promised had shown no signs of arriving. Every time he made contact, the other party brushed him off with a "just wait a bit longer."
What the hell was going on? Was Team Rockets' credit really that bad? Or had something gone wrong with the heart of the tides?
Jiang Han felt a bit unhappy. He risked his life for Team Rockets for resources, status, and power, not to listen to empty promises.
While he was lost in thought, the pokédex in his pocket suddenly vibrated. A familiar and highly recognizable red "R" logo lit up on the screen.
Jiang Han's gaze instantly sharpened.
It was Laic!
The leisure in his eyes vanished, replaced by a deep intensity.
Finally.
He swiped the screen and connected the call.
"Come to Mauville City to discuss the mission rewards."
This time, Laic lacked his usual boisterousness. He finished stating the matter and hung up hurriedly.
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