The big hole that suddenly appeared on the road was the result of Tetsuya and his three Pokémon working together over time. If not for that, Arbok might have gotten too close.
It was all thanks to Boldore. As a Rock-type Pokémon, it was naturally talented at digging and manipulating terrain.
Without Boldore, it would have been impossible to dig a hole large enough to trap Arbok in such a short period.
Similarly, the layer of soil originally covering the hole was also Boldore's doing. It had carefully arranged sand and stones to disguise the trap.
Arbok may have sensed the energy fluctuations and mistaken the area for a Quicksand Hell attack, leading it to dive straight in.
Following Arbok's trail, Tetsuya found its lair—a cave.
Before even stepping inside, the stench was overwhelming.
He shook his head, leaving Boldore and Pidgeot outside. Only Combusken would accompany him in.
The cave was too narrow, limiting Pidgeot's usefulness. As for Boldore, while strong, it lacked the agility required for tight spaces. If it were a Gigalith, perhaps the situation would be different.
Tetsuya secured the mask from his expedition suit over his face and even put a special version on Combusken before stepping in.
Even with the mask, the foul odor was unbearable. Maybe it was just psychological.
Switching on his flashlight, he scanned the cave's interior. Two shed Arbok skins lay on the ground.
After a quick inspection, Tetsuya's expression darkened.
Neither shedding was fresh. Even the better-preserved one was at least two weeks old.
That wasn't good enough to complete his mission. He would have to find another Arbok.
For a predator this powerful, there was usually only one in a given territory.
Which meant his return trip would have to be delayed.
Exiting the cave, he carried the two sheddings and a set of fangs he found beneath them. He took off his mask, inhaling the fresh air alongside Combusken.
The trip wasn't a total loss, but it was frustrating.
Tetsuya packed everything into his backpack and walked over to Pidgeot, who ruffled its wings in anticipation.
"Alright, Pidgeot. Let's go further out and search for another Arbok."
Pidgeot nodded, spreading its wings and soaring into the sky.
Tetsuya sat down with Boldore and Combusken, taking a break.
Pidgeot was fast, and its aerial view covered a huge area. If there was an Arbok nearby, it would find it. The problem was whether there was one.
Arboks didn't hunt often. One successful kill could sustain them for days, meaning they spent most of their time hiding in their dens.
Even Pidgeot might not spot one.
Tetsuya had gotten lucky this time. Someone on a forum had posted a warning about an Arbok in the area, advising weaker trainers to steer clear. Seeing that, he had come to test his luck.
Most trainers didn't have his experience. They couldn't estimate a wild Pokémon's strength accurately. When they encountered something as dangerous as an Arbok, their first instinct was to flee.
Combusken, growing bored, squatted down and started playfully poking at Boldore.
Boldore huffed, turning away as if to say, I'm too grown-up for this.
The moment was peaceful, and Tetsuya found himself enjoying the quiet.
More than half an hour passed, but Pidgeot still hadn't returned. It was likely still searching.
Checking the time, he saw it was already noon. He quickly pulled out his camping cookware from his space backpack and started preparing lunch.
He grabbed two Pecha Berries and a special rock blend—biting into one berry and tossing the other to Combusken. The special blend was for Boldore.
Combusken held the berry between its claws, munching happily.
Fire-types preferred spicy food, but they rarely turned down the sweet taste of Pecha Berries as a treat.
Tetsuya took another bite. It was as sweet as he had expected.
He had specially requested high-quality fruit when placing his last order with the fruit shop. After studying berry cultivation in the past, he had developed an eye for quality.
If that store's fruit weren't excellent, he wouldn't have bothered buying from them.
Next, he started preparing Boldore's special rock blend. Today's recipe included 10% Fire Stone fragments, 25% Ice Rock shards, 40% Hard Stones, and various trace minerals.
After weighing the ingredients, he placed them together, letting Boldore absorb them naturally.
The sturdy Pokémon positioned itself in front of its food bowl and began absorbing its meal.
Combusken tugged at Tetsuya's sleeve. "Cha?"
"Hold on, I'm working on it," Tetsuya replied with an amused smirk.
Combusken's meal was simpler—Chople Berries and Tamato Berries mixed in a 2:1 ratio, plus some spicy energy cubes as the staple. A large bottle of Moomoo Milk and nutritional supplements completed the meal.
Tetsuya winced at the combination. Spicy cherries and chocolate-flavored berries? Ugh.
Raising high-quality Pokémon was expensive.
Boldore's specialized diet alone cost around 50,000–60,000 Pokédollars per meal due to the mineral content.
Combusken's diet had also grown pricier over time. When it was younger, the ratio of Tamato Berries to Chople Berries had been 3:1. Then it evened out at 1:1. Now, it was 2:1 in favor of the sweeter, more expensive Chople Berries.
The cost had jumped nearly 60%—not even accounting for its increased appetite. Each meal now ran close to 120,000 Pokédollars.
With two meals a day, that was over 7 million Pokédollars per month. And that didn't even factor in training expenses.
Tetsuya ruffled Combusken's feathers, handing it its bowl and spoon. The Fire-type eagerly took its food and sat beside Boldore, happily digging in.
Next was Pidgeot's meal—a mix of berries that enhanced Flying- and Normal-type energy, along with supplementary ingredients and a large can of milk.
That one ran about 100,000 Pokédollars. Not cheap, but still more manageable than Combusken's.
Tetsuya sighed. At this rate, he might as well be feeding them diamonds.
Pulling out a frying pan and a steak, he set up a simple portable stove before calling Combusken over.
The Fire-type quickly swallowed its last bite, stepped forward, and spat out a small Ember attack to light the flame.
Tetsuya waved a hand in thanks before heading back to sit with Boldore, taking a moment to relax as he ate.
He shook his head with a chuckle. This guy...
Tetsuya casually fried the assembled meat steak in the pan, and when it was about 70% cooked, he placed it on a plate and sprinkled some black pepper and chili on top.
In this life, he particularly enjoyed spicy food and made it a habit to add a little chili to everything he ate.
Taking a bite, he nodded in satisfaction. Tetsuya had been single for forty years across two lives. He couldn't say much about his personal life, but when it came to cooking, he was exceptional.
After finishing his meal, he checked the time. Almost an hour had passed—enough time for his Pidgeot to cover more than 2,000 kilometers. Yet, this Arbok was proving difficult to track down.
Just as he was pondering, he heard a familiar cry above his head.
"Beep!~"
Looking up, Tetsuya squinted as the intense noon sunlight hit his eyes. A shadow swooped down, sending up a flurry of dust and sand.
Without needing any instruction, Boldore, who had just finished its own meal, instinctively controlled the dust, preventing it from spreading.
Pidgeot landed gracefully, its powerful chest muscles rising and falling slightly. For it, this flight was nothing more than a warm-up—an exercise that required a little more focus on terrain than usual, but no significant effort. However, it was lunchtime, and hunger had crept in.
Tetsuya set down the prepared meal, and Pidgeot wasted no time digging in. As the bird ate, Tetsuya gently smoothed out its feathers, which had become slightly ruffled from the long flight.
Thinking back, he realized he and Pidgeot had been together for almost two years. Time had flown by, and he hadn't even noticed how much it had grown. The evolution of Pokémon truly was an incredible phenomenon.
Once Pidgeot finished eating, Tetsuya set aside his search for Arbok for the moment and handed his used paper plate to Combusken, who promptly incinerated it with a small burst of flame, leaving no trace.
At the same time, he rinsed the cookware and utensils used by all three of his Pokémon with fresh stream water before sterilizing them with Combusken's fire.
A Fire-type Pokémon—a must-have in any kitchen!
If he could pair it with Water- and Grass-types, he'd have a perfect, self-sufficient setup. Water-types for water, Grass-types for food, Fire-types for cooking.
A strange thought crossed his mind—could this be why the three Starter Pokémon types were always Fire, Water, and Grass?
He shook his head, pushing away the ridiculous idea. The deep-rooted influence of his past life's food culture was impossible to shake. No matter where he went, food was always on his mind.
With everything cleaned up, he turned back to Pidgeot to get a full report on its scouting mission.
"Beep, beep..." Pidgeot explained, and finally, Tetsuya understood why it had taken so long.