It was obvious that the simultaneous evolution of Nidoran♂and Nidoran♀ could not have happened purely by coincidence—there must have been a powerful bond pushing them forward, otherwise such a thing would have been impossible!
After all, many Pokémon already relied on intimacy and bonds to trigger their evolution. The only uncertainty here was what sort of differences or changes would occur to Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀, having evolved through this kind of special method.
"Nido, Nido, Nido!"
As the dazzling white light gradually faded, two newly evolved figures were revealed in the battlefield—Nidorino and Nidorina, their bodies now stronger and more imposing than before.
The two Pokémon exchanged a quick glance, then swiftly gathered together, their sharp gazes locking onto the distant Raticate leader.
In the next instant, white light once again emerged from their bodies. The two flares of light seemed to merge faintly, gradually intertwining until they completely fused into one.
The very next moment, the two Pokémon moved in unison. Their combined brilliance surged forward like a streak of white lightning, charging straight at the Raticate leader, who had also launched an attack using Tackle!
Boom!
They collided with explosive force.
But unlike before, this time Nidorino and Nidorina did not get knocked back. Instead, the two sides fell into a tense stalemate, neither retreating an inch.
"Squeak!"
The Raticate leader let out a furious roar, summoning every ounce of power from its body.
Even so, it could feel itself being steadily pushed back. Its claws gouged into the ground as it slid backwards, leaving deep furrows in the dirt while it desperately tried to resist!
"Nido! Nido!"
Bathed in radiant light, Nidorino and Nidorina looked at each other again, joy and excitement flashing in their eyes.
Almost immediately, their expressions hardened into unwavering determination. At the same time, they turned back toward their enemy, pouring every bit of their strength into one final burst of power!
In the blink of an eye, the white light surrounding them surged violently, suddenly overwhelming the Raticate leader and blasting it away with tremendous force.
The Raticate leader's body spun wildly in midair, its eyes rolling back until they turned completely white. Covered in purple bruises, it crashed heavily to the ground and instantly fell into unconsciousness!
"Now's the chance—go, Poké Ball!"
Seeing Raticate collapse, Aven quickly pulled an empty Poké Ball from his other pocket. Enlarging it in his hand, he hurled it forward.
The Poké Ball drew a perfect arc through the air, striking the Raticate leader precisely. Its body dissolved into a red beam of light and was sucked inside the ball.
Beep… beep… beep…
The Poké Ball wobbled vigorously on the ground.
Finally, with a sharp click, the red light on its button faded completely—signifying that the capture was successful. The Raticate leader was his!
"Squeak, Squeak, Squeak!"
Meanwhile, in the grassy clearing, the rest of the Raticate horde and smaller Rattata were still locked in combat.
The suddenness of their leader's defeat had taken them entirely by surprise. They had never anticipated such an outcome!
At first, they wanted to rush over to help, but when they saw their leader suddenly vanish into thin air, every single one of them froze in shock.
They stared dumbly at the spot where their leader had disappeared, but the only thing left there was a fallen berry. Their leader was gone without a trace—not even a single breath of its aura remained!
"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"
Panic quickly swept through the Raticate and Rattata.
Without their leader, their fighting spirit completely collapsed. Instinct took over, and they scrambled frantically, all desperate to flee this place.
"Let them go for now," Aven said calmly.
"Once we've secured the Raticate leader, we can take our time catching the rest of these Raticate and Rattata."
Hearing this, Petilil nodded, retracting the blades of grass she had been controlling. The tangled vegetation loosened, and the panicked Raticate quickly seized the chance to retreat.
In fact, this Raticate horde was not a single unified group, but rather several smaller clans gathered together. With the leader gone, the different groups immediately scattered, each taking their own with them and fleeing into the depths of the forest.
Watching the last Rattata disappear, Petilil finally let out a long sigh of relief. Even for her, dealing with so many Raticate at once had been an extremely troublesome task.
"Lass~"
A moment later, Froslass's ghostly figure emerged slowly from the shadows.
Though she had not participated in the battle, Froslass had been on constant guard around the area, making sure they were not being stalked or ambushed.
"Nido! Nido!"
In the distance, Nidorino and Nidorina came bounding back, Nidorina carrying the newly captured Poké Ball carefully in her mouth.
She placed it proudly at Aven's feet, wagging her tail excitedly, her face brimming with delight.
"You both did wonderfully, Nidorino, Nidorina."
Aven crouched down to gently pat the two Pokémon, then pulled some healing potions from his bag to treat their injuries.
Although evolution had restored much of their stamina, Nidorino had still taken heavy hits earlier while shielding Nidorina, leaving him with no small amount of wounds.
"Lil, lil!"
Seeing this, Petilil quickly hurried over and began healing Nidorino as well.
Thanks to the constant energy she had absorbed with Giga Drain during the fight, her stamina was still abundant, allowing her to lend aid without issue.
While Nidorino received treatment, Aven carefully observed the two Pokémon, noting their post-evolution changes in his records.
After their successful evolution, Nidorino and Nidorina's strength had leapt forward by a great margin. When fighting together, the two were now powerful enough to defeat a Raticate leader whose strength was nearly at the advanced stage.
By this measure, if they joined forces, they might even be able to put up a good fight against Luxio. Of course, considering Luxio's superior speed and other advantages, it was still the stronger of the two.
"Nido~ Nido~"
Nidorina, who had only suffered light injuries, quickly recovered and cheerfully pressed herself against Aven's side, acting spoiled.
Compared to the calm and steady-looking Nidorino, Nidorina was much more lively—after all, she was a girl.
"Nido!"
After completing his treatment, Nidorino also came bounding over.
The two Pokémon rubbed against each other constantly, expressing their shared joy at having evolved together.
Compared to Nidorina, Nidorino was noticeably bulkier, and the large, imposing horn on his head gave off an intimidating aura.
Before their evolution, both had already seen improvements to their physical stats, but now those differences were much clearer—Nidorino had gained a large boost in attack power, while Nidorina's defenses had grown sturdier.
Judging by their species traits, Nidorino's future path would lean more and more toward raw offense, while Nidorina's growth would lean toward defense and support. Their training routes were now distinctly outlined.
"Next, it's time to properly tame the Raticate leader."
Aven retrieved the Poké Ball holding the unconscious Raticate.
Pressing the button, he released it, and the Raticate leader reappeared on the ground, still fainted and unmoving.
First, Aven administered an antidote to purge the poison from its system. Then, he applied healing potions to restore its health.
"Squeak…"
The Raticate leader weakly opened its eyes.
As it glanced around, its body stiffened in alarm. Memories of the last moment before losing consciousness surged into its mind, and its expression darkened.
"Don't worry, Raticate. We mean you no harm," Aven said gently, spreading his hands in reassurance.
"Squeak… Squeak…"
The Raticate twitched its whiskers, checking its body. The sharp pain it had felt earlier was now gone, easing its nerves slightly.
Seeing this, Aven quickly brought out some Pokémon food, hoping to further dispel its hostility.
This Raticate leader's strength was nearly that of an advanced-level. It was the strongest Raticate Aven had ever encountered, surpassing even the one he had personally raised before.
And since it was already caught in a Poké Ball, he naturally had every reason to make it his.
Given the vast number of Raticate and Rattata living in the Black Coast Forest, having this leader around to manage them would make relocating the population much smoother.
Even after moving them into the Safari Zone, the Raticate leader could still keep its followers in line, ensuring the younger ones lived properly under the rules there.
"Squeak… Squeak…"
The Raticate leader sniffed at the food, its eyes betraying faint desire.
After a moment of hesitation, it edged forward and bit into a few pellets. Crunch, crunch, crunch. The crisp sound filled the air.
After swallowing, its eyes suddenly lit up. Instantly hooked, it began devouring the food eagerly, one mouthful after another.
"Take your time. If you're willing to come with me, you'll get to eat this delicious food every day," Aven coaxed, beginning his attempt to win it over.
With his strength already acknowledged and the lure of a better life offered, there was little reason for the Raticate leader to refuse. Once it experienced Aven's sincerity, true loyalty would eventually follow.
"Squeak… Squeak!"
At the mention of daily food, the Raticate's beady eyes flickered.
It looked at Aven holding the Poké Ball, then at Nidorino and Nidorina who had defeated it, and finally at Petilil, who had just healed its wounds.
After a brief hesitation, it nodded. Following this human might not be so bad. At least food would never again be a problem.
Aven broke into a smile. Ralts, watching quietly by his side, nodded as well, confirming the Raticate leader's agreement.
"Then from now on, we'll be partners."
Still smiling, Aven offered more food, letting the Raticate leader eat its fill.
Afterward, he prepared lunch for the rest of his Pokémon. Before long, a warm fragrance of food filled the clearing.
Once lunch was finished, Aven led his Pokémon deeper into the Black Forest. By now, the Raticate leader had regained much of its strength and immediately began regrouping its scattered kin.
Deeper within the forest, chaos still reigned among the Raticate tribes after their leader's disappearance. Thankfully, its timely return prevented the entire community from breaking apart.
"Raticate, lead your horde to the Safari Zone with me," Aven instructed.
"There's a wide grasslands there. I'll arrange a proper place for you all. From now on, you can live peacefully there."
The Raticate leader nodded excitedly. Leading the tide of smaller Rattata, it surged forward like a purple wave toward the Safari Zone.
Along the way, under Aven's guidance, the leader gathered scattered groups into one, swelling their numbers further.
From the western edge to the eastern border, they crossed the entire Black Coast Forest. At last, the enormous horde reached the Safari Zone, where Aven arranged for them to settle on a broad plain near the forest.
As more and more Pokémon communities migrated into the Safari Zone, the vast grasslands grew increasingly lively. Among them, aside from the original Oddish tribe, Grass-type Pokémon were the most numerous, maintaining order across the area.
"Now that we're here," Aven said with a smile to the two Pokémon at his side, "let's make a trip to Nidoking Valley."
Both Nidorino and Nidorina had successfully evolved. Without Moon Stones, this was their final evolutionary stage—proof they had now fully grown.
Surely the Nidoking leader would be overjoyed upon seeing them. If Aven then gifted him a few Moon Stones, that would be a great boon as well.
Even without the Moon Stones, just the training available in Nidoking Valley would be of tremendous benefit to Nidorino and Nidorina.
Moreover, Aven also intended to speak directly with the Nidoking leader. Possessing quasi-king-level strength, Nidoking was the most powerful ally Aven had seen apart from Froslass's ghostly king-tier might.
If Nidoking could assist when facing the assassins sent by the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild, it would significantly increase the chances of their plan's success.
(End of Chapter)