To be honest, Glameow is quite a beautiful Pokémon, but once it evolves into Purugly, it becomes somewhat... ahem.
However, both Glameow and Purugly are General Type Pokémon, which allows them to be immune to Ghost Type techniques, so earlier, Honedge's Shadow Assault had no effect on them.
But correspondingly.
General Type techniques, without the aid of moves like Foresight, cannot pose any threat to a Ghost Type Pokémon like Honedge.
Even though Honedge felt a bit intimidated when its Shadow Assault failed to work.
"Sword Dance."
Natsuhiko commanded directly.
Although Honedge felt intimidated, upon hearing Natsuhiko's words, it was compelled to face its fears.
The blue ribbon at the hilt of the sword grasped the sheath, and a red glow spread over the sharp, bright blade; the Sword Dance was completed swiftly, and its momentum surged.
"Meow—"
The plump Purugly lazily meowed, and the surrounding Glameow sprang into action instantly.
Dozens of Glameow dropped from the branches, and white light glimmered on their slender, soft paws.
Clap Attack!
However, the coverage of Yujira's Psychic Arena prevented the Clap Attack from taking effect immediately.
Moreover, the Clap Attack, being a General Type move, apart from causing minor physical harm to Honedge, could not inflict any substantial damage.
Add to that, these Glameow were only of the Excellence Level, incapable of posing any threat to the Honedge with its outstanding Physical Defense.
Despite looking tense, Honedge's body speed and reaction speed were not in the least bit sluggish.
Amidst maneuvering, many of Glameow's attacks missed.
Honedge's eyes showed confusion.
Hmm?
The outcome seemed unexpectedly different from what it had anticipated.
"Power Trick, cut them down," Natsuhiko's voice interrupted Honedge's puzzlement.
"Hngh!"
With a low hum, energy waves burst forth from Honedge, its Physical Defense and Physical Attack attributes were interchanged.
Next, the sword blade turned, and the sharp blade fell directly on a Glameow rushing at it.
Thud—
The sword blade, sparkling like stars, sliced through Glameow's body, the feedback was a soft texture, stained with crimson.
One down.
With a turn of the sword, accompanied by the sword blade's hum, in a swoop and lift another Glameow was struck down, rendered unconscious on the ground.
Given Honedge's prowess and the increased Attack Power after Sword Dance and Power Trick, even a casual slash was beyond what these Excellence Level Glameow could withstand.
In just a few breaths.
Several Glameow fell in response.
"Hngh..."
Honedge glanced around, shaking its head ceaselessly.
Too weak.
'I am still too weak, only able to bully such insignificant beings.'
But its actions at this moment, in Purugly's eyes, became a provocation.
Especially that hint of self-mockery in its eyes, which was an unspoken disdain.
What does that mean?
"Meow!"
With an extended meow, Purugly dismissed the already intimidated Glameow, twisting its body and pacing forward.
Its blazing gaze fixated on Honedge.
Honedge also collected its expression, preparing rigorously for battle.
The very next second.
Purugly's form turned into a shadow, Surprise Strike dashed out swiftly, and its plump body did not hinder its speed and deft figure.
"Honedge, Aerial Ace, take it down!"
Natsuhiko's timely order provided Honedge with a strategy.
Hovering in the air, Honedge faced the charging Purugly directly; with a graceful clash and spin, not only stopping it but also using the rotating effect of Aerial Ace to negate most of the impact of Purugly's Surprise Strike.
"Body Lightening."
Buzz—
Honedge steadied itself, a low hum resonated from the sword blade, and its body's weight was greatly reduced, enhancing its speed suddenly.
"Iron Head."
Upon hearing this, Honedge turned its blade, the sword tip aimed at Purugly, momentarily at a standstill and unable to quickly regain momentum.
Whoosh—
With a sound slicing through the air, a bright white blade wrapped in dense Steel Energy crashed directly onto Purugly's head.
It was like striking a gong, producing a crisp sound.
At the same time, under Natsuhiko's command, Honedge seized the opportunity to strike down following its technique.
Bam!
With Purugly's entire body shaking violently with its fat rippling, it rolled its eyes and fell heavily to the ground, losing the ability to fight.
Natsuhiko casually threw out a Pokeball.
Although a Pokémon at the Excellence Level can still have some value, the alliance is quite serious about overhunting Wild Pokémon, and Forest Rangers often appear at the entrances of some forests and cities.
If money is not particularly tight, there's no need to challenge the rangers' boundaries for a few Pokémon at the Excellence Level.
However, capturing a Purugly at the Senior Level is still necessary.
After all, it's worth at least two to three hundred thousand, not a trivial sum.
Honedge sheathed its blade, shaking its head continually.
"How was it? Is it really weak?" Natsuhiko asked with a smile upon seeing its expression.
Honedge nodded.
Indeed, it was quite weak, even as the leader of this group of Glameows, Purugly posed no threat to Honedge.
Not quite matching what Natsuhiko might have meant and what Honedge understood...
There was a slight discrepancy.
The other Glameows, seeing Purugly defeated, no longer had the courage to stay and scattered away.
Natsuhiko couldn't be bothered with them.
After Yujira used its psychic abilities to clean up the traces they left, they continued on their journey.
...
...
The sun was setting in the west.
The sun was already hanging on the western peak of Celestial Crown Mountain, dyeing the sky a fiery red.
The white snow atop Celestial Crown Mountain also glowed brilliantly in the sunset's afterglow.
After a day's journey, Natsuhiko had completely left Binhai City, entering the dense forest's no-man's land.
At sunset, Wild Pokémon became more active, especially the hunters; with nightfall and dimming light, it was the perfect time for hunting.
Before the sun fully set, a suitable shelter had to be found.
Even with Togetic's Secret Power, when selection is possible, water sources and relatively safe environments are best.
"Yongji."
Suddenly, Yujira, who was beside Natsuhiko, had its eyes glowing with azure psychic waves, gazing at a direction in the forest.
This was a special application of its "Future Sight" technique, but it hadn't mastered this application very well, falling far short of Absol's innate ability to sense danger and calamity.
"Someone?" Natsuhiko's eyes flickered slightly.
Encountering someone deep within the forest isn't a simple matter.
Moreover, encountering people in the wild can often be more dangerous than encountering Wild Pokémon.
"Yongji."
'Getting closer and closer.'
Yujira extended its psychic abilities, faintly sensing the other party's distance.
Then it raised two fingers.
"Two people, heading our way..." Natsuhiko nodded slightly.
Then said to Yujira and Honedge, "Let's hide first."
Soon.
The two people referred to by Yujira appeared within their sight. From the tree canopy, Natsuhiko silently watched them.
As they approached, their steps gradually slowed.
"The traces are gone," said a stocky man, surveying the surroundings in a deep voice.
What he referred to as traces were naturally the branches and shrubs cut down by Honedge.
"Don't be so paranoid, the other party might have just passed by." The other slimmer man, picking at his ear, replied indifferently.
"Just passing by? I don't believe in coincidences."
"So what do you want to do? Dig him out? If they've stopped here, they might have already fled." The slender man shrugged and continued, "And from the direction of the traces left behind, it's clear they're not aligned with our target."
Hearing this, the stocky man was silent for a long time before saying deeply, "Maybe. Seize this mission to earn some extra money; finish quickly to avoid getting scolded."
"It's good you understand, Wild Starter Trio Pokémon aren't easy to come across."
With that, they resumed their steps and disappeared into the forest.