Pawmot didn't even bother to see who had intervened. It moved rapidly to Houndoom's side and delivered a heavy Thunder Punch, sending Houndoom crashing to the ground, completely unconscious.
Furthermore, Ange and the others had already noticed who the attacker was. Sneasel was hiding behind a large rock, peeking out stealthily toward them.
"Sneasel, why are you here?" Ange asked.
In truth, Pawmot didn't need Sneasel's help at all. Earlier, Pawmot had intentionally signaled for Metagross and Romeo to stay out of the fight.
Having just evolved, it was eager to show off and wanted to demonstrate its bravery in front of Ange.
Seeing Ange and the other Pokémon looking its way, Sneasel quickly ducked back behind the rock.
When Pawmot realized it was Sneasel who had interfered with its battle, it ran over in a huff and dragged Sneasel out.
Even before evolving, Sneasel was no match for Pawmot. Now that it had evolved, Sneasel had no way to resist and was lifted into the air by the scruff of its neck.
Just as Pawmot was about to punch Sneasel, Ange quickly spoke up to stop it.
"Pawmot, don't do that. Sneasel meant well," Ange said.
Upon hearing this, Sneasel nodded repeatedly and looked at Pawmot with teary eyes.
It truly had good intentions, though at that moment, it secretly began to hold a grudge against Pawmot.
I was trying to help, yet Pawmot treats me so rudely and fiercely. This is simply unreasonable!
Sneasel swore silently in its heart that it would work hard to become strong, far stronger than this electric mouse. One day, it would blow that rodent's head off with a single punch!
Sneasel was exactly that kind of Pokémon; it held onto grudges very tightly.
Hearing Ange's persuasion, Pawmot finally withdrew its fist.
Ange asked Sneasel once more, "Sneasel, why did you come here?"
Snea snea~
Hearing the question, Sneasel scrambled up from the ground and quickly hugged Ange's leg, even rubbing its face against his shin.
After rubbing, it cast a very subtle, sly smile toward Pawmot, its face twisting into a mocking expression.
Because of the angle, Ange didn't notice Sneasel's expression at all, but Pawmot felt provoked. It raised its fist, ready to strike Sneasel again.
Ange happened to see this and said with a stern face, "Pawmot, didn't I say not to fight?"
Paw paw~
Pawmot jumped up and down in frustration, pointing at Sneasel and shouting.
"You're saying Sneasel smiled at you? So what if it smiled? People are allowed to smile at you!" Ange said, feeling exasperated.
Sneasel looked up at Ange and nodded with a pitiful expression.
Snea snea~
Exactly, exactly. I just want to be friends with Pawmot.
Paw paw~
Pawmot felt like it had never been this aggrieved in its life. However, it didn't know how to describe Sneasel's specific smile, so it could only fret in silence.
Conversely, Romeo had seen Sneasel's little trick. However, it found the "battle of wits" between the two little ones quite amusing and simply watched with a smile, as if watching a play.
Seeing Pawmot's frustrated state, Sneasel showed an insidious smile again.
That's what you get for being ungrateful.
"Sneasel, you still haven't answered me. Why are you here?" Ange asked again.
Snea snea~
Sneasel hugged Ange's leg again, acting incredibly affectionate.
"You want to become my Pokémon?" Ange looked at Sneasel in surprise.
Snea~
Sneasel nodded with stars in its eyes.
Beside them, Pawmot was nearly inflating with rage. It clenched its fists. This despicable creature wants to steal Ange's affection from me!
"What made you think of becoming my Pokémon?" Ange asked curiously.
Snea snea~
Because you are powerful, Sneasel said bashfully.
Despite its behavior, Sneasel was actually a girl.
Ange was speechless.
Just for that reason? It doesn't look like that to me!
Sneasel's true reason was, of course, because I want you to take care of me!
Then, Ange suddenly thought of something. He said to Sneasel, "Sneasel, how about I find a job for you?"
Snea?
Sneasel looked at Ange with a puzzled face.
So, Ange told Sneasel about the job he had in mind.
Passimian's drink shop and bar would be opening soon. Whether it was juice or alcohol, they always tasted better when ice-cold!
Wouldn't an Ice-type Pokémon like Sneasel be perfect for the job?
While drinks could be stored in a refrigerator, that wasn't as efficient as an Ice-type Pokémon providing a quick chill.
Especially for fruit juices, they had to be chilled immediately after being made to be enjoyed at their best. If they were refrigerated for too long, they lost their flavor.
After hearing Ange's explanation, Sneasel nodded repeatedly. Regardless of the work, it wanted to stay by this human's side first. Sooner or later, it would replace that electric mouse and then eat that entire table of delicious food.
Just you wait! Sneasel vowed silently.
Ange took out a Poké Ball and said to Sneasel, "Then I look forward to working with you!"
Since they were currently out in the field, it would be inconvenient to travel without catching Sneasel in a Poké Ball. If they encountered trouble, he wouldn't be able to protect it easily.
With a Poké Ball, he could quickly recall Sneasel if something went wrong.
Snea~ Sneasel nodded and reached out to tap the button on the Poké Ball. In the next second, it turned into a beam of red light and was sucked inside.
Immediately after, Ange released it again.
Having settled Sneasel's matter, Ange looked back at Houndoom.
He didn't know that Houndoom was a guardian placed in the mist by Mew, so he planned to wake it up to ask about the situation.
"Pawmot, please use Revival Blessing on Houndoom."
In the games, this move could only be used on oneself to restore a fainted party member. He didn't know how it would work in reality.
He decided to try it first.
Hearing Ange's request, Pawmot walked over to Houndoom.
It closed its eyes and crossed its arms over its chest. A beam of light flashed across its body, followed by another beam of light landing on Houndoom. Before long, Houndoom slowly woke up.
Seeing this, Ange thought that there were indeed differences between reality and the games.
Revival Blessing was a very special skill. It couldn't be used indefinitely and could only be used once within a short period.
Correspondingly, its effect was extraordinary. Even a Pokémon on the brink of death could be pulled back by it.
This was unlike other healing moves, which rarely worked once a Pokémon was near death.
(Note: In this book, "near death" and "fainted" are two different concepts. "Near death" means being on the verge of dying, while "fainted" is just a brief state of unconsciousness.)
Ange patted Pawmot's head and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
Paw paw~
Pawmot rubbed its head against Ange's palm and then cast a triumphant look at Sneasel.
Hmph! Sneasel turned its head away.
Ange looked at Houndoom and saw that its gaze was calm and devoid of hostility. He then asked:
"Houndoom, why did you attack us?"
Woof woof~
Houndoom barked twice at Ange. Only then did Ange understand that Mew had placed guards all along the path. It wouldn't be easy to get close to the Tree of Beginning.
After learning the truth, Ange took out some Berries to feed Houndoom, helping it fully recover its strength. After thanking Ange, Houndoom leaped away and disappeared into the mist.
As he watched Houndoom leave, Ange said to the Pokémon, "Let's keep moving."
The Pokémon nodded. Pawmot and Sneasel took the lead, each trying to be the first in front to claim credit.
Paw~Get out of the way!
Pawmot bumped into Sneasel.
Snea~
Sneasel took the opportunity to fall weakly to the ground and then looked back at Ange with teary eyes.
(—) Ange thought: Hey, Sneasel, you're making the "playing victim" act a bit too obvious!
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Ange and his group arrived at a valley filled with geysers.
The geysers erupted continuously, blocking their path.
"Maybe we should take a detour," Romeo suggested.
Metagross then proposed, Meta meta~How about I carry everyone and fly across?
As long as they flew above the valley, they could avoid the geysers.
Sneasel looked at the erupting geysers with a face full of disgust. Being an Ice-type Pokémon, it absolutely hated high-temperature things.
Paw paw~
Pawmot let out a mocking laugh at it.
Under Ange's watchful eye, Sneasel didn't get angry or provoke Pawmot. Instead, it gave Pawmot a subservient smile, acting like a bullied little wife.
Seeing this, Ange said, "Pawmot, don't bully Sneasel!"
(#｀皿) Pawmot inflated into a ball of rage once again.
Ange stared at the geysers for a moment and said, "Let's wait. The geysers should stop soon."
The Pokémon nodded in agreement.
Sure enough, after a short while, the geysers stopped erupting. Ange called out to the Pokémon, "Let's go across!"
However, just as they exited the valley, an Exeggutor blocked their way.
Tor~
Unlike Houndoom, who had attacked suddenly, Exeggutor didn't strike immediately after appearing.
"Are you also a guard sent by Mew?" Ange asked.
Tor~
Exeggutor's three heads nodded one by one.
"Then let's do this!"
As soon as Ange finished speaking, Pawmot jumped forward.
However, Ange said, "Pawmot, let Metagross take this one."
Since Mew intended to stop others from approaching the Tree of Beginning, the guards provided wouldn't be weak.
Putting aside the previous Houndoom, the Exeggutor here was not a Pokémon Pawmot could handle.
Hearing this, Pawmot could only step back dejectedly.
Metagross used its power to place Komala into Pawmot's arms and then floated in front of Exeggutor.
While Ange's attention was on Exeggutor, Sneasel gave Pawmot a mocking look.
Pawmot: (皿)
Romeo, watching their interaction from the side, found it extremely entertaining and couldn't help but smile.
By now, the battle between Metagross and Exeggutor had begun.
This Exeggutor had the Chlorophyll ability, so it immediately used Sunny Day.
It shot a red orb of light into the sky. In an instant, the sun in the sky became even more brilliant.
With the boost from the sunlight, Exeggutor's speed doubled. When Metagross swung an Ice Punch at it, it vanished from the spot in a flash of speed.
Seeing this, Metagross rushed forward again and used Ice Punch once more. However, Exeggutor still used its high speed to dodge successfully and even found time to counterattack Metagross with Psyshock.
As a Grass and Psychic-type, Exeggutor was at a severe disadvantage against Metagross. Both the Grass and Psychic moves it specialized in were resisted by Metagross.
Therefore, Metagross didn't even bother dodging Exeggutor's attacks. Seeing that it had failed to hit Exeggutor again, it took a hit from Psyshock and then slammed its four claws hard into the ground.
Boom!!!
Following a loud roar, massive boulders fell from the sky, forming a stone circle that surrounded Exeggutor, restricting its movement.
This was the Rock-type move, Rock Tomb.
This time, Metagross flew into the air, aiming all four claws at Exeggutor, which were shimmering with a cold frost.
Tor Tor~ Exeggutor panicked at the sight and tried to scramble up the boulders to escape the Rock Tomb enclosure.
However, the vertical rocks were too smooth. Not only did Exeggutor fail to climb over, but it also slipped and fell to the ground.
Boom!!!
As Metagross's massive body slammed into the center of the rock circle, Exeggutor let out a scream of pain.
Tor!!!!
At the same time, the surrounding rocks shattered under the force of the shockwave, turning into pebbles that flew in all directions.
By the time Metagross flew up again, Exeggutor had fainted.
Not far away, Pawmot watched this scene, its eyes filled with admiration for Metagross!
Paw paw~Teacher Metagross is so amazing!
Even Sneasel couldn't help but feel a spark of longing in its eyes.
If only it could be that strong. Then its homeland wouldn't have been taken away, and its companions wouldn't have been displaced.
With the battle over, Metagross flew back to Ange's side. Ange patted it and said, "Good work. You're as amazing as always."
Meta meta~
Metagross squinted its eyes and smiled at Ange, accepting the praise.
In fact, by staying with Ange, eating the food Ange prepared every day, and learning a vast amount of training knowledge from the internet, Metagross had become even stronger than before.
Afterward, Ange went over to the unconscious Exeggutor, applied some Potion, and fed it a Berry. Soon, Exeggutor woke up.
In reality, this Exeggutor wasn't weak; it was just unfortunate to have met Metagross as an opponent.
Once Exeggutor's injuries were treated, Ange said to it, "Well, Exeggutor, we're heading off now!"
Tor~
Exeggutor nodded and watched Ange and the others leave.
On the way, Pawmot huddled close to Metagross, whispering and constantly asking for training advice.
It wanted to learn Metagross's Ice Punch.
Pawmot now felt that while it was good to learn Fire Punch from Munchlax, it was better to learn Ice Punch from Teacher Metagross.
Watching the close relationship between Pawmot and Metagross, Sneasel felt a hint of envy.
It also wanted to learn Ice Punch.
At that moment, Romeo walked up to Sneasel and said softly, "If you want to learn too, you can just ask. It will teach you."