"Thank you, Aipom. This is your reward."
Feng Che pulled a bottle of juice from his spatial bracelet and handed it to the Aipom, who was currently rubbing its sore forehead.
"Rookidee, you should learn a thing or two from Aipom's agility," Feng Che said, ruffling the small bird's feathers.
[Aipom: This human is a good guy. Just a little sparring and I get delicious juice.][Aipom: I wouldn't mind doing this a few more times. That Rookidee's hits aren't that heavy yet.]
Feng Che noticed that his mind-reading ability was still a bit inconsistent. Sometimes it worked during battle, and other times only when things were calm. He surmised that during combat, Pokémon might be acting more on instinct than conscious thought, or perhaps his own proficiency with the ability was simply too low to filter through the chaotic "noise" of a fight.
"By the way, Aipom, have you seen a key like this?" Feng Che picked up a twig and sketched the shape of a key in the dirt.
Aipom: "Zhi zhi zhi!"
Feng Che: "?"
He realized that without telepathy, direct conversation with Pokémon was still a guessing game. He tried another tactic.
"Aipom, if you've seen a key, can you lead me to it? I'll give you another bottle of juice for every one we find."
The Aipom's tail curled into an "OK" gesture. It bounded up a tree and gestured for Feng Che to follow.
"Rookidee, keep a close eye on Aipom. Ditto, follow behind me."
Because the forest floor was choked with thorny brambles, Feng Che and the Arbok-disguised Ditto moved much slower than the arboreal monkey. It took about half an hour of trekking before they reached Aipom's destination.
The Aipom was hanging upside down from a branch, pointing excitedly toward a massive Beedrill nest while chattering away.
"I don't speak 'Aipom,' but I'm guessing you're saying the Beedrill in that nest have a key. If I'm right, nod your head."
The Aipom nodded vigorously. Its tail let go of the branch, it flipped in mid-air, and landed with its tail making a "come hither" gesture toward the juice.
"Got it. Here's your payment." Feng Che handed over another bottle. The Aipom clutched the prize and vanished into the brush, likely heading back to share the treat with its troop.
Okay, we've located another key. I just hope it's a decent color.
This setup is such a headache—find the key, then find the corresponding chest. At least the rare herbs and minerals count toward our score, which helps.
As a Breeder, Feng Che could identify almost any valuable resource on sight. But the Credit Plates in those chests are the real jackpot. We need to collect keys as fast as possible.
He crawled into a nearby thicket, keeping low to avoid being spotted by the Beedrill sentries. The air was filled with the rhythmic vroom-vroom of their beating wings. He began a mental census.
This is a small-scale swarm. Fifteen adult Beedrill. Around twenty Kakuna hanging nearby.
Based on their size, the Kakuna have likely been in that state for a while. As long as we don't startle them, they won't trigger an emergency evolution.
Beedrill were famous for being aggressive and territorial. Giovanni's own Beedrill was legendary, capable of taking down a Dragonair in the Pokémon Adventures manga.
Below the Kakuna, there are a variable number of Weedle. This hive is on the verge of expanding into a medium-sized colony. Once those Kakuna hatch, getting that key will be ten times harder.
Feng Che studied the terrain, looking for any environmental advantage. He knew his current team couldn't take on fifteen Beedrill at once without a high risk of injury.
He rubbed his temples and began to back away silently until he was well outside the colony's territory.
Beedrill were notoriously unreasonable in the wild. If you hit one, you fought the whole swarm. They were consistently ranked as the #1 most dangerous wild Pokémon for rookie trainers by the League. Their venom was potent and varied, making standard Antidotes unreliable.
I need to talk to Alice. I need to know how many she can handle at once.
His plan was to lure the adults away without disturbing the Kakuna. Ideally, he wanted to draw out the strongest Beedrill—the one likely holding the key—and isolate it.
He began the trek back to the cloaked house. Death Island was truly massive; even after all this time, he hadn't crossed paths with any other recruits yet.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
⭐ Read chapters early on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/Bagga_10 ⭐
Advance chapters are already written and waiting.
Patreon readers receive early access to content before its public release.
BONUS CHAPTER REWARDS
• Every 10 reviews = 1 bonus chapter
• Every 20 Power Stones = 1 bonus chapter
Your support directly unlocks more content and faster releases.