Feng Che watched as the Beedrill leader's eyes turned a violent, blood-red. Its body swelled slightly, muscles tensing under its chitinous armor.
"What's happening?"
He saw the leader's aura surge. Its level spiked by ten points, and its status shifted to Outrage.
This leader actually awakened Outrage under pressure? I recall the Beedrill line can learn that through move tutors or special inheritance.A Beedrill with Outrage has incredibly high research value. Handing this over to Team Rocket would fetch a massive amount of credits, Feng Che calculated. He made up his mind to capture it alive.
However, despite its ferocious appearance, Feng Che could tell this Beedrill had reached its genetic limit. It was a "veteran" with high current power but zero growth potential.
"Rookidee, stay on the defensive! Dodge its strikes and buy us time."
The enraged Beedrill became an excellent sparring partner for Rookidee. Though she struggled with the leader's increased frequency at first, she soon adapted to the rhythm, weaving through the blurred stingers with growing ease.
Feng Che noticed something odd: the Beedrill was only using its lances, ignoring its other techniques. Then, he saw its abdomen begin to swell, becoming several times more bloated than before.
"Rookidee, back away now! It's charging a Poison Sting volley!"
The Beedrill arched its abdomen, firing a barrage of purple-black needles that hummed through the air with lethal intent.
"Arbok, Iron Tail!"
Rookidee was too close to evade completely. Just as the toxins were about to strike, a massive silver tail swept in front of her, swatting the needles into the grass. The vibrant green blades of grass instantly withered and turned yellow upon contact with the venom.
"You're too reckless, Rookidee. One scratch from those and you'd be history. Since Arbok has stepped in, watch closely and learn."
"Arbok, finish this. Iron Tail!"
The Beedrill leader crossed its dual lances to block the metallic strike. Sparks showered the ground as the two powers clashed. Just then, the sun climbed to its zenith, and the dense fog began to evaporate rapidly.
"The mist is gone! Arbok, end it now! Continuous Iron Tail!"
At that exact moment, the Beedrill leader's aura stuttered. The Outrage state reached its limit, causing its level to plummet back from 25 to 15. The backlash left it stunned and weakened.
The first Iron Tail shattered the Beedrill's right lance. The second followed through instantly, crushing the leader's skull before Feng Che could throw a capture ball.
"Well... (o)..."
Feng Che stared at the fallen leader. It couldn't even survive two of Ditto's "swipes."
"Forget it, Ditto. Just devour the remains. Inheriting the Outrage skill is a decent consolation prize."
The Arbok-disguised Ditto didn't need to be told twice. It swallowed the leader whole, its belly bulging as it began the slow process of breaking down the genetic material.
"Rookidee, with me. There's got to be something good in that nest."
Taking advantage of the last lingering wisps of fog, Feng Che climbed to the nest. Inside, several Weedle were crawling around, but the adult warriors were gone. The interior exuded a rich, intoxicating scent.
"Found it."
He found a reservoir of Beedrill Honey—a thick, amber-like substance packed with nutrients that could significantly accelerate a Pokémon's growth. He filled a container just as the distant buzzing of returning scouts grew louder.
"Rookidee, let's move!"
He slid down the tree and bolted into the thicket, reuniting with Alice at their rendezvous point. He found her standing over two unconscious Beedrill, both sporting fresh bullet wounds.
"Everything go smoothly with the key?" Alice asked.
"Got it. The leader is dead. It actually knew Outrage, but its body gave out before I could catch it. Arbok made short work of it."
Just then, the Aipom troop emerged from the trees, having successfully led the other sentries on a wild goose chase. Feng Che rewarded them handsomely with high-quality berries and custom juice.
Alice watched the monkeys disappear back into the canopy. "You aren't going to catch the leader of that troop?"
"No," Feng Che replied. "He belongs with his family. Capturing him would be a cage, and I'd rather he keep his freedom. Besides, not every encounter needs to end with a Poké Ball."
He looked at Alice. "But we do need to find you a Fire-type. You're holding your own with that Desert Eagle against level 10s, but if we run into something high-level with real bulk, you'll be in trouble."
"I'll keep an eye out for the right one," Alice agreed.
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