"Icarus," nodded to himself and said, "Bellsprout, let's continue searching for prey!"
He reapplied the paralyzing powder to the throwing knife he had retrieved earlier, then motioned for Bellsprout to follow him deeper into the forest.
Before long, they encountered new opponents.
"There are two Weedle ahead. Bellsprout, come here. I'll explain how Weedle fight."
Having decided to increase the intensity of their battles, Icarus prepared to take on both of them.
"Weedle are stronger than Caterpie. Their sharp horn is the key — they can fire Poison Sting and spin silk. So you must be careful."
"Spri spri!" Bellsprout nodded eagerly.
"I'll assist you this first time. Also, Weedle have poison sacs. You can consume them afterward — it may help you understand Poison-type techniques."
"Spri spri!" Bellsprout's eyes sparkled.
"Good. To be safe, use Growth first. I'll throw the knives, and you follow up immediately with Vine Whip. Understood?"
"Sprout! Spri spri!"
Bellsprout's body shimmered faintly as it used Growth, then it readied itself.
"Whoosh—!"
Four throwing knives flew toward the Weedle.
"Ding! Ding! Ding!"
The Weedle reacted quickly, firing Poison Sting from the horn on their heads. Three knives were knocked aside, but one struck its target.
"Wooo!"
The injured Weedle cried out.
"Spri spri!"
Bellsprout immediately lashed out with Vine Whip.
Crack! Crack!
The vines struck cleanly. After several battles, Bellsprout's control had clearly improved.
The injured Weedle collapsed, unable to continue fighting.
"So weak… probably only low freshman-level strength." Icarus muttered.
Suddenly—
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The remaining Weedle fired two Poison Stings straight at Icarus.
"Not good!"
He rolled on the ground, barely dodging.
"I got careless… Never lose focus during battle."
"Bellsprout! Show it some color — Vine Whip!"
"Sprout!"
Angered that its trainer had been targeted, Bellsprout swung both vines with full force.
Crack! Crack!
The Weedle was sent flying.
"Wrap it and smash it!"
"Spri!"
Bellsprout didn't retract its vines. Instead, it coiled them tightly around the Weedle, lifted it into the air, and slammed it down.
Bang! Bang!
This Weedle was sturdier than the first. Even after two heavy impacts, it struggled, its horn glowing again.
"Careful! Don't let its horn point at you! Throw it higher!"
"Sprout!"
Bellsprout hurled it upward.
The Weedle fired blindly midair, the Poison Stings missing completely.
"Now! Knock it down!"
Crack!
The Vine Whip struck again, sending the Weedle crashing to the ground.
Boom.
It fell silent.
"Good job. Stay alert."
Icarus stepped forward and finished both Weedle swiftly with his dagger.
Looking at the spoils — two sharp horns (one slightly smaller), two poison sacs, silk glands, and nearly ten kilograms of Bug-type meat — he nodded in satisfaction.
"Seven silk sacs from Caterpie earlier, about 3,500 pokedollars… these two horns, roughly 100 each… poison sacs another 100 each… and around 35 kilograms of Bug meat total. Excellent haul."
While processing the materials, Icarus calculated his earnings.
Weedle meat sold for slightly more than Caterpie meat. The larger horn was about five centimeters — worth full price. The smaller one, around four centimeters, would sell for less.
The poison sacs, however, he decided to keep.
"Even if it's mild, it's perfect for you," he said, glancing at Bellsprout. "We'll slowly build your resistance and Poison-type affinity."
"Spri~" Bellsprout hummed contentedly.
"Ten kilos of meat is enough for three or four days. The rest we'll sell. Today's training went very well. We can come here more often and push toward the next level soon."
He checked his cheap electronic watch.
"2:15 p.m. Let's head back in two hours."
As he walked, lost in calculations—
"Spri spri?"
Bellsprout tugged at his pant leg.
"Ah! Sorry! I was thinking about profits. That's my mistake."
He exhaled, feeling a chill.
Never lose awareness in the wild again.
"Spri spri…" Bellsprout gave him a mildly reproachful look.
"I won't do that again. Did you find something?"
"Spri spri! Spri spri spri!"
Bellsprout described a purple Pokémon with large front teeth crawling nearby.
"Purple… big incisors… That should be Rattata."
Icarus frowned.
"Rattata are fast. Without Sleep Powder or Stun Spore, it's hard to keep them from escaping. My throwing knives might miss."
If the Rattata chose to fight, Bellsprout could likely defeat it. But Rattata were notorious for fleeing when disadvantaged.
"Bellsprout, Rattata are much faster than Caterpie or Weedle. It may escape. We could waste energy for nothing. Do you still want to try?"
"Spri… spri spri."
Bellsprout hesitated — then nodded firmly.
Its leaves straightened.
It wanted the challenge.
Icarus smiled faintly.
"Alright. Then we hunt."
(End of Chapter 19)
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