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“Wawa!”

In the forest.

Petilil led the way at the front, hopping excitedly while guiding Hikaru and Doublade. This time, the route was a straight path northwest, with no detours.

The forest was filled with various sounds, and in the shadows, some Bug-type Pokémon watched Hikaru curiously. Humans were a rare sight in the forest, especially one dressed so differently from the local people.

“It’s time to use the Silent Spray.”

Hikaru sprayed himself with Silent Spray, reducing the noise he made while moving. He also applied it to the two Pokémon, though Doublade pointed out that it was floating and didn’t need it. But Hikaru insisted—there was no harm in using it, and it might even help muffle the sound of flight.

When they encountered large trees blocking the way, Doublade swiftly cut through them with Fury Cutter. If there were large boulders, Hikaru would break them open to check for valuable minerals. They continued hacking and forging ahead until Petilil’s steps gradually slowed.

By now, Hikaru had no idea how deep into the forest they had traveled. The surroundings had become dim.

Massive, dense trees stretched toward the sky, their roots intertwined with stones, with streams trickling through them. Moss and clinging plants covered everything, and deep green vegetation flourished wildly. Hikaru spotted Diglett burrowing marks and various materials that had fallen from Pokémon.

He picked up a Poison Sting—it looked like a Beedrill’s tail stinger, indicating the presence of a Beedrill swarm nearby. These Pokémon never appeared alone.

[Rare Material: Poison Sting]

[Effect: A poisonous needle shed by a Pokémon. Increases the power of Poison-type moves when held.]

[Knowledge Gained: Poison Resilience – Resistance to toxins increased by 15%.]

Hikaru also picked up:

[Kadabra’s fur and skin fragments]

[Effect: Brownish leather-like pieces from a Kadabra’s skin. When made into an accessory, it slightly enhances psychic power.]

[Knowledge Gained: Psychic Insights – Mental strength increased, along with knowledge on psychic training.]

…

[Parasect’s spores]

[Effect: Can be mixed into medicinal formulas for stronger effects. Rumored to be an ingredient in secret medicine.]

[Knowledge Gained: Apothecary’s Understanding – Enhanced knowledge in potion-making.]

…

[Steelix’s iron fragments]

[Effect: Fallen iron skin from Steelix during digging. Can be used to craft a Metal Coat.]

]Knowledge Gained: Steel Forging – Improved crafting quality by 10%, with knowledge of metalworking.]

…

[Misdreavus’ tears]

[Effect: These are Fear Tears worn around Misdreavus’ neck. Staring at them too long can cause fright.]

[Knowledge Gained: Fear Transcendence – Increased spiritual power and knowledge of fear-related spiritual arts.]

…

[Valuable Bone]

]Description: A highly valuable Pokémon fossil prized by archaeologists and collectors.[

[Crafting Unlocked: Unique Bonecraft (C+) – Allows crafting with Pokémon bones, granting benefits to Ground, Ghost, and Psychic-type Pokémon.]

…

Hikaru continued collecting materials as they traveled deeper into the shadowy woods. He observed Pokémon either hidden within the foliage or boldly appearing in the distance. But eventually, all traces of Pokémon vanished, and a Pokémon-empty zone emerged.

On the ground, decayed berries littered the soil. Hisuian Electrode’s seeds had parasitized these berries, attempting to absorb nutrients, yet they failed to grow into new Electrode Eggs.

“Not all seeds will survive after being sown. The quality of the seed, soil conditions, climate, sowing technique, proper planting depth, timing, and method all matter.”

“Soil type, fertility, and moisture levels; temperature, humidity, and sunlight exposure—these are all crucial factors.”

“Although Hisui’s terrain and Shendu’s share similarities, they also differ greatly. The Hisuian form of Pokémon mutated in this environment rather than maintaining its standard form.”

“We’re almost there.”

Hikaru discarded the rotten berries. Petilil had grown visibly tense.

“Peti! Peti!”

Crossing the damp earth, covered with fallen leaves and moss, they arrived at an orchard.

A dense grove of various Berries and Apricorns grew wildly, seemingly concentrated into a single area. Hikaru also noticed remnants of ancient ruins!

This place might have once been cultivated by the people of Shendu as a Berry orchard!

After humans abandoned it, nature reclaimed the land, transforming it into part of the forest.

Five Hisuian Voltorb were rolling around on the ground, crashing into the trees. Some berries and Apricorns fell, and they excitedly scattered seeds as they dropped.

However, the moment Petilil jumped out, the five Voltorb’s laughter abruptly stopped!

“Peti!”

One of them spoke up, questioning Petilil’s presence! But since its face was permanently goofy-looking, it was impossible to tell if it was serious or not!

“Yoowoo~!”

Doublade translated:

“The Voltorb are saying, ‘You again? This is our home now. Get lost, or things will end the same way as before!'”

Pokémon were naturally combative. While their behavior could be cute and childish, when it came to survival and territory, they became passionate—sometimes even ruthless.

Wild Pokémon with flaws in their personalities were even more terrifying in battle!

“Mahruru!”

A massive shadow rolled out from the orchard’s edge and launched itself at Petilil!

A Hisuian Electrode—the current boss of the orchard!

Its appearance resembled an upside-down Hisuian Poké Ball, with red on the bottom and wood-textured brown on top. Its body was covered in natural wood grain, with eye sockets resembling hollow knots in the bark. Unlike a regular Electrode’s permanent smirk, its expression was constantly furious, giving it a permanently agitated demeanor.

Hikaru evaluated it in his mind.

Size-wise, it was far smaller than “The King of the Caves.”

The King of the Caves was a legendary Hisuian Electrode that guarded one of Arceus’ Plates. It was said to be a descendant of the Ten Hero Pokémon and was capable of absurdly powerful continuous explosions!

But this one? It wasn’t even close.

“Mahruru?”

Hisuian Electrode first eyed Petilil, then Hikaru and Doublade.

“Oh, so you brought backup? Well, our explosions will handle that! Time to blow everything up!”

“Wait a second, Electrode! I’m this Petilil’s Trainer now, and I challenge you to a territory battle!”

Hikaru wanted to reason with the Electrode, but the moment it sensed Hikaru’s aura, it hesitated.

It recognized the presence—Celebi’s divine energy!

“Mahruru. Mahruru!”

Doublade translated:

“Child of the Forest blessed by the Guardian of Time, I have no reason to refuse your challenge! But even if you defeat me, we won’t leave this orchard!”

“…Seriously? That’s some thick skin you’ve got. No wonder your outer shell is made of wood!”

Hikaru scratched his head awkwardly, recalling Walking Wake from his dream.

Still, the fact that Electrode hadn’t immediately attacked him was already impressive. He couldn’t expect too much.

At least Celebi’s lingering aura was helping Pokémon communicate instead of instantly fighting.

But refusing to leave even if they lost? That was a problem.

“If that’s how it is, then I have no choice. I anticipated this, which is why Petilil is already wearing protective gear… Now, I’ll just have to knock you all out!”

“Mahruru!!!”

At Electrode’s command, the five Hisuian Voltorb rolled toward Petilil, flashing with electricity!

They were using Quick Attack—an Electric-coated charge attack that sometimes caused paralysis!

“Whoa, no honor! Doublade, Reflect!”

“Petilil, counter them with items!”

“Doublade, Reflect!”

Doublade floated forward and instantly set up a transparent barrier. In reality, Reflect was an invisible wall, and anything crashing into it would be severely obstructed!

Meanwhile, Petilil braced herself. The first Hisuian Voltorb slammed into her, its electric energy crackling—but her protective gear absorbed most of the impact!

At that moment, the metal plating on the gear glowed with a Steel-type energy—the first Voltorb that collided with her was immediately repelled!

The force sent it flying backward, crashing into another Voltorb mid-air—just like bouncing pinballs, the two Pokémon were sent flying across the battlefield!

The remaining three Voltorb suffered the same fate. Each one rebounded violently after crashing into Petilil, their attacks negated by the reflective force of the armor!

Finally, only Hisuian Electrode remained.

“Mahruru?!”

Hisuian Electrode’s permanently angry expression briefly showed a hint of surprise.

“You… you’re using Steel-type power?! What kind of Grass/Steel fusion nonsense is this?!”

“Wawa!”

After knocking away the Voltorb, Petilil signaled Doublade to help her remove the damaged armor.

Since the protective gear was only a small-sized piece, it had endured multiple consecutive impacts—so it had reached its limit and was now broken.

But that didn’t matter.

Now, it was a true one-on-one battle!

Petilil’s fighting spirit burned bright. All her effort and training over the past several days were about to be put to the ultimate test!

Hikaru stepped forward and declared:

“Now that it’s one-on-one, do you accept our challenge? If you lose, you’ll have to leave this orchard!”

“I don’t know what happened to your previous habitat, but as long as we communicate properly, we can work something out. But if you refuse to negotiate, then we’ll settle this with a battle!”

“If you took someone else’s home, then when they get stronger and take it back—that’s just how survival works in the wild, isn’t it?”

Hisuian Electrode let out a series of grumbling noises, but after a moment, it steeled itself.

“Mahruru! Mahruru Mahruru!!”

Doublade translated:

“I am fighting for my entire clan’s survival. I cannot lose! This isn’t just about winning or losing—this is my duty as the leader to stand and fight!”

Hikaru sighed.

“Why is this turning into a shōnen protagonist’s speech?”

(End of Chapter)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep