"Ivysaur, try to jam your vines into the earth. Sense the Parasect's location."
Ivysaur could deploy four vine whips simultaneously, which acted like a sonar radar when submerged in the soil. By sensing vibrations, it could track the Parasect's movements, making it nearly impossible for the subterranean insect to pull off a surprise attack.
"Parasect, burst out now! Use Slash!" the Bug Catcher commanded confidently.
The ground erupted, and Parasect's large claws, glowing with a white light, surged upward aimed straight at Ivysaur's underbelly.
"Ivysaur, intercept it!"
Feng Che watched as Ivysaur twined its four vines into two thick, massive whips. Like a pair of giant hands, they slammed down on the emerging Parasect, pinning it to the dirt. Dust and debris swirled in the air from the impact.
Ivysaur's quick thinking is impressive, Feng Che mused. Right now it controls four to eight vines. By the time it becomes a Venusaur, it'll manage sixteen. If it learns to fashion those into giant wooden hands... it'll be like the 'True Several Thousand Hands' technique from the legends. A Veritable Wood Style master.
"Excellent! Now, Ivysaur, try Razor Leaf. You can do it now."
For a Bulbasaur of this lineage, being unable to use basic moves was a trauma that had defined its life. But the evolution had shattered that mental block. Ivysaur unleashed four crescent-shaped leaves, each nearly a meter long, which whistled through the air with a metallic sheen.
[Ivysaur: I... I finally did it!] The Pokémon let out a joyous cry, finally announcing its success to the world.
"Parasect, back into the ground! Dodge!"
The Razor Leaves sliced through the underbrush like scythes, leaving deep furrows in the earth and cleaving a nearby boulder into four clean pieces.
"Its battle talent is terrifying," the Bug Catcher whispered.
Ivysaur didn't stop. It used its vines to catch the orbiting leaves, wielding them like massive scimitars to hack at the spot where Parasect had vanished. Suddenly, a mound of earth rose behind Ivysaur. Parasect leaped out, its claws glowing for a Fury Cutter chain.
Feng Che was about to warn Ivysaur, but then he saw the small, knowing smirk on his Pokémon's face.
Ivysaur opened its mouth and spat a rapid-fire volley of green energy orbs.
Seed Bomb? No... Seed Machine Gun?
The seeds struck Parasect's joint articulations with pinpoint accuracy, breaking the momentum of the Slash attack. Parasect stumbled back, only to find that vines were beginning to sprout from the points of impact.
It's not just Seed Machine Gun... it's Leech Seed delivered via projectile, Feng Che realized, listening to Ivysaur's inner thoughts.
[Ivysaur: Luckily, back in the garden, I couldn't use my vines to plant berries. I had to hold the seeds in my mouth and spit them out perfectly. I guess that practice paid off.]
"Incredible. It turned a disability into a specialized mastery," Feng Che marveled. "Finish it! Bind it with Vine Whip and use Solar Beam!"
Ivysaur hoisted the Parasect into the air, its bud glowing with golden light. The pillar of energy struck true, leaving Parasect unconscious and smelling of singed mushroom.
"I lost. Your Pokémon are on another level," the boy said, tending to his Parasect.
Feng Che felt a bit guilty and handed over a jar of ice-blue ointment. "Use this. It's specifically for Solar Beam or Fire-type burns."
"Thanks," the boy said. "I'll take you to the Scyther's territory now. It's a bit different from the others—it's a deeper shade of green, almost teal. I think it's a Shiny or a regional variant, and the other Scyther drove it out because of it. It's young, but it has the eyes of a cold-blooded killer."
As they walked toward the Scyther's nest, a man with a rat-like face emerged from the bushes behind them, flanked by a Weepinbell and a Graveler.
"Hehe... a Shiny Pokémon? And a brat with three starters?" the man, known as Kanjuuro, sneered. "Talk about a lucky day for an underachieving Bounty Hunter like me. If I rob this kid, my rank will skyrocket."
He released a one-eyed Spearow to shadow them from above.
Feng Che knew he was being followed. His psychic senses had picked up the one-eyed bird and the man behind them.
A Bounty Hunter. Probably heard us during the duel, Feng Che thought. I got too absorbed in Ivysaur's first win and let my guard down. But... he has a Graveler.
A devilish grin touched Feng Che's lips. I need a Graveler for my assessment. If he tries to rob me, the hunter becomes the prey. Perfect.
He also spared a thought for the Magneton he had captured earlier. He needed to evolve it soon. Lt. Surge has been looking for a high-potential Magnezone. He offered a Rowlet in exchange—a Pokémon with a final evolution, Decidueye, that is a Ghost/Grass type assassin. That would be perfect for my team.
"We're here," the Bug Catcher said, stopping at a clearing. "This is where it beat me. I'm heading to the Pokémon Center now. Good luck." He vanished into the woods.
Feng Che looked at the surrounding trees. Something was wrong. The marks on the bark weren't the clean, thin slices of a Scyther's blades. They were jagged, deep gashes, as if the wood had been struck by a heavy stone axe.
This isn't Scyther behavior, Feng Che noted, his hand moving toward a Poké Ball. Something in these woods has changed.
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