"…Let Mr. Chen explain it himself."
After a brief silence, Miya gave everyone an awkward smile.
Ren raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. He could already guess the general situation.
"Antidote's here!"
Rao Xiaofei hurried back with a yellow bottle.
Ren crouched down, uncapped it, and carefully poured the medicine into Lucas' mouth.
In less than a minute, Lucas' pale complexion returned to normal. The numbness in his arm visibly faded.
"Wow… that's ridiculously fast," Lily said in disbelief. "What kind of sci-fi medicine is this?"
"It works quickly because his poisoning was mild," Ren explained calmly. "If it had been a stronger Poison-type move like Toxic, it might've taken half an hour."
He handed the remaining Antidote to Miya.
"Pokémon poison isn't usually lethal to humans unless exposure is repeated. Still, if you're dealing with stronger Poison-types, regular Antidote may not be enough."
He paused slightly.
"In that case, come to me—or carry Full Heal or Full Restore."
Ren looked around at everyone seriously.
"If you're going into the wild, always bring medicine. Out there, anything can happen. You're responsible for your own safety."
Lily blinked and silently felt grateful.
At least Gyarados and Ursaring had only tried to chase them off—not poison them.
"Boss," Lucas suddenly said firmly, sitting up straighter, "give me ten of each medicine."
Miya looked relieved. "Mr. Chen, you're okay?"
"My arm still aches a bit."
A faint purple mark on his wrist was slowly fading.
Lucas' face darkened.
He—one of Magic City's top young elites, owner of three Pokémon—had been poisoned by a bug.
Unacceptable.
---
They moved to the rest area.
"So what actually happened?" Emma asked curiously.
Lucas sighed heavily.
"I provoked a bunch of bugs."
"…That sounds bad already," Lily muttered.
"I was heading toward the East China Sea. Heard there were shark-like Pokémon along the coast," Lucas explained. "On the way, I saw a Beedrill. Thought I'd let Larvitar and Onix warm up."
He gritted his teeth.
"A few minutes later, that Beedrill came back—with reinforcements. A whole swarm!"
Emma winced.
"They don't even fight one-on-one!" Lucas fumed. "No martial spirit at all!"
Miya's lips twitched slightly.
He had been the one who insisted on attacking a passing Beedrill in the first place.
"We had to retreat into the car," Lucas continued bitterly. "Somehow a Weedle was near the hood and shot Poison Sting right at my hand."
Silence.
Lily nodded solemnly.
"Lesson learned. If we defeat a lone Pokémon, we make sure it can't go call backup."
Ren gave her a look.
"Beedrill are naturally social. Even if you see only one, others are usually nearby."
He glanced at Lucas with mild amusement.
Wild Beedrill weren't individually strong—but their numbers made them dangerous.
Lucas clenched his fist.
"When I get stronger, I'm going back."
Retaliation could wait—but it would come.
Ren smiled.
"A little setback on the first day isn't a bad thing. Wilderness exploration isn't easy."
"You should strengthen your Pokémon before going deeper."
Everyone nodded.
They had all learned that lesson the hard way.
---
"By the way," Emma asked thoughtfully, "will Pokémon leave Magic City eventually?"
"Of course," Ren answered without hesitation. "They're living creatures. They move."
"Pokémon need food and suitable environments. Some like to wander."
He added calmly, "Right now, areas outside Magic City don't offer what they prefer."
Emma blinked.
"Ah… the berry orchards you planted."
Ren smiled faintly.
High-quality habitats attracted Pokémon.
Lucas stood up suddenly.
"Enough talking. Boss, I'm drawing."
Ren chuckled.
"Pokémon or Technical Machine?"
"Pokémon first."
He had heard Lily complain about the dreaded "Thank You for Your Patronage" Technical Machine outcome. He wasn't in the mood to test his blood pressure today.
"Good luck," Ren said, handing him the store manager Pokédex.
Lucas took a deep breath.
"Give me something strong."
He pressed the button.
Shadows flickered rapidly across the screen.
Emma and Lily leaned in curiously.
The image slowly solidified—
Light brown fur.
A crescent mark on its forehead.
Round ears.
Silence.
"…You've got to be kidding me," Lily whispered.
Emma stared.
Teddiursa.
The very same species whose evolution had chased them through the forest.
Lucas looked between them.
"You two know this one?"
Emma coughed awkwardly.
"It… evolves into something strong."
"Very strong," Lily added stiffly.
Rao Xiaofei quietly covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.
Ren nodded calmly.
"Teddiursa has great potential. It's worth developing."
Ursaring had solid strength. And beyond that…
Ren didn't elaborate.
But he knew Teddiursa's future evolution path held even greater possibilities.
Lucas' eyes lit up.
If Ren said it had potential, it was practically certified.
Not a top-tier SSR—but definitely a high-quality SR.
That was already excellent luck.
"Looks like today's fortune isn't bad after all."
Meanwhile, Lily stared at the Teddiursa image thoughtfully.
Her mind wandered back to the western suburbs.
To that adorable little bear.
To the terrifying Ursaring.
She fell into serious contemplation.
…Should she go back and try to kidnap that Teddiursa properly next time?
-------------Author---------------
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