On the way, Icarus took off his outer coat, revealing the intermediate protective gear underneath.
After all, he had no intention of exposing himself so quickly.
Although he had already shown his strength during the battle at the Pokémon Center, there had not been many spectators. In addition, he trained all year round and was relatively tall, so no one would easily guess that he was only 15 years old.
His plan was to wait until Bellsprout evolved and he possessed stable ordinary-rank combat power before stopping the act.
For now, the fewer people who knew, the better. The guards at the city gate liked to talk when they were bored.
Of course, the explanation he gave Ashu and Aze was simply that the morning wind was cold, so he had worn an extra coat.
They didn't ask any further questions, and the matter passed.
---
Soon, the three arrived at the outskirts of the forest. Icarus released Pidgey to scout the path ahead.
Along the way they encountered several groups of wild Pokémon. However, after Icarus asked, the other two agreed to let Pidgey handle them for training.
After all, Pidgey was only a high-level freshman, so it needed more battle experience.
On the other hand, the coordination between the two little Pokémon while using the powder-scattering tactic made Aze's eyes light up.
"Icarus, did you come up with this idea too? That's amazing!"
"No, no. I only thought of it after capturing Pidgey and noticing it was good at controlling wind."
Hearing the praise, Icarus instinctively responded modestly.
Aze nodded and suddenly looked at Captain Ashu.
"Ashu, we could also use the powder-scattering tactic. If Pidgey controls the wind like Icarus did, it might work well."
"Well… it would be effective against most Pokémon," Ashu replied while shaking his head, "but Arbok is extremely poisonous and has strong poison resistance. It may not work very well."
He paused before adding:
"Aze, did you forget? Last time my Butterfree's Stun Spore only had a small effect."
"Oh right… when we dealt with that Ekans before, it wasn't very effective either."
After hearing this, Aze immediately recalled the previous battle. Their sneak attack had worked at first, but the Ekans had only inhaled a little of the powder before noticing it.
That was also the reason the two realized they couldn't complete the missions alone and decided to recruit a teammate.
---
"I have an idea."
Icarus, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke.
"Oh?"
"What idea?"
Both of them turned to look at him.
"Well… it doesn't matter if Arbok has high poison resistance," Icarus explained slowly. "As long as the poison is stronger."
"Even if it only inhales a little, it will still have some effect."
"I think if Butterfree's Stun Spore and Bellsprout's Stun Spore are mixed together, the toxicity should become stronger."
The two stared at him for a moment before suddenly reacting.
"Right!"
"Icarus, you're a genius!"
The idea immediately clicked for them.
"Let's go," Ashu said eagerly. "Speed things up and head to the area where Arbok usually appears. We'll test the double-powder tactic."
The group quickly increased their pace.
This time Icarus ignored the wild Pokémon they encountered and had Pidgey speed ahead.
---
Soon they reached the location on the map where Arbok was frequently seen.
"Pidgey, go search!" Icarus immediately ordered.
"It's really convenient having a flying Pokémon…"
Ashu, who had already released Raticate, said with envy.
Although Butterfree and Aze's Beedrill could also fly, their one-meter bodies made them easy to spot.
Previously, when they searched with Butterfree, it had to stay only a few meters away. If it encountered enemies, they had no choice but to fight head-on.
Within a few minutes, Pidgey returned and reported its discovery.
"Pidgey! Pidgey!"
"Icarus, what did it find?" Aze asked.
"There's an Arbok with several scars not far ahead," Icarus explained. "A little farther to the right there's also an Ekans."
"Which one should we attack first?"
"Arbok," Ashu answered immediately.
"It's rarer, and we still need to hunt three ordinary mid-level Arbok."
"If it has several scars, that means it's experienced in battle. Its strength should be around mid-tier ordinary rank."
Aze nodded in agreement.
"Alright," Icarus said. "Pidgey, lead the way."
---
Guided by Pidgey, they quickly approached to within twenty meters of the Arbok.
At that moment Ashu took out another Poké Ball.
A flash of red light appeared.
"Free~!"
A Butterfree with a purple body and black-and-white wings appeared.
"Sprout!"
At the same time Icarus released Bellsprout.
"Geodude!"
Aze sent out Geodude, a gray rock Pokémon with two large fists.
"Let's begin," Aze said.
"Use the powder tactic. If it fails, my Geodude will take the front and absorb the damage."
"Bellsprout, use Stun Spore!"
"Butterfree, you too — use Stun Spore and mix it with Bellsprout's powder!"
"Free~!"
Butterfree nodded and began gently flapping its wings. The powder it released gradually gathered together with Bellsprout's powder cloud.
Seeing this, Icarus carefully observed.
This Butterfree has good potential…
Its control over the powder was precise, with almost no waste.
You really can't underestimate anyone.
Although he appeared calm, Icarus silently suppressed the pride rising in his heart and ordered:
"Pidgey, control the wind!"
---
"Rustle… rustle…"
The breeze carried a large cloud of Stun Spore directly above the Arbok.
"Arbo?!"
Caught off guard, the Arbok inhaled a large amount of the powder.
Its body immediately stiffened, and it showed a painful expression.
"Great chance!" Ashu shouted.
"Raticate, use Quick Attack + Hyper Fang!"
He had simplified the combo from their last battle into a single command.
But the Arbok sneered internally.
Even if my body is slower, I can still open my mouth and use moves!
"You foolish mouse!"
"Swoosh!"
A volley of Poison Sting shot from Arbok's mouth.
"Geodude, use Rock Throw to block the needles!"
"Beedrill, Twinneedle!"
At first Icarus had been puzzled about why Ashu had ordered Raticate to charge so directly.
But when he heard Aze's commands, he immediately understood.
The two of them had excellent teamwork.
---
(End of Chapter 101)
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