"Aron, Iron Defense!" Qing Wu ordered.
A silvery sheen flashed across Aron's body, making it feel as though its entire body had become incredibly firm and sturdy.
In actual combat, things were different from the games. Pokémon didn't stand still and take turns, attacking back and forth one round at a time.
There was plenty of space here, so giving commands was even more difficult than usual.
However, after Iron Defense bolstered Aron, its defense was more than enough to face Ekans.
Ekans coiled its body, flicked out its tongue, and opened its enormous mouth. Countless purple Poison Stings sprayed out from within.
"Rock Tomb!" Qing Wu issued the command in time. Although Aron wasn't afraid of the Poison Sting attack,
the Poison Stings could still make Aron's already uneven metal exterior even more pitted and battered.
Huge rocks burst from the ground, successfully blocking every Poison Sting against their surface.
The rocks were densely covered in purple-black Poison Stings, which glittered dazzlingly beneath the sun.
"Metal Claw!" Aron broke into a short run. The sunlight reflecting off its silvery body was almost blinding.
Before Ekans could react, two metal claws slashed directly into its body.
Ekans immediately let out a cry of pain.
Ekans wrapped itself tightly around Aron, opened its terrifying jaws, and prepared to swallow Aron whole.
"Aron, keep using Metal Claw!" The light of Metal Claw flared up, and Ekans was nearly torn in half by Aron's claws.
The moment Ekans's fangs were about to bite into Aron's head, there was a sharp crack. The fangs split and broke cleanly in two.
Ekans had always been the kind of creature that bullied the weak and feared the strong. Upon realizing that Aron was far too tough for it to handle,
Ekans ignored its bleeding wounds and crawled and rolled away, fleeing into the jungle in a flash.
"What a shame." Qing Wu had originally planned to kill Ekans outright.
Ekans's blood was nonpoisonous and had an even better effect when taming Zubat. Its Snake Shed was also a valuable medicinal material, one that was virtually impossible to buy on the black market.
Qing Wu saw that this Ekans was in the middle of shedding its skin. Unfortunately, Aron had been just a little too slow.
"Still, this is the real fortune Ekans left behind."
Qing Wu looked at the densely packed, sinister Poison Stings embedded in the rock and revealed a pleased smile.
Using the leaves of a broad-leaved plant, Qing Wu pulled the Poison Stings, one by one, from the rock where they were firmly lodged.
Qing Wu counted the Poison Stings. There were � in total, and they would become powerful weapons for him against wild Pokémon.
After putting away the Poison Stings and washing the fish that had fallen onto the ground, Qing Wu had Aron use Rock Tomb several more times in succession.
Several large fish were knocked out of the water by the rocks.
Qing Wu gutted and cleaned the fish that had leaped from the water, then threaded them together from the mouths with a vine and carried them in his hand.
Qing Wu carried the Pitcher Plant filled with fish blood. After picking several more Orange Fruits together with Aron, he finally headed toward the cave.
"Thankfully, Bonfire hasn't gone out yet." Before Qing Wu had left, he had added another pile of branches so that the Bonfire he had spent so much effort lighting wouldn't go out from lack of fuel.
Qing Wu threaded branches through the fish from head to tail and placed them beside the Bonfire to roast. The Bonfire crackled as it burned the branches, and crimson flames leaped upward again and again, sending sparks flying all around.
Qing Wu gathered a pile of damp branches from the surrounding forest and stacked them deep inside the cave, intending to use the Bonfire's heat to dry them as much as possible.
Otherwise, damp branches would not only be difficult to ignite but would also produce choking black smoke.
"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle." The fish Qing Wu had caught from the lake were exceptionally plump.
Drops of golden fat seeped from the fish's surface and slid down into the flames, producing sizzling sounds.
Qing Wu squeezed Orange Fruit juice over the roasted fish, adding a sweet-and-sour flavor to replace seasoning.
Aron sat quietly beside Qing Wu, as motionless as a silent rock.
Aron's eyes were fixed on the roasted fish before it. As it breathed in the enticing aroma, drool was practically dripping from its mouth.
By the time Qing Wu finished tidying everything up, it was nearly evening. A bright full moon quietly rose, scattering gentle moonlight.
Many wild Pokémon became active late at night, and rustling sounds came from all around.
"It's almost done." When living in the wild, it was best to cook food thoroughly; otherwise, it was easy to suffer from diarrhea and other problems.
"It's done." Qing Wu placed the roasted fish on a broad plant leaf.
"Careful, it's hot." Aron impatiently bit into the roasted fish, only to spit it out immediately after burning its mouth.
Qing Wu gave a helpless, reproachful smile, blew on the roasted fish until it cooled, and handed it back to Aron.
While Aron was devouring its food, Qing Wu ate a small portion and then couldn't continue. He simply didn't have much of an appetite.
Aron, on the other hand, had an excellent appetite. It ate every last bit of the remaining roasted fish and even gnawed through several Orange Fruits.
After eating and drinking its fill, Aron lay down to rest beside the cave.
What Qing Wu needed to prepare now was the collection of materials for making Poffins.
To other people, making Poffins might have been an extremely difficult task.
The ratio of ingredients for each Poffin, the time required to make it, and the quality of the materials were all closely related to the Poffin's effectiveness.
But to Qing Wu, a former Breeding Master, this was no difficult matter at all.
As long as he had the corresponding Poffin recipe, Qing Wu could make Poffins of perfect quality.
It could even be said that the Golden Finger system from his previous life had reappeared, giving Qing Wu wings like a tiger.
Moreover, the system could provide Poffin recipes perfectly suited to each Pokémon based on its aptitude.
The system could help Pokémon grow in the best possible way without wasting their talents.
Before you continue