Moo moo moo!
Aiven was thinking about what to do with the Rattata.
Suddenly, the Ironclad Rhinoceros beside him let out a warning bellow and looked toward the other side of the grass.
Without hesitation, the Ironclad Rhinoceros used Digging Move, turning over the grass and revealing the figure hidden within it.
It was a purple cobra, its body reared upright and strange black patterns marking its belly!
Why would such a dangerous Pokémon as Arbok appear on the outskirts of the Black Forest? Aiven's expression grew grave. Arbok should only appear deep inside the Black Forest.
Pokémon like Arbok, in particular, had a very strong sense of territory. Under normal circumstances, they only moved within their own territory.
The outskirts of the Black Forest were often patrolled by the knights of the City of Ambition. If an Arbok had appeared here, they couldn't possibly have missed it.
That meant this Arbok had only recently appeared on the outskirts of the Black Forest, and the knights hadn't discovered it yet.
Hisssss.
Arbok flicked its tongue.
Perhaps sensing how troublesome the Ironclad Rhinoceros would be, it simply stayed upright and watched Aiven leave the grass.
Once Aiven had completely left the grass, Arbok suddenly burst out of it and swallowed the fallen Rattata whole.
Then Arbok turned and left. It had come here to hunt prey, not to attack Aiven once he had left the grass.
Watching this, Aiven opened his mouth, then sighed.
Arbok and Rattata were natural enemies. Even in the real world, the two Pokémon were rivals.
It seemed this grassland had become Arbok's new territory. After a moment's hesitation, Aiven gave up on crossing it and headed away from the grass instead.
After encountering both Rattata and Arbok on the outskirts of the Black Forest, he grew even more cautious. He decided to gather the surrounding medicinal herbs once more, then head back.
As he continued deeper into the Black Forest, he discovered more signs of Pokémon activity.
Most of them were Walking Grass. These Pokémon were common in the Black Forest, and because they weren't very aggressive, they hadn't been driven out.
Then Aiven spotted some Bug-type Pokémon in the trees. They were black, rubbery-looking bugs completely covered in green leaves.
Burmy. Data on the Pokémon surfaced in Aiven's mind.
Then words like steamed and deep-fried suddenly came to mind. All right, Burmy, like Cherubi, was also considered food here.
But nobles wouldn't eat such disgusting bugs. Only ordinary commoners would catch and eat these Pokémon.
At the thought, Aiven sighed. He stopped looking at the Burmy nestled in the leaves and continued into the forest. The deeper he went into the Black Forest, the more medicinal herbs he found.
He only had to go a little farther to reach the destination he had in mind. A key ingredient for a potion could be found there; Uncle Darby had seen it there before.
Rustle, rustle.
As he walked, Aiven suddenly heard a commotion coming from the bushes.
He stopped cautiously and looked toward the sound.
Petilil's heart stirred. It formed a Leech Seed and shot it toward the bushes.
Just as the Leech Seed landed in the bushes, a blue figure suddenly sprang out.
Its head and front half were light blue, while its hindquarters and tail were black. Yellow four-pointed stars marked its ears and tail.
A Shinx. Aiven froze. The Pokémon glanced at him, then darted nimbly into the woods and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Aiven's hand was at his waist, where he usually kept his Poké Balls. For a moment, he had instinctively wanted to throw one and catch the Shinx.
But by the time he came to his senses, the Shinx had already run far away. He could only sigh helplessly.
Shinx's final evolution was Luxray, a Pokémon with tremendous potential. Aiven had always wanted to catch one and raise it.
"What a shame."
Aiven let out a breath. It was too late to go after the Shinx now.
Besides, it had run toward the depths of the Black Forest. Following it rashly would be dangerous.
I'll have to wait for another chance. Aiven thought to himself, then walked over to the bush where the Shinx had been hiding.
There, among the grass, lay a white fruit with a bite taken out of it.
"A berry?"
Aiven paused, then suddenly realized something. His eyes slowly widened.
This wasn't a berry—it was a White Oran Berry!
One of the most important uses for Berries was making Poké Balls. Before modern Poké Balls were invented, Poké Balls made from Berries were very common.
The technique could be traced back to between four and seven hundred years before the modern era. These were arguably the earliest Poké Balls to appear in the world!
But as technology advanced, these Poké Balls were gradually replaced by modern, mass-produced ones because they took a long time to make and were less efficient.
However, since most Poké Balls made from Berries had special properties, the method of making Berry Bags had been passed down. It was even offered as an elective for Pokémon Breeders.
As someone determined to become the greatest Pokémon Breeder, Aiven had studied how to make Berry Bags. He had never chosen to specialize in it afterward, but he still remembered the exact method!
He had thought about making Berry Bags before, but after asking Uncle Darby, who had never seen any similar berries, he'd assumed none grew here.
But now that he had seen a White Oran Berry with his own eyes, hope rose in his heart once more.
Find that White Oran Berry tree! Aiven shouted inwardly. He glanced in the direction the Shinx had gone, gritted his teeth, and led his Pokémon after it, feeling their way along.
As they ventured deeper into the Black Forest, he could clearly feel that Pokémon were becoming more numerous. Besides some common Grass- and Bug-type Pokémon, he also saw Mukkuru and Buneary.
The place Aiven had reached could no longer be called the outskirts of the Black Forest. He was now in its heart, where human footsteps were rare.
Even the knights who patrolled the Black Forest seldom came here. As a result, a number of Pokémon had gathered here, forming an ecosystem where all kinds of Pokémon could live.
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