Bug Catcher

After leaving Mt. Pyre, there were basically no Ghost-type Trainers or Pokémon left in Hoenn. Roy, who dealt with Ghost-type Pokémon every day, found himself somewhat unaccustomed to it.

His next stop was Lilycove City.

The journey from Lilycove City in eastern Hoenn to Rustboro City in western Hoenn would take more than two months. He was not stupid enough to walk all the way to Rustboro City.

He had to report to the academy the day after tomorrow, not next year. If he walked there, he would not reach Rustboro City even by next month.

Before leaving, he had asked Yazi about it. She said he only needed to take a direct bus to Lilycove City, and it would cost just a few hundred Poké Dollars.

As Roy pondered, an odd sound suddenly came from the grass by the roadside. Then a boy wearing a blue bandana and carrying a bug-catching net on his back sprang out of the grass, blocked Roy's path, and pointed at him.

"I challenge you to a duel. If you lose, hand over your Pokémon!"

A classic Bug Catcher roadblock.

Before Roy could refuse, the Bug Catcher directly tossed out a segmented, tan Pokémon with a small horn on its head.

Weedle.

Yes, the Bug Catcher had thrown it out. He had not caught Weedle in a Poké Ball, nor could he afford one. As for how he had even caught the Weedle, no one knew.

But judging by the worn collar around Weedle's neck, it clearly had not willingly followed the Bug Catcher.

He was just bullying Weedle for being weak. If it had evolved into Beedrill, it would definitely have chased after him and stung him.

"Weedle, use Poison Sting."

The Bug Catcher commanded, but the Weedle on the ground did not react at all.

Its body was covered in scars, and it looked like it had more breath going out than coming in, as though it might collapse at any moment.

System Scan

Pokémon: Weedle

Level: 15

Gender: Male

Ability: Shield Dust (Protected by Shield Dust, it is immune to additional effects from moves.)

Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot, Bug Bite

Held Item: None

Inherited Moves: None

Individual Values: 13

Technical Machines/Move Tutoring: None

That was it?

Roy did not even need to send out a Pokémon. He felt like he could handle this himself.

"Useless trash, use a move already!"

The Bug Catcher cursed at the listless Weedle, completely disregarding its weakened condition.

Although he did not recognize the Pokémon on Roy's shoulder, the flame atop its head told him that it was at least a Fire-type Pokémon, surely far stronger than his Weedle.

At worst, he could still make a clean getaway. With that thought, the Bug Catcher tightened his grip on a bag of yellow powder.

He was even fantasizing about defeating Roy, taking his Litwick, and entering the Hoenn League tournament.

But in reality, he had never defeated a passing Trainer. Most of them could knock out his Pokémon in a single move.

Then he would flee in disarray, never getting tired of it.

As for raising Pokémon? That did not exist. Bug Catchers like them had no concept of training Pokémon. To them, making Pokémon battle was training.

Treating injuries after battle? That was even less of a thing.

The Pokémon Center did not provide free treatment to just anyone. Even a standard treatment cost 500 Poké Dollars.

With 500 Poké Dollars, they could eat and drink lavishly for quite a while. Why spend it on a Pokémon like Weedle?

Even if Weedle died...

They could just catch another one. There were so many Weedle in the forest anyway. Then they would keep battling until it got beaten to death, repeating the cycle forever.

Not every Bug Catcher was named Giovanni.

The lucky ones could see their Weedle and Caterpie evolve into Kakuna or Metapod, then wait a while before they evolved again into Beedrill and Butterfree.

But that was their limit. After evolving, Butterfree would try every possible way to leave its Trainer and return to the forest.

Most Beedrill would immediately turn on their masters, which was why Beedrill ranked highest among Pokémon for injuring humans.

So Pokémon did not hate humans without reason.

Seeing that Weedle still had not moved, the Bug Catcher angrily pulled out a remote control and fiercely pressed the red button in its center.

"W-weedle!"

An electric current shot out from the collar around Weedle's neck. The pain from the Thunder Shock twisted Weedle's face in agony.

Roy could even smell a faint burnt odor in the air.

The Bug Catcher muttered, "Let's see if you'll disobey me again!"

The pleasure Roy had felt from landing critical hits on Bug Catchers in games was gone. Now, he was considering sending this guy to the afterlife.

He looked at Litwick on his shoulder and used Mind Communication. Teach him a lesson.

Litwick also could not stand the Bug Catcher's brutality. The Will-O-Wisp above its head transformed into a ghostly face and flew toward him.

Still thinking about how to pull one over on Roy, the Bug Catcher was startled by the sudden apparition.

"G-ghost!"

The Bug Catcher had never seen anything like this. Terrified out of his wits, he fled deep into the forest without even caring about Weedle.

As he ran, a key and a packet of yellow powder fell from his body.

Roy picked up the yellow powder packet labeled Stun Spore. The other guy had probably intended to use it on him. Roy did not know whether to call him ignorant or fearless.

Really, it was because Ghost-type Pokémon were so little known that many people like this Bug Catcher did not even know Ghost-type Pokémon existed. They thought Ghost-type Pokémon were simply manifestations of ghosts.

Popularity Points 0→1

The mechanical voice rang out by his ear once more.

Roy quickly opened the System Panel and saw that the Popularity Points number had indeed changed from 0 to 1. Clearly, that Bug Catcher had contributed it.

That counted as popularity too?

Roy rubbed his chin and walked over to the Weedle the Bug Catcher had abandoned. It did not react at all. If its tail had not twitched now and then, he would have thought it was already dead.

Weedle's black-bean-like eyes were numb. The recent Thunder Shock had drained the last of its strength. Even as it watched Roy approach, it remained unmoved. In truth, it was already at the end of its rope, with not a trace of energy left in its body.

If Roy wanted to, he could end Weedle's life with a single punch.

Roy's shadow nearly covered Weedle entirely.

Weedle could not see Roy's expression and did not know whether he intended to kill it, but it was ready to accept its fate.

After all, death might be a release for it now. It thought of its brief life as a bug, and all the suffering it had endured after being accidentally caught by the Bug Catcher.

Unfortunately, it had no way to take revenge itself.