Was His Father Really a Machoke?!

Dian had seen plenty on this trip, but Drapion had outdone herself. She kept finding new ways to play the victim, growing more convincing by the minute. Her cries rose and fell mournfully without end.

He had also figured out where the wounds on her body came from. Beedrill had lightly scratched some of them onto her, while Drapion had made others herself with Poison Tail. Talk about dedication to the role.

She had probably cried so much that it had become a habit—or perhaps it really did hurt. Either way, her willingness to suffer for the act impressed him. A Drapion that had once played dead was clearly in a league of her own.

As darkness fell, more Pokémon began to appear. After the first clueless Purple Skorupi, several more Purple Skorupi came out, drawn by her cries.

In the end, even another Drapion was lured over by those heartrending calls. Then again, the bait Drapion did appear to be female.

"Dra..."

Drapion gave a feeble cry and let her head droop. This time, she really was tired.

Beedrill, however, waved his purple stingers without a trace of sympathy, telling her to keep going. In his experience, the later it got, the more valuable the Pokémon that appeared.

Dian stood nearby with his arms folded. Despite how Drapion looked, he suspected she could keep crying all night. If she were truly exhausted, the pincer on her tail wouldn't still be poised to strike.

Baiting Pokémon like this wasn't entirely safe, after all. The Drapion that had appeared earlier had given them some trouble.

Dian picked up his Capture Styler to check the time, then prepared to head back with Beedrill and Drapion.

Suddenly...

A dark figure approached slowly. It was smaller than either a Purple Skorupi or a Drapion.