Stantler Forest (please bookmark)

Bzz!

Dian's expression changed at the sound. He immediately darted aside, while a black vortex enveloped him and Misdreavus, shielding them.

Only then did he look back. At some point, someone had appeared right behind him—a kappa?

Beedrill silently appeared behind the stranger, the Poison Stings on its arms aimed at this human who looked remarkably like a kappa. A flicker of emotion crossed its eyes.

It had never seen a human like this before... no, it had seen two, back in Misty Forest.

The old woman standing before Dian, her face slack, was even more imposing than the two heavyweights of Misty Forest. She was probably another person who could catch a Hoothoot with her face alone.

Unlike the startled Dian and Beedrill, Misdreavus looked delighted. She had gained another piece of inspiration, giving her even more ways to scare people in the future.

Tickled by the thought, she covered her mouth and giggled.

"So it was a Misdreavus. No wonder I sensed the presence of a Ghost-type Pokémon."

The old woman spoke slowly in a hoarse voice. Her expression never changed, as though she were some creature wearing human skin.

"Heh heh heh..."

She suddenly let out a strange laugh. "Young man, I suggest you leave this forest as soon as possible. A girl lost her way here a long time ago, and that helpless girl eventually disappeared into these wooded mountains."

As she spoke, the old woman took out a magnifying glass and inspected Dian several times. "Oh, yes, yes! Just as I thought! The girl has already set her sights on you. I suggest you leave sooner rather than later."

With that, she slowly walked into the forest to one side, still laughing strangely as she went.

A girl... what sort of ghost girl could possibly be scarier than you?

Dian silently snarked.

Besides, Miss Misdreavus, a Ghost-type Pokémon, was right beside him. What could a ghost do even if one showed up? He would just snap a few Ghostly Photos and post them online for views.

He might even make some money from it. Dian had already thought of a title: "A Date with Ghosts."

He nodded to Beedrill, signaling for it to stay hidden nearby and keep watch.

Sigh, there's no helping it. Scaring people isn't so easy these days. What if you run into someone mentally ill or suffering from mania? Just like that encounter—I failed to scare her and got startled instead.

Earlier, there had been a young man with a Fire-type Pokémon who looked shy and reserved. Who could have guessed that he would turn into a completely different person once Misdreavus drew him into an illusion?

He had immediately sent out a Ponyta and frantically ordered it to use Flame Wheel. He was more terrifying than a terrorist.

Who knew what reward that Ponyta had received from its Trainer? It was even willing to set a forest on fire. They really were birds of a feather.

Fortunately, Beedrill had kept the situation under control from the shadows and knocked the man suffering from mania unconscious in time. Otherwise, a herd of Stantler would have battered both of them until they could no longer look after themselves.

After all, the masters of this forest were a herd of Stantler. They lived here and protected its ecosystem.

Dian frowned at the thought of the Stantler. He had no idea what they were thinking, setting up a mist-shrouded illusion deep in the forest. Even he did not dare venture farther in.

As a result, his plan to gather some medicinal herbs or rare poisonous plants along the way had come to nothing.

By now, Beedrill had completely absorbed the toxins from one white Star Grass plant. Strangely, once its toxins were drained, the white Star Grass had not become useless. Instead, it had turned into ordinary Star Grass with detoxifying properties.

Dian had also tested it and discovered that it still retained a trace of vitality.

That made him store the Pure White Star Grass even more carefully, since it might be more valuable than he had imagined.

If the process by which this kind of Star Grass produced toxins was reversible, perhaps it could be reused.

He could have Hoppip take care of it, too.

Although Beedrill had not learned any new moves, its body was gradually becoming more slender, and its three poisonous stingers were exceptionally sharp.

On closer inspection, the yellow stinger on its tail already glowed faintly blue, giving its attacks a consistent poisonous effect.

More importantly, Beedrill's Poison Sting was no longer merely a straightforward projectile attack. It was becoming more like an area attack that covered a patch of ground, showing the beginnings of Toxic Spikes.

Its Twineedle attacks now also carried a blue glow almost every time. The poisoning effect that had once triggered only occasionally seemed to be becoming consistent as its venom grew stronger and its physique gradually changed.

Seeing this, Dian had an idea. Perhaps he had stumbled onto the right approach and could help Beedrill learn Toxic Spikes and Poison Point naturally.

The only regret was that Beedrill could still use Swords Dance only once. After that, it could not withstand a second use. Although Beedrill wanted to force itself to try, Dian had stopped it.

Rage also increased a Pokémon's attack power, but Beedrill clearly could not use Swords Dance after using Rage. A second Swords Dance was probably still a goal it would have to work toward.

Still, Dian was extremely satisfied. Both Beedrill's speed and offensive power had improved tremendously. As long as it continued progressing steadily, it would one day become one of his trump cards.

Misdreavus, meanwhile, was becoming increasingly adept at creating illusions. She could almost conjure them with a thought now, unlike before, when she needed time to prepare. The illusions she constructed could also last longer.

It seemed that extensively developing Shadow Sneak had indeed benefited her growth.

Miss Misdreavus herself loved the move as well. After all, whenever she wanted to grab something, she no longer had to lift a hand. A simple thought was enough, which suited her temperament perfectly.

The only drawback was that she used her other moves very rarely, so their effectiveness was probably appallingly poor, especially Astonish and Psywave.

Although she did not particularly like Astonish, she still needed to practice it. After all, the crucial move Perish Song also required her to sing.

Furthermore, if she became proficient enough with Psywave, she might be able to learn Psybeam.

Psybeam's confusion effect was fairly important for Misdreavus as well.

The more Dian thought about it, the more he realized there simply was not enough time. No wonder some powerful Trainers remained single. They probably did not even have enough hours in the day to train, let alone go on blind dates or fall in love.

Thinking it over, Goh had probably spent quite a lot of time raising his Onix into a Steelix. That must have been why he had been so eager to find a partner beforehand.

The more Dian thought about it, the more unsettling it became. Clemont's younger sister was always racking her brains to find her brother a partner, too. And why did the League recommend that new Trainers travel with companions? Perhaps it had an ulterior motive as well.