Weedle

Dian strolled leisurely through the forest. He was nothing like Ash, who spent all day rushing around, challenging the League and taking on Gyms.

He had come purely to train Misdreavus. In gaming terms, he was grinding wild monsters for levels and enjoying the scenery along the way.

He had not even registered with the Pokémon League yet, so he was not an official Trainer. Even if he went to a Gym, he could not challenge it until he registered at a Pokémon Center.

But Dian liked crushing his opponents, not getting crushed himself, so he would travel around and train Misdreavus first. Ideally, he would catch a Rock-type Pokémon or one that knew Ice-type moves before going.

The information online told him that Violet City's Gym Leader apparently specialized in Flying-type Pokémon. It was a Flying-type Gym.

Still, that probably would not happen anytime soon. Dian believed in quality over quantity, and besides, he could not afford to raise too many Pokémon.

He would never catch a Pokémon specifically for one Gym and then leave it unused after winning. That was not how Dian did things.

Splash, splash.

Dian heard water splashing somewhere ahead.

"Mis!"

Misdreavus immediately grew curious and grabbed Dian's hair, tugging him forward.

"I know, I know. We're going right now."

Dian hurriedly soothed her and made his way through the undergrowth ahead, carefully avoiding the thorns on some of the plants, until he reached a beautiful spot.

A wide clearing lay before him, filled with the fragrance of earth. Beyond it was a creek about two people wide, its burbling water occasionally striking the black stones in its course with crisp splashes.

Dian gazed ahead at a green mountain range stretching across the horizon. Two or three black specks dotted the distance, though he could not tell what Pokémon they were.

He glanced at the sky and realized with a start that it was already noon.

"Picnic time!"

Dian took a large cloth from his bag and spread it on the ground, then brought out a soft cushion, followed by three sandwiches and Misdreavus's Pokéblocks. Everything was ready in no time.

"Let's eat!"

Dian ate his sandwich while listening to the rhythms of nature around him, letting out a contented sigh.

Beside him, Misdreavus nibbled on her Pokéblocks.

A gentle breeze blew along the creek.

Suddenly, a white thread shot out, stuck to one of Misdreavus's Pokéblocks, and swiftly reeled it back.

"Wee!"

That familiar cry rang out again, only this time it sounded smug.

"It's you!"

Dian immediately stood and looked to the side. Sure enough, a plump Weedle gulped down the Pokéblock attached to the white thread.

"Mis!!"

Misdreavus immediately used Shadow Sneak, sending a long black whip from behind Weedle to bind it.

Snap.

Weedle spat an especially thick white thread onto a nearby tree, then used it to spring upward, dodging the black whip.

Dian's eyes lit up, and he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.

He stepped aside, leaving the stage to the two Pokémon.

This Weedle surprised him. It had figured out a way to dodge Shadow Sneak on its own, and its physical condition was excellent too. Not only had it managed to follow them... no, perhaps it had followed the food.

Even so, that showed Weedle had impressive senses, at the very least. It could even snatch food right out from under Misdreavus's nose. It really was exceptional.

Misdreavus darted through the air and soon vanished into the undergrowth.

"Wee."

Weedle immediately used String Shot, trying to snag the Pokéblocks on the ground.

"Wee!"

Weedle panicked. A shadow had caught its thread and was dragging it downward.

It decisively changed direction, spat another thread, and leaped to a different spot.

Unfortunately, the hidden Misdreavus had anticipated where it would land. The moment it touched down, a Shadow Sneak sent Weedle flying.

Dian nodded. That was a perfectly normal outcome. From what he had seen, Weedle only seemed to know Poison Sting and String Shot. It used both moves very effectively, but it clearly was no match for Misdreavus.

Still, it looked as though it was close to evolving.

The thread it had spat out earlier was already tough enough. An ordinary Weedle would probably have been unable to suppress the urge to form a cocoon and evolve by now, but this one seemed to have held back—or perhaps it was simply more gifted.

Dian walked over to the unconscious Weedle, considered for a moment, and finally tossed a Poké Ball.

As expected, the red light flashed twice before settling.

Dian picked it up and released Weedle again.

"Wee?"

Weedle looked around, then rubbed against Dian's trouser leg.

Sure enough, a frame appeared in Dian's right eye again, except the Pokémon image inside had changed to a Weedle.

Weedle—Bug, Poison. Hairy Bug Pokémon.

Ability: Shield Dust.

Moves: String Shot, Poison Point.

"Shield Dust."

Dian was a little surprised. He had thought this Weedle had grown so large thanks to Run Away, an Ability that guaranteed escape from encounters with wild Pokémon. Instead, it had Shield Dust, which blocked the additional effects of moves.

At that moment, Misdreavus flew out as well, curiously studying her new companion.

"You're teammates now. From now on, keep each other motivated and work hard!"

After giving them some encouragement, Dian took out two portions of Pokéblocks and let his two Pokémon start eating.

Crunch, crunch.

Weedle took great mouthfuls of Pokéblocks, storing up energy for its coming transformation.

Misdreavus ate slowly, glancing at Weedle from time to time. She was clearly very curious about it.

Watching Weedle and Misdreavus, Dian silently considered how he could change their training routine from now on.

"Weedle, use String Shot to block Misdreavus's escape routes."

"Misdreavus, use Shadow Sneak to catch this while dodging String Shot."

Dian cleared the space and immediately began putting both Pokémon through special training.

He casually tossed a Pokéblock toward them. "Put it back in the box after you catch it."

At first, Misdreavus could catch them one by one, but as Dian threw them faster and faster, from increasingly tricky angles, she gradually began to struggle to keep up with both tasks.

She either got tangled in the white thread or let a Pokéblock fall to the ground.

"That's enough."

Dian rubbed his arm, which had already gone numb. "All right, you can rest."

"Wee~"

Weedle immediately flopped onto the ground, unwilling to move another inch.

Misdreavus also drifted over unsteadily. After letting out a tired cry, she grabbed Dian's hair and settled down to rest.

Before long, Dian stood again and ordered the two Pokémon to begin another round of training.

"Wee!"

"Mis!"

"Training time!"

For a while, the once-quiet creek became extraordinarily lively.

The sun sank in the west, and soon Dian and his Pokémon's first night in the forest drew near.

Firelight sprang up beside the creek. Dian had already pitched his tent and was ready to turn in at any time. Misdreavus and Weedle were utterly exhausted; they soon fell asleep, and he returned them to their Poké Balls.