Returning with a full haul

A Pokémon's will to resist weakened while it was asleep, greatly increasing the chances of catching it.

Butterfree's Sleep Powder struck Heracross squarely, sending it straight to sleep.

Seeing this perfect opportunity, Ye Tian immediately threw the Poké Ball in his hand.

The Poké Ball drew Heracross inside, then began shaking violently.

Every shake of the Poké Ball made Ye Tian's heart beat faster.

On its third shake, a burst of red light suddenly forced the Poké Ball open, and Heracross broke free.

Ye Tian felt like tearing his hair out. That had been his third Poké Ball, yet he still hadn't caught it. This Heracross was far too stubborn.

Seeing what was happening, Zhang Cheng walked over to Ye Tian and asked, "Are you trying to catch this Heracross?"

"Yeah, but I probably can't now. This Heracross is too stubborn. I've used up all three of my Poké Balls, and I still haven't caught it," Ye Tian said regretfully.

"I still have some unused Poké Balls. You can use them. Try again—you might succeed," Zhang Cheng said, taking out his three Poké Balls.

"What about you? Have you already caught your Pokémon?" Ye Tian asked, puzzled.

"I got a Pokémon Egg. Enough talk—hurry up and catch this Heracross before it runs away," Zhang Cheng reminded him.

Ye Tian also knew this wasn't the time to discuss it. Without any more hesitation, he took Zhang Cheng's Poké Balls and continued directing Butterfree in battle.

Butterfree had already depleted most of Heracross's health, leaving it extremely weak. The chances of catching it now were high.

Yet Ye Tian had already failed three times, and his last attempt had even been made while it was asleep.

Zhang Cheng was surprised that he hadn't managed to catch Heracross even under those conditions.

It seemed this Heracross had a very stubborn temperament and wouldn't let a Trainer catch it easily.

While Ye Tian continued his battle of wits with Heracross, Zhang Cheng checked its information:

Name: Heracross (Level 5)

Gender: Male

Potential: B+

Type: Bug, Fighting

Held item: None

Basic moves: Tackle, Horn Attack, Leer

Learned moves: None

Egg moves: Megahorn, Endure, Seismic Toss

Ability: Swarm (When its health falls below one-third, the power of its Bug-type moves increases to 1.5 times their original power.)

Notes: Heracross, the Single Horn Pokémon. Gentle in temperament and immensely strong, it excels at thrusting its horn beneath an enemy's belly and tossing them upward. Its favorite food is Sweet Tree Branches.

This Heracross was truly outstanding. Ye Tian was very lucky to have encountered such a Bug-type Pokémon.

If he caught this Heracross, Ye Tian's entire team would consist of Bug-type Pokémon. Perhaps he really would become a Bug-type Elite someday.

While Zhang Cheng was thinking about this, Ye Tian spotted another opening and threw a Poké Ball once more.

Unfortunately, that attempt also ended in failure. The repeated failures were making Ye Tian anxious.

Seeing his state, Zhang Cheng quickly reminded him, "Calm down. Losing your head will affect your judgment. That's a cardinal mistake for a Trainer."

Zhang Cheng's words brought Ye Tian back to his senses. He continued directing Butterfree to attack Heracross lightly, then looked for an opening to use Sleep Powder again.

Under Ye Tian's relentless assault, Heracross was finally caught, though catching it had cost him five Poké Balls.

If Zhang Cheng hadn't happened to run into Ye Tian with spare Poké Balls on hand, Ye Tian would have missed his chance to catch Heracross that day.

After successfully catching Heracross, Ye Tian hurried onto his bicycle and rode toward the Safari Zone's exit.

There was a Pokémon Healing Center at the exit. Butterfree had inflicted fairly serious injuries on Heracross, so Ye Tian intended to get it treated as quickly as possible.

Zhang Cheng understood what Ye Tian was doing and didn't ask any questions. He got on his bicycle and followed him.

Half an hour later, the two arrived at the Safari Zone's exit. After registering his information, Ye Tian sent Heracross to the Treatment Room for treatment.

Just then, Fang Han, the other classmate who had come with them, returned as well.

As Ye Tian asked him about his trip, Zhang Cheng learned that Fang Han had caught a Magby.

Magby was also a Fire-type Pokémon with considerable potential. It could evolve twice, and its final evolution, Magmortar, was a very powerful Fire-type Pokémon.

Overall, all three of them had obtained excellent Pokémon. Thanks to the rewards from this competition, they would have an even greater advantage in the upcoming college entrance exams.

The Safari Zone staff treated the four of them to dinner there.

After dinner, Ye Tian's Heracross had recovered from its injuries.

Once he had confirmed that everyone was ready, Liu Feng released his Charizard and took the three students back to Jiangcheng No. 1 High School, their trip richly rewarded.

It was already nighttime when they reached the school. Liu Feng dropped the three of them off at the foot of the dormitory building, then left.

"Zhang Cheng, what Pokémon is in that egg you got?" Ye Tian asked, looking at the Pokémon Egg cradled in Zhang Cheng's arms.

"It's a Mareep egg. Two Mareep in the Safari Zone entrusted it to me to look after," Zhang Cheng explained.

"I see. Mareep is an Electric-type Pokémon with plenty of potential too," Ye Tian said after a moment's thought.

"I went to the Safari Zone to catch a suitable Electric-type Pokémon this time. This Mareep is a pretty good fit," Zhang Cheng said calmly.

"I really owe you for today. Without those Poké Balls you gave me, I wouldn't have been able to catch this Heracross," Ye Tian said, scratching his head.

"Come on, there's no need for that between us."

Zhang Cheng patted Ye Tian on the back, then continued, "It's getting late. Get some rest. Tomorrow's Monday, and we still have classes."

With that, Zhang Cheng headed toward his dorm room. Ye Tian nodded in agreement.

After returning to his room, Zhang Cheng found the incubator he had previously used for Poliwag and carefully placed the Mareep egg inside.