"I know where there's a battlefield."
Chen Yan turned and saw Professor Rowan. "Professor."
Professor Rowan nodded to him, then asked, "Shall we head over?"
"Sorry for the trouble." Chen Yan nodded, and the two boys hurriedly nodded as well.
Chen Yan looked at the Bug Catcher and asked, "Want to come along?"
The Bug Catcher hesitated, then nodded.
Professor Rowan and Snivy led the way. Every so often, Snivy turned back to look at Chen Yan.
When they reached the battlefield, Weedle wriggled forward to stand before Chen Yan, staring straight at the boy opposite him.
The boy across from them looked at Weedle dismissively and sent out his Staravia.
"We agreed that if I win, you'll give me twice my allowance."
"Professor Rowan is right here. I won't cheat you," Chen Yan replied.
"All right." Only then did the boy nod in relief.
"I'll serve as referee, then." Professor Rowan stood in the middle of the battlefield.
The battle began, and the boy opposite them immediately gave a command.
"Staravia, use Wing Attack!"
White light enveloped Staravia's wings as it swooped down from above, charging straight at Weedle.
"Dodge."
Just as Staravia was about to hit him, Weedle tensed his body and sprang high into the air.
"Poison Sting!"
The horn on Weedle's head glowed purple as he rammed into Staravia.
Chen Yan: ??? Is that how Poison Sting works?
Weedle's massive body sent Staravia flying. It tumbled several times in midair before regaining its balance.
"Let's use Aerial Ace!"
Aerial Ace struck Weedle. He cried out in pain, clearly visible wounds marking his body.
Seeing Weedle still standing on the field, the boy opposite them froze for a moment.
"That's impossible..."
"Aren't Flying-type moves super effective against Bug types? How can it still fight?"
When he had battled the Bug Catcher, he had swept through the boy's entire team with a single move.
"Damn it, once more! Staravia, use Aerial Ace!"
"String Shot. Catch it."
As Chen Yan's voice rang out, a thick mass of silk poured from Weedle's mouth and wrapped around Staravia's feet, forcibly interrupting its Aerial Ace.
"Staravia! Break free!"
Staravia kept flying upward, but Weedle's silk was so tough and plentiful that it couldn't snap the strands.
"Pull it down."
Weedle reared up, then heaved, dragging Staravia out of the sky.
"Chwee!"
Boss said true experts always protect the weak!
Staravia slammed into the ground, crying out in pain.
Hearing Weedle, Chen Yan's lips curled upward.
"Weedle, use String Shot on the rocks around you."
Weedle used String Shot on a large rock nearby, wrapping it in silk.
"Put your strength into it! Smash it into Staravia!"
Weedle mustered every ounce of strength and swung the rock around, just as Gengar had spun him around with a thin bamboo rod, before smashing it toward Staravia.
I'm very familiar with this move!
Staravia had just gotten to its feet, ready to fly, when it saw an enormous rock hurtling toward it through the dust.
Staravia: ???
"Type advantages? Then did you know Rock is super effective against Flying? Weedle, Meteor Rock!"
The rock slammed into Staravia's wing with the crack of breaking bones.
"Staraa!" Staravia's agonized cry rang out through the dust.
Covered in wounds, Weedle glanced at the Bug Catcher beside the field, then turned back to Chen Yan.
"Chwee-"
Am I an expert now too?
Chen Yan nodded, gazing into the dust as he said:
"Weedle, do you know why I called Beedrill a knight in Pokémon Grand World?"
The Bug Catcher beside him looked at Chen Yan in shock.
He's... the author of Pokémon Grand World?!
"Chwee?"
"Because... a brave knight will pierce the darkness to protect the weak! Weedle, I've always believed you would become a knight who fights with everything he has to protect the vulnerable."
Chen Yan raised his voice. Pointing at Staravia as its figure emerged from the settling dust, he roared furiously:
"Weedle, go! Pierce the darkness before you! Use Poison Sting!"
What right do you have to deny a boy's dream?!
What right do you have to force him to sell his Pokémon?
Just because Bug-type Pokémon are supposedly the weakest Pokémon?
Even if Bug-type Pokémon are weak, they're still the Pokémon he once dreamed of having.
What right do you have to dismiss him?!
"Chwee!!!"
Sensing Chen Yan's anger, Weedle raised his voice as well. He leaped up, the horn on his head lengthening and glowing purple as he drove it down hard toward Staravia.
Boom!
Staravia lay motionless on the ground.
Weedle lay on Staravia's back, glaring at the sky as brilliant light burst from his body.
"This is..." Chen Yan froze.
Only when Weedle's form began shifting within the light did Chen Yan realize what was happening.
Is he... evolving?
The light faded, revealing a golden cocoon before Chen Yan.
[Kakuna] [Type: Bug, Poison] [Gender: Male] [Ability: Shed Skin] [Known moves: Harden] [Status: Motionless, very hungry] [Mood: Happy] [Affinity: 100 (A knight must protect the weak)] [Description: A knight who chose to pierce the darkness to protect the weak. But right now, our great knight seems unable to move?]
Chen Yan walked over to Kakuna, bent down, and picked him up.
"Here's to our future together, my honorable knight, Kakuna."
Kakuna blinked without making a sound.
"Geng-"
Wow! Chen Yan, he evolved!
Chen Yan handed Kakuna to Gengar, mainly because Kakuna was simply too heavy. He was at least twice the size of an ordinary Kakuna.
All those leaves hadn't gone to waste after all.
"Thinking about it, he really was due to evolve, considering how many leaves he's eaten. Gengar, I'll leave him in your care from now on."
Gengar grinned.
"Geng!"
Leave it to me!
Chen Yan looked at the boy opposite him and said, "Now it's time to keep your promise."
The boy recalled Staravia into its Poké Ball, walked over to the Bug Catcher, took out his allowance, and handed it to him.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said Bug-type Pokémon were weak, and I definitely shouldn't have told you to sell yours..."
With that, the boy hurried away with his friend.
Chen Yan approached the Bug Catcher, looked at him, and said:
"Maybe Bug-type Pokémon really are a little weaker than other Pokémon. But Pokémon battles don't rely solely on a Pokémon's strength. They depend even more on the bond between a Trainer and their Pokémon."
"And you shouldn't overlook your surroundings in a Pokémon battle, either."
Chen Yan reached out and patted the boy's head. "I've always believed that no matter how difficult something is, as long as you're together with your Pokémon, you'll work it out in the end."
The Bug Catcher tightened his grip on the allowance in his hand and looked up at Chen Yan, then at Kakuna in Gengar's arms.
After a long while, he wiped away his tears, put on his baseball cap, and raised a clenched fist before his chest. Staring at Chen Yan, he declared resolutely:
"Don't get too full of yourself."
Chen Yan blinked.
"My Bug-type army and I will beat you someday!"
Chen Yan broke into a grin.
"Just remember to have your allowance ready."
The Bug Catcher took off running.
Throughout it all, Snivy had kept watching Chen Yan.
After the Bug Catcher left, Professor Rowan applauded, something he hadn't done in a long time.
"Sorry you had to see that, Professor," Chen Yan apologized to Professor Rowan beside him.
"You did very well. A young person's spirit is something that cannot be replenished once lost. So many talented Trainers have abandoned this path because of setbacks. Chen Yan, you protected his dream."
Chen Yan scratched his head. "Weedle was the one who stepped forward first. He deserves the most credit."
Professor Rowan looked at Kakuna in Gengar's arms and stroked his mustache, smiling. "Kakuna, eh... a brave knight will pierce the darkness to protect the weak! I can hardly wait to see that."
Kakuna said nothing and simply kept blinking.
Meanwhile, Chen Yan curled his toes against the ground in embarrassment.
This is so embarrassing... how did I even manage to shout something that cheesy...?
"Still coming to the lab to work as my assistant today?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go."
In the park, the Bug Catcher crouched in the bushes, searching tirelessly for something.
As the sun was about to set, he sat down on the ground in sorrow.
It's gone...
With a vacant stare, the Bug Catcher hugged his knees and buried his head deep between them.
"Sss..." A soft cry sounded.
The Bug Catcher turned and found a Wurmple watching him from a short distance away.
He immediately recognized it as the Wurmple he had released and happily ran over.
"Wurmple, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have released you without considering how you felt."
The Bug Catcher bowed to Wurmple.
"I came looking for you today because I wanted to apologize. If... if you're still willing to come with me, I swear I'll never abandon you again..."
The Bug Catcher spoke while still bent at the waist.
Wurmple crawled over to his feet and gently rubbed its head against his trouser leg.
The Bug Catcher looked at Wurmple in surprise and noticed a Berry beside his foot. Wurmple was smiling at him.
Tears spilled from his eyes unbidden, falling onto Wurmple.
Brilliant light began radiating from Wurmple's body.
When the light faded, Silcoon stood in its place, looking at the Bug Catcher.
The Bug Catcher paused in surprise, then picked Silcoon up.
"Here's to staying together from now on, Wurmple... no, Silcoon."
Silcoon blinked.
Holding Silcoon in his arms, the Bug Catcher ran home beneath the setting sun.
Before you continue