That afternoon, Leo rode Koraidon straight to the back mountain.
As for why he was riding Koraidon instead of Cyclizar...
It was because the moment Leo mentioned going to the back mountain, Koraidon had volunteered to take him.
Cyclizar, meanwhile, was left at the ranch to guard the house, preventing small Pokémon like Psyduck, Buizel, or Bidoof from stealing the fish.
Riding Koraidon felt completely different from riding Cyclizar.
If Cyclizar was like a scooter, then Koraidon, with its much larger frame, was like a heavy-duty motorcycle.
Though, speaking of motorcycles, Leo felt the futuristic Miraidon would fit that description even better.
Since Koraidon had escaped from the Great Crater of Paldea here, this world must be the Scarlettimeline, right?
That meant Arven had likely already lost his mother, Professor Sada...
Leo's mind wandered as they traveled.
Koraidon was fast. In the blink of an eye, they entered the back mountain area.
Their goal this time wasn't to forage for goods to sell, but to find a Caterpie to test the cooking effects on.
The afternoon forest was lush and green, with the calls of bird Pokémon echoing from the distance.
Leo patted Koraidon's shoulder, signaling it to slow down. He scanned the surroundings carefully, trying to spot a Caterpie amidst the dense canopy and thick grass.
As everyone knew, Caterpie was famously weak among all Pokémon.
Although there were technically weaker Pokémon like Magikarp and Wishiwashi (Solo Form), Caterpie wasn't much stronger.
Before evolving, it could only use three moves: Tackle, String Shot, and Bug Bite.
After evolving into Metapod, it only learned Harden, leaving it with no other offensive options.
Only after reaching its final stage, Butterfree, could a Caterpie truly transform and break free of its cocoon.
In nature, such weak Caterpie often became prey for other Pokémon.
Pidgeotto was their most famous predator.
Because of this, Caterpie usually hid in thick bushes or grass in the forest, using the environment to conceal themselves from natural enemies.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from a nearby patch of grass.
Leo hopped off Koraidon and approached quietly.
The Pokémon hiding in the grass heard footsteps and immediately froze, silencing the rustling noise.
Leo parted the grass and, sure enough, found a Caterpie inside. Its body was tense, and it looked terrified.
You're the one!
Seeing the Caterpie, Leo's eyes lit up. But he quickly noticed something—this Caterpie seemed injured.
Looking closely, he saw several claw marks on its body, likely inflicted by a bird Pokémon.
The Caterpie noticed him and Koraidon now and looked even more frightened.
Leo raised an eyebrow. Perhaps it was this Caterpie's lucky day, as he happened to be carrying two Oran Berries to restore health.
He took the berries from his bag and reached out toward the Caterpie.
However, the Caterpie reacted instinctively to the approaching hand. It opened its mouth and shot out a strand of white silk.
The silk wrapped around Leo's hand, but its quality was poor. With a gentle tug, Leo snapped it easily.
"Too weak." Leo shook his head. He opened his palm to reveal the berries and explained, "You can understand me, right? I don't mean you any harm. Eat these, and you'll get better."
Hearing this, the Caterpie paused, staring at the human with big, dark eyes.
"Here!" Leo placed the berries on the grass in front of it.
This time, the Caterpie didn't attack. It lowered its head and began to nibble on the Oran Berries.
By the time the two berries were eaten down to the pits, the injuries on its body had mostly healed.
Watching this, Leo asked, "Do you want to become stronger?"
His tone was filled with temptation.
The Caterpie looked confused.
"You're too weak right now. The silk you're so proud of is useless against other Pokémon. Do you often get attacked and chased as food?"
The Caterpie nodded blankly. "Sss-wu..."
Leo continued, "Are you content with living like this? Everyone thinks you're weak. Have you ever imagined a day when you could use your own strength to defeat those who treat you as food? To dominate the entire forest so no Pokémon dares to look down on you?"
Really... is that possible?
The Caterpie was stunned.
Was it content?
No!
Everyone thought it was the weakest Pokémon. Even a newly hatched Pidgey could easily hunt it.
The Caterpie imagined a scene where it stepped on a Pidgeotto, striking fear into all bird Pokémon.
A fire it had never felt before ignited in its heart.
Persuasion successful!
Leo didn't say more. He took out the prepared Mochi, placed it in front of the Caterpie, and said:
"Eat this. After you eat it, you'll become stronger."
The Caterpie looked at the white, round object, then moved forward without hesitation. It opened its mouth and began to eat.
After finishing the entire Mochi, the Caterpie let out a small burp.
On the surface, its body didn't seem to change.
After a moment's thought, Leo commanded, "Use String Shot on me again. Let me see."
"Sss-wu!"
The Caterpie opened its mouth, and a stream of slightly viscous white silk surged out.
Compared to the previous String Shot, the volume of silk this time was significantly larger.
Even the Caterpie was stunned.
Leo pinched the silk, wrapped it around his hand, and pulled hard. Although the silk stretched into an arc under the tension, it didn't snap like before.
"As expected. Toughness and viscosity have been greatly improved. The strength is on a completely different level."
Leo thought to himself, then said to the Caterpie, "Congratulations. You've become stronger."
Since the effect of the Mochi was verified, there was no need to stay.
Leo climbed onto Koraidon and turned to leave.
Hearing his words, the Caterpie looked excited.
But it quickly calmed down.
Just this much strength wasn't enough. It wanted to be even stronger! To make sure no one dared to look down on it!
And that human who could make it stronger...
Watching the retreating figures of the human and the powerful Pokémon, the Caterpie's mind raced with unknown thoughts.