After buying the Electric Shock Net, Raj continued scrolling through the Points Shop.
Under the Breeding category, he spotted something interesting — a Red Fragrant Berry.
The description read: "A Beedrill's favorite treat."
It cost 100 points per berry.
Raj smirked. "Perfect. I can lure them right to me."
He bought one and crouched behind a bush in the forest. Crushing the berry on a flat stone, its sugary scent drifted through the air. The Electric Shock Net was ready in his hand.
Moments later, a loud buzzing echoed through the trees. A huge Beedrill appeared, circling the area cautiously before landing beside the stone to feed.
[Ding! Three meters ahead: Beedrill detected.
Bug / Poison-type Pokémon. Highly territorial and quick to anger. Approach with extreme caution.
Moves: Agility, Poison Sting, Twineedle.
Combat Power: 80 points.]
Raj grinned. As expected, an evolved Pokémon's stats are on another level. If Gastly devours this one, its power will skyrocket.
He waited until Beedrill focused on the berry — then hurled the Electric Net.
The crackling mesh dropped perfectly over the insect, shocking it hard. Sparks flashed; the Beedrill twitched, black rings forming over its eyes as it collapsed.
"Gastly, go!"
At his command, Gastly emerged from its Poké Ball, a dark grin stretching across its face. It swooped down and swallowed the Beedrill whole.
[Ding! Gastly successfully devoured Beedrill. Combat Power +15.
New Skill Unlocked: Dark Pulse.
Evolution Value +10 %.]
Raj's eyes gleamed. "Nice — that's huge."
Gastly's body expanded, its aura pulsing with a darker glow. Clearly, it was full for now — no more devouring today.
That was fine. Training a powerful Pokémon wasn't something to rush.
Just then, the sharp buzzing of wings echoed again — several more Beedrills appeared overhead. Raj froze.
Great. The Red Fragrant Berry worked a little too well.
Gastly couldn't eat any more for the day, and even with the Electric Net, he couldn't handle a swarm.
"Yeah, screw that. I'm out of here."
Keeping low, he slipped quietly through the grass. Luckily, the Beedrills were distracted by the berry scent and didn't notice him.
Gastly's combat power was now around 70 — strong enough to fight one Beedrill head-on. But Raj wasn't stupid; in their territory, staying quiet was survival.
Then — he froze again.
In the shadows ahead, a faint silver-white glow shimmered between the bushes.
[Ding! Five meters ahead: Shiny Weedle detected.
Bug-type Pokémon with heightened senses. Possesses a venomous stinger. Rare shiny variant detected.
Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot, Weaken.
Combat Power: 25 points.]
Raj's eyes widened. "A Shiny Weedle? No way."
In the Pokémon world, shiny Pokémon were one-in-a-million rarities. Encountering one in the wild was pure luck — and this one was right in front of him.
He grinned. "Sure, it's weak now, but once it evolves into Beedrill, it'll fit perfectly with my whole villain vibe. Heh."
"Gastly — use Hypnosis!"
Gastly floated forward, its eyes glowing violet. The Shiny Weedle resisted desperately, crawling backward into the grass.
"Don't let it escape! Use Dark Pulse — end it fast!"
A surge of black energy rippled from Gastly, blasting across the clearing. The Weedle shrieked once and collapsed, unconscious.
Raj immediately threw a new Poké Ball.
Click … click … ding!
[Ding! Congratulations — Shiny Weedle captured!
First Shiny Pokémon bonus: Poké Ball enhanced.
Pokémon granted unique ability: Bloodlust — grows rapidly by feeding on others.]
Raj's jaw dropped. "Bloodlust Power?!"
Gastly had Devour — and now his Weedle had Bloodlust. This system really was overpowered.
But before he could celebrate, the Weedle's earlier scream attracted unwanted attention.
From the sky came the furious buzzing of Beedrill wings. A group of them swarmed toward him — and judging by their anger, that Shiny Weedle must've been one of their young.
Raj clenched his fists. "Of course. Just my luck."
Still, he didn't panic. "Gastly! Dark Pulse again — then use Nightmare and Whisper from behind!"
Gastly dissolved into the shadows and struck from above, releasing a blast of dark energy that stunned one Beedrill.
In a blink, it vanished and reappeared behind another, hitting it with Nightmare followed by Whisper — the Beedrill froze midair and crashed to the ground.
Raj hurled the Electric Net again, trapping a third Beedrill and shocking it until smoke curled from its wings.
Three down in seconds. Raj's confidence surged. Guess I was underestimating myself.
But before he could breathe, the remaining Beedrill let out a piercing screech.
[Ding! Warning!
The Beedrill is calling its swarm.
Enraged Beedrills will chase intruders until eliminated.]
Raj's stomach dropped. "Fantastic. Just fantastic."
He recalled Gastly immediately and bolted through the trees toward the main road leading to Viridian City.
The Familiar Scene
As he burst onto the forest path, Raj saw two teenage boys about his age shouting commands to their Metapods.
"Harder! Harden again!"
Nearby, a orange-haired girl lounged on a folding chair, sipping a drink with a bored look on her face.
Raj blinked. "Wait a minute … that scene … a Metapod battle … a Pikachu … no way — that's Ash!"
He remembered clearly — Ash was his childhood friend from Pallet Town. Raj had even been there the day Ash left with Pikachu from Professor Oak's lab.
He hadn't expected to bump into him here — and at the worst possible time.
Because right now, the forest behind Raj was exploding with buzzing.
A massive Beedrill swooped down from the treetops and snatched one of the battling Metapods straight into the air.
Raj stopped dead. "Wait … this scene … don't tell me I just triggered that episode."
He sighed. "Great. So Ash's Metapod got kidnapped because of me."
From above, more Beedrills poured out of the canopy, their stingers glinting.
Raj cupped his hands and shouted, "Ash! Run for cover — now!"