"Bellsprout, hold your ground! Use Tackle to break the silk!"
Icarus made the call instantly.
If Bellsprout tried to block with Vine Whip, the Caterpie captain would simply order its injured companions to pile on more String Shot, tightening the restraint. That would turn Bellsprout into a stationary target—and even injured, three opponents were too much for Icarus to handle alone.
Even weak Pokémon develop survival intelligence, he thought.
"Sprout?"
Bellsprout had been about to counter with Vine Whip again. It hesitated at the unfamiliar order—but trusted him and withdrew its vines.
Icarus didn't stand idle.
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!
Four throwing knives flew toward the two injured Caterpie.
The final two targeted the charging leader.
"Pie!!"
The wounded Caterpie couldn't dodge. The blades pierced their bodies cleanly, paralysis powder spreading through fresh wounds. Pain and numbness prevented them from using String Shot again.
But the two knives aimed at the leader—
Ping!
They bounced off the faint white glow of its charging Tackle, only slowing it slightly.
A heartbeat later—
Bang!
The Caterpie captain slammed directly into Bellsprout's stem.
"Sprout—!!"
Bellsprout was driven backward. The impact hurt badly—
—but the violent collision tore apart the sticky silk binding its body.
It was free.
"Now!" Icarus shouted. "Counterattack! Ignore the other two!"
"Sprout!!"
Pain flashed through Bellsprout's body, but anger burned brighter.
It had never taken such a direct hit before.
Fortunately, weeks of relentless training had forged resilience. It pushed through the pain.
Crack! Crack!
Two Vine Whips lashed down at point-blank range.
"Pie—!!"
The captain never expected such a fast recovery. It was struck cleanly.
"Pie! Pie!"
It cried desperately to its companions.
Icarus's eyes were cold.
"They can't help you."
"Bellsprout—bind it. Slam it."
"Sprout!"
The vines wrapped tightly around the Caterpie captain.
Then—
Bang!
It smashed into the ground.
Bang!
Again.
And again.
The forest floor shook with each impact.
Finally, the leader went limp.
"Stop," Icarus said calmly. "Finish the other two. A team should leave together."
Bellsprout released the corpse and walked toward the paralyzed Caterpie.
They trembled weakly.
"Pie… pie…"
Begging.
Bellsprout hesitated and glanced at Icarus.
He had once mentioned that live Caterpie could sell for more.
"End it," Icarus said evenly. "Low aptitude. No additional moves. No one will buy them."
"Sprout."
Two clean Vine Whips.
Silence.
---
"That was loud," Icarus muttered. "We leave immediately. I'll process them later."
He stuffed the three Caterpie into his backpack.
Bellsprout didn't understand the urgency—but obeyed.
They retreated rapidly toward the forest perimeter.
Not long after they left, two Ekans slithered into the bloodstained clearing.
They found nothing but scent.
---
When Icarus and Bellsprout reached the outer boundary marker, he finally stopped.
"We're safe here. Wild Pokémon rarely approach this entrance. Regular sweeps taught them to fear it."
He took out a fresh Potion spray and applied it to the bruised section of Bellsprout's stem.
"Sprout…"
The cooling sensation eased the throbbing pain.
Icarus laid out the three corpses and began dismantling them while speaking calmly.
"This was your first time getting injured. It's normal to feel emotional."
Bellsprout lowered its leaves.
"But next time, recover faster. Don't let anger control you."
"Sprout…" It looked wronged.
"It hurt? Good. You're alive to feel it."
His tone turned serious.
"If we're aiming for Gym-level strength… even higher… pain will be common. If you can't endure it, we can't move forward."
Bellsprout froze at his rare sternness.
Then it hurriedly shook its leaves.
"Sprout! Sprout!"
It wasn't trying to retreat—it had only acted pitiful hoping for extra meat.
Icarus stared at it.
Then burst out laughing.
"You little scammer."
He tossed it a fresh-cut piece of Pokémon meat.
"Here."
"Sprout~!"
Bellsprout happily accepted.
After a pause, Icarus grew serious again.
"From now on, we don't only hunt lone targets. If the numbers are manageable, we fight."
He looked directly into Bellsprout's eyes.
"In the future, injuries will be worse. We might fail. We might even die."
"Are you still willing?"
For once, Bellsprout didn't respond immediately.
It walked over—
—and leaned its body gently against him.
"Sprout."
It would fight.
Always.
Icarus felt something tighten in his chest.
In his previous life, he had been alone.
But now—
This wasn't just ambition.
This was partnership.
This was a bond.
"Thank you," he said softly.
After a moment, he continued the analysis.
"The reason I told you to endure the hit instead of blocking with Vine Whip—that was a trade."
"If you resisted directly, they'd have reinforced the silk. You'd be trapped longer. By taking the hit, you broke free."
Bellsprout nodded thoughtfully.
Satisfied, Icarus continued.
"At higher levels, battles move too fast for constant verbal commands. Sound takes time to travel. Moves change instantly."
"Once Trainers reach the Elite tier, they can perceive the battle clearly through feedback—but we're not the ones fighting."
"You must learn to judge opportunities yourself."
Bellsprout listened carefully.
Icarus smiled faintly.
So far—
Their training had been worth it.
---
(End of Chapter)