"Alright," Icarus said, looking at Bellsprout, whose fighting spirit was blazing. "Let's make a plan. If possible, we'll keep it."
He had already decided to take the risk.
"Bellsprout, if we want to catch it, we have to make it attack us first. I'll provoke it. You hide nearby and wait for your moment."
This was dangerous.
Rattata's incisors could gnaw through metal. Icarus' low-grade protective clothing might not fully withstand a direct bite.
"Spri spri! Spri spri!" Bellsprout protested anxiously, shaking its leaves. It suggested waiting until it learned control moves like Stun Spore or Sleep Powder.
"Don't worry," Icarus said, patting its head. "This is also an opportunity. There's only one Rattata — and it's worth more than a Weedle."
"Spri…" Bellsprout looked unconvinced.
"I've trained for years. One hit won't cripple me. Whether we succeed depends on you."
"Sprout!"
Seeing his determination, Bellsprout straightened its leaves firmly.
"Rattata can learn Quick Attack at this stage," Icarus continued. "They often use it for surprise strikes. After using it, their speed drops slightly for a moment. That's our window."
"Spri~" Bellsprout nodded, using Growth quietly before slipping into position.
"Whoosh!"
Icarus threw two knives toward the purple figure.
"Ratta!"
The Rattata sidestepped lightly, dodging both.
It scanned the area cautiously. Wild Rattata knew humans usually traveled with Pokémon.
"Careful, huh? Then I won't hold back."
Three more knives flew.
Rattata rolled swiftly, dodging again. Irritation flashed in its red eyes.
Icarus sneered.
"What? Can only dodge? Abandoned by your pack? Coward!"
He hurled another knife.
"Ratta!"
Though it didn't fully understand the insult, it understood the provocation.
A purple blur shot forward.
"Shhk!"
Pain flared in Icarus' right leg.
"Tch— Now, Bellsprout! Bind it!"
After using Quick Attack, Rattata landed and licked the faint blood from its incisors, confident it could still retreat.
"Spri spri!"
Two Vine Whips lashed out instantly.
"Ratta!"
Rattata tried to dodge, but the post-Quick Attack slowdown cost it a fraction of a second.
The vines wrapped around it.
"Bang! Bang!"
Furious at seeing Icarus injured, Bellsprout slammed Rattata into the ground repeatedly.
Rattata snarled and bit desperately at the vines, trying to chew free.
"Not good! Faster!"
"Spri spri!"
Bellsprout increased its force, but the chewed vines began weakening.
Its leaves trembled.
It refused to let Icarus' injury be meaningless.
"Spri—!"
In a surge of desperation, Bellsprout poured all its energy into the vines.
Suddenly—
Thorns sprouted along them.
"RATTA!"
The wooden spikes pierced into Rattata's body, dealing continuous damage.
Icarus' eyes widened.
"Good! That's Bind! Keep going!"
Move Learned: Bind
A Grass-type technique where thorned vines restrain and continuously damage the opponent.
"Bang! Bang!"
With thorns embedded and strength draining, Rattata's resistance weakened.
If it had been free, it might have escaped. But restrained and impaled, it gradually lost the strength to bite through.
"Ratta…"
Finally, it collapsed, unable to battle.
"Spri spri?"
Bellsprout hurried to Icarus' side.
"I'm fine," he said reassuringly. "The protective suit blocked most of it. Just a shallow cut."
"Spri~" Bellsprout relaxed slightly.
After disinfecting the wound, Icarus looked at the unconscious Rattata thoughtfully.
"This one is still freshman-level, but Rattata are strong for their tier. And it evolves into Raticate. With resources, it can definitely reach normal rank."
He calculated quickly.
"Market price for a low-quality one is around 8,000 pokedollars. This one's teeth are sharp — probably at least medium quality. Resale after healing could reach 13,000. Even after treatment costs, that's better than selling materials."
Decision made.
He took out a Poké Ball, logged out his personal trainer contract, converting it into a basic containment capsule.
A red beam enveloped Rattata.
Click.
Captured.
"Let's go, Bellsprout. We're heading back to town."
"Spri spri!"
Bellsprout swayed proudly beside him as they began their return journey.
(End of Chapter 20)
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