"Spri? Spri spri?"
After searching through the grass for a while, Bellsprout returned with two apple-sized blue fruits.
"Huh? Blue… these look like Oran Berries!"
Because the color had left a strong impression on him before, Icarus quickly recognized the blue fruit after a moment of thought.
"No wonder that little Rattata hid them. It probably stole them from deeper inside the forest! These are extremely precious to it—but to me, they're only worth 100 Pokédollars total. Still, it's a pleasant surprise!"
Laughing, Icarus placed the berries into his backpack.
In the wild, this kind of berry could be considered a natural treasure. Oran Berries restored a small amount of stamina and energy for Pokémon.
Of course, they were incredibly valuable to wild Pokémon. After all, they didn't have human-made potions, nor did they have access to Pokémon Centers.
But for trainers, they weren't as cost-effective as a bottle of Potion. A single bottle could be used many times and was far cheaper overall.
However, the special ingredients inside berries could be used to make energy cubes, so Oran Berries could still be sold for about 50 Pokédollars each.
"Oh, if only that Rattata had found an Oran Berry tree near the outskirts! I'd go back to the city and buy a large-capacity backpack just to transplant it. That would be like owning a goose that lays golden eggs!"
Icarus sighed wistfully while looking at the two berries.
Still, he knew it was impossible. Fruit trees would never appear on the forest's outskirts. With so many people coming and going—and the town's annual perimeter sweeps clearing the area inch by inch—any wild berry tree would have been discovered long ago.
If he really stumbled upon one out here, he'd practically believe he was chosen by fate.
As far as he knew, wild berry trees deeper in the forest were all occupied by powerful, named groups. Pokémon without access to fruit trees either became subordinates or cannon fodder for larger groups, or they traded other rare natural resources in exchange.
"So most likely, that Rattata just stole these off the ground."
An ordinary Rattata didn't have much to trade, nor the strength to seize fruit by force.
"Alright, Bellsprout, let's keep going! Small goal for today—earn at least 20,000 Pokédollars! Let's do it!"
Icarus quickly packed up the spoils and shouted his rallying cry.
"Spri! Spri~!"
Bellsprout, fired up by the enthusiasm, responded loudly.
Despite the bold slogan, both trainer and Pokémon moved forward cautiously and in perfect coordination.
"After all, staying alive in this world is what truly matters."
Soon, they encountered three Weedle.
"Shasha—"
Now that Bellsprout had grown proficient with Sleep Powder, dealing with them became much easier. Fine powder slowly drifted over the three Weedle.
"Woo… woo…"
Feeling drowsy, two of them cried out softly before falling asleep.
"Oh!"
However, one Weedle was clearly more resistant. Fighting off the drowsiness, it fired several Poison Sting shots blindly into the grass.
"Ding! Ding!"
The stray needles struck the ground harmlessly.
"Spri spri~"
For the first time, Bellsprout felt how effortless this kind of battle could be. It liked this method very much.
"Alright, stop grinning! Finish them quickly. Same rule—leave one as a blood pack."
Icarus couldn't help but laugh at Bellsprout's smug expression. It had clearly tasted the advantages of control tactics.
"Spri? Sprout!"
Realizing it had gotten carried away, Bellsprout straightened up and lashed its thorny Vine Whip toward the still-drowsy Weedle.
"Crack! Crack!"
"Oh!"
Though the pain woke the Weedle, the two heavy strikes left it unable to move properly.
Seeing this, Bellsprout immediately bound it with its vines.
"Woo—!"
The wooden thorns pierced into its body, draining its energy and leaving it even weaker.
With a flick, Bellsprout tossed the now-lifeless Weedle aside and turned toward the other two.
"Spri."
It tied up one of the sleeping Weedle first and began absorbing energy. After the earlier fight with Rattata, it still needed recovery, and the half-crippled Weedle hadn't been enough.
"Woo?! Woo—!"
The Weedle woke in pain as half its energy was drained.
"Sprout!"
Without hesitation, Bellsprout tightened its vines and even wrapped them over its mouth.
The struggling cries quickly weakened, and soon it stopped moving altogether.
"Spri~"
Feeling its strength fully restored, Bellsprout hummed in satisfaction. It turned to the last Weedle, deciding to end it quickly.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
Under continuous Vine Whip strikes, the final Weedle followed its companions.
Afterward, Icarus efficiently cleaned the battlefield. Having processed dozens of Bug-type Pokémon already, he could now dismantle three or four with practiced speed.
There was no need to store whole corpses in the backpack and return to the entrance to process them as before.
Part of the reason was limited space—it was only a small backpack.
More importantly, once a Pokémon died, the energy in its body quickly dissipated. If valuable parts weren't removed while energy remained concentrated, their worth would drop significantly.
While the backpack could preserve freshness, storing an intact body meant the energy would disperse evenly throughout it. By the time it was taken out later, the most valuable parts would have lost much of their potency.
That was why experienced trainers always harvested materials immediately after battle.
After that, perhaps sensing danger from the decreasing numbers of their kind, the surrounding Bug-type Pokémon seemed to retreat.
They searched for a while before encountering four Caterpie. Though there were more of them, the defenseless Caterpie were even easier prey under the surprise attack of Sleep Powder.
Without putting up meaningful resistance, all four fell beneath Bellsprout's Vine Whip.
"Alright, I think the numbers of similar species in this area have dropped enough that the rest sensed danger and evacuated. That's fine. Let's pack up and head back."
They searched briefly again. The Weedle and Caterpie were gone, though they did spot three Rattata.
But knowing his limits, Icarus didn't allow Bellsprout to engage.
"Spri…"
Bellsprout, still eager to fight, sounded slightly disappointed.
"Don't sulk. We've already achieved today's goal. Let's head back, sell everything, and have a big meal!"
Icarus smiled reassuringly.
"Spri~!"
At the mention of a feast, Bellsprout perked up immediately and happily followed Icarus on the journey back.
(End of Chapter 34)
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