Early the next morning, Bellsprout was already training in the open space according to the basic plan.
"Spri! Spri spri!"
It stretched its vines and practiced quick lunges between the trees.
Meanwhile, Icarus was practicing with the newly purchased net gun.
"Bang! Bang!"
The soft gunshots echoed in his ears. Each time he fired, he silently counted in his head.
"200… 400… 600…"
This time, the training distance was about twenty-five meters. If he got too close to a Flying-type Pokémon, he would definitely be spotted. He was over a meter tall and had no natural camouflage.
His plan was simple: he would shoot from a distance while Bellsprout lurked forward as much as possible. Then the two of them would coordinate.
But the key to this tactic was obvious—he had to hit the first shot.
He had only bought the gun yesterday afternoon and had started practicing early this morning.
"Bang! Bang! Bang, bang!"
The continuous firing made his heart ache. The Alliance store didn't sell practice rounds. When he had asked about lighter simulation bullets, the clerk had simply laughed and told him they didn't exist.
More than twenty rounds were spent quickly, and most of them missed. The silk net bullets were too light and easily affected by wind.
Although he had experience throwing knives in his previous life—and there were similarities in terms of eyesight and prediction—this was his first time handling a gun. He hadn't landed a clean hit yet.
"Still… it's not completely useless," Icarus muttered as he walked to check the target. "I'm getting closer each time."
Now he understood why he rarely saw people hunting Pokémon with this kind of weapon.
In theory, once mastered, it should pay for itself. Even catching something as common as a Caterpie could earn money.
One round cost 200 PokéDollars. A captured Caterpie, plus materials, could sell for seven to eight hundred.
But first, you had to become proficient—at least seven or eight hits out of ten shots. For an average person, that would take hundreds of rounds. Including the cost of the gun, that meant tens of thousands of PokéDollars invested upfront.
And what if you ran into two or three Pokémon at once? If you failed to net them all, you'd be in trouble.
After firing, someone still had to move in and finish the capture. You could rush in yourself with a knife—but that carried obvious risks.
"For the same money, most people would just buy a better-qualified Pokémon from the start…" he sighed.
Still, he gritted his teeth.
"I've found the trick now. Another fifty rounds should be enough to stabilize it. And it's not just for resale… heh."
After reloading skillfully, he accepted that he would need to buy another box and gamble on himself.
After yesterday's purchase, he had very little money left. He regretted it a bit now.
Another box of fifty rounds would cost nearly all his remaining funds. If this failed, he would be back to square one. Maybe he should have just bought an ordinary mid-tier Pokémon as a reliable partner.
"But if it works… as long as I catch one, I break even. Two, and I'm in profit."
He had already confirmed that even low-quality Zubat were accepted at the Pokémon House. Flying-types had strong early-stage advantages and were always in demand.
Soon, he finished the fifty rounds. By the end, he was averaging about seven hits out of ten.
He knew he had some natural talent. In his previous life, he had been better than most people at card-throwing. Combined with years of consistent training, reaching this level wasn't surprising.
"It's enough. First step complete."
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Icarus decided to buy another box in the afternoon. He would test it together with Bellsprout, then head out once they confirmed consistency—no more than ten test rounds.
After a quick lunch, he rushed to the department store, bought another box of fifty rounds, and returned home.
After this purchase, he was left with barely over 1,000 PokéDollars.
"Spri?"
In the afternoon, Bellsprout looked at him suspiciously. Why had it been called over and placed on such a high branch?
"Bellsprout, I need you to imitate a Flying-type on a tree branch. Use your vines to hang and dodge. Ready?"
He raised the gun and aimed.
"Spri…?"
Still confused, Bellsprout nodded out of habit.
"Bang!"
The net burst open instantly.
"Spri! Spri spri!"
Caught off guard, Bellsprout panicked and nearly fell.
"Use Vine Whip! Hang onto the branch above!" Icarus shouted.
"Spri—!"
It quickly hooked onto the branch and lowered itself safely.
"I'm sorry. I didn't warn you in advance. I wanted to test the surprise effect."
As he helped remove the net, he explained.
"Spri…"
Bellsprout complained that the net had formed too quickly to react.
"You didn't hear the sound?"
It shook its head.
"The effect seems good… but that might be because you're a Grass/Poison-type. Flying-types should be more sensitive to airflow."
After all, Flying-types controlled wind energy. Their perception of air movement would likely be sharper.
"Let's try a few more times. I'll warn you first so you can prepare mentally."
"Spri spri…"
Though reluctant about more high-altitude tests, Bellsprout understood the purpose.
It knew they couldn't afford to waste this investment.
"Ready?"
"Spri!"
It climbed back onto the branch and waved.
"Here we go."
This time, it focused carefully.
"Bang!"
The bullet shot forward.
"Spri?"
It sensed something slightly different and instinctively turned left.
"Bang! Bang!"
Predicting the movement—just like his old three-knife combination throws—Icarus immediately fired two more shots.
The net sealed shut.
"Spri…"
Bellsprout gave him a look that clearly said, That's cheating.
"Haha, sorry! Bullets are limited, so I combined the triple shot into one round. But the result looks promising."
He nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright. Let's go out this afternoon and test it for real."
"Spri!"
At the mention of hunting, Bellsprout's energy returned instantly. It would protect Icarus no matter what.
"Good. Eat early, pack up, and we'll move before nightfall."
He carefully stored the gun and ammunition.
Night hunting was about to begin. A new Pokémon would soon enter their journey.
(End of Chapter 42)