Revenge and Evolution
A few days after returning from Violet City, Andrew and Victor were talking in the living room.
"You really want to go back into the forest, kid?" Andrew asked, looking at Victor with a "Are you serious?" expression.
"It's just a quick trip to the Sentret tribe. I won't go too far. Last time, I just had a bit of bad luck," Victor responded, feeling a little embarrassed.
"A bit of bad luck is an understatement," Andrew commented sarcastically.
"Alright, it's just that I want to explore the forest around the city a little. I'm starting with the Sentret tribe because I suspect that one of the members of my Sentret's tribe is actually a Cinccino. And my curiosity won't let me sit still without checking it out," Victor explained sincerely, touching his fingertips together.
Andrew remained silent, thinking about Victor's request. After some reflection, he finally said, "Okay, you can go. But you have to take Stoutland with you, alright?"
"Fine by me. We'll gladly accept the extra protection, right, guys?" Victor said, looking at Marill and Sentret.
"Mari!"
"Sentr!"
They nodded in agreement as Victor crouched in front of Stoutland, who was lying down, observing the conversation.
"You'll protect us, won't you, big guy?" Victor asked with a childish grin as he petted Stoutland's head and neck.
"Land..."
Stoutland confirmed with a low bark.
"But Victor, wasn't your class supposed to go into the forest tomorrow?" Andrew asked, recalling something.
"Oh, that. The class is heading to the forest on the other side of the city. So we won't be seeing the Sentret tribe; we'll be venturing more into Oddish tribe territory," Victor explained calmly as he packed his gear into his backpack.
"I see..." Andrew said, rubbing his chin and nodding. "So you want to go today, don't you?"
"Yeah, after school, I'm going to do some exploring," Victor explained.
Looking at Victor, Andrew took Stoutland's Poké Ball from his belt and handed it to him.
"Keep him safe, Stoutland. And you, Victor. Stay alert. Team Rocket is making a comeback, and I don't want you getting into trouble, got it?" Andrew said, smiling at Stoutland before turning serious and warning Victor.
"Stout", Stoutland barked in agreement.
"Okay, Grandpa. I'll be careful. I have to go now. See you later," Victor said, recalling Marill and Stoutland into their Poké Balls. After giving Andrew a hug, he left for school.
Watching Victor leave, Andrew grabbed another Poké Ball and released Noctowl.
"Noctowl!"
Noctowl spread its wings before folding them back, hooting loudly.
"Noctowl, follow him from a distance. If the situation gets dangerous, grab him and fly away, understood?" Andrew ordered seriously.
"Noct"
Noctowl spread its wings and took off, soaring after Victor.
After watching Noctowl disappear into the sky, Andrew sat in his armchair, gazing out the window, lost in thought.
---
Walking through the city, Victor headed toward the school, unaware that Noctowl was following him.
Lifting his head, he saw bird Pokémon flying through the sky—Pidgeys fighting Spearows, Hoothoots perched on branches, simply observing.
Looking at them, Victor began rethinking his plans.
'The Pokédex program... I could turn it into an app. Maybe I should create a smartphone... They haven't been developed yet, and those blueprints I stole in my past life will come in handy. But for that, I need to improve my skills and learn new ones. Plus, I'll need a lot of money,' Victor mused, walking forward, lost in thought, before sighing as he considered his financial problems.
'I can learn everything in two years, just in time for my journey.'
'I could ask Grandpa or my parents... No, I'll find another way,' Victor continued thinking until he noticed someone walking beside him.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Victor turned and saw Anna walking next to him.
"Earth to Victor, is anyone home?" Anna asked sarcastically.
"Oh, hey, Anna. Good morning, sorry. How are you?" Victor responded quickly, smiling at her.
"What were you thinking about so much that you got so distracted?" Anna asked curiously.
"Nothing, just planning Sentret's training routine and thinking about my new Pokémon," Victor lied, changing the subject.
"Sent?"
"Wait! You caught another Pokémon?" Anna's eyes widened with curiosity.
"Yeah, this little girl here," Victor said with a smile, releasing Marill.
"Marill!"
Marill cried out as she emerged from her Poké Ball.
Scooping her up, Anna hugged her tightly, smiling adorably.
"She's so cute!"
"Mariii!"
Watching Anna squeeze Marill and Marill reaching out as if asking for help, Victor extended his arms.
"Give her back, Anna," he said.
Reluctantly, Anna handed Marill back, pouting.
"Marill..."
With Marill now in his arms, Victor continued talking with Anna until they arrived at the classroom.
Taking his seat, Victor recalled Sentret and Marill into their Poké Balls.
"Excited for tomorrow?" he asked his friends, pulling out his notebook from his backpack.
Sitting around him were Anna, Kenta, James, Hannah, and Kinji.
"Kinji and I are! After all, our older brother Tyson is always in the forest with Azami and Lakin. We want to see what it's like," Hannah answered enthusiastically, speaking with great respect when mentioning Tyson, showing how much the orphans admired him.
"Yeah," Kinji nodded.
"And you guys?" Victor asked the other three.
"I explore sometimes, but only around the forest's edge. I've never gone too deep, and the resources I found were pretty limited. I'm curious to see what's deeper inside," Kenta said calmly, rubbing his chin in curiosity.
"I don't even want to go," James said lazily, slouching on his desk.
"Always lazy, huh, James?" Anna sighed, placing a hand on her forehead.
As the six of them talked, Professor Maxwell entered the classroom, signaling for silence.
"Good morning, class. I know you're excited for tomorrow's field trip, but we still have some battles to settle—to determine who finishes as the top-ranked trainer of the week," Professor Maxwell said, looking at Victor and Kenta. "Victor and Kenta, you two have held the first and second spots respectively. How about one last battle?"
"Of course," Kenta said, eager to fight.
"Sounds good to me," Victor replied, calm but still ready to battle.
"Alright, in a bit, we'll head to the field behind the school for the final match. But first, let's continue with today's lesson," Maxwell announced, continuing the lecture about different battle scenarios, both in the Pokémon League and in the wild.
He discussed strategies for encountering wild Onix, handling pursuits—especially since Onix are quite fast, particularly underground, where they are commonly found.
He explained how encountering an Onix in a cave is extremely dangerous, as they tend to use Earthquake.
Speaking of Onix, he also mentioned an unconfirmed legend—the "Heart of the Mountain" or "Heart of the Earth." According to the myth, Onix and other Ground-, Rock-, and Steel-type Pokémon travel to a specific location when they are near the end of their lifespan, using their remaining life force to refine the Heart of the Earth.
After discussing various Pokémon interactions and sharing legends about them, the class headed to the field behind the school for the match between Victor and Kenta...
Upon arriving, Victor and Kenta went to their respective sides, and Professor Maxwell took his position as the referee.
Both trainers released their Pokémon—Kenta with Houndour and Victor with Sentret.
"Hound!"
"Sentr!"
Both Pokémon assumed battle stances, awaiting their trainers' commands.
Following the previous battle, in which Victor had won, he continued to secure victories, maintaining his first-place ranking.
Even so, Kenta's Houndour kept growing and getting stronger.
---
No. 0228
Pokémon Name: Houndour
Species: Dark Pokémon
Type: Dark | Fire
Potential: Green with Blue Traits
Gender: Male
Ability: Flash Fire
Estimated Level: 23
Known Moves: Ember, Leer, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Fire Spin, Incinerate, Flame Charge, Thief, Trailblaze, Sucker Punch (egg move), Thunder Fang (egg move).
---
Kenta's Houndour had grown significantly, not only in terms of moves but also physically. Unlike James, who was typically lazy, Kenta worked extremely hard in raising his Houndour.
However, Victor and Sentret had not fallen behind. On the contrary, they had evolved tremendously, becoming much stronger than before.
---
No. 0161
Pokémon Name: Sentret
Species: Scout Pokémon
Type: Normal
Height: 1.3 m
Weight: 7.9 kg
Gender: Male
Level: 25
Ability: Run Away
Potential: Green with Blue Flecks
Talent: Excellent Body Control and Quick Reflexes
Learned Moves: Scratch, Defense Curl, Quick Attack, Charm, Ice Punch, Hone Claws, Power-Up Punch, Shadow Claw, Fury Swipes, Helping Hand, Follow Me, Slam, Protect, Play Rough, Charge Beam, Work Up, Focus Energy (egg move), Tidy Up (egg move), Last Resort (egg move).
---
After comparing the data he had gathered, Victor was surprised to realize that, in terms of moves, he was far ahead of the others. That wasn't much of a surprise, considering the number of Pokémon Breeder Associations he had hacked.
Shaking his head, Victor snapped out of his thoughts. Focusing on the battle before him, he smiled, feeling his blood boil with excitement. After all, Kenta was the only one who had managed to keep up with him during Maxwell's training battles.
Alongside Anna, they were the three who had managed to reach the intermediate level with their Pokémon. Based on Victor's mental calculations, he had classified the levels as follows:
- Levels 1 to 5: Beginner Rank
- Levels 6 to 20: Novice Rank
- Levels 21 to 35: Intermediate Rank
- Levels 36 to 50: Advanced Rank
Since Victor couldn't accurately gauge levels beyond 50, he hadn't created a ranking for them.
Looking at the two trainers on the field, Maxwell asked, "Ready?" and received a confirming nod from both.
"Begin!" Maxwell shouted, signaling them to start.
---
"Howl!"
"Work Up!"
At their trainers' commands, both Pokémon began powering up.
"Hound!"
Houndour let out a mighty roar, an energy surge coursing through its muscles, strengthening them.
"Sentret!"
Pounding its paws on the ground and stretching its body, a large burst of energy engulfed Sentret before being quickly absorbed.
Since they were still far apart, Kenta decided to surprise Victor.
"Houndour, attack with Dark Pulse!"
"Hou!"
Houndour quickly gathered dark flames in its mouth, condensing them into a sinister aura before firing it toward Sentret.
Seeing the Dark Pulse coming, Victor narrowed his eyes and reacted swiftly, giving a command.
"Dodge with Quick Attack!"
Instinctively, Sentret was enveloped in a whitish aura, dodging with impressive speed.
'For dodging attacks, Run Away and Quick Attack are the best combination,'Victor thought, watching the speed Sentret could achieve by combining the two.
"Well done, Sentret! Now use Charge Beam!"
"Sent!"
With a sharp cry, Sentret opened its mouth, gathering electricity before firing a golden energy beam aimed at Houndour.
"I've learned a lot from battling you, Victor. Houndour, dodge with Sucker Punch!" Kenta said with a smile before giving the command.
Covered in a shadowy aura, Houndour barked and narrowly dodged the Charge Beam. Using its momentum, it charged toward Sentret, striking it.
"Sent!"
With a pained cry, Sentret was thrown backward.
"Sentret, hang in there and use Power-Up Punch!"
Quickly recovering, Sentret rushed forward, delivering a powerful punch to Houndour's jaw, further boosting its own strength in the process.
"SENTTTT!"
"Dour!"
Houndour's head snapped back, its eyes glowing slightly red—a sign of anger.
'Is it still mad about being outperformed by Sentret? Kenta's going to have a hard time dealing with that,' Victor thought, noticing the red in Houndour's eyes.
"Houndour, calm down!" Realizing his Pokémon's anger, Kenta tried to soothe it.
"Water Pulse!" Taking advantage of Houndour's distraction, Victor commanded.
"Sentret!"
Bringing its paws together, Sentret quickly formed a swirling mass of water and fired it point-blank at Houndour.
The Water Pulse struck Houndour, sending it tumbling back with considerable damage.
"Get up, Houndour! Use Incinerate!" Kenta shouted anxiously, watching his Pokémon struggle.
"HOUNDOUR!"
Fueled by sheer determination, Houndour forced itself up, gathering flames in its mouth before launching them at Sentret.
"Dodge!" Victor called out.
"Sent!"
Instinctively, Sentret was enveloped in normal energy, barely dodging the Incinerate attack.
The flames scorched the ground, leaving it charred. Sentret deactivated the energy surrounding it and panted slightly, wiping away imaginary sweat from its forehead with its tail.
"Attack with Flame Charge!" Kenta ordered, aiming to take advantage of their close proximity.
Covered in flames, Houndour shot forward like a rocket toward Sentret.
At the same time, Victor grinned and countered.
"A head-on collision? PLAY ROUGH!"
Instantly, Sentret was surrounded by a shimmering pink aura. Digging its paws into the ground for momentum, it dashed forward to meet Houndour head-on.
The collision was explosive, sending both Pokémon flying backward.
Houndour skidded across the ground, leaving deep claw marks as it struggled to stay upright, panting heavily with its head lowered.
'This is the difference between us, Kenta. I put great emphasis on my Pokémon's physical conditioning' Victor thought, smiling as he watched Sentret land firmly, panting slightly.
"Sucker Punch!"
"Hound!"
Shrouded in darkness, Houndour charged at Sentret again.
"Protect! Play Rough!"
"Sent!"
Just before impact, Sentret formed a thin barrier of light, successfully blocking Sucker Punch. Seizing the opening, it struck back with Play Rough.
Houndour took the hit, collapsing to the ground unconscious.
"Hou…"
As it fell, it glanced at Kenta, saddened that it couldn't meet its trainer's expectations.
Sighing, Kenta recalled Houndour to its Poké Ball. Looking at it, he gave a small, sad smile.
"You did great, Houndour. This was my fault—I should have trained you harder."
Then, turning to Victor, he continued.
"But don't forget what I told you before, Houndour. We will catch up to them."
After that, a bright light flares up, momentarily blinding Kenta. As he looks in its direction, he sees that it's coming from where Sentret was.
Just then, a bright light engulfed Sentret.
Sentret was evolving.
In the middle of the light, Sentret's body begins to stretch, growing to over two and a half meters in length—larger than the average Furret.
Seeing the light, Victor quickly pulls out a brand-new camera, a gift from his grandfather. Switching to recording mode, he starts filming.
"Furret?"
As the light fades, Sentret—no, now Furret—examines its new body curiously before spotting Victor with the camera.
"Furret!" (>-<#)
Noticing the camera, Furret jumps up, trying to knock it down, but before it can reach it, Victor swiftly sidesteps out of the way.
After dodging, Victor puts the camera back into his backpack and grins.
"Even after evolving, you still won't be able to catch it from me."
Then, he extends his arm toward Furret, who recognizes the gesture and jumps onto Victor's shoulder.
"Huh? You've gotten a lot heavier, huh?"
"Furr!" (^-^#)
Hearing Victor's comment, Furret turns its head away in offense, glaring at him.
"Alright, Furret. We still have the forest to explore. Are you ready?" Victor asks with a smile.
"FURRET!"
Furret squeaks in confirmation.
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Hi, everyone. This week, I'm going back to college, and I'll try to maintain an average of three or four chapters per week.
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