Chapter 22 - Chapter 20

"Please help! This Crustle won't move. We gave it food, but it still won't budge," cried a person kneeling beside a large, square-shaped rock.

"Interesting. Why don't you just capture it? That'd be easier," I suggested, while my two friends looked curiously at the sleeping Pokémon.

"I would've tried that, but the only Pokémon I have are Applins, and they're not exactly battle-ready," he said, glancing at his cart full of apples and Applins.

"Why only Applins? This is one of the more dangerous routes you could've taken."

"I'm scouting out a safe route for my trade business. I figured this path wouldn't be too risky since trainers often cross it to other cities."

Herbert looked between the man, the huge rock, and me. "Why don't you capture it?"

I studied the Crustle; it looked a bit weak. "I could, but it'd be kind of a waste."

With a smirk, Herbert tossed a Poké Ball at the dozing rock. "You know that's not really how it works, right?"

"I know, but it's worth a shot!" *Ding!* "And look at that—I caught a Crustle!" Herbert said with a grin.

"Haaa… so, what are you going to do now, mister?"

"Oh, how rude of me! My name is Alexander, an aspiring great merchant!"

"Great merchant? What does that mean?" I asked.

"Well, as you know, many cities around here aren't connected. Because of the terrain, trade is only possible with escorts or trainers. I want to become a merchant with a strong Pokémon partner, capable of trading throughout the region. So, I'm traveling and training as I go."

"That's a noble goal! But… why only Applins?"

"Funny story… This is my first time trading, and Applins were cheap, so I thought I'd try selling them in other cities."

"Interesting. How much for one Applin?"

"I'll give you ten if you help me get to the next city," he offered.

"🤨 And why would you do that?"

"Well… Applins are a delicacy, so wild Pokémon are attracted to them, too," he admitted.

"What do you guys think?" I asked.

"It's a free Pokémon, and it wouldn't hurt to help him out," one of my friends replied.

"Yeah, we've got a decent team," agreed the other.

And so, our journey continued, filled with challenges from random trainers and wild Pokémon encounters. I also took the chance to ask around for any interesting news, though I didn't learn much. However, we did find a great spot to train and ended up staying for a week, helping our merchant friend find a strong Pokémon to pull his cart.

After some rough climbing, we managed to get him a Skiddo, though it was no easy task. Alexander bribed the little Pokémon with food, but for some reason, Skiddo still doesn't like me.

Staying in the marshland for a week was an eye-opener—I saw just how many Bug Pokémon thrive in all kinds of places, and how fierce they can be. Despite some unfortunate encounters with a Beedrill nest, we made progress. I even managed to evolve two of my Pokémon: my starter, Dewpider, evolved into Araquanid, and Nymble evolved into Lokix!

"I can't believe it! This Araquanid is huge!"

"Yeah, normally they're about 1.8 meters, but yours…" Jacob marveled.

"Yours is nearly 2.4 meters! And It learned three moves, too!" Herbert added.

"And they're all strong moves," I said, impressed. "Water Pulse, Rest, and Protect! I'm so glad it learned to Protect when it did—otherwise, I'd have been Beedrill bait."

"Yeah, I'm buying a TM for Protect once we're in the city," Herbert said.

"Same here," Jacob chimed in.

"Oh yeah, how's your Lokix doing?" Herbert asked.

"He's still out cold."

"I didn't realize a Lokix with Agility, Astonish, and Skitter Smack could be that intense."

"Haha, yeah! The way he dodged left, right, left, right against the Beedrill… it was like he was leaving shadows!" Jacob said.

"Seeing that in the dark was just awesome," Herbert added.

"So, maybe provoking a Beedrill nest was worth it, huh?"

"We not only got some honey, but we also found rare items!"

"Yeah, I think I'll take the Silver Powder," I said.

"Well then, I'll grab one of these goodies."

"Huh… a Weedle egg?"

"Yeah. We could make some money selling these eggs."

"…I mean, you're not wrong, but…"

"Nah, just take one. It's not like it's banned by the League," Herbert insisted.

"I guess I'll take some then. How about you? Aren't you going to take one and raise it, too? Especially with all the Bug-type training you're doing."

"…This colony seems a bit weak, and my team is full right now. Plus, my expenses are piling up."

"Yeah, Arth has a lot of Pokémon for a trainer with zero badges," Herbert joked.

"Good thing most of the food my Pokémon need can be foraged in the wild," I replied.