This is the real challenge, isn't it? The Dark Ravens would be boring if they were a group of opponents with no resistance.
For the defeat of the large Beedrill, Murkrow couldn't find the joy of battle but was strictly following Aoki's orders. Aoki was aware of this but had no solution until the emergence of the Beedrill leader. Aoki could clearly feel a breath of excitement from Murkrow.
Gently stroking the smooth feathers of Murkrow, Aoki shook his head and smiled helplessly. "You're really a fighter. When a worthy opponent appears, you get so excited."
"Krow! Krow!" For a powerful opponent, defeating it with your own hands is the best respect you can show. The excited Murkrow swooped up and down, unable to contain its joy at the resistance.
Aoki patted his head with a slight headache. Today's Beedrill colony was like a hedgehog curled up, making it really difficult to approach.
He temporarily set aside this headache and looked at the sun hanging low from the treetops. Jumping down from the tree, he thought, night is about to come. Even if they need to deal with the Beedrill, it would have to wait until tomorrow.
Returning to the familiar hillside, Aoki set up a bonfire and gave Murkrow a full-body massage as usual.
"Murkrow, if you're going to face the Beedrill leader, you're still a little weak. I need to strengthen your training. Are you ready?" Aoki asked, holding a wooden stick and roasting some jerky.
"Krow!" Murkrow nodded solemnly. As long as it could become stronger, it was willing to endure any hardship.
Aoki's mouth curled into a slight smile. "Then let's start with a meal and follow it with some exercise." He found two pieces of wood weighing about five pounds each from the ground, took out some rope from his bag, and tied the wood to Murkrow's wings.
Gently flapping its wings with the wood tied to them, Murkrow felt a clear sense of heaviness. Flying, which had been as simple as drinking water, now required much more effort.
Struggling to take off, Murkrow staggered off the ground, clearly finding it difficult to fly. After a while, Murkrow finally adjusted to the new weight, needing more strength with every wing beat.
Watching Murkrow become familiar with the added weight, Aoki nodded. "You've got the hang of this. Now, fly around this tree a hundred times." He pointed to a large tree that required three people to wrap their arms around it, its branches and leaves sprawling out widely.
Without hesitation, Murkrow began flying around the tree, circling over and over without stopping...
Night had fallen by the time Aoki and Murkrow, both done with training, gradually went to sleep.
Another day passed. Four days had passed since the last trial test. Today marked the fifth day, leaving only two days until the next trial. Whether they could deal with the Beedrill colony, they would have to return in another day.
Hiding in a bush, Aoki lay flat on the ground, covered with leaves and grass, his head wrapped with a ragged headband, and his face painted with camouflage. Hidden in the bushes, only his eyes were visible. His body exuded the strong smell of sap, making him almost undetectable unless someone looked very closely.
A yellow-bodied Pokemon with red eyes buzzed past without noticing him, until the last of the Beedrill flew by.
Yes, the person hiding inside was Aoki. As a former member of Team Rocket, he had encountered every kind of mission. To deal with various situations, simple camouflage like this was second nature to him.
Why was he hiding now? Because Aoki's presence affected Murkrow's performance. Without the need to protect Aoki, Murkrow could easily outpace the Beedrill.
In this situation, Aoki chose to hide and let Murkrow draw the Beedrill away. Once they were far enough, Aoki could quietly slip away. The Pokemon buzzing above him were the angry Beedrill.
After waiting for more than ten minutes, a dark bird-shaped Pokemon landed softly beside the bushes and gave a quiet call.
"Krow..." The returning Pokemon was Murkrow, who had just led the swarm of Beedrill on a chase.
Murkrow followed Aoki's orders, keeping a deliberately slow pace to lure the Beedrill. When the distance was sufficient, it used Tailwind to speed away, shaking off the Beedrill and flying back to Aoki's hiding spot.
Finally, Aoki, who had been motionless, got up from the bushes, dusted off his clothes, and stretched his numb legs. His body wasn't used to such long periods of stillness.
He took out a Pokeblock from his bag and fed it to Murkrow to replenish its energy. Nodding in satisfaction, a slight smile played on his lips.
With the entire Beedrill colony led away, Aoki could now explore the center of their territory.
Walking through the untraveled woods, with weeds and shrubs growing wild, the area seemed untouched by other humans or Pokemon. The ground and trees were marked by the eating habits of previous Caterpie or Weedle, with some filaments still clinging to the treetops.
The fresh scent of leaves filled the air as Aoki led Murkrow straight through the woods, heading directly to the center.
After a ten-minute walk, Aoki and Murkrow reached the center of the territory. A massive old tree, nearly three times the size of the tree where Aoki usually stayed, stood there with a large nest-like structure made of mud atop it.
With Murkrow's help, Aoki stood on the edge of the hive, his eyes widening in shock at the sight.
The enormous hive was filled with nearly identical Pokemon eggs — Beedrill eggs. If they hatched successfully, the area would be swarming with Weedle, eventually evolving into a new swarm of Beedrill.
Despite their short lifespans, Beedrill reproduced at a speed that surpassed most other Pokemon.
Once the initial shock wore off, Aoki activated his scanner and began scanning all the Pokemon eggs.
Data flashed before his eyes. Most eggs were of average quality, with a few standing out as higher-tier. Out of over 500 Beedrill eggs, only three were of exceptional quality.
Aoki took a deep breath, feeling a headache coming on. What should he do with these eggs? Destroying them seemed pointless. Even Aoki, as cold as he could be to his enemies, saw no value in it.
While he pondered, Murkrow suddenly tapped Aoki's leg.
"Krow, krow," Murkrow called softly, pointing a wing towards an upper branch.
Following Murkrow's gaze, Aoki saw a smaller, more refined hive higher up. This must be the lair of the Beedrill leader. Inside, he found three Pokemon eggs.
Activating his scanner again, Aoki was stunned by the data. Two eggs were of exceptional quality, and one was of the highest quality he had ever seen.
Pokemon: Weedle (Egg Form) (Green)
Gender: Female
Level: 1
Type: Bug/Poison
Ability: Unknown
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Bug Bite, String Shot
Basic Moves: None
Leanred Moves: None
TM Moves: None
Unconsciously swallowing, Aoki realized this was the first time he had encountered such a high-quality Pokemon egg. Although it was a common Weedle, its high quality meant it had great potential.
This egg clearly belonged to the Beedrill leader. Given the quality of these eggs, the Beedrill was likely of high or exceptional quality.
In Pokemon breeding, offspring typically inherit qualities within one tier of their parents. This meant that the Beedrill leader was at least of high quality, possibly even exceptional.
Aoki pulled out a piece of cloth, wrapped the high-quality Weedle egg, and secured it to his back, ensuring it wouldn't fall.
Pokemon eggs couldn't be stored in a storage space, as doing so would render them lifeless. Storage spaces were meant for inanimate objects; placing a living object inside would kill it.
Aoki wouldn't let go of this high-quality egg. Whether he used it himself or sold it to others, it would fetch a good price. Having once been a Pokemon hunter, Aoki was well-versed in such dealings.