Somewhere in an unknown forest, Sato had assigned Haunter to keep watch while he resumed his role as a caretaker.
Larvitar's food was the least of his concerns—hard black stones were still the best option for its diet. Of course, rocks didn't exactly have the most appetizing taste, so Sato had prepared a special jar of spicy paste made from Tamato Berries.
Dipping rocks in hot sauce… a combination no sane person would attempt, but Larvitar happily munched away.
"Zor!"
Zorua was busy bouncing around, playing with the somewhat pampered Spinarak. As the only female in the group, Spinarak's position within the team was… unusually high.
However, the moment Zorua caught the scent of its own meal—a bowl filled entirely with meat and a dessert of face-contorting sour Lemon Berry cake—it immediately dashed over.
Haunter, ever since being spoiled by "premium-grade" food from Wester's stash, had completely lost interest in ordinary meals.
After shamelessly asking Wester about it, Sato learned that it was a family-exclusive Ghost-type delicacy—a solidified mist infused with life energy.
Thankfully, with a "friendship discount," Sato could barely afford to treat Haunter to one serving per day. At other times? If it wasn't expending energy, what reason did a Ghost have to eat at all?
But the biggest headache was Spinarak.
Spinarak's potential had been an immense surprise, but at the same time, it brought new challenges.
Wester's words about fully developing a Pokémon's potential still lingered in Sato's mind. Even among the same species, Pokémon with different potential required distinct training methods.
As a newly appointed caretaker, Sato had no choice but to rely on past experience and cross-reference it with the data from the Pokémon Potential Analyzer. With that, he made adjustments to Spinarak's original training plan.
To completely awaken its Poison-type potential, Sato even used his knowledge of the Ghost Ship Organization to hack into their database.
Unfortunately, the best he found was a training manual for Pseudo-Elite Four level Ariados.
Bug-type Pokémon with true strength were rare, and the Ariados line was mostly recognized for its versatility rather than overwhelming power.
Because of this, very few trainers bothered to raise them seriously. Even within a mid-tier assassin organization, finding a Pseudo-Elite Four training manual was already a fortunate outcome.
Of course, Sato also copied over training guides for other Bug/Poison-type Pokémon. By comparing them, he hoped to piece together a more refined training regimen.
"Zzz! Zzz!"
Spinarak dangled upside-down from Sato's arm, its light body barely affecting his movements. It enjoyed swinging back and forth—perhaps as a way of expressing itself.
Or maybe… it was simply letting Sato know.
It was hungry and couldn't wait any longer!
The moment its meal was ready, Spinarak obediently lined up next to Zorua, its large, round eyes fixed intently on the food tray in Sato's hands.
As a venomous Bug-type, Spinarak had no dietary restrictions—it ate both meat and plants. Compared to the specialized diets of Larvitar and Haunter, it was much easier to care for.
After lunch, Sato let Larvitar and Haunter rest while he took Zorua and Spinarak to search for sparring opponents.
In just two days, Spinarak had already moved past its infant stage. The rapid growth of Bug-types was truly remarkable. Now, it was time to start actual combat training.
"Buzz~"
After a short search, a Ledyba suddenly shot out from the bushes. Without hesitation, Sato issued a command.
"Spinarak, String Shot!"
"…Zzz!"
Spinarak just stood there, staring blankly for a second before it finally realized that Sato was talking to it.
Spinarak hurriedly spat out a String Shot. Fortunately, it managed to hit Ledyba's right leg, causing it to stumble. The unprovoked attack instantly enraged the Bug-type.
"Baa-bi!"
A barrage of Swift stars shot toward Spinarak. The small spider simply stared at them, seemingly mesmerized by their shimmering glow—completely unaware that getting hit would hurt.
"Spinarak, use Poison Sting to counter!"
"Zzz!"
Spinarak instinctively fired a series of poisonous needles. The two attacks clashed midair, scattering yellow and purple dust in all directions.
"Zzz! Zzz!"
Spinarak gleefully lifted its front legs, as if trying to gather the beautiful, floating powder.
"Spinarak, move left!"
"Zzz?"
Still distracted, Spinarak failed to react in time. Ledyba rammed into it with a Tackle, sending the small Bug-type tumbling across the ground. Spinarak froze in shock—teary-eyed, feeling extremely wronged by the sudden pain.
"Spinarak, another attack is coming—charge forward!"
Hearing that it was about to get hit again, Spinarak panicked. It flailed its tiny legs and bolted forward as fast as it could, narrowly dodging Ledyba's next Tackle.
"Now, wrap it up with String Shot!"
"Zzz!"
Realizing it had successfully avoided an attack, Spinarak chirped happily. This time, it reacted much faster to Sato's command. It fired a relentless barrage of silk, completely binding Ledyba into a cocoon.
"Now, use Poison Sting!"
Purple-tipped needles pierced through the silk, striking Ledyba directly. With just a single hit, Ledyba collapsed, unable to continue battling.
With the messy skirmish between two inexperienced Bug-types finally over, Sato quietly exhaled in relief.
Spinarak's potential was extraordinary—he could tell from the sheer potency of its Poison Sting. But in terms of battle awareness, it was completely clueless. If he wanted to nurture its fighting spirit, losing its first battle was not an option.
Even after countless high-level battles in his previous life, Sato had almost fumbled against a wild Ledyba.
"Your reflexes aren't bad… but you're a little slow," Sato commented while patting the now-excited Spinarak.
"Zzz!"
Spinarak protested, but after remembering its earlier mistakes, it sulked and quietly accepted the criticism.
"How about another battle?" Sato asked while administering an Antidote to the fainted Ledyba.
Spinarak hesitated, its tiny mind processing the question. The Tackle from earlier had hurt a lot… but winning had felt amazing.
"Zzz!"
It nodded eagerly, raising its front legs with enthusiasm. It wanted to try again—to prove it wasn't slow!
"Then let's find something a little stronger than Ledyba this time."
"Zzz! Zzz!"
Just a little! Spinarak wasn't afraid!
Before long, Sato found a small Rattata for Spinarak to challenge. After a tough battle, the young spider managed to poison its opponent and secure another victory.
What surprised Sato, however, was the high poisoning rate.
Both Ledyba and Rattata had been poisoned immediately after being struck!
To confirm his suspicions, Sato had Spinarak engage in several more low-level battles, repeatedly using Poison Sting. As expected, its poison activation rate was absurdly high—almost a 50/50 chance!
A terrifying Poison-type potential!
This realization made Sato even more eager to see Spinarak's progress. Right now, it was still too young to utilize its inherited moves, but once it matured, Toxic Spikes would be an absolute game-changer in team battles.
"Zor…"
Zorua yawned out of boredom. Watching Spinarak's painfully slow battles had made it sleepy.
"If you're that bored, why don't you go find an opponent for yourself? You should be close to a breakthrough anyway."
"Zor!"
Zorua perked up, its eyes gleaming with excitement. Without another word, it dashed into the forest, eager to finally fight something more interesting.