Chapter 32: The Classic Villain in the Wild Is...

It must be said, Xia Chi’s looks are still quite impressive. His long-awaited appearance on camera sent the liveliness of the chat into an instant frenzy.

"After a whole month, Teacher Shui is finally showing his face!"
"Ahhhhhhh, hubby, hubby, hubby!"
"Hey streamer, streamer, guess where I put my phone?"
"Tell us something we don't know."
"As expected of a trainer, 'Old Water' must be quite strong. Can you show us your trophies?"

Xia Chi replied to the chat with black lines running down his face, "The streamer is a rookie trainer, I don't have any strength, and I don't have... ahem, let's just look at my Sprigatito, folks."

As he spoke, Xia Chi turned the camera toward the Sprigatito playing not far away. The morning sunlight cut diagonally through the branches, casting gold-dusted light patches that painted the forest in mottled autumnal colors. The little one leaped excitedly across a carpet of fallen leaves. Its adorable appearance instantly captured the hearts of everyone in the stream.

"It’s so cute it should be illegal!"
"Someone pull its battery out!"
Comments like these floated by continuously.

Xia Chi steered the conversation back on track. "Alright, let’s get down to business. Over the next two days, Sprigatito and I will be conducting a 48-hour wilderness training challenge on the outskirts of Mingchong Mountain. We’ll also see if we can catch a Pokémon we like."

As he ventured deeper into the mountain with Sprigatito, Xia Chi didn't forget to interact with the chat. "A single Sprigatito daring to brave the wilderness? Yes, brothers, it’s safe! There aren't any dangerous Pokémon in this area. Don't underestimate this streamer's scouting intel!"

This was the truth; Xia Chi was quite cautious and had made ample preparations when choosing the location. The open areas of Mingchong Mountain hadn't seen any major trainer casualties for years. It was absolutely the best treasure trove for rookie trainers to conduct wilderness training. Besides, being a trainer is a profession that coexists with danger. If one weren't willing to take even this small amount of risk, they might as well go home and be a game streamer.

...

Perhaps humans really were a type of Pokémon millions of years ago. Xia Chi felt that his current physical constitution was more than a notch stronger than in his previous life. He spent over an hour chatting and joking with the audience without feeling the slightest bit tired. However, he could clearly feel the path under his feet becoming more difficult to traverse, and there were increasingly more wild Pokémon around. Most were weak and common ones like Oddish, Caterpie, Weedle, Seedot, and Cherubi. Xia Chi had no desire to catch them, and he felt it would be pointless to let Sprigatito bully them.

He hurried past them as they watched with curious, probing gazes.

Xia Chi’s first destination was a dense forest at the southern foothills of Mingchong Mountain. When he was checking guides on the "Little Blue Book" before arriving, he saw someone mention finding traces of Grovyle and Ivysaur there. Both were Grass-type Pokémon within the scope of what Xia Chi was considering, so he naturally had to go and try his luck.

The journey, however, was somewhat long. For someone like Xia Chi without a rideable Pokémon, it would take at least three or four hours to reach. This was undoubtedly a long journey, especially while live-streaming. Although Xia Chi’s eloquence and Sprigatito’s cuteness kept things afloat, content without battles or events was bound to be a bit boring. As time passed, some viewers began to leave.

However, a turning point soon arrived.

Halfway through the journey, Xia Chi and Sprigatito encountered their first event.

If one were to ask who the most common "villainous Pokémon" in the forests of regions like Donghuang or Kanto were, it would undoubtedly be the Beedrill—possessing a strong sense of territory, a volatile temper, and extreme unity. Or perhaps the Spearow that had once pecked at Ash and Pikachu were of the same ilk. It wasn't just humans; other Pokémon couldn't escape their poison stingers either. They were the bullies of the mountains and the thugs of the woods.

At this moment, not far away, a swarm of Beedrill were sharpening their poison stingers, which glistened with a sharp, lethal light, while surrounding a Pachirisu. The Pachirisu stood its ground with a stubborn gaze, clutching several Oran Berries and Persim Berries tightly to its chest. Clearly, this was a common resource-snatching event in the wild.

"It’s the white devils! Streamer, don't just stand there and watch someone die!"
"That’s easy to say. Ten Beedrill—they’ve at least completed two stages of evolution. How are you going to save it? With a Sprigatito that hasn't even evolved once?"
"I agree, safety comes first. Let’s run before the Beedrill notice us!"
"I started following the streamer after that match where Pachirisu beat Champion Leon, but I don't think that’s a reason to get involved here."

Although the chat was usually lighthearted, when things got real, most viewers stood by Xia Chi prioritizing his own safety. In the wild, this was the most standard procedure.

However, Xia Chi stayed put. It wasn't that he was frozen in fear, nor was he preparing to pull a "I'll save this Pachirisu for one Master Ball" money-grabbing stunt. He was calculating the feasibility of defeating this swarm of Beedrill.

1 vs 10, and an unevolved form vs third-stage evolutions—it seemed like an impossible fantasy, but in reality, it wasn't.

Bug-type Pokémon were famous for their rapid development. In the games, a Weedle evolves into a Kakuna at level 7 and a Beedrill at level 10. It was much the same in reality. Even in the wild without human intervention, it only took a month or two for a Weedle to evolve into a Kakuna and then into a Beedrill. Perhaps even less.

So, despite these Beedrill posturing as third-stage evolved forms, their individual strength was, in all likelihood, inferior to the current Sprigatito. The only significant gap was in their numbers.

Xia Chi looked down at Sprigatito, whose eyes were already burning with a fierce, combative fire, looking as if it were just waiting for its trainer's command.

In that case, let’s fight!

Xia Chi whispered, "Don't rush, Sprigatito. Start with Hone Claws."

Sharpening claws wouldn't hinder the bee-slaying; given the enemy's numbers, if they could use a buff to instantly take one out, the subsequent fight would be much easier to handle.

However, the Beedrill swarm wasn't stupid. When they sensed the Dark-type energy permeating the area, their scouts discovered Xia Chi and Sprigatito hiding behind the bushes. At this moment, Sprigatito had only just finished its first Hone Claws, which was effectively only half a Swords Dance.

Strike first to gain the advantage. Xia Chi shouted immediately, "Sprigatito, the closest one, Acrobatics!"

Having long been prepared for battle, Sprigatito launched itself like a spring. Its slender but powerful limbs gripped the ground firmly as it leaped, dashing toward the scout Beedrill. At the same time, Flying-type energy brewed beneath its paws. The "Protean" ability allowed Sprigatito to change its own type to the Flying-type of the move, making its entire body appear even more agile and lithe.

Flying-type energy, fierce as a gale, condensed at the tips of Sprigatito’s claws, emitting a faint, ear-piercing shriek. Then, it struck down suddenly.

*Whack!*

Before it could even react, the scout Beedrill’s head tilted, and it plummeted straight toward the ground like a ripened fruit.

One-shot kill!

Never mind the other Beedrill; the viewers in the stream were stunned by this unexpected scene. A baby-level, unevolved Pokémon, killing a powerful Beedrill in one hit?

Well, the Beedrill’s strength certainly couldn't be called "powerful." But being treated like a roadside weed that could be kicked to death was a bit much, wasn't it?