-059- The Arrest of the Mane Bronze Group Members (1/3)

“Of course, I used Eevee to defeat his two cowardly bugs, then captured him,” Tong Si said, leaving the man in brown aside as he began recounting the battle to the four people before him.

Throughout his narration, he never mentioned Leafeon, telling only the four that Eevee used an electric skill to defeat the two cowardly bugs. The group listened enthusiastically, completely forgetting that Eevee is incapable of learning electric skills. Jiang Tao slapped his thigh, lamenting that he missed such an exciting scene, somewhat regretful.

“Jiang Tao, and you three, you’ve seen the situation yourselves now—Greenleaf Forest has been infiltrated by people who shouldn’t be here, members of the Bronzed Mane Gang! This must be reported immediately. However, the signal in Greenleaf Forest is too weak for phone communication. I have no idea where the searchers inside the forest are. Here’s what you four should do: escort this guy to the entrance, inform the staff there about the Bronzed Mane Gang intrusion, and urge them to contact the searchers in the forest. A manhunt must begin right away!”

Tong Si addressed the four with a firm tone. He knew well that the searchers within the forest had special means of communication. As long as the staff at the entrance learned of the gang’s presence, they would certainly inform those inside. The Bronzed Mane Gang’s act of forcibly evolving Metapod into Beedrill was utterly abhorrent. Worse still, they intended to harm other Pokémon—Tong Si could not simply stand by.

“Alright!” Jiang Tao patted his chest, reassuring him. “By the way, Tong Si, what about you?” Jiang Tao suddenly realized Tong Si had said “you four,” implying he wouldn’t join them.

“I still have a mission to complete,” Tong Si replied, referring to his task of capturing Sakura Sprite.

“At a time like this, you’re still thinking about your mission?” Jiang Tao interrupted, wanting Tong Si to leave with them.

“Jiang Tao, you needn’t worry about me. I can take care of myself,” Tong Si said, patting Jiang Tao’s shoulder. They exchanged looks, and finally Jiang Tao relented.

“Fine… After all, you’ve already caught one Bronzed Mane Gang member. I trust you,” Jiang Tao shrugged and strode toward the man in brown, whom he deeply despised. If not for him, Jiang Tao’s Greenleaf Forest adventure wouldn’t have ended prematurely.

Jiang Tao then glanced at the nearby swarm of Beedrill, suddenly struck by a bold idea. “Tong Si, before I leave, I’d like to capture a Pokémon,” he said.

Tong Si was momentarily surprised, but quickly understood. He noticed Jiang Tao’s gaze fixed greedily on the defeated Beedrill. “In that case, let me choose one for you,” Tong Si offered. Since he could assess the Beedrill’s potential, it was far better than Jiang Tao picking at random.

“Alright!” Jiang Tao trusted his good friend completely, handing over the decision.

“We’d like one too…” The other three rookie trainers eagerly chimed in, hoping to capture a Beedrill. Their purpose for coming to Greenleaf Forest in the first place was to obtain a second Pokémon. Now, as they were about to leave, they hadn’t yet caught one. With so many Beedrill available, they wouldn’t let the opportunity slip by—despite the swarm’s earlier attack, it was as if they suffered selective amnesia. Missing this chance, they feared they’d have no time to capture another before the new semester.

“Alright, I’ll pick for you as well,” Tong Si said, scanning the Beedrill with his data panel. Among them, only one Beedrill had a high-quality potential, at level fifteen. As Jiang Tao’s best friend, Tong Si naturally pointed this one out for him. The other three received a Beedrill each, of ordinary quality and varying levels.

Having acquired new Pokémon, the four were in high spirits. “We’ll take care of the man in brown!” Tong Si reminded them once more before parting.

“You can count on me, Young Master Jiang!” Jiang Tao replied, grabbing the vine binding the man in brown and giving him a kick.

“Mmph…” The man tried to curse, but the Oran Berry stuffed in his mouth was too overwhelming. He could only rage in silence.

After separating from the four, Tong Si hurried to where the truck had stopped earlier. He wanted to deduce its direction from its tracks.

“Did it head toward the central area of the forest?” Tong Si murmured to himself.

“Come out, Electabuzz, Leafeon!” he called, sending out both Pokémon.

“Bzzt?” Electabuzz looked bewildered upon seeing Leafeon. What was going on? After a brief absence, his Eevee sister had changed form again!

“Yah~” Leafeon appeared aloof. Perhaps due to evolution, her temperament had changed.

“Let me introduce you—this is Leafeon, Eevee’s Grass-type evolution. Electabuzz, you need to get along well with her,” Tong Si instructed the confused Electabuzz.

“Bzzt…” Electabuzz nodded, though something felt off.

Tong Si began searching through the system shop. Before chasing the Bronzed Mane Gang’s truck, he wanted his Pokémon to learn new skills.

For Electabuzz, Tong Si considered his options and decided to exchange for Thunder Punch. First, Electabuzz was confident in his palm strength. Second, his electrical control was impressive. Thunder Punch was the most suitable skill for him.

While Electabuzz could theoretically learn Thunder Punch naturally as he leveled up, that was always a matter of “possibility.” Reality wasn’t a game—reaching a certain level didn’t guarantee learning a specific move. Otherwise, Electabuzz should have learned Swift, Shock Wave, and Electromagnetic Wave at levels twelve, sixteen, and twenty respectively. But without deliberate guidance and training, Pokémon rarely learn new moves on their own.

It wasn’t absolute, of course; Electabuzz had naturally learned Charge at level eight, thanks to his exceptional electrical control. Eevee learned Sand Attack at level five, having played in the sand every day. After that, Eevee hadn’t learned any new moves naturally. At level ten and fifteen, Eevee should have learned Quick Attack and Baby-Doll Eyes. Given Eevee’s closeness, she’d have evolved into Sylveon had she learned Baby-Doll Eyes. But to this day, Eevee hadn’t learned it; her speed remained pitifully slow.

… (To be continued)