ALL NOVEL Chapter 1263: Bloody Pursuit
As Yuga walked, he used his Insight skill to observe the Shellder in the area. Unfortunately, they were all ordinary Pokémon.
Chimecho, in a particularly good mood, flitted about mischievously, teasing the Shellder here and there.
Some Shellder, annoyed by its antics, opened their shells wide, attempting to snap at it, while others shot Icicle Spears in retaliation. However, Chimecho was so agile that not only did it escape unscathed, but it also managed to infuriate the Shellder even more.
Seeing this, Yuga sternly reprimanded, "Chimecho, don't go overboard!"
Hearing his words, Chimecho immediately flew over to Yuga with a wronged expression, trembling slightly in frustration. Ignoring it, Yuga continued exploring the rocky area with Reggie.
Reggie's Bibarel was enthusiastically sniffing around every nook and cranny of the stones, its plump body sticking out as it wiggled its tail. It seemed eager to help its trainer in any way it could.
Having not been taken out much lately, Bibarel was determined to prove itself useful to Reggie.
Yuga glanced at Bibarel and then at his Chimecho, his gaze silently conveying: Look at them, and then look at you. That's the difference.
Of course, Yuga didn't dare say this out loud, fearing that this little troublemaker would throw a tantrum. But Chimecho seemed to share a telepathic connection with him and instantly caught onto the disdain in his eyes. Outraged, it flew up to perch on Yuga's head and began smacking him repeatedly with its body.
Yuga quickly pleaded for mercy, "Alright, alright, I was wrong! I was wrong!"
Only then did Chimecho relent, lying quietly on Yuga's head. It remained silent, clearly signaling: I'm still mad, and it's going to take some effort to cheer me up!
At that moment, Bibarel, who had been wiggling its tail and sniffing around, suddenly let out a pained cry. It yanked its head out from between the rocks and sat down hard on the ground, desperately pulling at a Kingler that had clamped onto its nose.
The more it tugged, the tighter the Kingler clamped down, leaving Bibarel on the verge of tears from the pain.
Reggie rushed over to help, but the startled Kingler refused to let go. Its pincers held onto Bibarel's nose with an iron grip, causing Reggie to panic.
"Chimecho, use Psychic!" Yuga called out urgently.
Seeing Bibarel's pitiful state, Chimecho temporarily put aside its grudge against Yuga and obediently used Psychic to seize control of the Kingler, forcing it to release Bibarel's nose.
Even after being tossed to the ground, the Kingler brandished its pincers as if ready to fight back. However, facing the intimidating auras of Bibarel and Chimecho, it realized it was outmatched. Feigning bravado, it let out a loud cry before scuttling away into a hole beneath the rocks.
Freed from the Kingler's grasp, Bibarel sat on the ground, holding its swollen nose with teary eyes. What had been a tiny button of a nose was now puffed up like a steamed bun.
Reggie turned to Yuga for help, and Yuga, in turn, pleaded with Chimecho, "Chimecho, please heal Bibarel."
Seeing Yuga's humbled attitude, Chimecho smugly lifted its head and proudly unleashed a Heal Pulse at Bibarel's nose. In the blink of an eye, Bibarel's swollen nose returned to its original size.
After healing Bibarel, Chimecho shot Yuga a triumphant look, as if to say: Still think I'm useless? When it matters, I'm the reliable one!
Following this little mishap, Bibarel no longer dared to stick its head into rock crevices. After all, if it accidentally angered another Kingler—or worse, a Shellder—things could turn out even worse next time.
During the rest of the exploration, Yuga and Reggie discovered numerous Pokémon that had been washed ashore by the waves. Among them were stranded Goldeen and Magikarp, Staryu being bullied by Kingler, and Remoraid trapped in puddles. Out of kindness, Yuga and Reggie returned all of them to the sea.
In addition to their rescue efforts, Reggie found a high-grade Water Stone, while Yuga stumbled upon a severely damaged King's Rock. Both of them decided to keep their discoveries as souvenirs.
The rocky coastline was extensive; even Reggie, a local, had never reached its end. Since this area wasn't a tourist destination, the entire stretch of coast remained undeveloped. Venturing further would lead them into uncharted wilderness.
Yuga realized that if they kept going, Shoryu and Audino—might grow concerned. He suggested to Reggie, "Let's head back; it's almost lunchtime."
They had planned to have a picnic by the sea that day.
"Alright, let's go back," Reggie agreed with a nod.
The only one dissatisfied was Chimecho, who wasn't ready to end its fun with Yuga.
Just as they were about to leave, Chimecho suddenly cried out in alarm.
"Chimecho, what's wrong?" Yuga asked in confusion.
"Chimecho~ Chimecho~"
Chimecho gestured wildly, seemingly trying to communicate.
"A sound? What kind of sound?" Yuga perked up his ears and listened carefully. Sure enough, he caught an unusual noise—it sounded like... Pokémon roaring?
Seeing Yuga's reaction, Reggie also strained his ears. Gradually, he began to hear it too.
"Should we go check it out?" Reggie asked.
After a moment of thought, Yuga replied, "Let's take a look."
Chimecho was thrilled: Yay! More time with Yuga! (Reggie and Bibarel were automatically excluded in its mind.)
The two humans and their Pokémon followed the sound, eventually leaving the rocky area and entering a coral-filled zone. This coral habitat was home to numerous Corsola. However, at that moment, every Corsola was cowering in its den, too scared to poke its head out. The reason was clear: not far away, two groups of Pokémon were locked in a fierce battle.
The combatants were a horde of Tentacool and Tentacruel on one side, and a school of Carvanha and Sharpedo on the other. The sheer number of Pokémon in both groups created massive waves as they clashed, making it no surprise that the commotion had been audible from afar.
Both Tentacruel and Sharpedo were infamous bullies of the sea. Yuga hadn't expected to see the two groups fighting each other.
Both Tentacruel and Sharpedo are known for their aggressive and territorial nature. They usually roam the seas in large groups, far more intimidating than even Gyarados. While Gyarados have a fearsome reputation, they generally don't attack unprovoked. Moreover, Gyarados mostly live solitary lives, or at most in small groups of ten or fewer. In contrast, Tentacruel and Sharpedo often gather in groups of dozens or even hundreds.
While Yuga wasn't surprised by the battle itself, he was astonished by the massive size of the Tentacruel leading its group.
Yuga recalled encountering two Elite-level Tentacruel when he caught his Eelektross. Their sizes had already been far larger than average for their species. Yet, this Tentacruel dwarfed even them.
This particular Tentacruel stood at an estimated height of over 50 meters. Factoring in its tentacles, its total size was utterly astonishing.
...
[ Tentacruel (Mutated) ]
Type: Water/Poison
Ability: Liquid Ooze
Gender: Female
Potential: Blue
Level: 69
Moves: Reflect Type, Supersonic, Poison Sting, Acid, Constrict, Acid Spray, Toxic, Hydro Pump, Wrap, Sludge Wave, Water Pulse, Giga Drain, Barrier, Aqua Ring.
...
Despite its impressive strength, the massive Tentacruel was being relentlessly pushed back by the Sharpedo group. It was utterly outmatched by the leader of the Sharpedo pack.
...
[ Sharpedo ]
Type: Water/Dark
Ability: Speed Boost
Gender: Male
Potential: Blue
Level: 71
Moves: Leer, Scary Face, Ice Fang, Crunch, Swagger, Aqua Jet, Agility, Poison Fang, Dark Pulse, Surf, Double-Edge, Water Pulse, Zen Headbutt, Throat Chop, Hyper Fang.
...
After reviewing the data on the Sharpedo leader, Yuga thought to himself, no wonder the Tentacruel can't hold its ground—it's facing an Elite-level Pokémon.
The difference between a pseudo-Elite-level and a Elite-level Pokémon is immense, despite being just a single word apart in rank.
Looking at the Tentacruel, Yuga found it somewhat familiar, which reminded him of the giant Tentacruel that Ash and Misty encountered at the Kanto vacation resort of Porta Vista.
That Tentacruel made the news at the time, and Yuga had even seen the report on television.
That particular Tentacruel was an artificially induced mutation. Its habitat had been destroyed, prompting it to lead its colony in an attack on a human city, almost causing a Pokémon disaster. The incident created quite a stir.
Since humans were at fault in that case, they ultimately didn't harm the Tentacruel. After reaching a reconciliation, the Tentacruel and its colony were allowed to leave.
Otherwise, given human strength, even with its massive size, that Tentacruel wouldn't have been able to leave so easily.
Compared to that Tentacruel, this one was slightly smaller. According to the reports, the Porta Vista Tentacruel was over a hundred meters tall, whereas this one was only about half that size.
The Tentacruel colony was now completely surrounded by the Sharpedo group. The leader of the Sharpedo was making full use of its "Speed Boost" ability, swimming rapidly in the water and continually harassing the Tentacruel, seemingly toying with them.
The massive Tentacruel extended its tentacles to grab the Sharpedo leader, but the latter was far too agile. Exploiting its smaller size and nimble movements, the Sharpedo leader not only evaded the attacks but also managed to use its Crunch move to sever the Tentacruel's tentacles one by one.
As Yuga watched, he began to feel something was odd. The Tentacruel didn't seem to be fighting back with full force. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been beaten so badly.
He voiced his concerns.
Reggie thought for a moment and then suddenly said, "Could it be that the Tentacruel are about to lay eggs?"
Yuga smacked his forehead. Of course! That was a very likely explanation. The Sharpedo's attack might be targeting the Tentacruel's eggs.
Typically, Pokémon of the caliber of Tentacruel and Sharpedo would reside in deep-sea regions and wouldn't usually appear this close to human cities. It seemed now that their presence here was due to their pursuit of each other.
The Sharpedo were continuing their ferocious assault on the Tentacruel. With their powerful jaws, they could easily tear apart the Tentacruel's tentacles.
Tentacruel's blood is blue and not easily noticeable when mixed with seawater, but the intense scent of blood was so strong that Yuga and Reggie could smell it even from a distance.
The scent was beginning to attract other predators in the ocean, but none dared approach with the Sharpedo present.
Watching the bloody scene, Reggie frowned and asked, "What do we do? Should we intervene?"
Yuga thought for a moment and replied, "Let's wait a little longer."
Reggie nodded and didn't press further, while Yuga turned to him and asked, "Are you interested in these Tentacruel and Sharpedo?"
Reggie shook his head without hesitation. His Ecopark didn't have the facilities to accommodate Water-type Pokémon. The Blue Sky Day Care focused on raising Flying-type Pokémon, and their setup for Water-types was severely lacking.
Yuga smiled and said, "If you help me capture these Pokémon, I'll send you a few Flying-types in return. How does that sound?"
Reggie's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Yuga nodded firmly. "Absolutely."
Yuga's main target was actually the Tentacruel. He suspected that this massive Tentacruel might be pregnant. Although he couldn't imagine what kind of Pokémon could have impregnated such a giant Tentacruel, from his earlier observations, he felt confident in his judgment.
He was very curious about what kind of offspring this giant Tentacruel might produce.
Although the Elite-level Sharpedo leader was also highly talented, the Sharpedo group was too aggressive. If he brought them back to his Ecopark, they might be too unruly to handle. If they harmed his other Pokémon, Yuga would regret it deeply.
Besides, his Ecopark already had Sharpedo, and quite a few at that, so there was no need to take in this particularly savage group. Apart from the leader, the rest of the Sharpedo didn't catch Yuga's interest. Yet the leader was also the most ferocious of them all.
The giant Tentacruel was being torn apart by the Sharpedo leader, bleeding profusely. The Tentacruel's tentacles, ripped off during the battle, were quickly chewed up and eaten by the Sharpedo and Carvanha.
For the Sharpedo and Carvanha, the soft tentacles of the Tentacruel and its pre-evolution, the TentaCool, might be an irresistible delicacy.
The overwhelming scent of blood was making Yuga extremely uncomfortable.
As the two groups continued fighting, Yuga instructed Chimecho to return and call over his Vivillon and Lapras, as well as Reggie's Froslass and Staraptor.
Although Chimecho could handle these Pokémon in battle, capturing such a large group on its own would be a tall order. Yuga needed reinforcements.
Reluctantly, Chimecho flew off. Not long after, it returned with the requested Pokémon.
By this time, the battle between the Sharpedo and the Tentacruel groups was nearing its conclusion. The Sharpedo leader was about to deliver the final blow to the giant Tentacruel when a Bibarel, hidden in the water, suddenly appeared. With a powerful Aqua Tail, it sent the Sharpedo hurtling away, interrupting its Zen Headbutt attack aimed at the Tentacruel.
Though Bibarel looked fluffy and harmless, its fur secreted a special oil, allowing it to remain dry even while swimming.
Reggie's Bibarel wasn't as strong as the Sharpedo, and its Aqua Tail only managed to push the Sharpedo back temporarily. After delivering the strike, Bibarel immediately dove back into the water and disappeared.
At that moment, Yuga's Vivillon arrived. It fired a Signal Beam directly at the Sharpedo leader's forehead, causing it to howl in pain.
Meanwhile, the other Sharpedo were still pursuing the Tentacruel. Unnoticed, Reggie's Froslass suddenly materialized and blew an icy wind across the surface of the sea. The freezing gust instantly turned the water into ice, blocking the Sharpedo's path.
Seeing this, the Tentacruel tried to seize the opportunity to flee, but a chilling aura suddenly enveloped their surroundings. A circular iceberg began to rise slowly, trapping them all in the center. Yuga's Lapras emerged gracefully in front of them, its presence calm and commanding.