ALL NOVEL Chapter 30: Chapter 30: The Outlier in the Hoppip
At that moment, a Hoppip stood up, the two jagged green leaves on its head spinning rapidly, scattering a large amount of red and green powder.
The powder formed a tornado-like swirl and shot toward the black figure at incredible speed.
The next second, the black figure froze, releasing the Hoppip it had captured, and turned to face its challenger.
That black figure was a Staravia!
And the powder used by Hoppip was Rage Powder!
Rax watched the entire process, astonished.
He hadn't expected the usually timid and carefree Hoppip to have such a brave outlier, willing to risk its life to save a companion.
Using Rage Powder to draw the attention of a natural predator to itself was indeed a life-threatening act for the fragile Hoppip.
The Staravia wasted no time, lunging at the Hoppip with its wings glowing white—a clear indication of the move Wing Attack.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three oily green seeds shot out in a triangular formation, but Staravia dismissed them effortlessly, swatting them aside before sending Hoppip flying into the sea of flowers with a wing strike.
"Marowak!"
"Wait," Rax stopped his Pokémon from intervening. "This Hoppip… it seems different."
Sure enough, the battle shifted.
A burst of green light radiated from the sea of flowers, casting a glow over a three-meter radius. Flowers in the area began to bloom wildly as vines sprouted from the ground, wrapping around Staravia and grounding it.
The Hoppip had used Grassy Terrain and Leech Seed in quick succession!
Grassy Terrain gradually restored the health of all Pokémon on the ground within its radius, while Leech Seed drained the opponent's health, feeding it back to the user and restricting movement.
These two recovery moves gave the seemingly fragile Hoppip a fighting chance.
A crisp, defiant cry rang out from the flowers as a swirl of blue and purple powder whirled toward the struggling Staravia.
The combined Poison Powder and Sleep Powder hit Staravia, poisoning and putting it to sleep.
In moments, the Hoppip inflicted four negative conditions—poison, sleep, health drain, and Rage-induced targeting—on its opponent.
Its skillset, timing, and execution were impeccable.
Rax couldn't hide his admiration.
The Staravia fell into the flowers, completely subdued. The once-prey had become the predator.
The Hoppip, lying in the Grassy Terrain, used Poison Powder once more, covering the unconscious Staravia thoroughly before stopping.
Rax smirked. "This little one's a bit ruthless… I like it."
---
Exhausted, the Hoppip stretched its leaves toward the sun, using the Photosynthesis move to recover.
The golden glow caught Rax's attention, and his excitement grew.
After fully recovering, the Hoppip floated back up.
"That battle was intense. How about a little treat?" Rax asked, holding out a honey stick.
The Hoppip hesitated, but the sweet aroma was too tempting to resist. It cautiously floated closer.
Rax gently placed the honey stick in its mouth, and the Hoppip's wariness melted away as it savored the sweetness.
At that moment, Rax noticed other wild Pokémon gathering, drawn by the Combee honey's powerful allure.
The Hoppip acted swiftly, releasing Sleep Powder to knock out the approaching Pokémon before they could cause trouble.
Simultaneously, it used Aromatherapy to protect Rax and itself from the effects of the powder.
Rax was stunned. "This little one can use two moves at once? How many surprises do you have?"
---
After they moved past the affected area, the Hoppip returned the clean honey stick to Rax and began floating away.
"Wait!" Rax called out.
The Hoppip turned, curiosity in its eyes.
Rax hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Hoppip! I'd like you to join my team. I'll make sure you never have to fight alone again."
The Hoppip blinked, then shook its head firmly.
Rax was taken aback by the strong rejection.
"Have you been caught by a trainer before?" he asked softly.
The Hoppip froze, then flew high, panic and stubbornness in its gaze.
Rax sighed, realizing he had guessed correctly.