Chapter 34
"I know where there’s a battle court nearby."
Mike turned and saw Professor Rowan standing nearby with Snivy.
"Professor."
Professor Rowan nodded to him.
"Would you like to use it?"
"Thank you."
Mike nodded, and the two boys quickly agreed as well.
He looked at the Bug Catcher.
"Are you coming?"
The boy hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Professor Rowan and Snivy led the way, with Snivy occasionally turning around to look at Mike.
When they reached the battle court, Weedle wriggled in front of Mike and stared directly at the boy across from him.
The other boy looked at Weedle dismissively and sent out his Staravia.
"You promised that if I win, you’ll give me twice the allowance."
"Professor Rowan is here. I’m not going to lie to you," Mike replied.
"All right."
Only then did the boy nod in relief.
"I’ll serve as the referee," Professor Rowan said as he moved to the middle of the court.
The battle began, and the opposing boy immediately gave an order.
"Staravia, use Wing Attack!"
White light surrounded Staravia’s wings as it dove from the sky toward Weedle.
"Dodge."
Just before Staravia struck, Weedle suddenly pushed off the ground and leaped high into the air.
"Poison Sting!"
Purple light covered the horn on Weedle’s head as he crashed straight into Staravia.
Mike stared.
’Is that really how Poison Sting is supposed to be used?’
Weedle’s huge body sent Staravia flying. It flipped several times in the air before finally regaining its balance.
"Use Aerial Ace!"
Aerial Ace struck Weedle, making him cry out in pain and a clear wound appeared on his body.
When the boy saw Weedle still standing, he froze.
"How is that possible...?"
"Flying-type moves are super effective against Bug types. How can it still fight?"
When he had battled the Bug Catcher, a single move had swept through the boy’s entire team!
"Damn it! Staravia, use Aerial Ace again!"
"String Shot. Catch it."
At Mike’s command, a thick mass of silk shot from Weedle’s mouth and wrapped around Staravia’s legs, forcibly stopping its Aerial Ace.
"Staravia, tear through it!"
Staravia tried to fly higher, but Weedle’s silk was both tough and plentiful. It couldn’t break free.
"Pull it down."
Weedle raised his body upright, then pulled with all his strength.
Staravia was dragged out of the air.
"Wee!"
[Boss said a true man always protects the weak!]
Staravia slammed heavily into the ground and cried out in pain.
Hearing Weedle’s words, the corners of Mike’s mouth rose.
"Weedle, use String Shot on the rocks nearby."
Weedle fired silk at a large rock beside the court, wrapping it tightly.
"Now swing it at Staravia!"
Weedle used all his strength to lift the rock, swinging it around just as Gengar often swung him with the bamboo staff before hurling it toward Staravia.
’This move... I know that one very well!’
Staravia had only just stood up and was preparing to fly when a huge rock came flying through the dust.
Staravia: "?!"
"Type advantage? Then do you know that Rock is super effective against Flying? Weedle—Meteor Rock!"
The rock slammed heavily into Staravia’s wing!
A cracking sound rang out.
"Star!"
Staravia’s pained cry came from inside the cloud of dust.
Covered in wounds, Weedle glanced toward the Bug Catcher, then turned back to Mike.
"Wee—"
[Am I a real man now too?]
Mike nodded.
Looking toward the dust, he said, "Weedle, do you know why I called Beedrill a knight in The Wide World of Pokémon?"
The Bug Catcher stared at Mike in shock.
’He... He’s the creator of The Wide World of Pokémon?!’
"Wee?"
[Why?]
"Because a brave knight will pierce through the darkness to protect the weak!"
Mike’s voice grew louder.
"Weedle, I’ve always believed that you would become a knight who fights with everything he has to protect those weaker than himself."
As the dust cleared and Staravia’s figure came back into view, Mike pointed forward and shouted angrily.
"Weedle, go! Pierce through the darkness in front of you! Use Poison Sting!"
What right did they have to deny a boy’s dream?
What right did they have to force him to sell his own Pokémon?
All because they believed Bug-type Pokémon were the weakest?
Even if Bug-type Pokémon were weak, they were still the Pokémon the boy had once dreamed of raising.
What right did anyone have to take that away from him?
"Wee!"
[I’ll pierce it!]
Feeling Mike’s anger, Weedle cried out at the top of his voice.
He leaped into the air, and the horn on his head lengthened as purple light gathered around it.
Then he struck Staravia with all his strength.
Boom!
Staravia lay motionless on the ground.
Weedle rested on its back, glaring toward the sky as brilliant light suddenly burst from his body.
"This is..."
Mike froze.
Only when Weedle’s shape began changing inside the light did he realize what was happening.
’He’s evolving?’
When the light faded, a large golden cocoon appeared before him.
{Kakuna}
{Type: Bug/Poison}
{Gender: Male}
{Ability: Shed Skin}
{Known Move: Harden}
{Condition: Unable to move. Very hungry!}
{Mood: Happy}
{Affinity: 100 — A knight must protect the weak!}
{Description: A knight who chose to pierce through the darkness to protect the weak. However, our great knight seems unable to move at the moment.}
Mike walked over, bent down, and picked Kakuna up.
"Let’s get along from now on, our righteous knight—Kakuna."
Kakuna blinked without making a sound.
"Gar—"
[Wow! Mike, he evolved!]
Mike handed Kakuna to Gengar, mainly because he was far too heavy.
He was at least twice the size of an ordinary Kakuna.
All those leaves had clearly not gone to waste.
"Thinking about it, he really was due to evolve after eating that many leaves. Gengar, I’ll leave him to you from now on."
Gengar grinned.
"Gar!"
[Leave it to me!]
Mike looked at the boy across from him.
"Now it’s time to keep your promise."
The boy recalled Staravia, walked over to the Bug Catcher, and took out his allowance before handing it to him.
"I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said Bug-type Pokémon were weak, and I definitely shouldn’t have told you to sell them..."
After apologizing, he quickly ran off with his friend.
Mike walked over to the Bug Catcher.
"Bug-type Pokémon may be a little weaker than some other types, but Pokémon battles don’t depend only on the Pokémon’s strength."
"They depend even more on the bond between the Trainer and Pokémon."
"And when you battle, don’t ignore your surroundings."
Mike reached out and patted his head.
"I’ve always believed that no matter how difficult something is, if you face it together with your Pokémon, you’ll find a way through it."
The Bug Catcher clenched the allowance in his hand and looked up at Mike, then at Kakuna in Gengar’s arms.
After a long silence, he wiped the tears from his eyes, put his baseball cap back on, and raised a clenched fist in front of his chest.
"Don’t get too full of yourself."
Mike blinked.
"One day, my Bug-type army and I are going to defeat you!"
Mike grinned.
"Just remember to bring your allowance then."
The Bug Catcher turned and ran away.
Throughout the entire scene, Snivy had been watching Mike.
After the boy left, Professor Rowan slowly began to applaud.
"Sorry you had to see that, Professor," Mike said.
"You did very well," Professor Rowan replied. "A young person’s spirit is not something that can easily be restored once it is broken. Many talented Trainers have abandoned this path after suffering setbacks."
"Mike... you protected that boy’s dream."
Mike scratched his head.
"Weedle was the one who stepped forward first. He deserves most of the credit."
Professor Rowan looked at Kakuna in Gengar’s arms and stroked his mustache with a smile.
"Kakuna... A brave knight will pierce through the darkness to protect the weak. I’m already looking forward to seeing that moment."
Kakuna said nothing and continued blinking.
Mike awkwardly scraped the ground with his foot.
’That was so embarrassing...’
’How did I manage to shout something that dramatic?’
"Are you still coming to the laboratory as my assistant today?" Professor Rowan asked.
"Yes."
"Then let’s go."
...
Later that evening, the Bug Catcher crawled through the bushes in a park, searching desperately for something.
As the sun began to set, he finally sat on the ground in despair.
’It’s gone...’
His eyes grew blank as he hugged his knees and buried his face between them.
"Wurm..."
A quiet cry sounded nearby.
The Bug Catcher turned and saw a Wurmple watching him from a short distance away.
He immediately recognized it as the Wurmple he had released.
His face lit up, and he hurried over.
"Wurmple, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have released you without thinking about how you felt."
The Bug Catcher bowed deeply.
"I came here today because I wanted to apologize."
"If... If you’re still willing to come with me, I swear I’ll never abandon you again."
He remained bent forward as he spoke.
Wurmple crawled over to his feet and gently rubbed its head against his trouser leg.
The Bug Catcher looked down in surprise.
A Berry had been placed beside his foot, and Wurmple was smiling at him.
Tears slipped from his eyes and fell onto Wurmple’s body and .... brilliant light suddenly surrounded the little Bug-type.
When the light faded, Silcoon appeared in its place and looked up at him.
The Bug Catcher stared in surprise before lifting Silcoon into his arms.
"Let’s keep traveling together, Wurmple... No, Silcoon."
Silcoon blinked.
Holding Silcoon tightly, the Bug Catcher ran home beneath the setting sun.