The Wild Area is a vast expanse of nature in the Galar region, connecting several towns. It is home to the largest variety of wild Pokémon in the region. Jin and his companions had come to this area, following Dot's lead on a report of a sighting of a black Rayquaza.
For this investigation, the group consisted of everyone except Mollie, Ludlow, and Diana. Even Dot, who rarely left the airship, joined the field investigation to meet directly with the person who had claimed to spot Rayquaza in the Wild Area. It seemed Dot was determined to verify the lead herself, as it was based on information she had discovered.
"Is this the right meeting spot?"
"…There's no one here."
Jin and the group arrived near the lake, the agreed meeting point with the informant, but there was no sign of anyone there.
"This is the correct place, but I can't get in touch with them…"
Dot double-checked the map, but it confirmed they were in the right location. Murdock released his Rockruff, and Jin called out his Manectric to sniff around for any traces, but both Pokémon shook their heads, indicating no signs of anyone in the vicinity.
"Dot, I hate to say it…"
"…I know. It was fake information. Damn it! I can't believe I fell for it again!"
"Don't beat yourself up. We were all tricked."
"That's right. Wild-goose chases are part of any adventure. What matters is that you checked it out yourself."
(This tactic… It seems familiar. This must be…)
Jin suspected that this was the work of Spinel, one of the executives of the Explorers. Among their enemies, only Spinel seemed capable of such information manipulation. Jin doubted that Amethio or Coral could pull off such a deceptive scheme.
(A stalling tactic, huh…?)
Jin theorized that this false information was likely a ploy to buy time. Fortunately, Jin's recent capture of Darkrai would have reached the Explorers through Coral or Sidian. A schemer like Spinel wouldn't make a move without confidence in success, so they likely wouldn't attack for a while. This misdirection could be to prepare for a counter-strategy.
(Or perhaps… he's planning something else entirely.)
Spinel was an irritating opponent, but he was sharp. Furthermore, he had resources and organizational strength that Jin and his group lacked. It was possible another plan was being executed behind the scenes.
"Alright! Since we're already in the Wild Area, let's make the most of it and relax a bit!"
Murdock's enthusiastic suggestion snapped Jin out of his thoughts. Whether Spinel was scheming or not, there was nothing they could do at the moment. Resting now wasn't a bad idea.
"Agreed. Everyone else okay with that?"
Friede approved Murdock's proposal, and most of the group nodded in agreement.
"Dot?"
Dot, however, didn't respond. She silently put away her Rotom Phone and started walking back toward the airship.
"I'm heading back to the ship."
"Wait! Hold on a second!"
Liko hurriedly stopped Dot, who seemed intent on returning. For the past few days, Dot had been holed up in her room, tirelessly gathering information on Rayquaza. Having just reunited with her, Liko wasn't about to let her leave so soon.
"I need to think of our next move."
"There's no need to rush…"
"Of course, there is! Information is my specialty, and I've already failed—both in Paldea and now here! I'm so mad at myself!"
"Mii-miii!"
Dot's intense emotions startled Liko's Hatenna, which jumped from her hood and bolted into the forest.
"Oh no! I scared her again!"
"We'll go after her together!"
Liko grabbed Dot's hand, pulling her along as they ran after Hatenna. Her Quaxly and Sprigatito followed suit.
"Well, I guess we're joining in."
"Me too!"
Concerned about the dangers of wild Pokémon, Jin and Roy decided to follow after them.
"There she is!"
"Thank goodness we found her so quickly."
Hatenna wasn't particularly fast, so they managed to find her near a lake. However, as they approached, the water began to ripple, and a large, turtle-like Pokémon with a massive jaw emerged.
"Garrr!"
"W-What's that Pokémon?"
'Drednaw. Bite Pokémon. Water/Rock type. Known for its aggressive nature. It lies in wait by the water's edge to ambush prey coming to drink.'
"We should avoid getting too close…"
"Agreed. It might see this area as its territory. Let's back off."
"Wait… where's Terapagos?"
Just as they were about to leave, they noticed that Terapagos was missing. Scanning the area, they found it standing directly in front of Drednaw.
"When did it get over there!?"
"This is bad! Fuecoco!"
As Drednaw opened its massive jaws, Roy instinctively called for Fuecoco to attack. However, Jin raised a hand to stop him.
"Jin!?"
"Look closely. It's fine."
Following Jin's lead, they observed Drednaw more carefully. Surprisingly, instead of attacking, it yawned widely.
"A yawn…?"
"How did you know it wouldn't attack?"
"Terapagos wasn't showing any hostility. Unless it's a highly aggressive Pokémon, it won't attack unprovoked."
Terapagos, though not a Water-type, bore a resemblance to Drednaw, and the latter seemed to sense no threat. As a result, there was no conflict.
"Paaa~go."
Terapagos yawned in response, and the two Pokémon seemed to strike up an unlikely bond. Soon, even Quaxly and Hatenna relaxed, joining in their playful interaction.
"Turns out it's friendlier than we thought."
"Yeah. Everyone looks happy to have a new friend."
While they watched the heartwarming scene, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes. Remaining on alert, they were surprised to see a man emerge, carrying a large camping backpack.
"Oh, sorry to startle you."
"That's our line."
"I came to warn you about Drednaw—it's usually aggressive—but you seem to have handled it. Impressive!"
"Excuse me, but who are you?"
"Ah, where are my manners? I'm a food vendor. I stock the best ingredients for camping."
The man explained that he sold curry ingredients like spices, roux, and vegetables to campers in the Wild Area. Apparently, curry was as popular in Galar as sandwiches were in Paldea.
"Curry… I haven't had that in a while."
"Me neither! I want curry!"
"Hmm…"
Jin, like the others, was a fan of curry, and it had been a long time since his last serving. The mention of it suddenly reignited his craving.
"Why not make curry for lunch?"
"Yes!"
"Great idea! I'm starving!"
"…I'm not really interested."
Dot's lack of enthusiasm didn't surprise anyone, as she often had little appetite.
"What, you don't like curry?"
"It's not that… I've never had it."
"Never!?"
"Not even once!?"
"Is it that surprising?"
"Of course! Curry is amazing! You're missing out!"
"Yeah! Curry is the second-best thing in the world after Pokémon!"
Jin nearly commented on how subjective that claim was but decided to hold his tongue.
"Is it really that good?"
"Yes! So, let me make your first curry!"
"I'll help, too!"
Relenting under their enthusiasm, Dot gave a reluctant nod.
"Alright, then. Let's call Friede and the others."
...
After reuniting with Friede and the others, they quickly went to a grocery store to buy ingredients for curry and began preparing it right away. This time, Liko and Roy enthusiastically took on the challenge of cooking. Since each person's home-cooking style varied slightly, especially in how vegetables were cut, Murdock suggested that Liko and Roy each make their own version of curry.
---
"What are we looking for?"
"Cheri Berries! Adding those will make the curry spicier and even more delicious!"
Liko and Roy both wanted to add their own secret ingredients to the curry. They decided to split up to search for berries, forming teams of Liko and Dot, and Roy and Jin. Although Jin preferred a mild-to-medium curry with Pecha Berries and would have liked to join Liko's team, he respected Liko's wish to cook with Dot and paired up with Roy instead.
"Ah! Found it!"
After searching for a while, they discovered a tree with plenty of Cheri Berries. Roy climbed the tree, picking the berries and tossing them down to Fuecoco and Jin below.
"Let's keep it going, you two!"
"Yeah, anytime!"
"Fueee!"
Jin and Fuecoco caught the falling berries and piled them together, eventually gathering about ten. Judging by Roy's enthusiasm, he seemed intent on making an extremely spicy curry, one that might even make tongues tingle just from the thought.
"Roy, isn't that enough?"
"Yeah! I'm coming down now."
As Roy climbed down, they noticed something unusual near the pile of berries—a Pokémon was trying to scoop them up with its large, bushy tail, which covered more than half its body.
"Bak?"
"Whoa! What's that Pokémon?"
"That's... Greedent, if I'm not mistaken."
Before them stood a Greedent, a large squirrel-like Pokémon known for its greedy nature. True to its name, Greedent was infamous for hoarding all nearby berries, whether gathered by people or fallen from trees.
"It's probably here to take the berries we collected. What do we do? Should we give them up?"
"No way! We worked hard to gather these!"
"Baku~"
"Don't try to sweet-talk us with those eyes and that cute little voice!"
"Bakuuu!"
Realizing it wouldn't get the berries peacefully, Greedent spread its arms wide. From behind it, several pre-evolution Skwovet emerged simultaneously.
"Skwee! Skwee! Skwee!"
"Ahhh! So many of them!"
"It's brought its minions, huh? Wild areas are full of strong Pokémon, so I get why they'd form groups, but each of these little guys must eat a ton. Finding enough food must be a nightmare."
"Don't analyze the situation so calmly! Fuecoco, protect the Cheri Berries!"
"Fueee!"
Fuecoco and Roy, determined to defend their food, readied themselves. The group of Skwovet lunged at Fuecoco simultaneously. However, Fuecoco, accustomed to observing the swift attacks of Sceptile, saw their movements as if in slow motion.
"Fuecoco! Dodge and use Ember!"
Fuecoco gracefully sidestepped the attacks, targeting each Skwovet one by one with Ember. The hits sent the Skwovet scattering into the forest, realizing they couldn't win.
"...Baku."
"Are you serious?"
"Bakuu?!"
The remaining Greedent, seemingly the leader, attempted to escape with some Cheri Berries while the Skwovet distracted Fuecoco. But Jin's glare stopped it in its tracks, and it fled with a pitiful cry.
"Phew, that was rough…"
"Fueee~"
"At least the berries are safe, so cheer up."
For Jin, incidents like these were nothing unusual, but Roy, accustomed to traveling on an airship, lacked experience with such wild Pokémon encounters.
(Well, the only way to get used to this is through experience…)
Dealing with wild Pokémon is an essential skill not just for trainers but also for adventurers. If Jin hadn't been there, the berries likely would have been stolen. Fuecoco was getting stronger and handling situations better, but Roy still had room to grow as an adventurer.
(Exploring on foot might not be so bad, but it's just not practical right now…)
To continue their search for the Six Heroes, using the Brave Olivine airship was far more efficient than traveling on foot. With little reason to give up this advantage, building experience the hard way would remain a challenge.
"Well, no use dwelling on it…"
"Jin? What's up?"
"Fueee?"
"Nothing. Let's gather the berries and head back."
"Okay!"
As Roy began collecting the scattered berries, a nearby bush rustled. Bracing themselves for another encounter with Greedent, they relaxed when Liko and Dot emerged instead.
"Jin! Roy!"
"We heard shouting! Are you okay?"
Fuecoco's spirited battle cry must have echoed through the forest, prompting Liko and Dot to come check on them.
"Yeah, we're fine! Some wild Pokémon attacked us, but we drove them off!"
"Fuee!"
Seeing Roy and Jin unharmed, Liko and Dot were relieved.
"We've gathered the berries we needed. How about you?"
"We're good on our end too!"
Liko opened her backpack to reveal its contents, showing a large number of Mago Berries packed inside, along with Terapagos. There was enough to make curry for everyone.
"Well then, shall we head back…!?"
Both teams had gathered the necessary berries and prepared to return to the campsite where Friede and the others were waiting. However, just as they started to move, the ground began to shake violently. The Chesto Berries hanging from nearby trees fell, and the bird Pokémon in the area took flight in unison.
"W-what is this!?"
"An e-earthquake!?"
"…No, it's something else."
While Liko and the others assumed it was an earthquake, Jin had noticed something unusual. At first, he too thought it was an earthquake, but the tremors started faint and grew stronger, as if something massive was approaching.
"Stay alert! Something's coming!"
Everyone turned in the direction Jin had indicated. Moments later, the source of the tremors emerged from the forest, pushing aside trees. It was a Pokémon resembling a round, bloated monster with black and white markings.
"A Snorlax!?"
The Snorlax that suddenly appeared ignored Jin and the others, heading straight for a Chesto Berry tree. It deftly picked up the fallen berries one by one and stuffed them into its mouth. Once it finished the berries on the ground, the Snorlax turned its attention to the pile of berries Jin and the others had collected and started moving toward them.
"Ah! No! Don't eat those! Fuecoco!"
"Fueeee!"
"Use Flamethrower!"
Fuecoco unleashed an unusually powerful Flamethrower to protect the berries. The attack struck Snorlax squarely on its massive belly.
However—
"What!? No way!"
Snorlax seemed completely unfazed by the Flamethrower and continued its slow march toward the collected berries.
"D-did it not work?"
"Jin, could it be…?"
"Yeah, I think its Ability is Thick Fat."
Thick Fat was an Ability that reduced damage from Fire- and Ice-type moves by half. While it didn't completely nullify the damage, Snorlax's high Special Defense and immense HP made it look unaffected.
"I see…"
Intrigued by Snorlax's extraordinary resilience and stamina, Jin began observing it more closely. Though Snorlax's average height was about two meters, this one easily exceeded three. While still within reason compared to titans like Arboliva of the Six Heroes, its massive frame was undoubtedly the source of its endurance.
"If that's the case… use Overheat!"
"Fueeeecooo!"
Realizing Flamethrower wasn't enough, Roy instructed Fuecoco to use its most powerful Fire move. Fuecoco charged up its energy for a few seconds before releasing a fiery blast.
"Snorrrr!"
This time, Snorlax finally turned its attention away from the berries. Its right arm began to glow white as it swung and smashed the Overheat attack aside, sending it flying into the sky.
(That's Hammer Arm… impressive strength.)
Angered by the interruption, Snorlax approached Fuecoco with its Hammer Arm at the ready. Though its massive size made its movements slow, it was still hard to find an opening for a counterattack.
Fuecoco could only deal significant damage with Overheat, but the move required time to charge, and Snorlax wouldn't allow it to get ready again.
(This isn't an opponent we can outlast easily…)
Other attacks could chip away at Snorlax's health, but with its immense stamina and access to recovery moves like Rest, Fuecoco was likely to be defeated first.
"Snorr…"
Snorlax suddenly stopped its attack and stood still. It looked like it might be resting after exerting itself, but to Jin, it seemed more like it was lying in wait for its prey to approach.
"This is our chance! Fuecoco, Bite it!"
Taking the opportunity, Roy ordered Fuecoco to charge. However, as Fuecoco lunged, Snorlax opened its mouth and released a pink, bubble-like energy that enveloped Fuecoco.
"Fue? Fueee… Fueeee…"
"No! Fuecoco!"
The pink bubbles were Yawn, and Fuecoco succumbed to the move, falling asleep on the spot. While it would wake up eventually, it was clear that it wouldn't happen anytime soon. The battle was effectively over. Roy could switch to his other Pokémon, Wattrel, but given the level gap, it was unlikely to win.
(That was Yawn… It could've beaten us outright but chose a more strategic move. I can't tell if this Snorlax is clever or just lazy…)
Not only was Snorlax highly durable, but it also wielded powerful physical attacks like Hammer Arm and strategic moves like Yawn. It was clear that this Snorlax was experienced in battle, making it a formidable foe.
"Fuecoco… In that case!"
"Roy, switch out. It's my turn."
"Wait! Let me try again…"
"Take Fuecoco and fall back. I'll handle this."
"O-okay…"
Roy, realizing the difference in levels and seeing Jin's determined expression, reluctantly returned Fuecoco to its Poké Ball and stepped back.
"Snorr…"
Snorlax, sensing Jin's presence, stopped its movements and began to focus on him. Even without sending out a Pokémon, the aura Jin exuded froze Snorlax in place. Its wild instincts told it that this was no ordinary opponent, overriding its hunger with a heightened sense of caution.
"Snorlax… you're impressive."
With a calm smile, Jin pulled a Poké Ball from his pocket and aimed it at Snorlax, as if declaring his intent.
"Now, let's have some fun…"
//END
AN: Although I considered using a Pokémon from Galar, I've always been fond of Snorlax, so I decided to feature it in this scene.
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