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The Pokémon that slowly emerged from the grass was none other than the same young Heracross that Sato had encountered earlier that morning.
At this moment, it was once again covered in wounds—some so deep that its internal organs were partially visible. One of its arms was broken and hung limp at its side.
With every step it took, several partially scabbed-over injuries reopened, and greenish insect blood began seeping from its body once more.
There was no doubt: the young Heracross was once again on the brink of death.
If it weren't for its overwhelming willpower, any other Pokémon would have long since passed out from the pain and quietly died.
"Come out, Bellossom. Use Grassy Terrain to heal Heracross."
Upon seeing the young Heracross in such a devastated state, Sato's anger flared instantly.
But now wasn't the time for vengeance. He quickly released Bellossom and had it begin treating the wounded Heracross.
At the same time, he pulled out a rare, high-grade healing potion—one of the spoils he'd confiscated from Thomas—and administered it to Heracross.
Sato was fairly certain that the Pinsir from the Pinsir Forest had invaded the Heracross territory once again, and it was they who inflicted these injuries on the young Heracross.
As for why the young Heracross had come here, Sato guessed their home territory must've fallen. It had likely come to him for help.
And indeed, that's exactly what had happened. Not long after the young Heracross had rescued Sato and returned to its tribe, the Pinsir launched a second invasion.
This time, however, they came in even greater numbers and with higher levels. Despite Heracross's valiant efforts, it stood no chance alone.
Soon after, the Heracross tribe's territory fell.
Perhaps because they'd suffered heavy losses during the last encounter, the Pinsir exacted cruel revenge. They not only slaughtered many Heracross, but also destroyed all the sweet sap trees the tribe relied upon—delivering a devastating blow.
With their home annihilated, the young Heracross had refused to retreat and fought to the bitter end. Only under the urging and protection of a few fellow Heracross, whose bloodlust had been awakened by the destruction of their home, was it finally persuaded to break through the encirclement and flee—though unwillingly.
But its injuries were too severe. Even if it managed to escape, death from untreated wounds was certain.
Its home destroyed, its kin slaughtered, Heracross was overwhelmed with hatred for the Pinsir tribe—and hatred for its own weakness. It was unwilling to die like this.
In the end, it remembered Sato—the one who had saved it once—and came seeking help.
In truth, the young Heracross had waited here for a long time. Had Sato not arrived when he did, it would've succumbed to its wounds soon after.
With the rare healing potion, Heracross's powerful will to survive, and Bellossom's Grassy Terrain, its injuries finally began to stabilize.
Half an hour later, a visibly exhausted Bellossom withdrew the healing field. At this point, most of Heracross's wounds had closed, and its life force had steadied.
"Level 32 already? That's a jump of eleven levels in one day. Incredible."
Sato checked Heracross's stats and couldn't help but marvel at its rapid power-up.
He knew that battle-hungry Pokémon like Heracross leveled up quickly—but injuries were their greatest obstacle to growth.
That was why Heracross's body was riddled with scars despite its low level. After each fight, it would need to rest for three or four days—or even longer. That was the norm for most wild Pokémon.
Today's meteoric level gain came at the cost of its own life. Heracross had likely defeated over a hundred Pinsir on its own—many of them stronger than it.
Of course, a major factor in Heracross's ability to retaliate against so many Pinsir was its hidden ability: Moxie.
An ability seemingly made for group battles—it was a perfect match for a physically offensive, unyielding Pokémon like Heracross.
Still, if any regular wild Pokémon had fought like this, it would've died long ago. Heracross had simply been lucky to run into Sato. Otherwise, it would've perished.
Heracross was utterly exhausted. The moment its wounds stabilized, it fell into a deep sleep.
Yet its obsession and grief ran deep. Not even half an hour had passed before it jolted awake.
"Hera... Hera~~~!!"
Once conscious, Heracross immediately stumbled to Sato's side, frantically using body language to plead with him to come and help. Its voice was choked with desperation.
"Let's go then. But you've just recovered, so you can't fight. If you're hurt again, the accumulated damage inside your body could kill you. Not even Bellossom can save you then."
Sato understood Heracross's gestures instantly and didn't hesitate to agree. But before they left, he made a few conditions clear.
Grassy Terrain could not heal internal trauma. To truly remove the hidden injuries in Heracross's body, they would need to visit a Pokémon Center and consult a highly skilled Nurse Joy.
But in this remote wilderness, where would they find a Pokémon Center?
Heracross could only rely on its natural regenerative ability to recover.
Considering it had nearly died twice in one day, its internal damage had likely built up to terrifying levels—old wounds layered with new ones.
If it took another serious injury, those hidden traumas would almost certainly erupt. And at that point, not even Sato could save it.
Though Heracross wasn't the most talented Pokémon, its nature and ability made it a perfect fit for Sato's team. He sincerely wanted to recruit this brave Bug-type warrior—and letting it die was not an option.
Heracross, anxious beyond measure, immediately agreed and led Sato toward its home territory.
But when they arrived, they were met with nothing but smoldering ruins.
The Pinsir had gone all out in their vengeance. Not only had they destroyed the Heracross tribe, but they had set fire to the entire area—obliterating the one home Heracross had.
"Hera!! Heracross!!!"
When Heracross saw its homeland and the charred remains of its kin turned to ash, its eyes instantly turned bloodshot. It wailed in anguish, tears streaming down its face.
This marked the true extinction of the Heracross tribe in the Pinsir Forest. The few survivors who escaped would likely choose to flee the forest altogether to avoid further retaliation.
"Swampert, hold him down. Bellossom, use Sleep Powder. Let him rest for a while."
Seeing Heracross lose itself in rage and begin to self-harm, Sato couldn't bear to watch and gave the order.
Swampert nodded solemnly and swiftly restrained Heracross, pinning it in place. Bellossom then released a fine mist of Sleep Powder, gently forcing the deranged Bug-type warrior into a dreamless sleep.
Even in its dreams, Heracross twitched and trembled, cold sweat pouring from its body. It was clearly reliving a nightmare.
Within minutes, it awoke again—shaken and broken.
When it saw its incinerated home, its spirit crumbled. Kneeling on the scorched earth, it began to sob uncontrollably.
"Heracross, your home is gone. No amount of crying will change that. You're too weak. You can't defeat a swarm like the Pinsir tribe. Pull yourself together. Your fallen kin wouldn't want to see you like this. If you trust me, come with me. I'll train you—make you stronger. Then, one day, you'll personally drive all the Pinsir out of this forest and rebuild your tribe."
Sato walked over and kicked the despondent Heracross aside, his voice cold and commanding.
His words struck like thunder. Heracross sat up, dazed, staring at Sato. Slowly, the light began to return to its dull eyes.
"Good. But first, allow me to settle this score on your behalf."
"Swampert, get ready for battle. Use Earth Power. Let's flush fucking these rats out of the ground and raise hell."
Seeing that Heracross had begun to regain its will, Sato's worries eased. Turning to Swampert, he gave his next order with murderous intent.
The commotion Heracross had made earlier had long since alerted the forest's true rulers.
As soon as they identified Heracross and Sato as enemies, they sprang into action.
By now, the surrounding forest was teeming with Pinsir. They had completed their encirclement and were ready to strike.