Lucas didn't interfere with Nemona's choice of which Pokémon to catch. He just nodded, took a few steps back, and left the stage to her.
Full of fighting spirit, Nemona shouted, "Time to battle, Pawmo!"
"Pawmo!"
Pawmo temporarily gave up on competing with Growlithe and briskly strode to stand in front of Nemona, facing off against Kricketune.
Lucas and his three Pokémon folded their arms and watched from behind, very curious to see how much Nemona and Pawmo had improved over the past week.
Kricketune stared intently at the Pawmo that had not only disturbed its sleep but was also provocatively stepping up to challenge it. A flash of anger passed through its bean-like black eyes. Its slender arms glinted with a sharp emerald light as it advanced towards Pawmo.
"Block, then charge up electricity!"
There was a clear initial bond of trust and understanding between Pawmo and Nemona. Pawmo faithfully followed Nemona's command, crossing its powerful forearms in front of itself to block Kricketune's Fury Cutter while simultaneously using Charge.
The effect of Charge was simple—it boosted the power of Pawmo's Electric-type attacks and increased its special defense.
As for Fury Cutter, its power only maximized with consecutive use, so Nemona's judgment was spot-on.
Pawmo gritted its teeth and endured the Fury Cutter. Golden electric currents flickered across its body, signifying that it had finished charging up.
So, the next move would be—
Nemona raised her right arm high and declared with vigor, "Spark!"
Lucas was surprised. He had thought Nemona would tell Pawmo to use Nuzzle or Thunder Shock… So Pawmo had already learned the more powerful and fitting move, Spark.
With a fierce look in its eyes, Pawmo thrust both palms at Kricketune's chest. The moment its paws touched Kricketune, a surge of electricity burst from the pads, electrocuting Kricketune until it was completely disoriented.
Kricketune, smoking from head to toe, staggered back a few steps. After emitting a sharp screech, it flapped its wings and tried to fly away without hesitation.
Lucas narrowed his eyes and commanded decisively, "Luxray, stop it—"
"No need!"
Nemona suddenly spoke up, stopping Lucas's action.
Lucas asked in confusion, "You're not going to catch it?"
Nemona nodded. "Since it flew away without a second thought, even if we chased it down, it would just be a forced capture."
Nemona thought that if Kricketune had shown even a hint of hesitation, she would have tried her hardest to catch it.
Lucas nodded helplessly. "Alright, then let's continue searching the area."
It seemed this Kricketune wasn't destined for a good life. If only it had been caught, not only would it have food and shelter, but under Nemona's genius training, it might have reached the pinnacle of strength and become a true Kricketune hero.
What a pity.
Continuing their exploration, Lucas and Nemona encountered wild Hoppip, Fletchling, Azurill, and Rookidee, all of which they failed to catch for various reasons.
The one Lucas regretted the most was Rookidee.
This Pokémon's final evolution, Corviknight, is Steel/Flying type—great resistances, a wide move pool, and both offensive and defensive capabilities.
Nemona was just a step away from catching Rookidee. As she followed Lucas's instructions and approached with a Poké Ball, the downed Rookidee suddenly found a burst of strength, shot into the sky, and disappeared into the woods in the blink of an eye.
Lucas, thinking Nemona had it in the bag, had let his guard down a little.
It was dramatic. If only Nemona's aim had been a bit better, things wouldn't have turned out that way.
Still, there was a bright side. After a fruitless search for Rookidee, the two finally found traces of a Combee.
The Combee was flying deeper into the woods, likely having gathered nectar and now heading back to its hive.
The two exchanged glances and quietly followed Combee, keeping a safe distance to avoid being discovered.
While tailing, Lucas whispered, "By the way, your family probably prepared Pokémon for you, right? Why do you want to catch one yourself?"
Nemona nodded slightly. "Father prepared two Pokémon eggs for me—one should be a Gible and the other a Goomy. But the eggs haven't hatched yet, so I wanted to catch my own second Pokémon."
Lucas: "…"
Once again outclassed by the generosity of a wealthy family.
He himself barely had enough savings to feed his Pokémon each day—probably even Nemona's allowance was higher than his.
Feeling a pang of heartache, Lucas changed the subject, eyes still tracking Combee. "The last two classes were taught by Mr. Larry, right? What did he teach?"
Nemona thought for a moment and replied, "Substitute teacher Larry didn't seem well those days—he had dark circles under his eyes and looked exhausted. So he only taught us some theory."
"He seemed very knowledgeable about the move 'Endure' and explained how to use it when poisoned, burned, or paralyzed. It was really helpful!"
"He also said Pawmo can learn Endure. I plan to take Pawmo to learn it at Medali Gym during spring break."
Nemona always became enthusiastic when talking about Pokémon, but Lucas detected the sadness in Larry's story—working overtime to the point of having dark circles.
Compared to that, his own late-night exhaustion seemed self-inflicted.
"Bzzz~"
After following Combee for over ten minutes, the buzzing of wings and Combee's calls grew louder—the number of Combee visibly increased.
Lucas and Nemona perked up, moving even more cautiously.
Growlithe, Fidough, and Pawmo all stepped more carefully, and Luxray suppressed its aura to avoid scaring the Combee into fleeing.
Finally, without alerting the Combee, the two saw their hive.
It was a giant beehive—judging by its size, the Combee colony must have at least a hundred members. At the top, a majestic Vespiquen sat regally, watching the Combee busily carry nectar.
Lucas stared for a moment, then whispered to the hiding Nemona, "Don't come out until I call you."
Nemona nodded nervously. Provoking this many Combee could be deadly, especially for a beginner trainer.
She loved to battle, but she also knew her limits.
Lucas then instructed Growlithe and Fidough, "You two, protect Nemona together with Pawmo."
Growlithe and Fidough looked as if they'd been given a sacred mission, eyes full of determination.
After making arrangements, Lucas said, "Let's go, Luxray."
"Luxray~!"