Chapter 113: Forest Adventure
Today, two Charcadets set out on an adventure, riding on Oinkolognes. Their destination was the forest on the eastern side of the plateau.
The Charcadets raced across the grasslands on Oinkolognes, heading straight for the forest. They had to pick up the pace; otherwise, they would run out of time.
However, halfway there, a shadow suddenly zipped overhead.
Startled, the two Oinkolognes came to a screeching halt, causing Crybaby Charcadet to lose its grip and fall to the ground.
"Charca~ Charca~"
With a mouthful of grass, it lay down and began to wail.
Goodboy Charcadet quickly jumped off the male Oinkologne and hurried to the Crybaby Charcadet, bending down to lift it up.
"Charca~ Charcadet~" There, there! Don't cry! Don't cry!
Holding Crybaby Charcadet, Goodboy Charcadet gently patted its back.
"Oink Oink~"
The female Oinkologne quickly apologized to Crybaby Charcadet.
"Charcadet~ Charca~"
Wiping its tears, Crybaby Charcadet reassured them that it wasn't Oinkologne's fault; it had just not held on tightly enough.
"Oink Oink~ Oink Oink~" What was that thing that just flew by?
At that moment, the male Oinkologne asked.
"Charca~"
"Oink Oink~"
Both Goodboy Charcadet and the female Oinkologne shook their heads; it had been too fast for them to see clearly.
"Charca~ Charca~" I saw Komala... being held by a shadow...
Suddenly, Crybaby Charcadet spoke up.
The two Oinkolognes and Goodboy Charcadet were momentarily stunned. Goodboy Charcadet then had a sudden realization: "Charca~ Charca~ Could it be Komala's drinking buddy?" Everyone in the plateau knew about Komala's mysterious drinking buddy, but no one knew its true identity.
"Oink Oink~" That's a possibility.
The two Oinkolognes nodded in agreement.
"Charca~ Charca~" Let's move on!
Goodboy Charcadet placed Crybaby Charcadet back on the female Oinkologne's back and skillfully climbed onto the male Oinkologne's back.
"Oink Oink~ Oink Oink~"
"Oink Oink~ Oink Oink~"
The two Oinkolognes took off running again. Though they weren't fighters, they had great confidence in their stamina and could run for a long time without feeling tired.
After running for what felt like ages, the grasslands gradually faded from view, replaced by towering trees.
However, due to the season, these trees stood bare.
As they entered the forest, the two Oinkolognes slowed down, and the two Charcadets began to walk.
While walking on the ground covered with dead leaves, Crybaby Charcadet suddenly called out.
"Charca~" What's wrong?
Goodboy Charcadet asked.
Crybaby Charcadet crouched down, clearing away the dead leaves beneath it to reveal a hint of green emerging in front of the four Pokémons.
The two Oinkolognes and Goodboy Charcadet instinctively gathered around.
"Charca~" Spring is coming!
Goodboy Charcadet carefully touched the tender sprout and said.
"Oink Oink~~"
The female Oinkologne gestured for everyone to look up. The other three Pokémon followed its gaze and noticed new green leaves at the top of a tree.
Spring was truly on its way, and the Pokémons felt a surge of excitement. The arrival of spring meant there would be more food available in the forest.
"Oink Oink~~" Let's go.
Said the male Oinkologne.
So, the group of Pokémon walked with light-hearted steps deeper into the forest.
As they walked, Goodboy Charcadet suddenly spotted something and dashed over to a shriveled fruit. It bent down to pick it up and excitedly showed it to the Oinkolognes.
"Charca~ Charca~" Look what I found!
The female Oinkologne approached and sniffed the rotten fruit.
"Oink Oink~ Oink Oink~" Just throw it away!
"Charca~" Oh~
Goodboy Charcadet nodded in disappointment; this used to be a treasure for it!
But soon, its mood brightened. After all, it no longer needed to treat such things as precious.
Meanwhile, Crybaby Charcadet was digging around in the dry grass.
"Charca~ Charca~"
Suddenly, it let out an excited cry and pulled its head out of the grass, holding something above its head.
"Charca~ Charca~" Throw that away!
Goodboy Charcadet shouted.
However, as soon as it finished speaking, a faint electrical current erupted from the thing Crybaby Charcadet was holding, traveling from its head all the way down to its feet.
Crybaby Charcadet jolted from the shock, instinctively letting go of the object, which shot off into another patch of grass and vanished.
It turned out that Crybaby Charcadet had been holding a Charjabug, which, startled, had released an electric shock.
But since the Charjabug wasn't very strong, it didn't inflict much harm on Crybaby Charcadet.
"Charca~" It doesn't hurt, I can bear with it!
Tears welled up in Crybaby Charcadet's eyes as it tried hard to hold back. The Goodboy Charcadet hurried over to praise it.
As time went on, the four Pokémon wandered through the forest, stopping and searching, unknowingly making their way deeper inside.
"Oink Oink~"
Suddenly, the female Oinkologne's nose twitched, and she began to dig energetically at the ground. Soon, she pulled out a golden seed.
It was a Miracle Seed!
The male Oinkologne and the two Charcadets immediately gathered around.
"Charca~ Charca~" Wow~ What a beautiful seed!
Crybaby Charcadet exclaimed in amazement.
Goodboy Charcadet looked at the female Oinkologne with envy.
Miracle Seeds are ordinary seeds that form by chance through various natural factors, possessing miraculous powers. When a Pokémon carries it, their Grass-type moves become more powerful.
"Oink Oink~" Darling, you're amazing.
The male Oinkologne nuzzled the female Oinkologne affectionately.
After enjoying her boyfriend's praise, the female Oinkologne pushed the Miracle Seed over to Goodboy Charcadet.
"Oink Oink~" Quickly, put it away.
Goodboy Charcadet nodded vigorously and hurriedly stowed the Miracle Seed in its backpack.
Goodboy Charcadet was carrying a space backpack, a gift from Andrew, which he had bought to disguise the system's backpack. Since he didn't need it at home, he lent it to Charcadets for their adventure.
With the Miracle Seed safely stored away, the four Pokémon continued their journey.
After wandering for what felt like an eternity, the male Oinkologne suddenly let out a surprised shout, digging energetically at the ground covered in decaying leaves. Before long, he pulled out an orange stone shaped like the sun.
It was a Sun Stone!
"Charca~"
"Charca~"
Crybaby Charcadet and Goodboy Charcadet dashed over, looking up at the male Oinkologne with admiration.
The male Oinkologne proudly pushed the Sun Stone toward Goodboy Charcadet, signaling it to take it. Goodboy Charcadet nodded obediently.
The female Oinkologne walked over and gently nuzzled her boyfriend, causing the two Charcadets to feel like they were being showered with love—no, it was more like "pig food."
Then the four Pokémon continued their adventure. However, as they walked, both Oinkolognes sighed deeply, feeling unsatisfied with their finds for the day.
They had set out to search for food ingredients, yet all they had found were a held item and an evolution stone!
Compared to items and stones, the two Oinkolognes hoped to find food, so Andrew could prepare delicious meals for them.
However, they understood that this time of year made finding food difficult, as most Pokémon in the forest were experiencing a food shortage!
"Charca~"
"Charca~"
The two Charcadets gently patted their partners, encouraging them not to lose hope.
Encouraged, the two Oinkolognes perked up, ready to lead the two Charcadets deeper into the forest with renewed determination.
As they walked, suddenly, a stone hit Crybaby Charcadet on the head, making it wince and tear up.
The four Pokémon turned to see a Mankey perched on a tree branch, wearing a smug expression.
When it noticed the four Pokémon looking at it, it didn't feel guilty at all; instead, it stuck out its tongue, made silly faces, and bounced around in the tree.
Clearly, it had done it on purpose.
Goodboy Charcadet was furious and immediately used its move Ember against the Mankey.
However, the Mankey was incredibly agile, jumping around on the branches, and Goodboy Charcadet's Ember couldn't hit it at all.
"Ha ha ha~~"
The Mankey perched high in the trees laughed mockingly at Crybaby Charcadet below.
The two Charcadets, furious at the mischievous Mankey, watched as the female Oinkologne stepped forward and emitted a series of unique sounds. Instantly, waves of pink sound rippled outward.
The female Oinkologne used the move Disarming Voice.
The Mankey attempted to evade, but Disarming Voice never misses. As it tried to dodge, the move struck true, and the Mankey let out a cry as it tumbled from the tree.
Although Oinkologne aren't known for their fighting skills, their levels far surpassed that of the small monkey. A single Disarming Voice was enough to leave Mankey unable to continue.
However, before the four Pokémon could celebrate their victory, they noticed they were surrounded. One by one, Mankeys leaped onto the branches above, staring down at them, accompanied by several Primeape.
Mankeys are pack Pokémon!
The four Pokémon froze, huddling together in fear.
They wanted to flee, but the Primeape leading the pack had completely blocked their escape.
"Charca~!" shouted Goodboy Charcadet, gritting its teeth.
"I, Charcadet, will not back down!"
With that, Charcadet unleashed a barrage of Embers toward the Mankeys.
Yet, as the Mankeys rushed in, despite a few being pushed back by Ember, many more continued to swarm forward.
"Oink Oink~"
"Oink Oink~"
The two Oinkologne, unwilling to let Charcadet fight alone, howled in unison and stomped their feet on the ground. The earth trembled beneath them, sending shockwaves that knocked the Mankeys down.
They used the Ground-type move Stomping Tantrum.
Seeing this, the Primeape, who had been observing, could no longer sit idly by. They leaped down from the trees, screeching as they charged toward the two Oinkologne.
With the two Oinkologne now engaged with several Primeape, the pressure fell entirely on Charcadet, which found itself surrounded and outnumbered.
Crybaby Charcadet wanted to cry as it hid behind Goodboy Charcadet, tears welling in its eyes. It longed to let out its emotions but didn't want to burden its friends.
However, the Goodboy Charcadet still had its fighting spirit intact. It first used Leer, intimidating the charging Mankeys, and then unleashed Fire Spin, creating a ring of fire that trapped the stunned Mankeys inside.
Next, it used Will-O-Wisp, sending waves of fire into the ring, causing the Mankeys to burn one after another, making them hesitant to approach.
However, with so many Mankeys around, and Charcadet's level being relatively low, it couldn't maintain its advantage for long. After a brief period of dominance, it soon found itself at a disadvantage again.
Finally, a high-level Mankey struck Charcadet with Cross Chop, landing a critical hit and knocking it out cold.
"Charca~! Charcadet~!"
The Crybaby Charcadet, witnessing this, screamed and rushed to its friend's side, cradling it in its arms, tears streaming down its face.
The Mankey stepped closer, raising its fist, ready to knock out Crybaby Charcadet as well.
Suddenly, Crybaby Charcadet wiped its tears, stood up with newfound determination, and stepped in front of Goodboy Charcadet, shielding it from the impending attack.
The Mankey's fist came crashing down without hesitation. In that instant, something extraordinary happened to the Crybaby Charcadet. The earlier Fire Spin and Will-O-Wisp created by Goodboy Charcadet transformed into fiery tendrils that intertwined with Crybaby Charcadet's body.
In the next second, flames erupted from Crybaby Charcadet, radiating intense heat that made the Mankey instinctively retract its fist.
All the Pokémon turned to gaze at the transformed Crybaby Charcadet.
The flames swirling around it significantly boosted its confidence, erupting into a fierce blaze.
The Crybaby Charcadet's ability, Flame Body, allowed it to absorb the flames from Goodboy Charcadet, but it seemed to be more than just a typical absorption.
The flames erupting from Crybaby Charcadet terrified the Mankeys as it shouted fiercely at them:
"Charca~!"
In the next moment, countless blue flames shot forth like petals from its body, splattering toward the surrounding Mankeys.
It was Will-O-Wisp!
While Goodboy Charcadet could create only two or three petals at a time, Crybaby Charcadet unleashed at least dozens.
The Mankeys hit by the flames howled in pain and rolled on the ground, while the remaining Mankeys screeched and scattered in all directions.
With so many Mankeys caught in a burning state, the Primeape lost interest in attacking the two Oinkologne. They rushed to the injured Mankeys, either cradling or dragging them, and quickly disappeared from sight.
With the Mankeys gone, Crybaby Charcadet collapsed onto the ground, exhausted, as it closed its eyes.
(End of chapter)