Chapter 9: Battle Against the Soundbat Leader

"Dark Raven, hold on a bit longer. Stay in the tailwind state!" Haru Takashi encouraged, watching the tired Dark Raven.

"Caw!" Dark Raven called out from the air with all its might. Today's battle had brought it immense joy; although its body was fatigued, it felt an unprecedented excitement facing this Soundbat leader, which was clearly stronger than any it had encountered before.

Seeing the happiness of Dark Raven, Haru couldn't help but smile. He was comforted by Dark Raven's fighting spirit.

"Eeeek!" The Soundbat leader screeched, realizing that the weak human before it had turned into a major obstacle.

The relatively intelligent Soundbat leader quickly recognized the frailty of Haru, the thin human in front of it.

As the sun began to set, the Soundbat leader felt invigorated, its strength seemingly increasing.

With a sudden flap of its wings, a blood-scented mist emerged from the Soundbat leader's mouth, and two bloodsucking fangs gleamed with a cold light.

**Dark-type move: Bite!**

Seeing that the Soundbat leader targeted Haru, Dark Raven quickly sprang into action, using the last effects of the tailwind to position itself in front of Haru.

In the face of danger, Haru remained calm and collected. Having faced death once, he had learned to maintain a clear mind in any situation.

"Dark Raven, deliver a surprise strike!"

Transforming into a black bullet, Dark Raven collided fiercely with the Soundbat leader!

"Boom!"

After the impact, both Pokémon were thrown back, neither gaining an advantage.

After a brief pause, they clashed once more. Without the tailwind's speed boost, Dark Raven couldn't unleash its full potential, but even so, it was slightly faster than the Soundbat leader. The Soundbat attempted to bypass Dark Raven to attack Haru but found itself firmly entangled by its opponent.

As night descended, the Soundbat grew more energized, while Dark Raven's stamina began to wane after prolonged fighting.

Finally, after another collision, Dark Raven could not rise again. The Soundbat leader's wings trembled slightly, and its invisible ultrasonic waves monitored the surroundings.

It seemed to sense a delectable meal; the most exhausting part of battle was now draining its energy, and it craved a blood refill.

The Soundbat charged toward Haru again, its bloodsucking fangs glowing with a hint of crimson, ready to absorb!

"Caw!" As it watched the attacking Soundbat, Dark Raven propped itself on the ground, its chest heaving, but it could barely summon the strength, as if its body was no longer under its control.

Feeling helpless once more, Dark Raven was deeply frustrated by its weakness. As a trainer's Pokémon, failing to protect its trainer was the greatest humiliation.

However, seeing the attacking Soundbat, Haru displayed a strange smile; this was the moment he had been waiting for!

"Dark Raven, just one more time! Use Snatch!" Haru called out, catching sight of Dark Raven regaining its footing from the corner of his eye.

"Caw!" Hearing Haru's request, Dark Raven gritted its teeth. A surge of strength erupted from somewhere, and its trembling wings flapped fiercely.

The bloody fangs sank into Dark Raven's body, momentarily catching the Soundbat by surprise, causing it to relax. Blood was blood, regardless of whose it was; it simply needed fresh blood at this moment.

But as the Soundbat eagerly bit down, it was shocked to find no delicious blood entering its body. The long-missed feeling of comfort didn't materialize. It was like craving ice cream on a hot day; the ice cream is right there, and you're imagining its flavor and texture, but when you bite down, it turns out to be air.

The Soundbat leader was bewildered to find it hadn't tasted the delicious blood. Not only did it not regain strength, but it felt its stamina dwindling instead. Conversely, Dark Raven felt a warm flow emerging from the bite, spreading throughout its body, absorbing energy like a parched desert soaking up water.

As the Soundbat leader finally reacted and flew backward, its wings faltered, and an overwhelming sense of fatigue hit it.

**Snatch**, a Dark-type changing move, under the effect of the Mischievous Heart ability, outpaced the Soundbat leader's absorption effect, allowing Dark Raven to steal its recovery effect.

"Dark Raven, use Feather Rest!" Taking advantage of the Soundbat leader's moment of weakness, Haru quickly commanded. Feather Rest was a Flying-type move that allowed Flying Pokémon to recover half their stamina after landing.

Dark Raven quickly landed in front of Haru, drawing upon the earth's strength. A warm energy surged from the ground into its body, and slowly, Dark Raven felt its stamina returning.

Watching Dark Raven rise into the air once more, Haru instructed, "Use Tailwind again, then follow up with Peck! End this quickly!"

By the time the Soundbat leader realized what was happening, it could only see a completely black Pokémon appearing in front of it, its beak reflecting the moonlight as it mercilessly pecked at its body. The wounds multiplied, and the Soundbat felt its strength rapidly depleting, utterly helpless.

Under the relentless pecking, Dark Raven persevered, ultimately defeating the Soundbat leader.

"Caw!" It called out triumphantly, feeling its wings grow stronger, its claws sharper, and its beak more lustrous, with the moon clearly visible on its smooth surface.

To Haru's eyes, after the long battle, Dark Raven had leveled up from Level 10 to Level 11. Though it was just one level, he could clearly feel Dark Raven's growth.

In reality, every level gained by a Pokémon was a mark of progress.

After its victorious cry, Dark Raven wobbled slightly before plummeting from the air, quickly caught by Haru's quick reflexes.

This was the aftereffect of using Feather Rest. The reason Haru hadn't let Dark Raven use it earlier was that while it could restore stamina temporarily, energy conservation meant that it merely delayed fatigue. If used excessively, it could lead to prolonged exhaustion, and in severe cases, even regression in levels and talent.

Thus, Haru was determined to avoid using this skill unless absolutely necessary.

Fortunately, Haru had the ability of a breeder and could create suitable energy cubes. As long as Dark Raven didn't use the skill too often, it wouldn't cause significant harm. Still, it would lead to some fatigue, making it a skill reserved for emergencies.

Holding the exhausted Dark Raven in his arms, Haru stepped into the Soundbat cave under the bright moonlight.

Navigating through the now-familiar foul smell, stepping through the muck of Soundbat droppings, he pushed through his discomfort and made his way to the cave's deepest part. Through the faint moonlight, he could vaguely see claw marks on the cave walls, indicating that this cave was once the territory of its original owner. It appeared that the Soundbat had merely occupied the area after the previous resident had either died or left, likely long ago, as the thick layer of droppings on the ground couldn't accumulate in just a few months.

Indeed, the cave extended about ten meters deep. Upon reaching the innermost part, the ground began to dry out, and moonlight seeped through the cracks in the cave's ceiling, illuminating the space. Compared to the middle section, it wasn't pitch black.

Finding a dry stone, Haru settled down with Dark Raven, realizing he would have to make do with this for the night.

Slowly, Dark Raven regained its strength, jumping from Haru's embrace to gently nuzzle Haru's hand with its beak. Feeling the warmth radiating from Haru's hand, Dark Raven felt a wave of reassurance wash over it.

Pokémon can be so simple sometimes. Just being with their favorite trainer, whether it's windy or rainy, makes them the most loyal companions and best friends.

*(End of Chapter)*