Chapter 14

Arcane nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the tension building as they followed the trail, each step bringing them closer to their target. The forest seemed to hold its breath, the usual sounds of wildlife eerily absent.

Suddenly, a rustle in the bushes ahead caught their attention. Felicia froze, her ears twitching as she listened intently. Arcane tensed, ready for anything. The rustling grew louder, and then, with a burst of speed, a large Beedrill shot out from the undergrowth.

Its twin stingers gleamed dangerously in the filtered sunlight, and its buzzing wings created an ominous hum that sent shivers down Arcane's spine. The Beedrill's eyes were wild, filled with aggression, as it zeroed in on Felicia, launching itself at her with frightening speed.

Arcane barely had time to react as the Beedrill lunged. Felicia, however, was ready. With a swift, graceful movement, she dodged the attack, her body flowing like water as she sidestepped the Beedrill's deadly stingers. "Arcane, stay back!" she commanded, her voice calm but firm.

~STATUS SCREEN~

NAME: Wild Beedrill

SPECIES: Beedrill

LEVEL: 24

TYPE: Bug/Poison

HP: 55/55

ABILITY: Swarm

STATS

Attack: 70

Defense: 55

Special Attack: 45

Special Defense: 45

Speed: 45

Accuracy: 90

STATUS

Status: Stunned

Experience: 2,300 / 6,000

Nature: Adamant (Increased Attack, Decreased Special Attack)

MOVES

Poison Jab

Fury Attack

Twinneedle

Agility

ITEMS

Held Item: None

ABILITIES

Ability: Swarm – Boosts Bug-type moves when HP is low.

Arcane obeyed, retreating to a safe distance while keeping his eyes fixed on the battle. He felt his body heat up as he watched Felicia face off against the aggressive Beedrill. She moved with deadly precision, dodging the Beedrill's strikes with ease and countering with sharp swipes of her claws.

The Beedrill was relentless, its attacks fast and furious, but Felicia was faster. She danced around its stingers, never letting the Beedrill land a hit. Arcane marveled at her agility and skill, realizing just how powerful the Pokémon in this community were.

The battle raged on, but it quickly became clear that Felicia had the upper hand with her speed. With one final, precise strike, Felicia knocked the Beedrill to the ground. It lay there, stunned but still alive, its wings twitching weakly. Felicia stood over it, her expression unreadable as she assessed the situation.

Arcane approached cautiously, his eyes wide with awe. "That was incredible," he breathed, unable to hide his admiration.

Felicia glanced at him, her gaze softening slightly. "It's not over yet," she said quietly. "We need to make sure it doesn't cause any more trouble."

Arcane nodded, but something nagged at him. The stats had shown a strong and agile opponent, but Felicia had dealt with it like it was nothing although most of her stats were weaker. It seemed like battle experience trumped stats in this world.

Before Arcane could ask any further questions, Felicia turned back to the Beedrill. But instead of delivering the final blow, she simply watched as it began to stir, its wings buzzing weakly as it regained consciousness.

"Why aren't you finishing it off?" Arcane asked, confused.

Felicia's eyes remained fixed on the Beedrill as she spoke. "Killing a scout like this is a mistake," she explained. "If a scout like this doesn't return to its nest, they'll assume it's been killed and send more to investigate. And believe me, a swarm of Beedrill is something we don't want on our hands."

Arcane's eyes widened in realization. "So, we let it go?"

Felicia nodded. "Exactly. We knock it out and let it retreat. That'll buy us some time to figure out where its nest is and deal with the problem properly. If we killed it here, we'd have an entire hive coming after us by morning."

Arcane watched as the Beedrill slowly regained its strength, its wings buzzing weakly as it took to the air. It hovered for a moment, casting one last glance at them before flying off into the forest, disappearing into the shadows.

As the forest returned to its normal sounds, Arcane felt a mixture of relief and worry. They had dealt with the immediate threat, but the problem wasn't solved yet. "So, there's probably a nest nearby?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Felicia nodded grimly. "Most likely. And if that's the case, we'll need to find it soon. A Beedrill nest this close to our territory is a serious problem. We can't let it grow too much."

"Should we follow it?" Arcane asked, his voice uncertain. "Maybe we can track it back to its nest and deal with it before things get worse."

Felicia shook her head, her gaze sharp and calculating. "No. We'd be outnumbered and outmatched if we followed it now. A single Beedrill is one thing, but an entire swarm would overwhelm us. It's better to let it go and return to the village. We'll need to get a team together and deal with the nest properly."

Arcane nodded, understanding her reasoning but still feeling the weight of the situation. "You think it's a big nest?"

Felicia's expression remained serious as she glanced around, as if sensing the presence of danger hidden within the forest. "It's hard to say. But if they're sending scouts this far into our territory, it's safe to assume they've grown in numbers. A Beedrill nest can expand quickly, and once they start marking a territory, they'll defend it aggressively. We need to take care of it before they become too entrenched."

Arcane felt a chill run down his spine. The idea of facing a swarm of angry Beedrill wasn't something he relished, especially after seeing how fast and deadly a single one could be. But he trusted Felicia's judgment. She had handled the situation with calm precision, and her experience was clearly something he could learn from.

"How long do we have before they send more scouts?" Arcane asked, glancing in the direction the Beedrill had flown off.

"Hard to say," Felicia replied, her tone thoughtful. "A day, maybe two. But they'll definitely come back, and we need to be ready when they do."