Zubat's Cave

As the sun gradually descended in the sky, casting a faint, golden hue across the surface of the lake, a gentle breeze rippled through, creating shimmering reflections on the water.

With his partner, Murkrow, by his side, Larry slowly approached the entrance of the cave. Unbeknownst to them, the air grew increasingly foul as they neared the cave. Larry furrowed his brow, and even Murkrow instinctively covered its beak, as if the stench in the air was unbearable.

As they moved closer to the cave, Larry's footsteps grew lighter until they reached the entrance. Despite the overwhelming odor, both Larry and Murkrow seemed to adapt gradually.

Examining the pitch-black cave, Larry noticed that it wasn't a natural formation. There were numerous claw marks on the rocks near the cave's entrance.

"Judging by these claw marks, this cave seems to have been dug out for quite some time. I hope we won't encounter exceptionally powerful Pokémon inside," Larry murmured.

Murkrow, perched on Larry's shoulder, tensed its muscles, and the currents of energy swirling around it intensified. It was clear that Murkrow was prepared for whatever lay ahead.

Seeing Murkrow's anxious demeanor, Larry smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Murkrow. Let's take a look inside first." Murkrow gradually relaxed but remained vigilant.

Larry picked up a small rock lying at his feet, gauged its weight, and then nodded to himself. He hurled the rock into the cave.

"Thud! Thud. Thud." After a few echoing thuds, there was no more sound.

"Hiss..." After a while, faint noises emerged from within the cave, followed by the sound of wings flapping.

Hearing the sounds, Larry relaxed his brow. As long as it wasn't an exceptionally powerful Pokémon like Ursaring, he believed that Murkrow could handle the situation.

In front of him is a group of Zubats flying out of the cave, being disturbed from their peaceful slumber, they were now quite angry.

Wild Zubats, much like regular bats, sleep during the day and hunt for food at night. Being disturbed now was like abruptly waking someone up from a deep sleep.

Among this group of Zubats, there was one noticeably larger Zubat, clearly the leader of the group.

The Zubat leader, upon realizing that they had been disturbed by a mere human and what appeared to be a not-so-strong Pokémon, let out a few calls to the Zubats by its side. Then, with the remaining Zubats, it returned to the cave to continue sleeping.

Watching the series of actions from the Zubat group, Larry also raised an eyebrow. Originally facing over a dozen Zubats, even if he had confidence, he could only retreat with Murkrow. However, the clear disdain from the Zubat leader reduced their pressure significantly.

Four Zubats opened their mouths wide, revealing their blood-sucking fangs to the air, gave their wings a slight flap, and then charged toward Larry and Murkrow.

With a grin, he used a chip to scan the data of the incoming Pokémon before they appeared. "Just four Zubats, all with red potential, and the highest level is 10," he chuckled.

Murkrow, now hovering in the air, had undergone rigorous training over the past few days, and its potential had been fully restored. It had grown to enjoy battle, relishing the thrill of becoming a gust of wind, darting among its opponents, and toying with them.

"Murkrow, Tailwind mode and use Astonish!" Larry commanded.

Streams of air rapidly converged around Murkrow, forming a conspicuous black aura, especially visible against the setting sun. With its beak wide open, a piercing screech echoed, creating ripples in the air.

Two of the Zubats suddenly halted in mid-air, their faces showing signs of fright. Although they weren't completely incapacitated, their movements had noticeably slowed. The other two Zubats, seemingly unaffected, merely shook their heads, appearing slightly irritated by the shrill noise.

Zubats typically have the ability Inner Focus, which prevents them from flinching due to fear. However, being creatures with sensitive ears, the startling and piercing noises can indeed cause them significant discomfort. Moreover, Zubats rely on echolocation using supersonic waves to navigate, and the startling and piercing noises can have a substantial impact on their ability to move effectively.

The two Zubats seemed to exchange a glance, both opening their mouths wide, emitting inaudible ripples of sound waves – it was the Supersonic move.

"Murkrow, maintain your speed, and eliminate those two first," Larry calmly ordered, enduring the interference of the supersonic waves.

Murkrow's aura intensified further as it closed in on the two Zubats.

"Use Peck!"

Before they could react, Murkrow executed two powerful Peck attacks in quick succession, causing two of the Zubats to fall to the ground, effectively ending their threat. In its high-speed flight state, Murkrow used Peck again, employing the same technique as in the daytime. With inertia combined with the skill, it swiftly eliminated the other two Zubats.

At that moment, the two Zubats initially affected by Astonish had recovered. Upon seeing their fallen comrades, fear appeared in their eyes. They fluttered their wings hesitantly, unsure whether to attack or retreat.

With a slight narrowing of his eyes and a cold smile on his lips, Larry noted that Zubats might hesitate, but he wouldn't.

"Murkrow, use Punishment to finish them off all at once!"

Punishment, a Dark-type status-changing move, had a high priority due to Murkrow's Prankster ability. Coupled with the prolonged Tailwind effect, a black light shot through the gap between the two remaining Zubats, leaving only two defeated Zubats on the ground.

Larry nodded in satisfaction. He was impressed with Murkrow's ability to use these moves. Although Murkrow hadn't fully recovered to its peak condition, its Prankster ability made it exceptionally strong in using status-changing moves. Combined with its gradually perfected Tailwind skill, it excelled in battles.

With its green potential, Murkrow's Prankster ability outshone the Zubats by a considerable margin. The seamless execution of its moves allowed it to swiftly defeat these Zubats, as anticipated.

Following the same strategy, Larry took advantage of the overconfidence and laziness of the Zubat leader to systematically deal with the remaining Zubats. Now, only the enraged Zubat leader remained.

...

[ Pokemon ]: Zubat (Yellow)

[ Gender ]: Male

[ Level ]: 12

[ Type ]: Poison, Flying

[ Ability ]: Inner Focus

[ Held Item ]: None

[ Moves ]: Leech Life, Supersonic, Astonish, Bite

[ Taught Moves ]: Wing Attack

[ Move Tutor] : None

...

This wild Pokemon had a yellow potential, and it was the first time Larry had encountered one. If he had an extra Poké Ball with him, he would undoubtedly capture it without hesitation. Whether as an ally for battles or a potential resource, it was a valuable find.

As the ongoing battle continued, Murkrow's wing flapping began to slow down, and the aura of wind that had surrounded it faded. Larry noticed Murkrow's condition and furrowed his brow.

It was still too strenuous.

However, seeing the Zubat leader on the verge of a violent outburst, they had no choice but to continue the battle.

Larry had considered letting Murkrow take a break earlier, but with the sun about to set, he abandoned the idea. Zubats were more active at night, and while Murkrow wouldn't be affected by darkness, Larry's command abilities would be hindered by the lack of light.

So, they had to defeat the Zubat leader before the sun completely disappeared. After that, they could occupy this foul-smelling Zubat cave. The forest would become even more dangerous at night, and venturing deeper into it meant facing threats lurking in every corner.