Chapter 94: Searching for Scovillains

Andrew brought a plate filled with rice and dishes and set it down in front of Pawmi.

"Here, eat up."

"Paw~~"

Pawmi cheered, grabbed the plate, and began to eat with gusto.

Despite its small size, Pawmi had an impressive appetite. Before long, the plate was empty, licked clean as if it had just been washed.

"Paw~~" More please.

Pawmi held out the empty plate to Andrew.

"Alright, alright." Andrew took the plate and refilled it.

At that moment, Nacli hopped over, still annoyed with Pawmi and glaring at it with a grumpy expression.

Andrew took Nacli's plate, refilled it, and said, "Nacli, Pawmi was wrong earlier. I apologize on its behalf. Please don't stay mad."

"Naacli~"

However, Nacli felt that it wasn't right for Andrew to apologize for Pawmi's mistake and insisted that Pawmi should apologize directly.

Andrew agreed with this. Since he had captured Pawmi, he needed to instill proper values in it. He patted Pawmi's round belly.

"Pawmi, apologize to Nacli."

With its mouth full, Pawmi mumbled, "Paw~" Why?

Andrew replied sternly, "If you make a mistake, you need to apologize. Otherwise, should I take away your food? How does that sound?"

Pawmi, alarmed by the thought, quickly complied. It swallowed the food in its mouth and turned to Nacli, saying, "Paw~ Paw~" Sorry!

Satisfied, Nacli left to continue its own lunch.

Andrew patted Pawmi's head. "That's a good Pokémon. Remember, you can't just take or steal things from others in the future."

"Paw~"

Pawmi nodded, somewhat understanding, and resumed eating its meal.

After lunch, everyone sat on the grass chatting. Around 1 PM, the professors and the researchers returned to the lab, and Diancie accompanied them.

Andrew and Arven cleaned up the dishes and pots, then prepared to continue exploring Area Zero to capture more Pokémon.

He still had one task remaining: to capture a Scovillain or Capsakid.

Before leaving, Andrew had Munchlax take the Charcadets, Dollivs, Garganacl, and the two Nacli back to Nebel Plateau. It was time for them to get accustomed to their new home and spend some time with their companions.

After sending the Pokémon off, Andrew studied the Pokémon distribution map in his hand, deep in thought.

Seeing Andrew's concerned expression, Arven asked, "Andrew, what's wrong? Which Pokémon are we targeting this afternoon?"

Andrew responded, "I want to capture a Scovillain and Capsakid, but the distribution map from the professor doesn't show where they are."

Since the system issued this task, they should be in Area Zero!

"Paw~ Paw~"

At that moment, Pawmi hugged Andrew's leg and continued calling out to him.

Andrew looked down and asked, "What's the matter, Pawmi?"

"Paw~ Paw~"

Pawmi called and gestured with its hands.

Andrew asked, "Do you know where to find Scovillain and Capsakid?"

"Paw~ Paw~" Pawmi nodded vigorously.

"Can you lead me there?" Andrew asked.

Pawmi nodded eagerly but then extended its hand.

"What's this about?" Andrew asked, puzzled.

Pawmi gestured repeatedly, and Andrew, both amused and exasperated, said, "You just had lunch, and you ate a lot. Do you want more now?"

"Pawmi ~paw~" Pawmi stubbornly shook its head. It wouldn't lead the way without getting something to eat.

"Alright, alright, here you go!" Andrew said, pulling a cucumber from his backpack and handing it over.

Pawmi eagerly took the cucumber, placed it on its shoulder, and began walking quickly, glancing back and waving to Andrew to follow.

Andrew turned to Arven and said, "Let's go."

They both mounted their Espathra and followed Pawmi, with the two Oinkologne and Maschiff trailing behind.

Pawmi moved quickly, and soon Andrew and the others left the upper level and reached the middle level.

Andrew asked, "Pawmi, are we almost there?"

"Pawmi~"

Pawmi took a bite of the cucumber, shook its head, and kept pointing downwards.

"You mean it's still below? Not in the middle level?" Andrew asked, surprised.

"Paaw~"

Pawmi nodded vigorously.

It had seen the Capsakid and Scovillain in the lower level; it came from there but had accidentally ended up in the upper level.

Andrew said, "Alright, let's continue searching."

"Paw~" Pawmi agreed and continued forward with half a cucumber, its round rear wiggling with each step.

The entrance from the middle level to the lower level was still guarded by the League personnel. After presenting the professor's pass, the guards allowed them to proceed, but as Andrew was about to enter the lower level, the guard cautioned:

"Pokémon in the lower level are much stronger than those in the upper and middle levels. Be careful. If you encounter any danger, feel free to call for help!"

"Okay, thanks," Andrew replied gratefully.

After parting with the guards, Andrew entered the lower level of Area Zero.

As soon as they arrived, a Pokémon blocked their path.

This Pokémon was deep blue, with flower-like petals, and its golden-yellow eyes locked onto Andrew and the others.

It was a Glimmora!

Glimmora, a Rock/Poison-type Pokémon, is rare outside but is common in the lower level of Area Zero.

Seeing the Glimmora glaring at them, Andrew said to Arven and the Pokémon, "Let's not provoke it; let's just move away quietly."

Pawmi nodded in agreement. It was best not to provoke the Glimmora; their power in the lower level was too great.

Just as Andrew and the others were about to take a detour, the Glimmora suddenly opened its petals and fired a Ancient Power at them.

Andrew was alarmed and thought, What's this about? We haven't done anything to you!

"Espathra, dodge quickly!"

Espathra used its long legs to leap and easily avoided the attack, carrying Andrew and Arven with it.

Pawmi had already hidden its head and dug a hole to escape, while the Oinkologne and Maschiff also ran away quickly.

Boom!!!

With a loud explosion, a huge crater formed where the Espathra had been standing.

Espathra, proud and defensive, was ready to retaliate against the unprovoked attack. However, Andrew shouted, "Espathra, let's get out of here. Don't engage it."

Andrew noticed numerous Glimmora and Glimmet hiding near the rocks and large crystals. If they fought, wouldn't other Pokémon from the same group come after them?

Espathra hesitated but eventually decided to follow Andrew's command. It picked up Pawmi, who had emerged from the dirt, and fled.

The Oinkologne and Maschiff followed closely behind.

"Pawmiii~" Ah!!!

Pawmi was tossed around by Espathra, screaming and flailing. The remaining piece of cucumber in its hand had disappeared.

Once they were far enough from the Glimmora, Espathra stopped, and Pawmi was unceremoniously dropped onto the ground.

"Pawmi~!" You owe me my cucumber! My cucumber!

Pawmi quickly got up, pointing at Espathra, crying and shouting. It then sat down and cried, its short legs kicking furiously.

"Paw~ paw~" My cucumber! My cucumber is gone!

Espathra: (–_–|||)

Andrew dismounted from the Espathra and pulled out a cucumber, placing it into Pawmi's arms. "Here you go, here you go!"

"Paw~"

Pawmi, clutching the whole cucumber, immediately stopped crying. With tears at its eyes and a snot bubble at its mouth, it grinned up at Andrew.

It wiped its face with its hand, patted its bottom, and quickly got up, hoisting the cucumber onto its shoulder and striding off with determination.

"Paw~ Paw~" Hurry up, keep up!

Halfway through, Pawmi turned around and waved at Andrew.

"This guy..."

Andrew, along with Arven and the Pokémon, followed closely behind.

After about twenty minutes, they arrived at a grassy area.

The lower grasslands were still inhabited by many Pokémon, like Girafarig, Farigiraf, and Frosmoth. Andrew and the others also spotted Pawmi's kin.

These Pawmis were generally at a low level and very skittish, quickly hiding in the grass or burrows at the slightest disturbance. It was evident they weren't very strong, which explained why the somewhat cocky Pawmi claimed it was unbeatable among its kind.

It's all about the contrast with others! Pawmi's individual values were indeed impressive, but its level was low and it hadn't evolved, so its strength was not remarkable.

However, despite the low levels of Pawmi, Andrew observed that Pokémon in the lower areas generally had higher levels compared to those in the middle and upper areas. Along the way, he had already encountered several Pokémon above level 50, with some even surpassing level 60.

No wonder the guards had warned him to be cautious.

Pokémon above level 50 were typically challenging for trainers to handle, let alone those above level 60. If Andrew didn't have the Komala with him, he would be reluctant to explore freely.

"Paw~ Paw~"

Pawmi was signaling to its kin, and soon the other Pawmi pointed in a direction and ran off with Pawmi.

Pawmi looked back and waved, signaling Andrew and the others to follow.

After running a short distance, Andrew and the others finally spotted their target: Scovillain and Capsakid!

Scovillain and Capsakid were basking in the sun on the grass. It seemed to be a family—two Scovillain parents with three Capsakid.

"Paw~ Paw~"

The Pawmi chattered excitedly to Andrew's Pawmi, who then relayed the message to Andrew, indicating that they had found Scovillain and Capsakid.

Andrew crouched down, smiling and patting Pawmi on the head. "Thanks, you've done well."

"Paw~"

Pawmi's face lit up with a satisfied smile.

Andrew approached and faced Scovillain and Capsakid, who all turned to look at him.

Scovillain had two heads, one red and one green, giving it a rather intimidating appearance.

"I want to capture you, so let's have a battle!" Andrew declared.

At the same time, his Observation Eye revealed the details of the two Scovillain.

Scovillain

- Type: Grass, Fire

- Ability: Chlorophyll

- Gender: Male

- Level: 60

- Skills: Spicy Extract, Flamethrower, Glare, Fire Fang, Leaf, Bite, Growth, Leaf Blade, Sunny Day, Seed Bomb, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, Worry Seed, Seed Bomb, Overheat, Solar Beam.

[Individual Values:]

- HP: 11

- Attack: 15

- Defense: 19

- Special Attack: 16

- Special Defense: 11

- Speed: 23

Scovillain

- Type: Grass, Fire

- Ability: Insomnia

- Gender: Female

- Level: 54

- Skills: Spicy Extract, Flamethrower, Glare, Fire Fang, Leaf, Bite, Growth, Leaf Blade, Sunny Day, Seed Bomb, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, Worry Seed, Seed Bomb, Overheat, Solar Beam.

[Individual Values

- HP: 19

- Attack: 21

- Defense: 10

- Special Attack: 13

- Special Defense: 6

- Speed: 5

Both Scovillain had high levels and a variety of skills, but their overall IVs weren't particularly impressive. They shouldn't be too difficult to deal with.

"Capsakid~ Cap~"

"Capsakid~"

"Capsa~"

Upon hearing Andrew's words, the three Capsakids got very excited and rushed forward, eager to battle him.

The two Scovillains quickly bent down, scooped up the three kids, and tossed them behind them. Then they roared fiercely, "Scovill~ Scov!!!" Go back! Behave yourselves!

The three Capsakids immediately cowered from the roar, shrinking their heads and sitting obediently on the grass.

Despite their somewhat awkward and cute appearance, after a few more looks, Andrew found the Capsakids quite adorable.

After calming the kids, the two Scovillains moved to face Andrew and called out to him.

"Scovillain~"

"Scovil~"

Andrew asked, "So you're saying that I need to defeat both of you at the same time before you'll agree to come with me?"

The two Scovillains nodded in agreement.

"Alright then!" Andrew said, nodding back.

As soon as Andrew finished speaking, Espathra jumped into action, moving to face the Scovillains.

It hadn't had a chance to participate in the fight against Garganacl last time, so it was eager to get involved this time.

Andrew had initially planned to let the Komala take on both of them, but since the Espathra was enthusiastic to join, he decided not to call it back.

Alright, let it go!

"Komala, I'm counting on you too," Andrew said as he placed the Komala on the ground.

Since this was a double battle, having two Pokémon on his side should be fine, right?

The Komala rolled over to join the Espathra, and together they faced the two Scovillains.

"Can we start the match now?" Andrew asked the two Scovillains.

The Scovillain pair nodded simultaneously.

Their heads do resemble peppers, specifically bell peppers, and with their thin necks, Andrew was worried their heads might fall off like ripe fruit when they nodded.

"Then… let the match begin!"

As soon as Andrew's words were spoken, the Espathra acted first, unleashing its special move, Lumina Crash, a colorful sphere shooting towards the female Scovillain.

The female Scovillain was not to be outdone. Its red head opened its mouth, and a column of fire burst out to intercept the colorful sphere.

Even though the female Scovillain was at a higher level than the Espathra, its fiery attack did not prevail. After a momentary struggle with the Lumina Crash, it was defeated.

Just as the colorful sphere was about to strike the female Scovillain, another column of fire arrived, smashing near Espathra.

(End of chapter)