Chapter 11: Zubat

Chapter 11: Zubat

Shiba turned to Bishas and said, "As compensation, let him take one of our bred Pokémon."

"Fine, but he'll have to catch it himself. If he does well, he might get an extra reward!" Bishas agreed. He didn't mind giving a bit of incentive to a talented young person like Genma.

"Oh, and we looked after your Pokémon while you were unconscious," Shiba added. "We just gave them some basic treatment and food. Your Caterpie even evolved into Metapod while eating. As for the other two, they wouldn't eat anything we provided without you."

Genma opened his Poké Balls, seeing a blank-faced Metapod, with Magikarp and Charmander rushing up to him immediately.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Genma reassured them as he asked for some food and sat down to eat with them; he was also quite hungry.

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The Team Rocket base was underground, with the small hill above serving as a cover. Once his Pokémon were rested, Genma was escorted onto a small railcar, which twisted and turned through underground tracks until it reached another base.

"This is our breeding department, where we raise Pokémon for Team Rocket members," explained his escort, a regular Team Rocket grunt. Important figures like Bishas stayed at the main base, so they sent a grunt to guide him.

Genma reached the breeding room, and the information posted outside indicated that they had a wide range of Pokémon species found throughout Kanto. And naturally, these were all high-quality specimens, only the best making it to Team Rocket's breeding department.

Genma's eyes lingered on rooms labeled with names like Alakazam and Wartortle, but he knew he couldn't handle such Pokémon with his current abilities. After some consideration, he finally selected a room.

"I'll go with this one," he said, pointing to a room labeled "Zubat."

"That's not exactly a rare Pokémon," the grunt remarked. Zubat was widely used in Team Rocket due to its excellent tracking abilities. In his view, Genma should have chosen a rarer, stronger Pokémon, given the opportunity to take one from Team Rocket's breeding center.

"This one suits me better," Genma replied, offering no further explanation. Among the Pokémon here, there were rarities like Alakazam and Wartortle, but Genma avoided them. First, he wasn't sure he could capture them, and even if he did, they might not obey him. Plus, the information posted on each door suggested that these Pokémon weren't obtained through normal means, which could cause complications later. They were also likely weakened mentally and physically after long captivity. The Zubat he chose, however, was the offspring of a Team Rocket commander's Crobat and had the rare Infiltrator ability, making it more suitable for him.

Seeing Genma's decision, the grunt opened the door to the Zubat room and locked it behind him once he was inside.

The room was set up to resemble a forest, with an electronic clock displaying the time of day and light level. It showed that two hours and forty minutes of "daytime" remained. Clearly, the caretakers had been meticulous, creating a setting that allowed Zubat to gradually adapt to daylight.

As expected, the Zubat was sleeping during the day. It awoke at the sound of Genma's entrance. Seeing a human instead of food, the Zubat looked disgruntled. It was hungry after its nap and disappointed to see a creature it couldn't feed on.

"Come on out, Charmander." Genma called out his Charmander.

"Zubat screeched in delight upon seeing Charmander, sensing the warm blood coursing through its veins.

"Zubat, let's have a battle! If you lose, come with me; there's plenty of delicious food waiting outside," Genma offered.

It was unclear if Zubat understood his words, but it immediately attacked.

Watching Zubat dive at him as a dark blur, Genma shook his head. Zubat's strength was not in physical power or defense but in speed and tactical skill. This Zubat, still inexperienced, hadn't yet learned to use its strengths effectively.

"Ember," Genma commanded. Though weaker than some fire moves, Ember could still serve as a control tactic.

Charmander opened its mouth and released a burst of Ember toward the diving Zubat. The fire met its target, sending sparks across Zubat's body and forcing it to cry out and retreat.

"Don't let it use any stat-boosting moves. Follow up with Dragon Rage!" Genma ordered as Zubat rose to avoid the Ember range.

Charmander shifted moves, unleashing a powerful energy blast that hit Zubat before it could evade. Dragon-type moves are versatile against most types, and Zubat's Poison-Flying type was no exception, causing it to fall from the sky.

"Now, use Slash," Genma called out.

Charmander moved beneath the falling Zubat, raising its claws to strike.

"This should be enough. Go, Poké Ball!" Genma tossed a Poké Ball at the nearly defeated Zubat. As his own Pokémon, he didn't want to hurt it unnecessarily.

Having practiced his Poké Ball throw before becoming a trainer, Genma's aim was precise. The ball struck Zubat, capturing it within. The Poké Ball's red light blinked as Zubat tried to resist, but its low stamina made escape impossible, and it was successfully captured.

"Got it," Genma said with satisfaction. While turning Zubat into a fully capable fighter would take time, the first step was done.

"Nice work, Charmander," Genma praised. Whether human or Pokémon, he knew that giving credit where it was due was beneficial.

Charmander made a satisfied sound, and after some time with Genma, he could generally understand its expressions.

"You're saying Zubat was too weak?" Genma asked.

Charmander nodded. The Zubat had seemed scary, but its strength was underwhelming, posing no serious challenge, unlike Magikarp and Caterpie.

Genma chuckled. "Well, Magikarp's been trained by me, and Caterpie has natural talent. Zubat will catch up."

Looking at the Pokédex, Genma reviewed Zubat's moves: Absorb, Supersonic, Poison Fang, Swift, Mean Look, Venoshock, Haze, Leech Life, and Air Cutter. He was impressed with his choice. Despite its inexperience, this Zubat had excellent potential.

"This little guy hasn't fought much yet, so it seems weak. But it has a lot of talent. With training, it'll become strong. Make sure you keep improving so it doesn't surpass you," Genma playfully patted Charmander on the head.

Charmander confidently thumped its chest, promising to stay ahead.

Elsewhere, Shiba and Bishas had been observing Genma's actions from afar.

"See? I told you the kid was smart. He chose Zubat, so you don't have to worry about it being in the wrong hands," Shiba said to Bishas. The Zubat was the offspring of Bishas's Crobat, which is why it received special care in the breeding center.

This had also been a test for Genma. Dark organizations often favored Pokémon like Zubat for their abilities, but many trainers disliked them due to their Poison type, appearance, and the commitment required to evolve them into Crobat. Though rare and valuable, the other Pokémon in the center had lost much of their potential due to long confinement and experiments. Their primary value to Team Rocket was in producing future generations.

"Very well," Bishas agreed, pulling out a communicator. "Take him to the storage room and give him a top-tier reward."

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