Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof
-----------------
After successfully taking down two opponents in a row and capturing both, Riolu was able to step down for a well-deserved rest, making way for an eager little feline who had been waiting impatiently.
The reason Torracat was saved for last… well, Fire-type Pokémon simply aren't built for stealth.
Once it starts using moves, it's all flashes of light and bursts of heat—like a living cannonball. There's no way any Pokémon could miss it, no matter how blind they might seem.
Not to mention, these wild Pokémon might look slow and dumb, but unless your speed is top-tier, good luck catching them.
So, realistically, Torracat couldn't rely on Fire-type moves for ambushes. Moves of other types, though? Those were fair game.
"This sandy terrain isn't ideal for you. Let's find a better spot, Torracat."
Li Xiang didn't linger in the area that had brought him double the surprises. Too many Pokémon here knew Dig, and Torracat wasn't exactly built for underground battles.
Torracat had no objections. After scanning the surroundings, it let out a soft meow in agreement.
---
The Jungle.
The place where Li Xiang had first struck gold—and also where he'd first hit a wall.
He'd been keeping an eye out for a certain chubby rabbit Pokémon, but whether it had gone into hiding or been captured by someone else, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of it.
As for Torracat?
Being a feline, it adapted to the jungle environment with ease, leaping between branches as it searched for its next target.
Soon enough, its peripheral vision caught sight of a Pidgey—perched in a makeshift nest, neck tucked in like a brooding hen. It looked like it was asleep, but its eyes were cracked open just a sliver, ever vigilant.
Target acquired.
Torracat and Li Xiang exchanged a glance, silently agreeing on the plan.
The problem? The distance was too great, and the Pidgey was up in a tree. Torracat's job was to close the gap—and then… startle it.
"Meow!"
When Torracat was barely five meters away, it didn't attack. Instead, it let out a low growl.
Instantly, the Pidgey shot into the air, wings flapping wildly—pure instinct. When threatened, bird Pokémon take off fast.
But that very instinct could also be its downfall.
For example—
"Meow!"
Another growl, followed by a dull thud.
The Pidgey's heart clenched as an overwhelming sense of dread flooded its mind—as if it were already suffering in Torracat's jaws.
Paralyzed by fear, it forgot to keep flapping its wings, stiffening up like a startled goat mid-air.
Its body wobbled before plummeting downward.
Opportunity.
Torracat's eyes gleamed as the bell around its neck heated up rapidly, flames engulfing its body.
Flame Charge!
A compact fireball, like a shooting star, crashed straight into the Pidgey mid-fall!
Before the bird could even react, Torracat's jaws clamped onto its wing, scorching heat searing into its feathers.
"Squawk—!!"
The Pidgey—whose real-world counterpart was supposedly an osprey—let out a chicken-like screech, helpless as Torracat used it as a cushion for landing, slamming it into the ground with a thud.
But Torracat wasn't done.
Its maw widened, dark energy gathering around its fangs as it aimed straight for the Pidgey's throat.
Crunch!
Crack! Poof!
A burst of white smoke exploded outward.
"Yeesh—"
Li Xiang winced, turning his head slightly as he held out a PokéBall. Torracat had gone hard—for a second, he'd almost thought the Pidgey's throat had been crushed.
Of course, that wasn't possible.
Most Pokémon bones were ridiculously tough. Unless the gap in power was massive—like with something like Buzzwole—Torracat's bite strength wasn't enough to shatter bones.
Hah. "Crunch" failing to actually crunch anything. Kinda funny.
As the smoke cleared, Li Xiang tossed the PokéBall, capturing the Pidgey with ease.
He checked his watch.
Exactly thirty minutes.
Four more to go. If they pushed hard, they might even finish early.
"Great job!"
Li Xiang scratched Torracat under the chin, the feline consciously keeping its bell's temperature low to avoid burning him.
Right now, Torracat was experimenting with controlling the heat of its bell at will—much like how Rapidash's flames don't burn its trainer, or how Charmander's tail flame reflects its health.
If Torracat could master this, the next step would be learning to absorb flames—just like Ash's Torracat, mimicking the Flash Fire ability.
Li Xiang had high hopes for this.
He'd always wanted Torracat to replicate that flame-absorbing trick, but it wasn't something you could just do overnight. One wrong move, and Torracat could end up in the ER.
---
Continuing the Hunt.
Even though Fire-type moves were off the table for stealth, Torracat's Fake Out was ridiculously effective.
Used at the right moment, it was practically a guaranteed win.
Next up, Li Xiang stumbled upon a Gloom—half-buried in the dirt, pretending to be a mushroom.
The moment it sensed them approaching, it tried to hit them with a Stun Spore ambush.
Too bad Torracat's whisker-radar caught it in time. One Heat Wave later, and the Gloom learned the hard way not to mess with them.
This was when Li Xiang truly grasped how dangerous the wild could be.
He'd completely missed the Gloom at first, nearly stepping on it. If not for Torracat's warning, he'd have been paralyzed on the spot.
So this is what traditional trainers deal with?
Li Xiang pocketed the Gloom's PokéBall, heart still pounding, but he had no idea the worst was yet to come.
---
A Grimer.
Not just any Grimer—one that had disguised itself as a patch of swamp sludge, lying in wait until Torracat and Li Xiang got close before launching a surprise attack.
The thing dragged the entire swamp with it, a tidal wave of filth crashing down on Torracat like a mudslide.
Even though it wasn't aiming for Li Xiang, the splatter left him drenched in stinking muck.
This was something he hadn't anticipated.
The jungle and the swamp had no clear boundary—no warning signs. You had to figure it out yourself.
The stench clinging to him was so foul Li Xiang nearly lost it on the spot.
Thankfully, his rage translated into a burning determination to capture that Grimer and teach it a lesson.
Torracat, being a cleanliness-obsessed feline, was furious. Ignoring all caution, it blasted the Grimer with an Overheat!
The superheated air vaporized part of the Grimer's sludge body, forcing it to recoil in pain, but Torracat wasn't letting it off that easy.
Double Kick hammered into the Grimer's head like a war stomp, each impact sending shockwaves through the sludge.
Then came Flame Charge, relentless and furious.
With Torracat going all out, the Grimer stood no chance. Its body shrank under the flames, dwindling to barely chest-height.
Panicking, it tried to Minimize and slip away—but Torracat wasn't falling for the same trick twice.
Just as the Grimer reached the swamp's edge, Torracat pounced, pinning it down and bombarding it with Ember until it had no choice but to surrender.
And so, Li Xiang's eighth capture was secured.
"I really—"
Li Xiang sniffed himself and immediately gagged.
"Eat this."
After rinsing his hands, he fed Torracat a Pecha Berry to cure its poisoning.
No doubt about it—Torracat was badly poisoned. Its fur hid purplish skin, its movements sluggish, and worst of all, its mouth reeked of something rancid.
Fighting Grimer up close had been a mistake. Li Xiang had been too focused on his own filth to remember to keep Torracat at a distance.
Torracat swallowed the berry whole. If it weren't for the poisoning, it wouldn't have had any appetite at all.
"Let's switch. Only two left—you rest in the ball."
Not giving Torracat a chance to argue, Li Xiang recalled it and sent out Frogadier instead.
Frogadier landed, took one whiff of Li Xiang, and immediately scrunched up its face in disgust.
Li Xiang sighed.
"Let's just… go wash up."
With the way he smelled now, stealth was impossible.
---
The Pond.
After a quick rinse, Li Xiang watched as Frogadier used Camouflage to battle a Basculin, relief washing over him.
At least the worst of the stench was gone.
Two more captures, then a proper shower.
He glanced toward the exam center. The Association provided washing facilities for trainers—getting dirty was just part of the job.
Getting hit by wild Pokémon was normal too, but this experience had taught Li Xiang one thing:
He was just an academy-bred rookie.
He had no right to underestimate wild Pokémon.
Their traps weren't textbook examples—they were real, lethal tactics, and wild Pokémon didn't care if you were human.
If you got in their way, they'd fight.
If that Grimer had wrapped around me instead… how would I have escaped?
Lost in thought, Li Xiang barely noticed when Frogadier hurled something his way.
Instinctively, he tossed a PokéBall—capture successful.
Blinking, he looked up to see the Basculin Frogadier had been fighting now sealed inside.
Water was Frogadier's domain.
Here, its Camouflage was enhanced—even the ripples from its movements were masked.
Compared to land, its stealth was on another level.
A mere Basculin stood no chance.
In fact, Frogadier wasn't done yet. It dove back underwater, emerging moments later with a Shellder bound in foam rope, dragging it onto land.
On solid ground, the Shellder was helpless—a sitting duck as Frogadier struck from behind, dodging the weak Water Gun shots it spat out in desperation.
And just like that, Li Xiang's tenth capture was secured.
"...I should've come to the lake first."
He checked his watch.
Fifteen minutes left.
Seriously, I had no idea Frogadier was this unstoppable in water.
"Kero!"
Frogadier narrowed its eyes, clearly pleased with itself.