Crack.
With every dry twig Natsuhiko stepped on, he grew even more tense.
Fortunately, after the day's exploration of Dense Wood Forest, Weedle had already adapted to maintaining a heightened state of alert in the wild.
Especially since this adventure was something it insisted on fiercely; if not for its persistence, with Natsuhiko's cautious character, he probably wouldn't have chosen to venture in.
However.
In this regard, Weedle was mistaken.
The decision Natsuhiko made was well thought out, and no one's words would affect his decision, not even Weedle's.
Despite knowing the dangers, he still chose to proceed.
Simply because he confirmed that the object attracting Weedle was not ordinary.
If he could obtain it, it might bring tremendous benefits to Weedle. Even if he couldn't, he wouldn't regret trying.
He remembered every path by heart, including each clump of grass or tree root that might become an obstacle.
Any Pokémon encountered along the path that posed a threat was dealt with to prevent hindrances on the return journey.
If he couldn't clear the Pokémon on the path, there was no reason to venture deeper.
The sun gradually disappeared beyond the horizon.
The moon slowly rose from the east.
Gentle moonlight cloaked the forest, as if draping it in a thin veil, adding a touch of haze.
Moonlight filtered through the layers of leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
Visibility in the forest dropped noticeably, relying entirely on hearing and Weedle's sensing of the surroundings.
Suddenly.
A shadow darted out from the bush beside them.
But it didn't approach Natsuhiko's direction.
Upon closer inspection, it was a Rattata.
It moved with a bit of panic, flashed in front of Natsuhiko, and leapt directly into the grass on the other side.
Yet seeing this, Natsuhiko did not relax; instead, he intensified his watch on the direction from which Rattata emerged.
The nocturnal predators appeared earlier than expected.
Rustle...
The sound of friction in the bushes, moving at a fast pace.
Soon after, a slender Ekans slithered out, its pair of bright yellow eyes particularly vivid at night, flickering its snake tongue.
It was the Pokémon pursuing Rattata.
However, as soon as it emerged from the bushes, it sensitively detected the presence of Natsuhiko and Weedle.
Weedle saw the Ekans tremble slightly.
Intimidation Trait.
Not giving Ekans time to react and think, Natsuhiko shouted.
"Weedle, Spin Silk."
Hiss—
Prepared, Weedle unhesitatingly spat out a thread, aiming directly at Ekans's eyes.
The sticky white thread stood out distinctly in the dim forest, reflecting the lingering moonlight.
Aiming precisely, it hit Ekans's eyes.
Suffering a sudden attack on its vulnerable eyes, Ekans panicked briefly.
But it quickly regained its composure, its predatory rage surging.
Snakes rely only partially on their vision to hunt.
But since Natsuhiko and Weedle initiated the attack, they didn't intend to give Ekans much reaction time.
"Power Grid."
Crackle...
A net charged with yellow sparks was spat from Weedle's mouth, expanding rapidly due to air tension as it advanced, enveloping Ekans which failed to dodge in time.
The stimulating current, although not strong, caused Ekans to briefly convulse and spasm, prevented it from breaking free quickly due to the silk's excellent tensile strength.
"Insect Bite."
Seize the opportunity when it's down.
Since Poison-type and Insect-type techniques aren't most effective against Ekans, Natsuhiko opted for Insect Bite, which Weedle could use to maximize damage.
Weedle spat out a thread, attaching to Ekans, and swung forward like a swinging pendulum.
"Crunch!!"
A scream of pain echoed out.
The small Weedle clung to Ekans temporarily restrained by silk, its glowing green jaws fiercely biting at its critical spot.
Immediately, scales shattered, muscle fibers tore, and blood spurted.
Seeing Ekans showing signs of breaking free due to pain, Weedle quickly reinforced its silk bindings on the serpent.
Once certain Ekans couldn't escape soon, it clamped down again.
Ekans never imagined, as a predator, that a moment of negligence would lead to it being ambushed by a Weedle, deemed as low on the food chain.
The crux was the strong and sticky threads, further facilitated by electrical stimulation, which Ekans couldn't break free from comfortably.
And in those brief moments, it paid a heavy price.
Witnessing the battered, incapacitated Ekans, Natsuhiko simply stepped over it. "Time is tight—the longer night stays, the more perilous it gets. If it's still here when we return, we'll handle it, if not, we'll let it go; don't lose the melon for a sesame seed."
Weedle returned to Natsuhiko's shoulder via its silk without commenting, its small eyes flickering towards the depths of the forest.
It could sense the proximity.
Thankfully, it wasn't in the forest's deepest parts.
If it were, Weedle might not have detected it.
From Weedle, Natsuhiko gathered this information.
But he focused more on another issue.
"Judging from the reactions of Rattata and Ekans, they didn't seem to sense the presence as Weedle did. Rattata is understandable as a General Type, but Ekans also possesses Poison Attributes and wasn't attracted, so could this thing luring Weedle be related to the Insect-type?"
The conclusion he reached was mixed.
This meant there likely wouldn't be Pokémon of other attributes vying, considerably lessening the pressure.
Conversely, there would undoubtedly be numerous Insect-type Pokémon in the forest, possibly all attracted like Weedle, heading in the same direction.
Time was pressing; Weedle's increasing agitation was visible proof.
Yet, Natsuhiko kept his composure, approaching gradually.
During this, they defeated a Zubat and Mankey blocking the path, clearing potential obstacles on the return route.
Spotting any anomaly would let them retreat with Weedle immediately.
They crossed a small stream and went through several dense bushes.
Finally.
As they drew closer.
Natsuhiko too smelled a faint green scent, showing how tempting the scent must be to Pokémon.
An unexpectedly open area emerged within the dense forest, with visibility restored as moonlight illuminated the ground directly.
He could see.
In this open area, numerous Pokémon lingered, some grouped into Pokémon races, each detaching sections and watching each other cautiously.
The largest numbers were on Weedle and Beedrill's side, opposing Caterpie and Butterfree's side, with smaller Pokémon races like Paras in between.
Among them was a solitary, robust Pinsir, occupying a patch of territory by itself.
These Pokémon eyed each other warily.
But it was noticeable their gazes subtly fixated on the center of the area.
Natsuhiko, hiding within the thick bushes, could faintly glimpse a sapling growing at the center of the area.
What truly attracted these Insect-type Pokémon were two round, emerald-green fruits growing on the sapling, emitting a soft glow under the moonlight.
A few Venonat stood under the tree, guarding against nearby Insect-type Pokémon, their antennae frequently twitching, revealing two sharp teeth.
This seemed to be originally the Venonats' domain, and the object enticing the Insect-type Pokémon was what they guarded.
Natsuhiko squinted his eyes.
Looking at the fruits, he recalled descriptions from a recently read book on Insect-type Pokémon regarding such fruits.
"Insect Fruit? A prime ingredient for top-tier Insect-type Pokémon Energy Block, enhancing Insect-type Pokémon's perception and utilization of Insect Energy, improving Insect-type Pokémon's comprehension and mastery of Insect-type Techniques?"
Information about the two fruits flashed in his mind.
At the same time, he understood why it piqued such interest from Weedle and nearby Insect-type Pokémon.
This was nature's blessing to Pokémon.
But such blessings, naturally, drew numerous Insect-type Pokémon.
Filled with peril.