As more and more Meowth leaped from the bushes, their numbers eventually swelled to over twenty, forming a small army.
The Persian naturally was the leader of this flock. Judging by its energy fluctuations and the pressure it exuded, its level was roughly on par with the newly evolved Honchkrow.
In terms of raw strength, it wasn't particularly threatening. But the sheer numbers were concerning. Sieg had to be careful, after all, even a swarm of ants can bring down an elephant.
"Honchkrow, use Gust."
Honchkrow beat its wings, sending two violent gusts swirling from its black feathers. The winds formed small tornadoes that swept toward the Meowth below.
"Meowth!!"
Under Persian's command, all the Meowth plucked the gold coins from their foreheads and combined them into a makeshift shield for defense.
Pay Day.
Meanwhile, Sieg observed from behind and noticed Persian's tail being up. He instantly recognized this as the precursor to an attack.
"Crawdaunt, Aqua Jet forward and use Razor Shell."
The next second, Crawdaunt was instantly enveloped in a surge of water. Its thick, powerful legs kicked off hard as it shot directly toward the Persian.
Simultaneously, its right pincer didn't forget to charge up mid-flight, the water gradually forming into the shape of a Razor Shell.
While Crawdaunt occupied Persian head-on, Honchkrow began its ruthless slaughter. Sieg had no intention of showing mercy to these Pokémon that had tried to ambush him.
In the dim forest, Honchkrow's ink-black feathers wrapped around its body, blending seamlessly with the night.
The agonized cries of Meowth echoed through the trees.
Honchkrow's Moxie ability was on full display, growing stronger with each knockout. Its confidence was through the roof!
At the same time, Honchkrow's mastery over Moxie was deepening.
This pleased Sieg. In the future, he could regularly seek out these weaker groups to help Honchkrow train its ability.
After all, Moxie required a certain psychological state, believing oneself to be the strongest and reinforcing that confidence through suggestion.
"Crawdaunt, finish it with Brick Break!"
Sieg's voice was devoid of emotion. Crawdaunt instantly understood, leaping upward with force before bringing its massive pincer crashing down.
"Meowth!"
Persian's head was struck with enough force to twist slightly. The Fighting-type move Brick Break was super effective against the Normal-type Persian.
Crawdaunt was already just a hair's breadth away from Elite-level, several levels above Persian. Not to mention one was a wild Pokémon while the other was Sieg's meticulously trained ace.
Victory was decided in mere moments.
When the Meowth saw their leader defeated, they scattered like rats fleeing a sinking ship. Cat Pokémon were known for their cunning intelligence.
They certainly weren't going to stick around and throw their lives away.
Sieg had no interest in pursuing them. Wild Pokémon with exceptional potential were extremely rare, the odds were practically like winning the lottery.
Besides, he had already subdued the most valuable one. Sieg tossed a Poké Ball and captured Persian.
After a quick scan with his Pokédex, there was nothing remarkable about it. Average potential across the board, no egg moves, though it had a self-taught Water Pulse.
However, Sieg wasn't about to let Persian off that easily. After releasing the unconscious Persian, he ordered Crawdaunt to use Knock Off.
(Knock Off: Knocks away the opponent's held item)
The still-unconscious Persian took another light hit.
A surge of dark energy rippled through, and Persian suddenly coughed up a large silver-white pearl from within its body.
"What a shame. I thought it might have some rare treasure, but it's just ordinary valuables."
Sieg felt a twinge of disappointment. While this pearl was certainly worth a decent sum, easily a hundred thousand when sold, it fell far short of his expectations.
He had assumed that as the leader of a small flock, it would at least carry some rare natural treasures on it.
After all, Persian loved collecting precious, shiny objects. Which type-enhancing item wasn't shiny?
Even the Black Glasses that Sharpedo carried had a faint gleam on their surface.
...…
The morning forest gradually came alive as Pokémon began to stir. The early sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled spots of light across the ground.
Among the bushes, small Pokémon could be seen moving about.
Sieg had spent the entire night in the forest outside Mauville City.
Due to the heightened danger at night, he hadn't dared to cause too much commotion. Thus, he only emerged from the forest at dawn.
Along the way, he had dealt with quite a few nocturnal Pokémon, providing excellent training opportunity.
"Crawdaunt, use Crunch!"
Sieg watched intently as Crawdaunt battled a fierce Ursaring ahead.
When the battered Ursaring was finally clamped in Crawdaunt's pincers and hit with Crunch, losing its ability to fight, a blue-black energy began to emerge on Crawdaunt's body.
As more and more energy gathered, it finally reached a critical point, and Crawdaunt's presence surged dramatically.
Sieg's face lit up with joy. "Crawdaunt, you've finally leveled up? Elite-level!"
During the power plant battle, Crawdaunt had already reached level 39, one foot in the door of Elite-level.
While Sieg knew a breakthrough would come soon, he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. Crawdaunt had now reached Elite-level.
Elite-level was no joke.
At this tier, one could serve as a mid-level leader within the League, a true pillar of the organization.
Even in Team Rocket, this level of strength qualified someone for Squad Captain certification, commanding three Squad Leaders and a hundred grunts without issue.
For ordinary people, reaching this level was like a complete reversal of fortune. Whatever job they chose would bring substantial income.
Join the League and work diligently for a few decades, and you could secure official affiliated status for your descendants.
A technique suddenly surfaced in Crawdaunt's mind. Instinctively wanting to execute it, Crawdaunt began an intense, rhythmic dance, its presence condensing and rising once more.
It somewhat resembled Dragon Dance, though clearly far more unrefined in comparison.
Sieg recognized the move instantly.
"Swords Dance!"
When used, it dramatically increases a Pokémon's Attack stat!
Upon reaching Elite-level, Crawdaunt had instinctively drawn out Swords Dance from its bloodline. While many Pokémon could learn Swords Dance through leveling, most needed to reach level 50 or even 60 before having the chance.
But Crawdaunt only needed to reach level 40, Elite-level, to learn Swords Dance naturally. This was one of the species' rare advantages.