Under the bright moonlight,
nocturnal creatures grew active, and the roars of wild Pokémon echoed without end.
As Orion pressed forward, relying on his detection ability and his imperfect aura, he deftly avoided—or directly drove off—most wild Pokémon. None of the ones he had encountered so far met his standards. His minimum requirement was Green-tier potential.
The farther he traveled beyond the outskirts, the deeper he stepped into true wilderness.
Along the way, he discovered various wild resources—berries, herbs, and the like.
There were many types of berries. The most common and practical were Oran Berries and Leppa Berries, both capable of restoring a Pokémon's stamina. They were widely used in the market, frequently appearing in Pokémon food and energy cube production.
Berries were also graded by quality: Inferior, Normal, Excellent, and Superb. This directly affected their potency. In particular, Superb-grade berries, when consumed over long periods, could even enhance a Pokémon's talent.
Prices varied wildly—from a few dozen yuan to several million.
Orion made a rough estimate. His current harvest was barely worth a little over one thousand yuan.
The rustling of flowers, grass, and trees in the wind sharpened Orion's senses. He looked up abruptly.
"Oh?"
"After all this time… I finally ran into something worth paying attention to."
"Caw—!"
The moonlight overhead was suddenly blocked by a gray shadow, accompanied by a piercing screech.
In the blink of an eye, Orion rolled violently across the ground. He clearly heard the explosive impact of something smashing into the earth where he had been standing.
Propping himself up with one hand, he finally saw the attacker's true form.
A Fearow.
Pokémon: Fearow
Level: Elite Level (High Tier)
Talent: Yellow
Type: Normal / Flying
Ability: Keen Eye
Moves Known: Peck, Drill Peck, Growl, Fury Attack, Pursuit, Wing Attack, Quick Attack, Agility, Focus Energy, Take Down, Mirror Move
Note: With its massive wings, it can fly tirelessly for an entire day. It fights using its razor-sharp beak.
"Drill Peck has decent power," Orion commented calmly,
"but the attack points are scattered, and the execution speed is too slow. You're not properly using the momentum from high-speed flight and diving."
Even in the middle of battle, he was critiquing it.
Fearow and Pidgeot—common yet powerful Flying-type Pokémon—were often trained by Trainers or used as aerial mounts. Orion had captured and trained both in his previous life, so he was intimately familiar with Fearow's habits and pre-attack cues.
"Caw—!"
Fearow rose back into the air, glaring at the human below.
This human was utterly fearless.
Already notoriously hot-tempered, Fearow flew into a rage.
Its body shimmered under the moonlight as its speed surged to the limit. Talons spread wide, it dove straight down in a vicious assault.
Facing it head-on, Orion could clearly feel the violent disturbance in the surrounding airflow.
This was the key to judging a Flying-type Pokémon's attacks.
A wild Fearow's weaknesses were clear: its neck, joints, and abdomen—and its tendency to lose control when enraged.
On the other hand, its incredible stamina and ferocity made it extremely difficult to command unless completely overpowered.
Once again, Orion narrowly evaded the attack.
With an ordinary person's physique, reacting would have been impossible. He could only anticipate.
Seizing the opening, Orion slashed at Fearow's relatively fragile joints with his knife. Elite-level Pokémon had tough hides, but even with limited strength, the blade still tore through, inflicting serious damage.
Pain wracked Fearow's body. Its attack rhythm was disrupted, and rage mixed with humiliation.
Its long, sharp beak was like a sword—especially dangerous at close range. Even Orion, despite his strength, suffered several bloody cuts.
Fearow refused to retreat.
Fierce light burned in its eyes as it landed, wings flaring, and charged forward across the ground.
Like an out-of-control freight train, it became utterly reckless.
Forced to retreat again and again, Orion's expression darkened.
He no longer had the patience to toy with it.
More importantly, he sensed something else—
A large group of wild Pokémon was rapidly closing in.
Pokémon: Spearow
Level: Normal Rank (High Tier)
Talent: Orange
…
Pokémon: Spearow
Level: Normal Rank (High Tier)
Talent: Yellow
Beedrill and Spearow were infamous as "rookie killers." Every year, they contributed greatly to the grim reputation of the Trainer profession.
The reason was simple.
Both were pack-based Pokémon—extremely vengeful, aggressive, and relentless.
It wasn't hard to guess.
The Fearow before Orion was the leader of this Spearow flock.
"Caw—!"
As if confirming his thoughts, Fearow's hateful gaze gradually turned smug. It abandoned its reckless close-range assault.
Enduring the pain, it spread its wings and slowly ascended, striking a lofty, domineering pose—as if announcing the countdown to the human's death.
A dark mass surged through the sky.
The thunder of wings.
Shrill cries.
Pairs of blood-red eyes lighting up the night.
A Pokémon's intelligence was comparable to that of a child. At this moment, the Spearow flock looked almost playful—clearly anticipating the human's panic and despair.
But they were destined to be disappointed.
In the next instant—
A majestic aura erupted outward like a tidal wave.
To Fearow and the entire Spearow flock, it was sheer terror.
Overwhelmed by instinctive fear, they collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
Why?
The strong do not tolerate provocation.
They had seen powerful auras before—but none like this.
It wasn't a conscious decision. It was instinct.
Otherwise… they would die.
"Submission is your best option," Orion said calmly,
"or else… hmph."
He casually wiped the blood from his knife and lightly tossed a Poké Ball in his hand, making his meaning unmistakably clear.
This farce was over.
If you want to die, I don't mind calling out my real partners to finish things.
Fearow struggled to lift its head, staring at the figure before it—then lowered its gaze once more.
It couldn't understand this human.
Too terrifying.
That aura was even more frightening than if the forest's true overlord had personally arrived.
The law of the jungle and brutal survival taught Fearow and its flock one thing clearly—
This human was not bluffing.
Aura never lies.
As for why the pressure itself wasn't fully oppressive… perhaps this powerhouse was being merciful.
More importantly—did they dare gamble?
Losing meant death.
There was no shame in submission.
In fact, Fearow already considered it an honor to serve under such an existence.
"Bang—!"
A red-and-white Poké Ball flew out.
Orion's throw was precise. Red light burst forth, engulfing Fearow and drawing it inside.
Thump.
Thump.
Bang—
Capture successful.
Orion walked over, crouched down, picked up the Poké Ball, and released it again.
Fearow reappeared.
Though the overwhelming aura had vanished, it still carried the dignity of a flock leader.
The difference now was obvious—
Its eyes were filled with reverence and submission toward the human before it.
Orion glanced at the surrounding Spearow. The flock wasn't large—around twenty in total.
Their estimated value easily exceeded one hundred thousand yuan.
Not a single one had fled.
The lingering terror from moments ago had branded itself deep into their instincts.
Orion gave Fearow a look.
Fearow complied immediately, circling once in the air.
The flock still obeyed it.
That confirmed Orion's guess.
This was largely due to the aura.
Under normal circumstances, once a leader was defeated, the Spearow would have scattered and fled long ago.
Too easy.
"Good," Orion said.
"Bring me all the treasures your flock has collected—along with anything left behind by humans."
This was his first command.
So-called rookie killers—Pokémon capable of bringing down even experienced Trainers—were bound to have accumulated valuable loot.
Wild Pokémon attacked humans not just out of hostility.
Years of conflict had taught them something important:
Trainers carried resources.
Pokémon food.
Berries.
Energy cubes.
All of them—
Rare.
And valuable.