Chapter Four: You All Belong to Me
Yinyu City Forest
Cheng Cheng led Chimecho gradually deeper into the forest. The closer they walked towards the heart of the woods, the more Pokémon appeared, both in number and variety. Naturally, Cheng Cheng would not let such an opportunity to catch new Pokémon slip by.
He decided to start by taking paths that had once been well-trodden, reasoning that the chance of encountering packs of Pokémon would be slim there. Though Chimecho’s level was decent, neither Cheng Cheng nor Chimecho had any real battle experience.
A rustling sound came from the bushes.
“Chimecho, get ready for battle.”
“Ching-ching!”
Cheng Cheng surmised that there was likely a Pokémon in the undergrowth and readied himself.
Suddenly, a yellow-brown mouse burst out, its prominent incisors immediately marking it as a Raticate.
At the same time, information about the Raticate appeared in Cheng Cheng’s vision:
Pokémon: Raticate
Type: Normal
Level: 27
Rank: Deep Orange
Rarity: Common
Ability: Guts
HP: 37/55
…
Total: 236/413
Held Item: None
Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Hyper Fang, Focus Energy
“Luckily, it’s slightly weaker than Chimecho, and there’s no type disadvantage. Still, I have to be careful—Raticate’s fangs are not to be underestimated.”
“Chimecho, use Yawn on Raticate.”
Seizing the initiative before Raticate could attack, Cheng Cheng had Chimecho use Yawn. The move hit, but Raticate showed no sign of drowsiness yet.
“Chimecho, use Psywave.”
“Ching-ching!”
Ripples of psychic energy struck Raticate, and at last, it began to look sleepy.
“Now’s the time! Go, Poké Ball!” Cheng Cheng shouted the phrase uttered by so many trainers capturing Pokémon, but as he did, he felt something was off.
The Poké Ball shook twice, then stilled. He had caught his first Pokémon since arriving in this world.
“Yes! Wonderful! That’s ten thousand League coins earned.”
“Chimecho, you did great. Let’s keep it up.”
“Ching-ching!” Chimecho was delighted by his praise, floating joyfully in the air.
He continued with this strategy—catching Pokémon off-guard using Yawn and Psywave, then capturing the hypnotized Pokémon.
But the method was not always so effective; soon, they encountered a Pokémon that required a direct confrontation.
Pokémon: Scyther
Type: Bug, Flying
Level: 28
Rank: Yellow
Rarity: Rare
Ability: Technician
HP: 32/70
…
Total: 276/500
Held Item: None
Moves: Quick Attack, Leer, Focus Energy, Pursuit, False Swipe, Agility, Fury Cutter, Wing Attack
“This one’s tough.”
Seeing Scyther’s stats made Cheng Cheng nervous. He considered giving up, but the value of Scyther convinced him to try.
“Chimecho, let’s do our best.”
“Ching-ching!” Chimecho responded eagerly.
“Chimecho, use Growl!”
Chimecho’s sound echoed through the forest.
With a sharp cry, Scyther charged at Chimecho.
“Chimecho, dodge quickly!”
Scyther unleashed Fury Cutter, but Chimecho, nimble thanks to its small body, managed to evade the attacks.
“Chimecho, use Tackle!”
Chimecho crashed hard into Scyther, sending it flying.
Enraged, Scyther used Agility and struck before Chimecho could avoid it.
“Chimecho, are you alright?”
“Ching—” Chimecho shook its head, signaling it was fine.
“Good, let’s keep going. Chimecho, use Psywave!”
Chimecho’s psychic waves disoriented Scyther, throwing off its aim. Scyther crashed headlong into a nearby tree.
“Now, Chimecho, use Double-Edge!”
Chimecho’s second impact left Scyther incapacitated.
Cheng Cheng drew a Poké Ball, tossed it, and captured Scyther.
“Well done, Chimecho. Let’s call it a day for now. We need to set up camp and prepare for the night.”
With Chimecho’s help, Cheng Cheng quickly prepared dinner, set up their tent, and only then did Abra appear briefly. After a full day of catching Pokémon, Cheng Cheng was exhausted and soon drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Cheng Cheng rose early, finished breakfast, and set out again to capture more Pokémon.
After a while, he encountered a Pokémon that truly excited him: Ralts. Though not exceedingly rare, Ralts could evolve into Gardevoir, one of Cheng Cheng’s favorites. What’s more, this Ralts had impressive stats.
Pokémon: Ralts
Type: Psychic, Fairy
Level: 14
Rank: Light Green
Rarity: Rare
Ability: Synchronize
Special Ability: Super Perception
HP: 20/28
Attack: 13/25
Defense: 12/25
Speed: 25/40
Special Attack: 18/45
Special Defense: 17/35
…
Total: 105/198
Held Item: None
Moves: Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport
“Go, Chimecho! We must capture this Ralts.”
“Ching-ching!”
“Chimecho, use Tackle!”
Chimecho struck Ralts, knocking it aside. Just as Cheng Cheng prepared for another attack, Ralts used Teleport and vanished.
“Damn it.” Cheng Cheng was furious to see Ralts escape.
One drawback of Psychic-type Pokémon is their tendency to use Teleport when being captured, making them difficult to catch.
“Ching-ching—”
“It’s okay, Chimecho.”
“Ching-ching, ching-ching—” Chimecho swayed, as if trying to convey something.
“You mean you can find it?”
“Ching-ching.” Chimecho nodded.
“Ching-ching—”
Waves of psychic energy radiated outward.
“This is… Psywave?”
“I never thought Psywave could be used to search for Pokémon. Amazing.”
Delighted by his praise, Chimecho spun happily.
“Did you find it, Chimecho? Let’s go.”
“Ching-ching—”
Chimecho floated in a direction, with Cheng Cheng following closely. Before long, they encountered the same Ralts again. With its low level, Ralts hadn’t teleported far.
“Ralts, you won’t escape this time.”
“Go, Chimecho! Tackle, now!”
“Ching-ching!” The Tackle hit Ralts directly.
“Now, Chimecho, use Bind!”
Chimecho wrapped Ralts tightly, the pain from Bind preventing it from using Teleport.
“Go, Poké Ball!”
At the instant the Poké Ball touched Ralts, Chimecho released its hold. The Poké Ball flashed twice, then popped open—Ralts broke free.
“Stubborn one! Chimecho, finish it with Double-Edge!”
Chimecho crashed hard into Ralts, leaving it unable to continue battling.
“Again, go Poké Ball!”
This time, the ball shook twice then fell still.
Chimecho rolled the Poké Ball over and handed it to Cheng Cheng.
“At last, I have Ralts.”
A joyful smile broke across Cheng Cheng’s face.