Pokemon Chronicles of Darkness

Chapter 22

Cain was shocked as he laid eyes on the Beedrill leader's data. He had harbored his suspicions about the leader's circumstances initially, but the revelation of its ability took him by surprise. Even in his previous life, after years spent as a Pokémon hunter, he had only encountered the leadership ability twice. Such an ability could elevate a Pokémon's innate talents by one small order, and it was a truly rare and extraordinary occurrence.

In the world of Pokémon, talents were divided into seven ranks: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and black. However, within each rank, there were also three subclasses based on the depth of the color. For instance, the leader's talent was a light green, approaching the green level, and the difference between that and a dark green aptitude was vast. Murkrow's talent, meanwhile, was green but of a darker shade, almost reaching the level of dark green. It was unlikely, however, that it would ever reach that level without the use of special methods or items.

The Beedrill leader's original talent should have been dark yellow, but it had been upgraded to light green due to its ability. As its offspring, the Weedle egg with green aptitude was the most highly talented existence in the entire colony, and if properly trained, it would become the strongest member of the colony. The existence of this Pokémon would also improve the talent of the entire colony as a whole.

It was no surprise that the Beedrill leader was livid upon discovering that its most exceptional child had gone missing, and it explained why the entire colony was outraged when they learned that the Weedle egg had vanished. Cain's actions had damaged the very foundation of the colony, and the repercussions were far more severe than the direct extermination of the Kakunas.

Of course, these thoughts were fleeting. After felling the otherwise injured Beedrills, Murkrow sustained a few hits of his own, which were not particularly severe but still put him in danger.

"Caw..." Murkrow let out a piercing screech, his shrill cries sending two of the surrounding Beedrills into a daze. As they were momentarily stunned, the flying-type energy between Murkrow's wings quickly coalesced, and with a flick of his wings, he unleashed Gust. The swirling wind enveloped both Murkrow and the nearby Beedrills.

Murkrow's wings continued to flap, amplifying the damage of Gust and blocking the Beedrill leader from attacking. As the power of the move increased, the Beedrills who had been desperately fighting were one by one thrown out and fell to the ground, motionless.

"Bang!" Murkrow stopped only when the last Beedrill fell, unable to continue battling. At the same time, the fierce whirlwind caused by Gust also dissipated, the spinning airflow making a muffled sound as it dissipated into the air.

Only the Beedrill leader and Murkrow remained in the air, facing each other. The Beedrill leader was the first to attack, using Quick Attack and transforming into a white flash of light, its double needles raised as it followed up with Twineedle.

"Use Peck, Murkrow," Cain commanded, and Murkrow's eyes narrowed as white light shone on his beak. While keeping Tailwind activated, Murkrow collided with the oncoming Beedrill.

"Boom!" The two Pokémon collided in an instant, flying backwards from the force of their attacks. A wave of fire appeared, twisting around Beedrill's body as it used 'Rage'.

This move deals damage, and if the user is hit by a direct attack, it raises the user's Attack by one stage.

Cain was unfazed by Beedrill's use of Rage. As long as Murkrow could maintain a safe distance, he would have the upper hand at all times. "Keep Tailwind activated and use Gust, Murkrow," he spoke calmly.

With the recent collision, the two Pokémon were once again separated. Gust formed almost instantly, slamming into the Beedrill. The whirlwind that kept blocking its path was a flying-type move, which greatly annoyed the Beedrill. Carrying the momentum of Rage, it charged directly at Murkrow, ignoring the whirlwind in front of it. Simultaneously using both Twineedle and Fury Attack, it broke through the whirlwind.