Reiji used an empty Poké Ball to capture the Caterpie in the grass.
This particular Caterpie had been knocked unconscious by Poliwag's slaps, and in the process, it had passively released a blast of its internal foul-smelling gas. The stench was so overpowering that Reiji nearly passed out himself.
If he didn't use a Poké Ball to isolate the smell, he feared he'd end up vomiting all the precious protein he'd eaten earlier today before even getting back to camp. That would have been a tragic loss.
Once Poliwag rolled the Poké Ball out of the grass, Reiji snatched it up and quickly left the crime scene behind.
He was still holding the previous Caterpie in his hand. Since it had been hypnotized before it could release its stench, carrying it around wasn't as bad.
At this point, Reiji desperately wished he had more Poké Balls. Not only did they capture Pokémon, but they were also like portable refrigerators—perfect for storing food safely.
Otherwise, walking around holding a Caterpie like this felt like carrying a live bomb. He had no idea when the bug might wake up and lash out.
Don't underestimate Caterpie just because it's weak and ranked low even among the most common Pokémon. Against someone like him—who wasn't exactly tough either—it could be dangerous.
If he had a gas mask and a long weapon, maybe he could fight it to a draw.
Right now, all he wanted was to return to his temporary shelter and ditch this ticking time bomb. But just as he arrived—bam! The Caterpie in his hand suddenly erupted in a dazzling white light.
"It's… evolving?" Reiji was stunned by the unexpected turn of events. But he didn't stand around dazed—he immediately tossed the Caterpie away and called to Poliwag.
"Poliwag, get ready for battle! As soon as it finishes evolving, hit it with Hypnosis!"
"Yoyo!" Poliwag focused intensely on the glowing Caterpie, not wanting to miss a single detail. It figured it could learn something useful for its own future evolution.
Reiji, on the other hand, wasn't thinking that far ahead. With the skill proficiency system, evolution was simply a matter of time—unless you were something weird like a Magikarp that required odd conditions.
He already knew what Caterpie would evolve into: Metapod.
Metapod was a cocoon Pokémon with a hard green outer shell. Shaped like a crescent moon, it had segmented body parts and narrow eyes that always looked half-closed. A small spike jutted from its back.
According to official data, its shell was as hard as steel. When under attack, it could harden even more to protect the vulnerable, developing body inside.
Metapod only learned two moves—both defensive buffs: Harden (Normal-type) and Iron Defense (Steel-type).
For those two moves, Reiji had only one word:
Tough. Really tough.
There was also the Electric-type move Electroweb, but that was usually learned through breeding or rare circumstances. Most wild ones wouldn't have it.
Once Caterpie evolved into Metapod, it couldn't eat anymore—no food of any kind.
At this stage, Metapod conserved all its energy for its next evolution. Training at this point did more harm than good.
Its defensive buffs—Harden and Iron Defense—were useful during the cocoon stage, but once it evolved into Butterfree, they became basically useless.
Trying to force evolution too fast might even sap the energy Caterpie had stored up, resulting in a weak evolution or lowered potential.
The essence of insect evolution was total transformation—breaking down and rebuilding from scratch. That transformation phase was the critical point.
Which is exactly why Reiji didn't want Poliwag attacking Metapod directly.
With its steel-hard shell and defensive buffs, Poliwag couldn't break through anyway. Their levels were both around seven—no advantage to speak of.
Their best bet was to catch it off guard and knock it out with Hypnosis.
Once it was out cold, the rest was easy: throw it on the fire and cook it up—or maybe deep-fry it.
Ever eaten silkworm pupae?
Crispy on the outside, soft inside, sometimes even juicy. Supposedly packed with amino acids and good for the immune system—though that part was probably just marketing hype.
But hey—this wasn't a food show. This was the Pokémon world.
Back on topic: once Caterpie finished evolving, its newly formed Metapod eyes glared furiously at Poliwag.
It was mad—furious that it had been tricked so easily by a low-level water Pokémon.
It had evolved, and now it wanted revenge. No way it was letting that insult slide.
Psssh! Poliwag laughed, then blasted it in the face with a Water Gun.
Metapod's hard green shell shimmered as it used Harden, reinforcing its defense with a flash of white light.
But that kind of passive defense meant nothing.
"Poliwag, stop messing around," Reiji warned, nudging Poliwag with his foot. He didn't want his partner getting too cocky.
"Yoyo," Poliwag nodded. It saw Metapod's anger peaking and stopped being cheeky. It fired another Water Gun, then activated Hypnosis via the black spiral on its belly.
By the time Metapod realized it had looked too long—it was already too late. Again.
Its fury couldn't save it. It wobbled, staggered… and dropped like a stone.
Big mistake, Metapod. If only you hadn't glared so hard at Poliwag…
Seeing the opportunity, Reiji rushed over, picked up the unconscious Metapod, and dropped it on the roaring campfire. He piled on dry wood, letting the smoke keep it down so it couldn't wake up and escape.
Now all that was left…
Was to wait for dinner to be ready.
(End of Chapter)
[+50 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]