The energy ribbons slowly surged outward, moving like little snakes searching for their targets. Eichi sensed several faint auras—some were near death, while others were suffering from extremely severe injuries. These Pokémon were about to receive treatment from his Bug Force.
Nincada watched as an energy ribbon drilled into the body of an Ariados. Before its eyes, the wounds on the Pokémon began to heal at a pace visible to the naked eye. The surrounding Spinarak and Ariados experienced the same phenomenon. Eichi focused his efforts specifically on those who were dying or critically wounded; otherwise, the strain of healing so many at once would have been too great.
Even the Ariados leader received treatment. As a steady stream of energy poured into its body, it felt a warm sensation spreading throughout. The sharp pain from its injuries gradually began to fade.
Ten minutes passed before the treatment ended. Eichi stopped, drenched in sweat. It was his first time healing so many Pokémon at once, and it was exhausting.
"It's done. Everything is fine now," Eichi said.
Nincada watched in pleasant surprise as the old Ariados opened its eyes. There wasn't a single wound left on its body. Overjoyed, Nincada pounced into its embrace. The old Ariados looked at the Nincada clinging to it, equally happy to be alive.
Eichi felt a sense of relief seeing the Ariados recover from the brink of death. However, while these survived, many other Ariados and Spinarak had left this world forever.
The Ariados leader thanked Eichi and then organized the tribe to gather the fallen kin for burial. Everyone suppressed their sorrow to transport the deceased to a single location, and Nincada went to help as well. They placed the fallen in a large pit dug into an open clearing.
The Ariados leader spat out silk to wrap each Spinarak and Ariados into a cocoon. Once finished, it ordered the others to lower them into the pit. Under Eichi's watch, the group worked together to fill the pit with soil.
As the ground was leveled, the Spinarak and Ariados began to emit a sound, almost like a song. Based on their intent, it was a song of blessing. Eichi listened quietly as a solemn atmosphere filled the woods.
Three minutes passed, and the singing continued. Eichi looked toward a nearby patch of ground where many Zubat, Golbat, and Crobat lay abandoned. No one was there to collect their bodies. To the Ariados, these were enemies, and they would never tend to the remains of their foes.
Eichi quietly stepped away and released all of his Pokémon.
"Everyone, let's gather those bodies together," Eichi instructed.
The Pokémon nodded and scattered in all directions. Only Wimpod remained motionless. Looking at the corpses nearby, it was terrified and hid behind Eichi's heels. Suddenly, its body transformed into a red light and returned to its Poké Ball automatically.
Eichi was startled. Wimpod can return to its Poké Ball on its own? How?
Since his reincarnation, Eichi had never heard of a Pokémon that could return to its ball automatically. In the anime, Pokémon frequently came out or returned on their own, but Eichi had always chalked that up to the writers doing as they pleased. Seeing Wimpod do it today was rare, though now wasn't the time to investigate.
Beedrill and the other three gathered all the corpses in an open space.
"Heracross, use Dig."
"Heracro!" Heracross nodded. It dropped to all fours and began digging with its hands. In just a few seconds, a large pit was formed. Beedrill and the others placed all the bodies inside.
They then began to fill the pit with soil. Soon, the task was finished, and the bodies were laid to rest. Looking at the freshly turned earth, Eichi remained silent. Nature was cruel; both the Ariados and the Zubat lines were innocent in their own way. They were all just trying to survive. There was no right or wrong.
When the Ariados tribe's ceremony ended and they opened their eyes, Eichi had returned. By now, the sunset had faded, and the sun had dipped below the horizon. Eichi checked his watch; it was already 7:00 PM. He was still ten kilometers from the Pokémon Center. Arriving there now would be too late, so he decided to spend the night here.
He shared his thoughts with the Ariados, and they were very welcoming. Eichi began to set up camp and prepare a meal near their dwelling. There was a small lake within their nesting grounds, which saved him the trouble of searching for water.
While Eichi was cooking, the Ariados leader arrived with several followers. One Ariados stepped forward with a basket made of silk strapped to its back. It was filled to the brim with Berries. The leader spoke, explaining that these were a gift of gratitude.
"Alright. Thank you, everyone. I accept your gift," Eichi replied.
After leaving the Berries, the Ariados departed. Eichi picked one up and took a bite. It was incredibly sweet! He looked at the rest and noticed some were quite rare. He took a container from his backpack and packed them away; these would be perfect for making Pokéblocks later. He left only a few out for Beedrill and the others to enjoy.
Night had fallen, and the moonlight began to filter through the dense branches. Eichi watched the soup in his pot begin to boil, the aroma wafting through the air. Suddenly, two figures stepped out from the darkness.
It was the old Ariados and the Nincada. They approached Eichi, and the elder spoke to express its thanks, having brought Nincada along to show its appreciation as well.
"It's nothing, just a small favor," Eichi said.
Through his eyes, he saw this Ariados had an Excellent talent grade and was at the Elite (Peak) rank. Although its rank was high, it was very old, and its strength had declined significantly. Any ordinary Elite rank Pokémon could likely defeat it now. Bug-types generally had short lifespans; an Ariados typically lived between 20 to 30 years. The stronger the Pokémon, the longer the lifespan, but since this one hadn't reached the Gym Leader rank, it probably only had a few years left.
Beside the elder, Nincada seemed to have caught the scent of the soup. It kept stealing glances at the pot. Eichi noticed but didn't call it out.
"Would you like to eat with us? I've made enough for everyone," Eichi invited.
The old Ariados hesitated but agreed after seeing Nincada's reaction. Nincada was delighted and sat down to join them. It took a sip of the hot soup and immediately began to drink greedily. After finishing a bowl, Nincada lay contentedly on the ground. It was delicious—the last time it had tasted something like this was in the human world two months ago.