Fearow led the flock away.
It could have tried to escape, but it didn't dare to—not only because of its connection to the Poké Ball, but more because of the deep, instinctive fear carved into its mind.
Orion moved to another location, climbed onto a tree branch, and closed his eyes to rest.
He didn't dwell on whether Fearow would take the opportunity to flee. It was nothing more than a tool.
Without a leader, the Spearow flock—freed from all restraint—would likely lose most of its members sooner or later anyway.
As the night deepened and dinnertime passed, Orion's parents, who had been waiting anxiously for him to return, tried calling his phone.
Each call was rejected.
Again and again.
All they received was a single message: he was fine—and he reiterated his intention to drop out of school.
Lin Juemin, already on edge, completely lost his composure.
"This is outrageous!" he slammed the table. "Does he have any idea how worried we are about him?!"
"He didn't even come home for dinner. Who knows where he's run off to!"
The more Lin Juemin thought about it, the angrier he became.
The family paid for Orion to attend school, yet he complained nonstop. What right did he have to say he was tired, when all he did was sit in a classroom?
Didn't he understand that if he didn't study now, he'd suffer later when facing society?
A good diploma was more important than anything else.
All he ever thought about was becoming a Trainer.
Couldn't he still become a Trainer after college?
Didn't he understand his own limits—or how dangerous the wilderness was?
One wrong step, and he could lose his life!
Which kid these days doesn't study?
Absolutely disgraceful.
"Wait… go check the residence tonight," Qin Huayu said, her face filled with worry, as if she had aged several years in an instant.
"Hmph! When I find that brat, I'll skin him alive," Lin Juemin roared.
"If he doesn't want to study, then what can he do?! He's useless!"
Already burly, his expression now was downright ferocious.
Without another word, he stormed out, got on his electric scooter, and left.
---
After just a few minutes, he spotted the scooter parked at the forest residence.
His anger didn't fade—but he secretly let out a sigh of relief.
"Woof! Woof!"
Hearing movement, Wangcai and Xiaohua ran out, wagging their tails as they greeted their master.
"Where's Xiao Zhi?" Lin Juemin asked sharply as he parked and opened the door.
The two Poochyena sensed their master's mood, but they still responded honestly.
At the same time, Lin Juemin noticed something alarming—
The off-road suit.
The machete.
The backpack.
The Poké Balls from the drawer.
All gone.
His pupils contracted violently.
Rage surged like a volcano—but somewhere deep inside, panic crept in.
"That brat isn't completely brainless…" he muttered tensely.
"Let's search nearby first."
Grabbing his gear in a hurry, Lin Juemin immediately took Wangcai and Xiaohua up the mountain.
---
Under the same moonlight, Fearow returned with the Spearow flock.
This time, every Pokémon carried something in its beak.
The items were piled together neatly:
Spatial backpacks.
Poké Balls.
Berries.
Pokémon materials.
Various miscellaneous objects.
Among them, the most valuable items were an Everstone and a Mystic Water.
Orion curled his lips, leapt down from the tree, and sighed.
"A man doesn't get rich without windfalls… just like a horse doesn't grow fat without night fodder."
"Does this count as indirect embezzlement?"
These items were soaked in blood, symbols of countless broken families.
But what did that have to do with him?
Without hesitation, he began inspecting the haul.
All the spatial backpacks were low-grade—each with about five cubic meters of internal space.
Mid-grade and high-grade versions held ten and twenty cubic meters respectively.
But this was more than enough.
After sorting everything out, Orion's shortage of Poké Balls was resolved. He now had just enough to capture the Spearow flock—with a few left over.
His plan was simple:
Capture the flock.
Release them afterward.
Then leave immediately once all Poké Balls were used.
In the wilderness, one had to maintain reverence and constant vigilance. Only then could survival be maximized.
Relying on his many years of wilderness experience, Orion quickly identified suitable candidates for tool Pokémon:
Raticate.
Arbok.
Breloom.
Sandslash.
Scyther.
From among them, he selected the best two.
Arbok and Breloom—both at the Elite Level.
They would replace Fearow as his primary tools. The others were merely incidental spoils.
---
Pokémon: Arbok
Level: Elite Rank (Low Tier)
Talent: Yellow
Type: Poison
Ability: Intimidate
Moves Known: Wrap, Glare, Poison Sting, Acid, Bite, Screech, Fire Fang, Ice Fang, Crunch, Acid Spray, Dig
Note: The patterns on its belly resemble a terrifying face. Weaker enemies may flee at the mere sight of it.
---
Pokémon: Breloom
Level: Elite Rank (Low Tier)
Talent: Green
Type: Grass / Fighting
Ability: Poison Heal
Moves Known: Tackle, Absorb, Leech Seed, Growth, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, Mach Punch, Mega Drain, Focus Punch, Headbutt, Fake Out, Toxic, Worry Seed, Brick Break, Dynamic Punch, Spore
Note: The seeds on its tail are composed of poisonous spores. It can strike enemies at speeds invisible to the naked eye.
---
Breloom's talent and Ability were excellent.
Poison Heal paired perfectly with a Toxic Orb.
Orion planned to train it as a second-tier team member—but no more than that.
The true main position was still vacant.
The problem remained unchanged:
He still hadn't captured a Pokémon with talent good enough.
Talent was everything.
Green and Cyan might differ by only one rank, but their upper limits were worlds apart.
In the domestic system, Elite Four Level represented a true powerhouse.
Gym Leader Level, at best, made someone a local figure in a small city.
Breaking through to Quasi–Heavenly King required resources so massive they were simply unaffordable.
That was why—
Although Green-tier Pokémon were rare, if one had enough money, almost any species short of Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon could be purchased on the market.
But Cyan-tier Pokémon had no price.
Even in restricted auction houses, they were listed for tens of millions—or even hundreds of millions.
In the early stages of becoming a Trainer, resources were the key.
For ordinary people, the upper limit was Elite Level—and reaching even that required over a million yuan and more than a decade of time.
As one progressed further, resource consumption became increasingly stable and terrifying, and talent gradually revealed its true importance.
One bottleneck after another filtered out countless individuals.
In his previous life, Orion had wasted decades. His main Pokémon were replaced again and again.
No one understood that helplessness better than he did.
But now—
He was confident he could reach scenery he had never once seen before.
Gaining Elite-level strength overnight, Orion felt a brief sense of awe.
He had already reached the absolute pinnacle of power in Xinqing Town.
The only hidden risk was loyalty.
But mere Elite-level Pokémon?
He could still control them.
Who could understand the bitterness of the decade he had endured in his previous life?
The night breeze was cool.
Looking out over the endless mountain ranges and flowing rivers revealed another kind of beauty.
On the way back, Orion deliberately restrained his aura, quietly waiting for "roadblocks" to appear.
He released Breloom and let it handle them all—building rapport and cultivating familiarity between them.
The machete in his hand grew heavy with the scent of blood.
He dissected numerous corpses, harvesting Pokémon materials one after another.
As he retreated toward the outskirts, he quickened his pace.
With his sharp perception, he quickly realized—
A battle was unfolding not far away.
At first, he had no intention of interfering.
But then he discovered something that made his expression change instantly.
The person being attacked by wild Pokémon—
Was his father.
Lin Juemin.