Chapter 20: 20. Exchange
If you want to read more chapters join my patreon
patreon.com/Tempest_29
Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon, is covered in bright yellow fur.
An Electric Type, its ears are long with black tips.
It has black eyes and a small mouth.
Two red, round cheek sacs store its electricity.
Its tail is shaped like a jagged lightning bolt.
...
Ah, I can't think of anything else.
Looking at the angry Pichu in front of him, Evan couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Whenever he sees a Pokémon evolving, he always wants to pull out the Pokédex, give it a try, and hear what it has to say.
In this world, Pokédexes are available, but Evan hasn't downloaded one.
The Pokédex here is actually an official app.
Download it, and you can identify any Pokémon you come across, learning all about it.
But who is Evan?
He practically knows every Pokémon in this world.
He doesn't need that kind of thing.
He's the Pokédex—a humanoid one.
"Pika pika!"
Pikachu's surprise at its evolution immediately softened its initial anger.
However, it still had to show its annoyance with its careless trainer.
Evan listened to Pikachu's non-stop chattering and quickly waved his hand.
"I know, I know."
"I get what you're saying; I understand everything."
"Alright, don't be mad."
"Now that you've evolved, let's keep battling."
"Alright, I'll get you an Everstone to carry."
"I bet you weren't too happy about touching that Thunder Stone the other day and turning into a chubby Raichu, huh?"
Pikachu perked up at this, nodding eagerly.
Yes, exactly! It didn't like it.
It hadn't even thought of this until Evan mentioned it.
Pikachu suddenly beamed.
It doesn't want to evolve.
Turning into Raichu would just make it chubbier.
Evan actually understood this without Pikachu saying anything.
"Pika~!" Pikachu gave Evan a thumbs up.
Long live understanding!
Once Evan reassured it that evolving wasn't necessary, Pikachu's earlier frustration vanished.
Although its trainer could be a bit of a scatterbrain, he really understood it.
After this, Evan picked up the pace.
Seeing this, Pikachu followed right after him.
Along the road, Pikachu challenged every Pokémon it encountered.
Its strength appeared greater after its evolution.
The wild Pokémon weren't too strong or aggressive.
Though Pikachu was still relatively weak, it fought hard and kept advancing.
It also learned a valuable tactic.
No matter who the opponent is, greet them first.
Then, when you spot a Pokémon, give it a quick Thunderbolt.
If Thunderbolt doesn't work, try a Thunder Shock.
If that fails too, charge in while it's stunned and hit it directly.
Pikachu's combat experience grew at an impressive pace.
While its tactics weren't exactly honorable—greeting a Pokémon and then ambushing it—
it managed to complete the tasks Evan had given it.
All along the path, defeated Pokémon lay in its wake.
Aside from some Ground-types, which Pikachu wisely avoided,
any Bug or Flying-type Pokémon it encountered was quickly defeated.
Luckily, there was no sign of a Pidgey flock or a gang of Fearow.
Otherwise, Pikachu would really have a hard time.
It might bully the weak and avoid the strong, but it got the job done.
Thankfully, it didn't know Iron Defense, or it might have even tried challenging a Dugtrio.
It battled until it was thoroughly exhausted, and Evan told it to stop.
Then, as Pikachu perched on his shoulder, Evan picked up the pace.
Before long, Evan arrived at Beedrill territory on the mountainside.
Perhaps due to Evan's previous enthusiasm, the Beedrills seemed on high alert.
At the slightest disturbance, they were as jumpy as frightened rabbits.
After a while, Evan found himself surrounded by a swarm of Beedrill.
The continuous buzzing sound filled the air as the group of Beedrill eyed Evan with wary expressions.
Pikachu also tensed up, sensing the sheer number of Beedrill in front of them.
Just then, a larger Beedrill flew forward.
Wasn't this the same leader that Evan had used Psychic to defeat last time?
"Beep! Beep! Beep!"
The Beedrill glared at Evan with obvious irritation.
What's the deal? You've taken so much of our honey, and now you're back again?
It's cute that you think you can bully us so easily!
The leader's forehead tensed with frustration, and it even looked as if there were tears at the edges of its eyes.
Who could know the hardships they'd endured because of Evan?
How annoyed could they possibly be with him?
"Pika?" Pikachu glanced at Evan, a bit puzzled.
Why did it feel like these Beedrill were actually afraid of him?
"Beedrill!" Evan greeted with a wave. "Hello there! How about we have a little talk?"
But as soon as he spoke, the Beedrill leader raised its two stingers defensively.
"Beep? Beep! Beep!"
Talk? There's nothing to discuss!
It was clear this Beedrill wasn't interested in negotiating. It was even starting to think of a plan: if they couldn't take on Evan, maybe they could just avoid him altogether.
Evan felt a bit awkward at the Beedrill's suspicious glare.
"Look, I know I messed up before," he admitted. "But I actually came to discuss a partnership."
"Just so you know, this mountain is mine now; it's my territory."
"I'm planning to turn this area into a large orchard," he continued, "and maybe raise some Pokémon too."
"So, for all you wild Pokémon, finding a place to settle is going to be a bit of a challenge."
…
Wait, what? Is our home gone?
"Beep beep beep beep!"
As Evan continued, the Beedrill started buzzing more anxiously, clearly distressed.
Seeing their agitation, Evan calmly released a fraction of his psychic energy.
"Settle down!"
"Now, can you just listen to what I'm saying?"
Feeling the intensity of Evan's psychic presence, the Beedrill quieted down, clearly unsettled.
Once they'd fallen silent, Evan went on:
"Look, I'm not here to kick you out or anything like that."
"I told you, I'm proposing a partnership."
"Once my fruit trees are planted, you can help take care of them, keeping an eye on things."
"In return, I'll take care of your meals."
"And as for the honey you make, I'll trade with you fairly."
"What do you think?"
Evan looked directly at the Beedrill leader.
His plan was straightforward: he wanted these Beedrill to work for him.
They'd get food and shelter, and in exchange, they'd produce honey.
Of course, he'd have other Pokémon in the mountains join in on this work too.
Why not? It was free labor.
All he'd have to supply were a few energy cubes.
Oh, and when it came time to harvest the fruit, they'd have to bring it to him themselves.
If you want to read more chapters join my patreon
patreon.com/Tempest_29