After returning home, Owen immediately started tinkering with the "Medicine—" ahem, the Iron Tail training ointment Ethan had given him.
"This packaging... if you didn't tell me what it was for, I'd honestly think it was just standard muscle rub," Owen remarked, stroking his chin.
The application method was quite specific: dilute it with water, spray it onto the tail, then massage it in evenly. The process gave Owen the unsettling illusion that he was marinating a Slowpoke tail.
Late at night, Owen found himself giving Eevee a massage and applying her medication. Honestly, he felt like he deserved a nomination for "Trainer of the Year" for his sheer dedication.
Pfft... the metallic smell is so strong!
Saturday, Southview Nanwu Town, Back Mountain.
"Listen up. Your mission today is to go to this location and collect some venom left behind by a Beedrill swarm!"
The second field training session of the weekend was underway. Owen, Lynnea, and Leo had been hauled back to the mountains by Zoe and were currently receiving their objective.
As Zoe slowly revealed the target, even Owen's face soured.
"This is the nesting site of a Beedrill colony. There are about twenty to thirty Beedrill. Your task is to extract venom from the trees where they roost."
"Beedrill often sharpen their twin stingers on tree trunks. Over time, grooves form in the wood, and a new kind of venom—a mixture of their natural toxins and tree sap—collects in those ruts."
"This substance is a key ingredient for certain anti-venoms. Aside from professional bee farmers, pharmaceutical companies often hire trainers to gather this from the wild. Generally speaking, it's a common and simple task."
Simple...
Owen didn't think it was simple at all. Zoe's definition of "simple" was likely based on the strength of professional trainers or those who made a living as "hired guns." Forcing three rookies to challenge one of the most iconic "villain" Pokémon in the world was something only a devil could dream up.
"This time... can we burn things?" Lynnea whispered hopefully.
She was still dwelling on the "Arsonist" incident from last time. She felt wronged that Growlithe couldn't use fire moves in the wild. With two teammates to back her up now, surely they could put out any accidental fires.
Zoe sighed. "I won't interfere with your methods this time. Prioritize your own safety, but don't cause any major disasters."
After explaining the precautions, the Forest Ranger Captain, Arthur, brought over two rangers to shadow and protect the group.
Even though Zoe was training them like professionals, she wasn't reckless enough to dump three rookies into the deep mountains entirely unsupervised.
If anything happened to them, she'd have a hard time explaining it to their parents. Everything had to be done in stages.
"They're off. This time, you're planning to let them taste failure, aren't you?" Captain Arthur walked over to Zoe once the trio had departed. "Twenty Beedrill... they can't handle that on their own."
Zoe nodded. "Yes. They've been riding high at school. Growth is best when it's a mix of success and hardship.
My training is meant to show them how far they still have to go. Especially Owen—I need him to experience a setback. A failure or two will actually be beneficial for him."
Rustle... rustle...
Trekking through the tall grass, Owen spoke to Lynnea and Leo behind him. "According to the map, the Beedrill nesting site is quite far. Based on our pace last time, it'll take about three hours to get there."
"We have nine hours before sunset. That means we have plenty of time to travel. What we need to do now is conserve our energy and move with a plan."
"Sounds good to me," Leo said, rubbing his hands together. "But Ms. Zoe isn't fair. I asked for compressed biscuits, and she wouldn't give me a single one. Maybe... you guys could share a little of your food with Munchlax later?"
"Don't even think about it." "Not a chance."
Owen and Lynnea rejected him in unison.
"Uh..." Leo froze. Does this mean I have to sacrifice my own lunch to feed Munchlax again?
With Owen (and Eevee) leading the way, the trio encountered almost no danger on the trail. While Owen enjoyed the admiration of his teammates, he was also brainstorming how to handle the Beedrill.
"If there are twenty Beedrill, we can't face them head-on, even if we work together," Owen stated.
Lynnea and Leo didn't argue. While the Beedrill in this area probably weren't top-tier, their sheer numbers were a problem.
Even if Eevee, Growlithe, and Munchlax could take on multiple opponents, what about the trainers? Who would protect them? Were they supposed to just lie down and wait for the stingers?
"So, we have to use tactics!" Owen said. He wanted Eevee to solo the swarm, but it just wasn't realistic.
"Boss is right... Why don't we have Growlithe start a fire at the base of the tree? The smoke will drive them away," Leo suggested. "Then we can grab the venom safely."
Owen and Lynnea fell silent. What a 'refreshing' way to think.
"I mean, I want Growlithe to use fire moves... but burning down someone's home is a bit unethical, isn't it?" Lynnea said. "It's like stealing someone's stuff and then torching their house."
Leo scratched his head.
"But the general logic is sound," Owen said. "If we want to avoid a direct fight, we need to lure the Beedrill away."
"One person lures them out, the other two collect the venom?" Leo wondered. "But who? Even if you run, you can't outrun a Beedrill. They can fly."
The three stopped. Lynnea looked at her Growlithe and shook her head—the "silly dog" wasn't up to such a heavy task. Leo looked at his Munchlax and shook his head; it was hard to imagine the lazy glutton surviving.
On the other side... Eevee: "???"
Sensing Owen's gaze, Eevee took a step back. "Vee!!" she protested loudly. Even she didn't want to face that many Beedrill.
"Relax, I wouldn't actually make you do it. No matter how strong you are, it's unlikely you'd succeed... It's too hard." Owen shook his head. He was being honest—he had no intention of throwing Eevee into a deathtrap.
However, once Owen told the truth, Eevee actually took offense. Her brow furrowed. What's that supposed to mean? Are you looking down on me?
"Vee?!" After a moment of deep thought, Eevee stopped and decided to test her latest training breakthrough.
She stood in front of the three humans and two other Pokémon. Under their astonished gazes, she split into two.
Double Team? No... looking at the vivid expressions and movements, it had to be Substitute.
After four "overload" training sessions and massive nutritional replenishment, Eevee's physical stats had taken a qualitative leap.
This change had also drastically increased her stamina, giving her a sudden epiphany regarding her Double Team practice and the move Substitute.
With her current stamina, she finally had the energy to spare to create a "High-Quality" Double Team—one that bordered on a Substitute.
Owen's eyes widened. "Since when?!"
"Vee!" Eevee thought about it. It seems it was just this morning... I just hadn't tried it yet.
Spurred by Owen's "provocation," Eevee realized that if she wasn't suited to lure the Beedrill away herself, she could just send a "clipping" of her energy to do it.
Man proposes, but God disposes. Zoe, who was waiting for Owen to hit a wall, would never have guessed that an Eevee who spent a month and a half trying to master "Multitasking" (so she could play games and watch shows simultaneously) would accidentally master the high-level move Substitute.
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