Hearing Yuuto's command, Butterfree flew forward with graceful ease.
It hovered in mid-air, its Compound Eyes flickering slightly as it locked onto every agitated Zubat with pinpoint precision.
Butterfree let out a soft cry and began flapping its wings at high frequency. A pale yellow powder spread rapidly toward the swarm, carried on the airflow.
**Sleep Powder!**
Thanks to the Compound Eyes ability, the powder dispersed over a wider area and more evenly than usual.
The Zubat weren't high-level to begin with, and they seemed strangely excited and agitated, leaving them completely unprepared.
The pale yellow powder silently coated their wings and bodies.
The leading Zubat suddenly stiffened.
Its wingbeats slowed visibly.
Its eyelids drooped.
Its cries grew weak and listless.
**Thud!**
The first Zubat dropped from the air like a kite with a broken string, landing on the grass and letting out a soft snore.
Then came the second, the third… one after another, the Zubat plummeted like dumplings into a pot, piling up around Researcher Li Ke in a chorus of sleepy snores.
The entire process took less than twenty seconds.
The aggressive swarm that had been attacking moments earlier now lay peacefully on the ground, fast asleep.
"Ah… this…" Researcher Li Ke, still standing in the middle of the circle, was stunned. He had even forgotten to cover his nose and mouth.
Only when a wisp of Sleep Powder drifted right in front of his face did he snap out of it. He quickly clamped both hands over his nose and mouth, holding his breath until his face turned red.
Yuuto nodded in satisfaction.
Compound Eyes paired with area-of-effect status moves made for incredibly efficient crowd control. Against large groups of weak opponents, Butterfree was practically perfect.
"Well done, Butterfree," Yuuto praised.
"Freee~"
Butterfree flew back happily and rubbed against him affectionately.
At the same time, a system notification only Yuuto could see flashed before his eyes.
[Pokémon: Butterfree, Level: Lv10 → Lv13]
The short experience bar of a newly evolved Pokémon was a huge advantage. That single group of Zubat had instantly pushed Butterfree up three levels.
At this pace, it might even catch up to Pikachu and Pidgeotto soon.
The rescued Researcher Li Ke cautiously stepped out from the ring of sleeping Zubat, patting his chest in lingering fear.
His face and white lab coat were covered in dust and grass clippings, his glasses sat crooked on his nose, and he looked thoroughly disheveled.
Once he confirmed he was safe, he spun toward Yuuto, tears suddenly gushing from his eyes.
"Benefactor! My benefactor!!"
He let out an exaggerated wail and rushed forward with open arms, clearly intending to give Yuuto a heartfelt bear hug.
Yuuto's eyelid twitched.
The instant Researcher Li Ke was about to pounce, Yuuto calmly extended one hand and firmly planted it against the man's shoulder, stopping him cold.
"A verbal thanks is enough," Yuuto said flatly. "I don't have the habit of enthusiastic hugging."
Beside them, Delia's Eevee tilted its head in confusion.
*(Doesn't this human often snuggle and touch my master? What is he talking about?)*
Researcher Li Ke awkwardly lowered his arms, hurriedly straightened his glasses, and wiped the dust and tears from his face.
"Cough… sorry, I was too excited." He cleared his throat, trying to regain some professional composure.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Researcher Li Ke, and I work at the Pewter Museum of Science."
"Mt. Moon has always been my primary research project! The ecology here is unique, home to rare Pokémon and rich Moon Stone veins underground… it should have been a protected sanctuary!"
"But somehow, word got out about the Moon Stones and the rare Pokémon. It attracted hordes of greedy Trainers and criminals! They've been digging recklessly, destroying the environment, and disturbing the Pokémon!"
"After a lot of effort and persuasion, I finally secured a temporary protection order from the League and the government, banning large-scale mining and capturing. That brought a few months of peace…"
"But recently, even with the protection order still in effect, clear signs of destruction have appeared deeper inside Mt. Moon. That's why I came here to patrol and investigate… I never expected to disturb that swarm of Zubat so quickly…"
Yuuto listened with an expressionless face. "So you came to patrol without bringing a single Pokémon for self-defense?"
"Ah, well…" Researcher Li Ke faltered, then his face lit up with an almost pious glow. He pushed up his glasses and spoke in an idealistic tone.
"You don't understand! I pursue the highest ideal of harmonious coexistence between humans, Pokémon, and nature. Bringing aggressive Pokémon would make the sensitive wild Pokémon here feel uneasy and afraid. That goes against my research philosophy! I hope to reach them through sincerity…"
Misty couldn't help rolling her eyes. She pointed at the circle of snoring Zubat and said dryly, "Yeah, real harmonious. You were 'dancing' with them for quite a while there. If it weren't for Yuuto's Butterfree, you'd probably still be dancing right now."
"Uh…" Researcher Li Ke's noble expression instantly crumbled into embarrassment.
Delia looked around and asked the most practical question. "Researcher Li Ke, you didn't bring any Pokémon for protection… so if you actually find the people destroying Mt. Moon, how exactly do you plan to stop them? With your 'research philosophy' and a heartfelt speech?"
Her question hit the nail on the head.
Researcher Li Ke froze, mouth opening and closing without a sound.
Indeed, he had been so focused on maintaining "harmony" that he had completely forgotten what to do if he ran into actual criminals.
Was he really planning to just talk to them?
"I… I…" He frantically scratched his already messy hair, face full of embarrassment and regret. "I was so focused on the ultimate ideal of ecological harmony… I-I forgot about the part where I actually have to deal with bad guys…"
He suddenly looked up at Yuuto's group—especially at Yuuto, who had just commanded Butterfree to effortlessly neutralize the entire Zubat swarm. A spark of hope ignited in his eyes.
Tears welled up again as he pleaded, "Trainers! I can tell you three are good people with a strong sense of justice. Please, you must help me! Help Mt. Moon! Find the culprits destroying this place and stop them! I'm begging you!"
Yuuto and the others were genuinely interested in protecting the Pokémon ecosystem, and the quest reward was tempting.
So Yuuto calmly agreed to Researcher Li Ke's request.
According to the "original script" in his memory, the troublemakers in Mt. Moon were 99% likely to be that trio of buffoons from Team Rocket.
Of course, the plotline with those three had been erratic lately—they never followed the original sequence and acted purely on whims. Still, calculating the timing, they had probably been bailed out by now. Giovanni likely kept them around as mascots to show "care" for the descendants of old subordinates and the young master of an investor's family—good for internal harmony.
So the chance they were the ones causing trouble was still very high.
Following Researcher Li Ke, the three entered the interior of Mt. Moon.
Before long, the signs of destruction were impossible to miss.
The once-intact rock walls had been crudely chiseled open. Gravel and fresh tool marks littered the ground. Some areas that had clearly been Geodude or Diglett burrows were completely dug out, with discarded trash scattered everywhere.
"Look! Right here!" Researcher Li Ke pointed at the damage, his voice pained. "These marks appeared recently! And they're spreading deeper inside!"
Yuuto crouched down and examined the chisel marks and scattered gravel carefully. The tool work was messy—not the work of professional miners, but more like someone had grabbed a few random shovels and pickaxes and started hacking away.
Very much in the style of a certain trio.
Yuuto quietly activated his Aura-assisted detection.
Invisible perception swept through the rock walls.
Soon, in a winding passage not far ahead, he "saw" three very familiar soul auras working hard.
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