Chapter 18: What Are You Doing?
"Hmm? What was that you just said about an anime?"
Basalt's dad had a baffled look on his face.
"Nothing, nothing. I was just talking in my sleep!" Basalt said with a goofy laugh, quickly changing the subject. "Dad, the Rattata problem is urgent. How can I help?"
In this parallel world, Pokémon and humans had coexisted peacefully for many years, but Pokémon like Rattata were still universally disliked. Rattata have very low environmental requirements and reproduce quickly. On top of that, their metabolism is very fast, which means they need to constantly search for food and have a high demand for it.
If a colony of Rattata were to make a home in his family's orchard, they could forget about having a good harvest of Oran Berries this year. Therefore, the Rattata had to be dealt with as soon as possible.
"In the past, when we found Rattata in the orchard, we always hired a professional pest control trainer to solve the problem."
"But then I thought, your Drilbur can also burrow. If it can drive the Rattata out of their holes, my Pidgeotto is confident it can catch them all."
"That way, we can also save some money," Basalt's dad explained his idea.
His Pidgeotto was a Junior-level Pokémon, so dealing with a few Rattata would be a piece of cake. The difficult part was that Rattata dig nests in the ground. If they refused to come out, Pidgeotto could only stare helplessly.
Hiring a pest control trainer was simple, but it wasn't cheap, costing at least a thousand Pokédollars. According to his dad's frugal mindset, it was better to save that money if possible. Of course, that was all on the premise that Drilbur could handle the job. His dad wanted to let Drilbur try first; if it didn't work, they would hire someone.
"Just drive the Rattata out of their holes? My little mole should have no problem with that!" Basalt nodded.
His Drilbur was, after all, a Pokémon that had undergone scientific and rigorous training. Coupled with a Ground Gem fragment every three days and its activated Sand Rush ability, if it couldn't handle a few wild Rattata, he might as well just go buy a block of tofu to smash his head on.
Since it involved his family's financial interests, Basalt naturally felt obliged to help. He quickly washed his face, brushed his teeth, got dressed, woke up Drilbur, recalled it to its Poké Ball, and set off.
The family's orchard was on the back hill, only a ten-minute walk away.
In the sky above, a large bird with mainly brown feathers and three long, pink crest feathers on its head was circling and patrolling.
"Pidgeo~~"
With a high-pitched cry, the large bird swooped down, and Basalt finally got a clear look at its details. The area around its eyes was black, and its eyes were also black and extremely sharp. Its large, pink talons had three toes, and its tail was a mix of red and yellow. It had a majestic air about it.
This large bird was the Normal/Flying dual-type Pokémon—Pidgeotto.
"Long time no see, Pidgeotto!" Basalt greeted with a smile.
Pidgeotto was his dad's starter Pokémon. It usually watched over the orchard to prevent pests like Rattata, Caterpie, and Weedle from causing trouble. In terms of contribution to the family, Pidgeotto ranked first. It was like a knight of the sky, guarding this orchard. Without Pidgeotto, Basalt's entire family would starve.
Pidgeotto was the one who had discovered the Rattata tracks, but unfortunately, the Rattata were too cunning and had a strong sense of caution. They only moved within a five-meter safe zone around the entrance to their burrow. Although Pidgeotto could see them, it was very difficult to catch them.
"Pidgeotto, have you found the entrance to the Rattata burrow?" Basalt's dad asked the Pidgeotto as it landed on his shoulder.
"Pidgeo~"
Pidgeotto nodded in a very human-like way, turning its beak towards the shaded side of the hill.
Following Pidgeotto's direction, the father and son soon found a hole about 20cm in diameter. At the entrance were several fresh berry cores.
"Damn those Rattata! They stole three of my Oran Berries!" Basalt's dad fumed, his heart aching.
Although Oran Berries were common, they had healing properties and could restore a Pokémon's stamina. The purchase price from fruit merchants was about five Pokédollars each, and the retail price was over ten. Three Oran Berries meant 15 Pokédollars! For a small fruit farmer like his dad, whose family wasn't wealthy and earned their money through hard labor, it would be strange if he wasn't upset.
"Don't be angry, Dad. Leave this to me and my little mole."
Basalt calmed his father down and quickly released Drilbur.
"Chari~" (▼皿▼#)
Upon learning that their property had been damaged, Drilbur also became furious, filled with righteous indignation.
Were these Rattata just eating berries? No! They were eating its braised pork!
Alright, you stinky rats! You dare to mess with the big boss? I'll make sure you attend your own funeral today!
Huh? Wait a minute!
Aren't I also a rodent… myself?
But Drilbur didn't have time to ponder this deeply, because Basalt had already given the order to clear the area.
"Chari~"
Drilbur nodded and dove headfirst into the hole. In terms of size, Drilbur and Rattata were similar. The burrow was only narrow at the entrance; it was quite spacious inside, so the little mole's movements were largely unrestricted.
Moving through the dark tunnel, Drilbur quickly searched for its targets. As a Ground-type and a mole-like Pokémon, Drilbur not only had a keen sense of smell but also a powerful ability to sense vibrations in the ground. Even the slightest movement couldn't escape its perception. By closing its eyes and concentrating for a moment, Drilbur could locate its targets in the complex, winding burrow.
Based on the movements, there should be two Rattata.
A little couple? Die!
As Drilbur approached, the two Rattata also noticed it. Their long whiskers twitched, and they instinctively took on an attack stance. From the scent, they could tell that the intruder was not one of them.
When Drilbur appeared before the Rattata, both of them attacked simultaneously. Their bodies glowed with a white light as they leaped up and charged forward fiercely.
Tackle!
"Chari~"
But Drilbur had been on guard against them. The moment the white light appeared, it spread its claws and began to spin its body violently, instantly becoming a spiral that deflected both charging Rattata.
From their size, it was clear that these two Rattata were not much older than Drilbur. But because they had little to no battle experience, their combat potential had not been unlocked, and their will to fight was as fragile as paper.
"Rattata~"
After just one failed attack, the two Rattata turned and fled in panic, splitting up at a fork in the tunnel.
High-EQ interpretation: A strategic retreat, splitting up to increase the chances of survival.
Low-EQ interpretation: A couple that flies apart when disaster strikes.
"Chari~"
Drilbur let out a strange cry and chased after one of the Rattata.
…
Outside the burrow, Basalt and his dad waited patiently. When they heard a sound, they saw the Pidgeotto circling in the sky dive down like an eagle striking from the heavens. When it flapped its wings and ascended again, it had a purple-colored Pokémon in its talons. It was a Rattata.
The Rattata was a mouse-like Pokémon that walked on all fours. Its body was mainly light purple, while its cheeks, jaw, belly, and all four paws were cream-colored. It had two large front teeth, large ears, a long, cream-colored whisker on each cheek, and a slightly curled tail.
One Scratch attack and one Peck attack, and the poor Rattata instantly lost the ability to battle, unable to last more than two rounds against the Pidgeotto.
At the same time, the Rattata that Drilbur was chasing also scrambled out of the burrow entrance in a panic. But it hadn't run far before a mini-sandstorm suddenly kicked up around the mole behind it, and its speed instantly increased by more than 30%.
Sand Rush, activated!
Slash!
With its super-fast speed, Drilbur leaped up, flew several meters, and with a fierce swipe of its large white claws, it slammed the Rattata to the ground, pinning it no matter how much it struggled.
Basalt could see the despair in the Rattata's eyes, and also… confusion!
We are both rodents, what are you doing? (⊙﹏⊙)
Born of the same root, why are you so eager to harm me?
This was the Rattata's last thought before it was taken out by Drilbur's Scratch, its eyes swirling as it lost the ability to battle.
"Chari~" o(^｀)o
Sorry, I'm a cop… a rat of justice!
After finding a special iron cage to put the two Rattata in, Basalt's dad, his task successfully completed, had a huge smile on his face. He praised, "Drilbur, you did a great job today. As a reward, tonight's braised pork is all you can eat!"
"Chari~" (o^ω^o)
Hearing this, the little mole's eyes instantly turned into little stars. Braised pork was its favorite.
After loading the special cage onto his small pickup truck, Basalt's dad prepared to take them to the town government, where there were special personnel to handle these troublesome wild Pokémon. Of course, this was a society governed by law, so Pokémon would not be killed indiscriminately. Most of them would be sent to special Pokémon sanctuaries.
Waving goodbye to his dad and seeing his mom on the other side of the hill with her Poliwag, watering and fertilizing the Oran Berry trees, Basalt saw that he wasn't needed. With nothing else to do, he prepared to leave.
Although it was the weekend, for Drilbur to grow stronger faster, its training could not be reduced; in fact, it had to be even more intense than on weekdays.
But before he left, Basalt's gaze fell upon the Pidgeotto resting on a tree branch, a thoughtful look on his face.
"Pidgeo?"
The resting Pidgeotto seemed to sense something. It turned its head and met Basalt's mischievous grin.
Pidgeotto frowned, a bad feeling creeping up on it.
Author's Note: Dear readers, please follow the new chapters every day. Even if you don't read them, just click on them and scroll through.
During this initial launch period, daily reads are really important!!