Just then, a Hoppip stepped forward. The two jagged-edged green leaves atop its head spun rapidly, scattering a large cloud of red and green powder.
The powder formed a mini cyclone, striking the dark figure at high speed.
In the next second, the dark figure froze, releasing the Hoppip it had captured, and turned toward the challenger.
That dark figure was a Staravia. And the move Rage Powder.
Haruki had been observing the whole scene and saw everything clearly.
He hadn't expected that among the usually timid and carefree Hoppip, one would actually risk its life to save a comrade.
Using Rage Powder to draw a predator's attention onto itself was definitely a "life-risking" move for such a fragile Pokémon.
The next moment, Staravia dove straight at the Hoppip, its wings flashing white; the unmistakable sign of a Wing Attack.
Whap Whap Whap!
Three glossy green seeds shot out in a triangular formation, but Staravia didn't even bother dodging.
It simply barreled through the seeds and smashed into the Hoppip with Wing Attack, knocking it deep into the flower fields!
"Maro~"
"Hold it," Haruki said, stopping Marowak, who was ready to intervene. "This Hoppip… might have something special."
Sure enough, the battle situation changed again.
A faint green light expanded outward from the flower field, illuminating a three-meter-wide circle.
Under the green glow, flowers grew rapidly and burst into bloom.
At the same time, vines erupted from the ground, latching tightly onto Staravia and pulling it down, preventing it from maintaining flight.
The moves: Grassy Terrain and Leech Seed.
Grassy Terrain boosted healing for all creatures on the ground within its radius.
Leech Seed sapped the opponent's health over time and restricted movement.
With these two recovery moves, the frail Hoppip regained its footing in the battle.
"HOPPIP!"
A crisp, determined cry came from the flower field as another cloud -this time of blue and purple powder- whirled into the sky like a tornado, targeting Staravia struggling against the vines.
Poison Powder + Sleep Powder used in combination!
Using the swirling wind to accelerate dispersion, the powders struck Staravia almost instantly.
In the blink of an eye, Staravia was poisoned, put to sleep, drained by Leech Seed, and agitated by Rage Powder…
Four negative status effects, stacked in an instant!
Not just the breadth of the Hoppip's move pool: the sequence, timing, and angles of its move usage were impeccable!
At that moment, Haruki's heart skipped a beat.
Watching the now-slumbering Staravia fall into the flower field, the Hoppip showed no mercy; the roles of predator and prey had reversed.
Still lying low within the Grassy Terrain, the Hoppip coated Staravia with another thick layer of Poison Powder before stopping.
Haruki clicked his tongue in amazement. 'This little thing's got some bite…
I like it!'
With the battle over, the Hoppip lay panting in the grass, Grassy Terrain still restoring its health.
But it wasn't content to wait.
Stretching its jagged green leaves, it began soaking up the sunlight. A golden glow enveloped its body, the Hoppip was using another recovery move.
Synthesis!
Haruki's eyes lit up even more.
Once the effects of Synthesis and Grassy Terrain faded, the Hoppip, now mostly recovered, floated back into the air.
"That was exhausting, huh? Want some Sweet Honey?"
"Hoppip~"
The Hoppip flinched, turning to find a smiling human watching it warmly.
Instinctively, it tried to float backward… but the sweet scent of the Combee's Sweet Honey rooted it in place.
Although Hoppip had physically recovered, its mental fatigue could not be cured so easily.
But Sweet Honey could!
That made it all the more tempting…
"Eat up quickly. Seems like this stuff is a bit too attractive to Pokémon."
Without hesitation, Haruki shoved the Sweet Honey-covered stirring stick straight into Hoppip's mouth.
Hoppip froze, then immediately melted into blissful enjoyment.
Refusal? What's that?
Meanwhile, Haruki frowned at the growing number of wild Pokémon gathering around them.
The Sweet Honey's allure was even stronger than he had expected… but he had serious business to attend to. He couldn't let anything interfere with capturing Hoppip.
"Hopp~ Hoppip~"
Just as Haruki debated whether to use Repel, worried it might also drive away Hoppip.
Hoppip made its move.
A bright blue powder drifted outward, catching all the wild Pokémon whose attention had been wholly captured by the Sweet Honey. They had no time to resist before they began dozing off.
Haruki quickly covered his mouth and nose, reaching for an Awakening from his bag.
…Only to pause.
A faint grassy fragrance was now swirling around him, effectively blocking the Sleep Powder.
Turning to Hoppip, he immediately realized the truth.
While scattering Sleep Powder, Hoppip was simultaneously releasing another move.
Aromatherapy to cure all status conditions.
And it was doing it simultaneously!
'Hoppip, just how many surprises are you hiding? I'm seriously falling for you!'
"Hoppip~"
Hoppip chirped lightly, gesturing for Haruki to follow.
Together, they quickly exited the Sleep Powder zone. Hoppip then dutifully returned the now-licked-clean stirring stick to Haruki.
Haruki accepted it slowly, then stopped the floating Hoppip before it could leave.
"Hoppip, your companions seem to have all drifted away."
"Hoppip~"
Hoppip paused, looked around, and realized that the nearest fellow Hoppip was already just a black speck in the distance.
Back when Staravia attacked, all the other Hoppip scattered with the wind.
Including the one that had been captured and then released.
Part of it was because most Hoppip were inherently weak and timid.
Another part was simply nature. Hoppip didn't form stable groups.
They gathered by the winds, and they scattered by the winds.
"Companions" in a Hoppip's world, was always a fleeting concept. Thats why Haruki thought the one before him was an outlier.
It wasn't just about strength, it was about personality.
Seeing no companions around, Hoppip's jagged green leaves drooped slightly… but quickly lifted again as it prepared to continue its lonely wandering.
'Maybe… it was already used to such farewells.'
"Wait!"
"Hoppip?"
Hoppip turned, a questioning look in its eyes.
If Haruki hadn't fed it Sweet Honey at its moment of deepest exhaustion, Hoppip probably wouldn't even have paused.
"Hoppip!"
Haruki took a deep breath and said seriously:
"I want to invite you to be my partner! Uh… Sweet Honey, unlimited supply!"
Haruki immediately regretted adding that last part.
Hoppip floated silently in front of him, blinking its little eyes.
Then… it shook its head.
"Hoppip…"
"Hoppip~Hopp!"
This time, Hoppip's rejection was much more forceful, as if Haruki's words had touched a forbidden wound.
Haruki frowned. That wasn't a normal reaction.
If it hated humans, it wouldn't have gone out of its way to use Aromatherapy on him earlier.
'But if it didn't hate…'
"You've been captured by a human before?"
"Hoppip!"
Hoppip shot upward, its furious gaze tinged with panic and stubbornness.
Haruki sighed heavily. He hadn't expected that his random guess would actually hit the mark.