LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 172: Pawmot is About to Lose Its Temper!
Pawmot didn't bother figuring out who had intervened. It dashed over to Houndoom and delivered a Thunder Punch, knocking it out cold.
At this moment, Angie and the others noticed who had stepped in. From behind a rock, a Sneasel was peeking out, glancing at them furtively.
"Sneasel, what are you doing here?" Angie asked.
In truth, Pawmot didn't need Sneasel's help at all. It had purposely stopped Metagross and Loke from stepping in earlier. Having just evolved, Pawmot was eager to show off its newfound strength and demonstrate its bravery to Angie.
When Sneasel saw Angie and the Pokémon looking its way, it quickly ducked back behind the rock.
Realizing Sneasel had disrupted its fight, Pawmot stormed over angrily and dragged Sneasel out from behind the rock.
Before evolving, Sneasel had already been no match for Pawmot. Now that it had evolved, Sneasel stood even less of a chance. Pawmot lifted Sneasel by the scruff of its neck and held it up.
Just as Pawmot was about to punch Sneasel, Angie quickly intervened.
"Pawmot, stop it! Sneasel meant well," Angie said firmly.
Hearing this, Sneasel nodded vigorously, its teary eyes pleading with Pawmot.
While its intentions had indeed been good, Sneasel quietly held a grudge against Pawmot for its rough treatment. It vowed silently to grow stronger—strong enough to surpass this fat rodent and one day smash its face in with a single punch.
Sneasel was, after all, a very vengeful Pokémon.
Reluctantly, Pawmot lowered its fist after Angie's scolding.
Angie then repeated the question, "Sneasel, what are you doing here?"
"Sneasel~ Sneasel~"
Sneasel scrambled up from the ground and quickly hugged Angie's leg, nuzzling its face against him.
Afterward, it turned its head just enough to give Pawmot a sly grin from an angle Angie couldn't see. Its mischievous expression clearly conveyed mockery.
Pawmot, however, caught sight of the provocation and immediately raised its fist to punch Sneasel again.
Angie happened to see this and sternly said, "Pawmot! Didn't I just tell you not to fight?"
"Pawmot~ Pawmot~"
Pawmot jumped up and down, pointing at Sneasel and protesting loudly.
"You're saying Sneasel smiled at you? So what if Sneasel smiled at you? Can't someone smile at you?" Angie retorted, exasperated.
Hearing Angie's question, Sneasel raised its head and nodded pitifully.
"Sneasel~ Sneasel~"
Yes, yes, I just wanted to be friends with Pawmot.
"Pawmot~ Pawmot~"
Pawmot felt more aggrieved than it ever had in its life. Yet, it couldn't articulate Sneasel's earlier sly smile, so all it could do was stomp its feet in frustration.
Meanwhile, Loke had noticed Sneasel's little antics but found the "battle of wits" between the two young Pokémon quite amusing. Smiling, it watched them like it was enjoying a show.
Sneasel, seeing Pawmot's furious expression, smirked wickedly again.
Serves you right for not appreciating my goodwill.
"Sneasel, you still haven't answered me. Why are you here?" Angie asked once more.
"Sneasel~ Sneasel~"
Sneasel immediately clung to Angie's leg, acting as affectionate as possible.
"You want to be my Pokémon?" Angie looked at Sneasel in surprise.
"Sneasel~"
Stars sparkled in Sneasel's eyes as it nodded eagerly.
Pawmot, on the other hand, was about to explode with rage. Its fists clenched tightly as it thought, This annoying little thing! It's trying to steal Angie's affection from me!
"What made you decide to become my Pokémon?" Angie asked, puzzled.
"Sneasel~ Sneasel~"
Because you're amazing!
Sneasel shyly twisted and turned as it answered.
Don't be fooled by its bashful demeanor—Sneasel was, in fact, a genuine girl Pokémon.
Angie: ...
That's it? That's the reason? Somehow, I don't buy it!
Sneasel: The real reason, of course, is that I want you to spoil me rotten!
Suddenly, an idea struck Angie. He said, "Sneasel, how about I find you a job?"
"Sneasel~?"
Sneasel tilted its head in confusion, staring at Angie with a puzzled expression.
Angie then explained the job he had in mind.
Before long, Passimian's beverage shop and bar would be opening. Whether it was drinks or cocktails, they had to be icy cold to taste their best!
That's where an Ice-type Pokémon like Sneasel could come in handy.
Sure, the drinks and liquor could be refrigerated, but that was nowhere near as efficient as having an Ice-type Pokémon to chill them with a single breath.
Especially for fruit-based drinks, they needed to be freshly prepared and instantly chilled for optimal flavor. Letting them sit in a refrigerator would only dull their taste.
After hearing Angie's explanation, Sneasel nodded its head enthusiastically. No matter what, I'll stick by this human for now. Sooner or later, I'll take that fat rodent's place, and then I'll feast on all those delicious dishes!
Just wait and see! Sneasel vowed silently.
Angie pulled out a Poké Ball and said to Sneasel, "Well then, let's work together from now on!"
Since he was traveling, Sneasel would need to be officially caught with a Poké Ball for convenience and safety. Otherwise, if they ran into trouble, Angie wouldn't be able to protect it.
With the Poké Ball, Angie could quickly recall Sneasel in case of an emergency.
"Sneasel~"
Sneasel nodded and reached out to tap the button on the Poké Ball. In the next moment, it turned into a beam of red light and was absorbed into the ball.
Angie immediately released it again.
After handling Sneasel's situation, Angie turned his attention to Houndoom.
He wasn't aware that Houndoom had been placed in the mist by Mew, so he planned to wake it up and ask a few questions.
"Pawmot, could you use Revival Blessing on Houndoom?"
In the games, this move could only be used on oneself, reviving a fainted teammate in reserve. He wasn't sure how it worked in real life.
Might as well give it a try.
Hearing Angie's request, Pawmot approached Houndoom.
Closing its eyes, it crossed its hands over its chest. A beam of light enveloped its body, followed by another beam that fell onto Houndoom. Before long, Houndoom slowly regained consciousness.
Seeing this, Angie thought to himself, Looks like there are differences between reality and the games.
Revival Blessing was a unique skill, restricted to one use within a short period.
Its effect, however, was remarkable—capable of reviving even Pokémon on the verge of death.
Unlike other healing moves, which were ineffective once a Pokémon reached a critical state, this one worked regardless.
(Note: In this story, "critical condition" and "fainted" are two separate concepts. Critical condition refers to near death, while fainting is merely temporary unconsciousness.)
Angie patted Pawmot's head and said, "Thanks for your hard work."
"Pawmot~ Pawmot~"
Pawmot rubbed its head against Angie's palm, then shot a smug glance at Sneasel.
Hmph! Sneasel turned its head away with a huff.
Angie then looked at Houndoom, noting its calm gaze and lack of hostility toward him. He asked, "Houndoom, why did you attack us?"
"Houndoom~ Houndoom~"
Houndoom barked twice, and Angie finally understood. The entire way, Mew had arranged for guards, making it difficult to approach the Tree of Beginning.
After learning the reason, Angie took out some berries to feed Houndoom, helping it fully recover its strength. Houndoom expressed its gratitude and leapt away, vanishing into the mist.
Watching Houndoom leave, Angie said to his Pokémon, "Let's keep moving."
The group nodded in agreement, with Pawmot and Sneasel racing ahead, each determined not to let the other outshine them.
"Pawmot~"
Get out of the way!
Pawmot bumped into Sneasel.
"Sneasel~"
Sneasel took the opportunity to fall dramatically, looking pitifully at Angie with teary eyes.
Angie: Hey, Sneasel, your act is way too obvious!
After walking for who knows how long, they arrived at a valley with geysers.
The geysers erupted repeatedly, blocking their path.
Loke suggested, "How about we take a detour?"
"Metagross~ Metagross~"
Why not let me carry everyone and fly across?
As long as they flew over the valley, they could avoid the geysers.
Sneasel stared disdainfully at the constantly erupting geysers. Being an Ice-type Pokémon, it detested high-temperature environments like this.
"Pawmot~ Pawmot~"
Pawmot mocked it with a taunting sound.
Under Angie's watchful gaze, Sneasel didn't get angry or challenge Pawmot. Instead, it smiled ingratiatingly at Pawmot, wearing the expression of a meek, bullied spouse.
Seeing this, Angie said, "Pawmot, stop bullying Sneasel!"
(#｀皿) Pawmot puffed up like a ball, frustrated once again.
Angie stared at the geysers for a moment before saying, "Let's wait for now. The geysers should stop soon."
The Pokémon nodded in agreement.
As expected, after a short while, the geysers ceased their eruptions. Angie called out to his Pokémon, "Let's move!"
However, just as they exited the valley, an Exeggutor blocked their path.
"Exeggutor~"
Unlike the sudden assault by Houndoom earlier, the Exeggutor didn't attack immediately after appearing.
"Are you another guard placed here by Mew?" Angie asked.
"Exeggutor~"
All three of Exeggutor's heads nodded in turn.
"Alright then, let's begin!"
As soon as Angie spoke, Pawmot leapt forward.
But Angie quickly said, "Pawmot, let Metagross handle this one."
Since Mew was trying to prevent intruders from approaching the Tree of Beginning, the guards it placed wouldn't be weak.
Houndoom earlier was one thing, but this Exeggutor was already beyond what Pawmot could handle.
Hearing Angie's decision, Pawmot reluctantly backed down.
Metagross floated over, gently placing Komala into Pawmot's arms before positioning itself opposite Exeggutor.
Taking advantage of Angie's focus on Exeggutor, Sneasel shot a mocking expression at Pawmot.
Pawmot: (皿)
Nearby, Loke watched their interaction, finding it highly amusing and unconsciously breaking into a smile.
By now, the battle between Metagross and Exeggutor had begun.
This Exeggutor's ability was Chlorophyll, so it immediately used Sunny Day.
A red orb of light shot into the sky, and in an instant, the sunlight grew even more intense.
Under the effects of Sunny Day, Exeggutor's speed doubled. When Metagross launched an Ice Punch, Exeggutor swiftly vanished from its original spot.
Metagross pursued it again, aiming another Ice Punch, but Exeggutor once again evaded with its enhanced speed, even having time to counter with a Psychic attack.
As a Grass and Psychic-type Pokémon, Exeggutor was at a disadvantage against Metagross. Its Grass and Psychic moves were both resisted by Metagross's Steel typing.
Metagross didn't even bother dodging Exeggutor's attacks. Seeing that it had missed hitting Exeggutor again, it endured a Psychic attack and then slammed all four of its claws fiercely into the ground.
Boom!!!
With a deafening crash, massive boulders fell from the sky, forming a circle of Stone Edge that encased Exeggutor, restricting its movements.
This was the Rock-type move Rock Tomb.
This time, Metagross soared into the air, its four claws all pointing toward Exeggutor, emanating a chilling cold aura.
"Exeggutor~ Exeggutor~"
Exeggutor panicked at the sight, scrambling to climb the stones in an attempt to escape the confines of the Rock Tomb.
However, the upright rocks were too smooth, and instead of escaping, Exeggutor slipped and tumbled to the ground.
Boom!!!
With a thunderous impact, Metagross's massive body slammed into the center of the rock enclosure, eliciting a wretched cry from Exeggutor.
"Exeggcuuuuuuutor!!!!"
The surrounding rocks shattered under the shockwave, scattering into fragments that flew in all directions.
By the time Metagross floated back into the air, Exeggutor had already lost its ability to fight.
Not far away, Pawmot watched this scene, its eyes brimming with admiration for Metagross.
"Pawmot~ Pawmot~"
Teacher Metagross, you're amazing!
Even Sneasel couldn't help but show a glimmer of awe in its eyes.
If only I could be that strong, Sneasel thought. Then my homeland wouldn't have been taken away, and my companions wouldn't be wandering without a place to call home.
The battle over, Metagross floated back to Angie's side. Angie patted it and said, "Great work, still as incredible as always."
"Metagross~ Metagross~"
Metagross squinted its eyes and smiled at Angie, graciously accepting the compliment.
Following Angie had made Metagross stronger than ever before—eating Angie's cooking every day and learning advanced training techniques online had done wonders for its power.
Angie then approached the unconscious Exeggutor, applying healing medicine and feeding it berries. Soon, Exeggutor regained consciousness.
This Exeggutor wasn't weak at all, but unfortunately, its opponent had been Metagross.
After tending to Exeggutor's injuries, Angie said, "Alright then, Exeggutor, we're heading off!"
"Exeggutor~"
Exeggutor nodded, watching as Angie and his Pokémon departed.
On the way, Pawmot sidled up to Metagross, whispering and chattering nonstop, asking for training tips.
Pawmot was particularly eager to learn Metagross's Ice Punch.
It figured that while it could learn Fire Punch from Munchlax, Ice Punch was better suited to being taught by its "Teacher Metagross."
Watching Pawmot get along so well with Metagross, Sneasel's eyes flickered with envy.
It wanted to learn Ice Punch too.
At that moment, Loke walked over to Sneasel and softly said, "If you want to learn, just ask outright. It'll teach you."