Toxicroak crouched low in the mud, its sharp eyes locked on Corvisquire circling above.
Its strong, muscle-bound limbs were already tense, ready to spring in any direction at a moment's notice. Whether to dodge or to strike, it could act instantly.
A sharp cry pierced the air.
"Coor!"
Corvisquire's figure suddenly flickered, and a faint streak of grey flashed through the sky.
Toxicroak sensed the incoming assault right away. But instead of turning to track the bird's position, it launched forward with a powerful leap, targeting Shiro, standing at the edge of the swamp.
As a battle-hardened leader among wild Pokémon, Toxicroak clearly understood the fatal weakness of those creatures who followed humans. It was the fragile trainers who always stood on the sidelines barking orders.
Mid-pounce, the frog opened its mouth. A deep purple toxin gathered and, with its cheeks bulging, it spat the venom straight at Shiro.
Just as the toxic glob flew forward, Corvisquire struck from behind. Its steel-hard beak spun like a drill and pierced through Toxicroak's exposed back.
"Croak!"
Toxicroak let out a final, painful screech before Corvisquire forced it down with a heavy strike. The creature crashed into the mud, sending up a spray several feet high.
But the poisonous glob that had almost reached Shiro stopped midair. With a soft gulping sound, it vanished.
"Haaunn~"
A deep purple Haunter slowly revealed itself, its wide, grinning mouth chewing on the remains of the toxic attack.
Shiro hadn't focused much on developing its Poison-type moves, which meant it lacked any strong poison-based attacks. But this small amount of venom from Toxicroak was nothing more than a snack. Haunter didn't even taste anything, let alone feel any effects.
"Haun..."
It patted its flat ghostly belly, then faded out of sight again.
Down in the mud, Corvisquire continued to peck at Toxicroak's lifeless body. As a trained battle Pokémon, it was furious that the wild creature had almost attacked its trainer.
"That's enough, Corvisquire! Come back now!"
Only after Shiro called out loudly did the bird snap out of its rage.
With a shake of its head, Corvisquire flung away bits of flesh and blood clinging to its beak, then cast one final glance at the half-sunken body before flapping back to its trainer's shoulder.
Carefully stepping around the nearest swampy patch, Shiro pulled out his communicator and checked the map.
They were now in the southern part of the Stony Wilderness. If everything went smoothly, they might be able to make it out by the end of the day. To the northwest lay Lake of Outrage.
That was where Drakloak's family was said to live, right in the heart of the lake.
"Alright. Let's keep going. Hopefully we can set up camp near the lake before nightfall," Shiro said as he watched the ground beneath his feet and quickened his pace.
The terrain here was tricky. Patches of swamp and solid ground were all mixed together, and most of them looked the same. Shiro had to find a long tree branch and use it like a walking stick, tapping ahead with each step like a blind man feeling his way.
Swampy areas like this often had Water-type Pokémon. Some could be aggressive and lie in wait beneath the murky surface, ambushing anything that got too close. To stay safe, Shiro had Haunter and Drakloak remain invisible and guard him from both sides the entire way.
Still, he welcomed encounters. His team needed more real battles to grow stronger. As for Corvisquire, he sent it back up to scout and look for any signs of wild Pokémon.
After nearly half an hour of steady progress, the ground began to slope upward. Shiro found himself standing at the center of the Stony Wilderness.
On dry, sunny days, this area would usually be the territory of Geodude and its evolution line. Those Pokémon had terrible tempers and would roll straight at anything that entered their land. But now that the rain had soaked the ground, the Rock-types had likely retreated into their caves to sleep. Much of the area had become sunken and waterlogged, forming clusters of small ponds.
The sky was still cloudy today, the sun nowhere to be seen, and a thin mist clung to the ground, refusing to fade.
Shiro climbed a large boulder, gazing out at the wide expanse of water before him. There was no obvious path forward. If it came to it, he'd have to rely on Corvisquire or Drakloak to fly him across.
"Squiiire~!"
Just then, Corvisquire returned from its scouting run, gliding down and landing neatly before him. It flapped its wings and gestured, trying to explain what it had found.
"You're saying the path ahead is occupied by a Binacle tribe? And among them are two Barbaracle with Gym-level strength?" Shiro pondered aloud.
But before he could say more, Corvisquire gave a couple of quick chirps and pointed toward the backpack on his back with its beak.
Shiro raised a brow. "One of the Barbaracle recognized you? And wants to trade something for Pokéblocks?"
Corvisquire nodded.
Without hesitation, Shiro reached into his bag and pulled out a few Pokéblocks for Water- and Rock-types. Then he placed them in a small container and tied it securely around the bird's neck.
These Pokéblocks had all come from for free, so he didn't mind giving them away. What really piqued his interest was what the Barbaracle might offer in return. Wild Pokémon often had no sense of conventional value, and while they sometimes brought worthless junk, they could also surprise you with rare and precious finds.
"Cooor…"
With a beat of its wings, Corvisquire took off again.
It skimmed lightly over the calm, bluish surface of the water, leaving behind a swift-moving shadow. Only after it had passed did pairs of wary eyes slowly emerge beneath the ripples.
Flying bird Pokémon with solid strength were natural predators in these wetlands, and their presence struck fear into many of the locals.
Before long, Corvisquire perched on a crooked, half-submerged dead tree that jutted from the water. Before it could even let out a call, brown-clawed hands reached out from below.
Those clawed hands were scattered all around the base of the tree, each with a single eye at its center, staring directly at the visitor above.
The Binacle were Rock- and Water-type Pokémon, creatures that rooted themselves to stones but thrived just as easily in aquatic environments.
Soon, the water churned and bubbled as two giant Barbaracle rose from the depths.
These creatures were composed of seven Binacle, fused together on twin slabs of rock. The dominant head controlled the entire structure, issuing orders to the rest. It had four hands, each formed by a Binacle with its own eye and a certain level of independent thought. Though they typically obeyed the central command.
"Bar—baraaacle!" (Goods!)
The larger of the two Barbaracle stepped forward, communicating with Corvisquire.
Wasting no time, the bird flew right up to the massive creature and delivered the Pokéblocks box hanging from its neck.
Both Barbaracle eagerly tasted a few of the blocks, their eyes narrowing with delight as they chirped in gratitude.
"Barbaaa!" (Thank you!)
Then, the smaller one dove beneath the water again, only to reappear moments later with a deep blue stone in one of its hands. It dropped the stone into the now-empty box and gently fastened it back around Corvisquire's neck.
"Coorv~!"
With all eyes from the Binacle tribe following it, the bird took off once more, quickly disappearing from view.
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