Chapter 35: Catching Kirlia—A Double Battle!

It seemed as if the two Kirlia had noticed Zhang Feng’s movements, or perhaps they had known since yesterday that he intended to capture them and had been observing his every move from the shadows all along.

For this reason, the two little ones had been trailing him since yesterday, careful to remain unseen, and had deliberately made noises to draw his attention whenever it seemed he was about to give up. Possessing telepathic abilities, it was no surprise that Kirlia had a keen sense of impending crises and could perceive Zhang Feng’s intentions.

Initially, the Kirlia had been dissatisfied with this trainer who sought to capture them. However, after observing him, they saw that he treated his Pokémon well, proved to be a gentle and capable trainer, and thus, their favor toward him grew. This sparked a desire to get closer to him—after all, Zhang Feng happened to hit the mark for everything the sisters liked in a trainer. Consequently, their affection for him had risen to fifteen points.

Before Zhang Feng could make another move, however, a flash appeared before his eyes, and the two Kirlia vanished from where they stood. Seeing them use Teleport to disappear, Zhang Feng was frantic. With only two hours left until the end of the capture event, if the Kirlia vanished completely, he would have no time left to track them down. Was he destined to fail?

Unexpectedly, the Kirlia’s use of Teleport was not an attempt to flee in fear, but rather a move to appear directly in front of him. At the same time, a pleasant voice resonated in his mind:

"Are you the trainer who has been chasing us for two days, determined to capture our sisterhood?"

Zhang Feng: "???"

Seeing that the Kirlia sisters hadn't left but had instead shown themselves, Zhang Feng calmed down. It was clear that they were interested in him, so he no longer had to worry about them disappearing or denying him a chance to capture them. Smiling, he replied:

"That is correct. I do wish to capture you. Looking at you now, I assume you have known of my presence for quite some time?"

Seeing that Zhang Feng had guessed correctly, the younger of the two Kirlia couldn't help but look surprised. "You seem quite clever for a trainer, but based on that alone, it will be difficult to capture us."

Seeing that the Kirlia seemed to have a test in mind, Zhang Feng became intrigued.

"Then tell me, what are the conditions for capturing you?"

Following his question, the Kirlia sisters exchanged glances, a spark of competitive spirit in their eyes, and replied in unison:

"It is simple: a double battle. Defeat us, and prove that you are a powerful trainer!"

While they liked someone gentle, a gentle trainer without strength could not fully win their hearts. As Pokémon, they naturally hoped to follow a reliable and powerful trainer. To capture the twin Kirlia, Zhang Feng had to prove his mettle.

A double battle against twin sisters with telepathy would be challenging. Their coordination would be impeccable; they wouldn't even need to speak, as they could communicate their intentions directly through their minds. This left Zhang Feng at a disadvantage, as he couldn't predict their next moves. Furthermore, since he couldn't use his primary Pokémon, he had to rely on those he had captured within the reserve. Fortunately, both Kirlia were only at level twenty-one, so there was still a chance.

With that in mind, Zhang Feng sent out two Eevees he had captured, both with purple-tier potential. One was level sixteen and the other level nineteen. Although they were lower in level than the Kirlia, they were capable of using Ghost-type moves. That would be enough.

"Let the battle begin!"

As both sides assumed their combat stances, the battle to capture the twin Kirlia commenced.

"Eevee, use Dig!"

Following Zhang Feng’s command, both Eevees quickly burrowed into the ground. However, this move was of little use against Psychic-type Kirlia, who could lock onto their positions with their powers. Any attempt to strike from underground would be easily dodged by Teleport. Yet, Zhang Feng wasn't trying to land a direct hit with Dig.

"Keep using Dig!"

As Zhang Feng issued the command again, the Kirlia grew confused. They watched as the Eevees repeatedly surfaced and dove, creating more and more holes in the ground. But it was to no avail; the two Kirlia exchanged a look and simultaneously unleashed Psychic.

In an instant, both Eevees were encased in a dark blue psychic energy, lifted into the air, and slammed down hard. The impact left both Eevees significantly injured. The Kirlia beamed with delight.

However, this was exactly what Zhang Feng had planned. As the ground was now riddled with holes, he immediately shouted:

"Eevee One, burrow deep and use Curse! Eevee Two, move through the tunnels and unleash a barrage of Shadow Balls from different openings!"

(Each Eevee would eventually evolve into a different form, so for now, he distinguished them as One and Two.)

Curse, a Ghost-type move, caused significant damage. Shadow Ball, also a Ghost-type move, was super-effective against Psychic-types. With the field full of tunnels, even the Kirlia could not track which opening the attacks would emerge from. Furthermore, the sheer number of Shadow Balls covering the field made it impossible to tell which one would be the fatal blow.

When the Kirlia realized Zhang Feng’s counter-attack, they tried to use Teleport to escape, but with Shadow Balls emerging from every hole, there was nowhere to go. Having let their guard down while reveling in their earlier success, they were caught completely off-guard.

As the series of Shadow Ball explosions engulfed the field, both Kirlia were sent flying. Simultaneously, the effects of the Curse took hold. The Ghost-type assault was enough to severely damage the Psychic-type Pokémon, rendering them unable to battle.

Seeing the Kirlia defeated and injured, Zhang Feng immediately tossed two Premier Balls. Everything settled into silence.

"Excellent, I’ve captured the Kirlia!"