Hours.

After the first bundle of bugwort they'd stumbled upon, they hadn't seen another patch for hours.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting dim shadows over the forest. Caelan, mindful of conserving his Pokégear's battery, avoided using the flashlight, which made it harder to spot anything as evening approached.

Rattata had a scent for the plants, but her range was limited, and she wasn't particularly accurate.

"I should've just moved on to the next part of the plan," he muttered, glancing at Rattata, who was sniffing around the base of a nearby tree. "This is so boring."

His 'master plan' for leveraging Rattata's strength wasn't complicated. They needed money and resources, and the best method for a trainer like him to get that was a sponsor.

But no one would back a trainer whose Pokémon only knew basic moves like Tackle and Quick Attack. They needed new, exciting moves—ones that would cover Rattata's weaknesses, like her lack of range, and show off her potential.

He watched as her ears twitched as she stood on her hind legs, diligently scanning the underbrush. The forest was unusually quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and distant chirps of bird Pokemon.

Ritchie had warned him about the bird Pokémon, and Caelan wasn't keen on getting too close to those sounds.

He wiped the dirt from his hands and stood. "Let's get this over with. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can head back."

Rattata gave a quick nod, and they pushed forward deeper into the woods, the silence around them becoming more oppressive with every step.

"Sentreeee—!!!"

Suddenly, a shrill screech pierced the quiet.

Caelan whipped around, his heart skipping a beat as a brown Pokemon leaped from the bushes, its fur bristling and its body tense. It wasn't attacking—just standing there, staring them down, its tail twitching as if sizing them up.

Rattata immediately took a defensive stance without needing any orders, but the Pokémon didn't move to engage.

"That's a… Sentret, right?" Caelan thought out loud, his brow furrowing in confusion. The little thing had scared him half to death, but it wasn't doing anything but simply standing there, oddly enough.

A few tense seconds passed. The Sentret still didn't attack.

'Why isn't it… doing anything?' Caelan's heart rate slowed as he thought it through. 'And why screech at us only to just stand there? Was it startled or something, and now it's curious?'

Before he could piece it together, a rustle came from behind him. Then another from the side.

Caelan's eyes widened. More Sentret were emerging from the shadows, drawn toward the first one. One by one, they appeared, surrounding them. His pulse quickened as he counted at least five, maybe six—more than Rattata could handle on her own.

Then, like a flash of memory, it clicked.

"Sentret… classified as the 'Scout Pokemon'," he realized.

The first one hadn't attacked because it was waiting for the rest of its pack. And that screech—it was a signal. The little shit dazed him and called for reinforcements all in one move. A tactic that wouldn't work on normal Pokemon, as they would just attack, but was perfect for unsuspecting humans.

If he wasn't annoyed at being tricked, he would've almost been impressed.

The group of Sentret tightened their formation, their tails flicking with anticipation. The original one, now perched on its tail, let out another shrill call. This time, the rest sprang into action.

"Rattata, get ready!" Caelan called out, stepping back instinctively, his heart pounding in his chest. One Sentret immediately lunged at him, its sharp claws glinting in the low light.

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Caelan barely dodged to the side, throwing his arm up to shield himself as the Sentret slashed at the air where he had just been. "Oh, shit!" he muttered under his breath.

"Quick Attack!" he shouted, his voice steady despite the sudden rush of adrenaline. Rattata dashed forward like a blur, intercepting the Sentret that had targeted Caelan, striking it hard and sending it tumbling backward.

Another Sentret sprang from behind, aiming directly at Caelan's legs, but Rattata pivoted in time to knock it off course with a sharp Bite, her teeth sinking into its tail. The Sentret squealed in pain and retreated into the underbrush, but two more quickly took its place.

Caelan's mind raced as he tried to keep track of all the Sentret surrounding them. There were too many to handle head-on, and they were moving unpredictably, bouncing between the trees and darting in and out of sight.

"Stay close, Rattata!" Caelan called, stepping back again to keep his distance from the pack.

Just then, the first Sentret lunged forward, its little claws outstretched, aiming directly for Caelan's midsection. His instincts kicked in, and he quickly ducked, barely dodging the swipe. "Fuck!" he hissed, stumbling slightly as he regained his footing.

"They're smarter than I thought they'd be." He gritted his teeth. The wild was a lot more dangerous than a controlled battle environment, and this was proof of that.

Not only did the Sentret manage to call its entire pack, but it was aiming for him directly without hesitation. Without him to direct her, they could likely play into Rattata's bloodlust and take her out with numbers.

And they knew that.

"Rattata, Screech!"

Rattata, sensing the danger, jumped between Caelan and the Sentret, releasing a deafening Screech that stopped the attacking Pokémon in its tracks. The other Sentret flinched from the noise, their coordinated assault faltering for just a moment.

Caelan seized the moment. "Now! Break through!"

Rattata's eyes lit up as she charged forward, her body becoming a blur of motion. Emboldened by the power of her Rage, she slammed through any opposing Sentret and sent them flying.

The force of the attack clearly startled the rest of the pack as they hesitated, unsure whether to continue their assault.

"Let's go!" Caelan called, taking the opportunity to escape. Rattata followed, her paws barely touching the ground as they sprinted through the trees, leaving the Sentret behind.

They didn't stop running until the sounds of the forest settled back into their quiet rhythm. Only then did Caelan slow down, breathing hard as he glanced back. The Sentret hadn't followed.

Caelan breathed a sigh of relief, his heart still pounding from the close calls. He wiped the sweat from his brow, shaking his head. "That was…hah… way too close."

Rattata, still on high alert, sniffed the air cautiously before relaxing, her tail flicking as she returned to his side. Caelan crouched down, rubbing her head gently. "Nice work, girl. You saved my hide back there."

Rattata chittered proudly, her fur bristling slightly from the adrenaline.

As Caelan stood, something caught his eye—just a few feet ahead, nestled beneath the roots of an old tree, was a small patch of familiar-looking plants. He knelt down, a grin forming on his face as he recognized the purple wildflower.

"More Bugwort," he said, his voice laced with satisfaction. "Finally."

He carefully gathered the plants and stowed them in his bag. Straightening up, he glanced at Rattata, who was still scanning the treeline warily.

"Let's get out of here before those Sentret decide to follow after us," Caelan said, his voice a bit more serious than before.

Rattata nodded, her sharp eyes still darting around the forest as they turned back toward the path home. Despite the sudden ambush, they managed to fend off the attackers and complete their mission. Caelan couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment—not just for finding the Bugwort, but for surviving his first 'wild encounter' unscathed even if he panicked a little.

But as they walked, Caelan's mind started to wander, his gaze lingering on the thick forest around them. The Sentret attack had been unexpected, and even though they'd managed to fend them off, it was a stark reminder of how dangerous the wild could be.

"We can't rely on luck or skill alone forever," he muttered under his breath.

He glanced down at Rattata, who seemed unfazed, trotting alongside him with her usual confidence. But an idea lingered. Traveling like this—with only one Pokémon—was risky. It was a gamble every time they stepped into unknown territory.

But the Sentret ambush wasn't the first time he'd been reminded of his limitations.

Fiona's Delibird had exposed the glaring weakness in his strategy—a lack of versatility. With only Rattata at his side, his options were limited, forcing him into situations where he had to rely on brute strength or sheer determination.

And now, in the wild, that same limitation had nearly cost them. If those Sentret had been stronger, more coordinated, or if something larger had shown up…

"It's only been lately that we've been running into this problem. Perhaps it's a natural wall of being a trainer," he said to himself. His voice was low, almost contemplative, as he glanced down at Rattata. "One Pokemon can't cover everything."

Rattata flicked her eyes, looking up at him with a gleam in her eye as if already agreeing with his unspoken decision.

"Looks like we'll need more help sooner than I thought," he said aloud, his voice firming with resolve. "It's time to start thinking about expanding our team."

The wild wasn't going to get any less dangerous, and his future battles would only get tougher. Relying on one Pokemon was a risk he seemingly couldn't afford anymore.

With a final look at the darkening forest, Caelan quickened his pace, his mind already racing with plans for his future team.

They had survived today, but he wouldn't leave their fate to chance again.