Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Tiny Dazzling Bird, Easily Captured

"Whew! Gathering a crowd for a party is truly exhilarating." Su Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead and rested with Dewgrass and the Dreadclaw Dragon beneath a rocky overhang.

While the Dreadclaw Dragon replenished its strength with food, Su Yi took the chance to open the "Hunting Guide."

Several new investigation tasks buzzed into the [Quests] section, all related to the monsters they had just encountered.

In reality, the Grimclaw Wyvern had fallen into the Poison Miasma Valley, its fate uncertain; the Terrifying Tyrant Dragon was far beyond their current strength; and the Sakura Blaze Dragon, with its flight ability, was hard to pin down in combat, making it nearly impossible to prevent its escape.

Only the Dazzling Bird remained...

[Quest: Capture the Dazzling Bird
Quest Support: None
Quest Reward: 5 Capture Orbs, 2 Trap Devices
Time Limit: 3 days]

Though the quest's wording was succinct—and the Dazzling Bird was only worth this much to his golden finger—for Su Yi, it still held unique value.

Who wouldn't love a mobile flash grenade?

Isn’t that right, Steel Dragon?

"No rush. Let's rest a bit," Su Yi said, resting his head against the Dreadclaw Dragon and gazing at the clear weather outside the cave.

The sky, drifting with pink coral eggs, occasionally saw an ancient ghost ray or two, floating leisurely like strange prawns.

The sunlight was so warm and bright—a perfect day for a nap.

Worn out from the chase and lulled by the gentle warmth, Su Yi slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Meow~" Dewgrass yawned, curled up beside him, and, relaxing completely, soon slipped into slumber as well.

The Dreadclaw Dragon watched over the overly relaxed pair, resigning itself to the role of guardian.

...

"Mmm... How long did I sleep?" Su Yi mumbled groggily.

"You slept for four hours, Rotom," the phone Rotom floated out to reply.

"And if you don't charge me soon, I'm about to shut down, Rotom!" Rotom protested loudly.

Su Yi scratched his head apologetically. "Haha, no wonder you weren't so lively. I forgot you needed recharging."

"Even during adventures, you need to take care of yourself, Rotom," Rotom chided, concern evident.

"It's fine, just let my guard down for a bit." Su Yi stretched, feeling much more relaxed.

"Meow!" The cat rubbed its furry paws across its face.

The Dreadclaw Dragon stood up and stretched its body.

"Thanks for keeping watch, Dreadclaw Dragon." With that, Su Yi stepped out of the cave.

By now, the sun was sinking beyond the horizon, casting the Coral Highlands in a sunset red. The coral eggs shimmered in the evening light, falling like a flurry of tiny snowflakes.

"Let's head back to the Pokémon World for a bit," Su Yi said, needing to recharge his phone Rotom promptly.

...

The two worlds seemed to move in sync, for when Su Yi arrived in the Pokémon World, the sky was also painted with twilight.

At the Pokémon Center, phone Rotom was plugged into a public outlet, charging up.

Su Yi and Dewgrass leaned against the wall, watching the passing trainers and their Pokémon with great interest.

"I've never visited the wild area outside Engine City since coming here; when there's time, I should go explore," Su Yi mused, glancing at the Galar regional map on the wall.

Ring ring ring!

"Call incoming, Rotom! It's Leon!" Rotom floated over, still charging.

"Hello?" Su Yi answered.

"Hey, Su Yi, are you still in Motostoke?" Leon's voice came through, exhausted.

"I'm in Motostoke, but you don't sound too well," Su Yi replied, surprised.

"I’ve just been busy lately..." Leon quickly shifted topics. "Let’s not talk about that. My brother Hop’s birthday is in two days. If you're free, why not visit Postwick? The scenery there is truly unique."

"I’ve told my family—you can stay at our house. They'll take good care of you, so please don’t be too formal."

Leon had mentioned this before.

"I'll head out once I finish up here," Su Yi promised.

"See you then," Leon replied, ending the call.

Su Yi shook his head with a wry smile. Leon was arguably the most dedicated Champion, always caught up in endless work.

...

Returning to the Coral Highlands, Su Yi found it was already evening.

Standing outside the cave, he stroked his chin. "What should I give Hop for his birthday?"

...

At night, the soft coral platform lay silent. Guided by scout bugs, Su Yi discovered the Dazzling Bird's tracks.

Once he memorized the bird’s scent, the scout bugs led him up a rocky staircase not far away.

"Little Dazzling Bird, do you really think you can escape my grasp?"

With a confident smile, Su Yi and Dewgrass climbed up the rocks.

After a brief climb, scaling some vines, a wide cavern came into view. Inside, piles of shells were stacked high. The polished shells reflected the moonlight, glittering in the darkness.

The Dazzling Bird habitually collected shiny objects—to decorate its nest and attract mates. Moreover, these smooth shells reflected its flashes, making it easy to blind intruders from unexpected angles.

A startled cry!

Sensing the approach of another creature, the Dazzling Bird emerged from the cave, watching warily and making threatening noises.

"Quick and decisive! Dreadclaw Dragon, go!" Su Yi didn't hesitate to send out his strongest fighter.

Seeing this, the Dazzling Bird immediately activated its photonic membrane, charging up its flash attack much faster than before.

"The same trick won’t work on me twice!" Su Yi chuckled.

He pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his pocket, flicked them open, and put them on with practiced ease.

"Flash defense!"

Zap!

Light flooded the cavern. Reflected by the polished shells, the dazzling glare erupted everywhere, as if a dozen flash grenades had gone off at once.

Unable to close its eyes due to a lack of eyelids, the Dreadclaw Dragon cleverly covered them with its claws, blocking out the hated light.

"Dreadclaw Dragon! Dragon Claw!" Su Yi called, unaffected.

With a leap, the Dreadclaw Dragon’s claws—charged with green dragon energy—slashed through the air.

A shriek!

The Dazzling Bird was knocked to the ground in an instant.

"Another one—Iron Tail!"

The Dreadclaw Dragon twisted its body, swinging its tail, now gleaming with a metallic sheen.

With a heavy blow, the bird’s cries faded into a weak whimper.

"Capture Orb, go!" Su Yi threw the orb without hesitation.

Whether it was resignation or terror at facing the Dreadclaw Dragon again, the Dazzling Bird barely struggled before the orb stilled completely.

"Simple and easy." Su Yi picked up the captured bird’s orb.

The investigation task for the Dazzling Bird was complete; after claiming his reward, his supply of Capture Orbs rose to nine.

"Hmm... In the game, the Dazzling Bird’s nest can yield pearls. Since it loves shiny things and spends a lot of time patrolling its territory, there should be plenty of treasures here." Su Yi glanced at the shells piled in the innermost part of the cavern.

"Come out, Scratching Bird." Without hesitation, Su Yi released his best digging partner.

No sooner had the Scratching Bird appeared than it sniffed around, cocked its head, and then poked towards a spot inside the cavern.

Caw!

With an excited cry, the Scratching Bird quickly dug through the worthless shells.

Seeing this reaction, Su Yi exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be...?"