stonecrandall Chapter 254: A Side Evolutionary Route for the Stingerbug? Holding a grudge? Masochistic tendencies?
Chapter 254: A Side Evolutionary Route for the Stingerbug? Holding a grudge? Masochistic tendencies?
Chapter 254: A Side Evolutionary Route for the Stingerbug? Holding a grudge? Masochistic tendencies? Shield Cocoon evolves into Poison Dustmoth!
Actually, Ye Yinchuan had a little musing about Slowpoke.
That is, if Shellder bites different parts of Slowpoke, it will evolve into different forms and gain different abilities...
Is it possible for a Slowpoke to coexist with multiple Shellders, using the Shellders to strengthen its entire body?
Ye Yinchuan believes it is possible, but very difficult.
If the toxin from just one Shellder can make Slowpoke even more stupid, then injecting the toxin from so many Shellders would surely cause chaos.
Perhaps, if I ever catch a Slowpoke in the future and have nothing else to do, I could research it in this direction.
[You have approved user "Little Pink Bug's" connection request!]
[Connection successful!]
With the prompt, a girl dressed in pink appeared on the screen. When she put on her hat, Ye Yinchuan realized that her clothes actually looked a bit like a Pokémon cosplay outfit...
Moreover, this Pokémon is a relatively weak Bug-type Pokémon, similar to Caterpie—Wriggle.
Actually, the stinging beetle has another name: the little powder beetle.
So you can tell from the username of this contact person that she loves Pokémon.
If you look closely, you'll notice that even the color of her hair is the same red and yellow as that of the stinging beetle.
You know what, it's actually quite pretty, youthful, playful, and cute.
"Hello, little pink worm."
Ye Yinchuan greeted him.
"Hey streamer, I've been watching your streams for ages, and I finally got to connect today. I've been raising a lot of tussock beetles, could you help me identify them?"
By the way, a couple of days ago, one of my slugs evolved, but it looked a bit strange. Could you take a look and tell me if it's mutated or sick?
Upon hearing this, Ye Yinchuan's expression shifted.
He wasn't too unfamiliar with the Pokémon Wurmple, especially since it hadn't evolved into its final form yet, which gave him a special sense of familiarity, probably because it looked very similar to Caterpie!
They're all domestic insects, and even their evolutionary paths seem familiar.
However, Ye Yinchuan knew that the stinging beetle had one rather special characteristic compared to the green caterpillar...
That means it has two evolutionary paths, which are completely random in the game's setting!
At the same time, Ye Yinchuan also used his silent search technique to determine the situation of the Stinging Tail Worm in this world.
"I see. In this world, the evolutionary path of the Swallowtail Beetle into the Hunting Butterfly is well-known, but the other evolutionary path is little known. And the evolution of the Swallowtail Beetle..."
Ye Yinchuan used the [True Knowledge Compendium] to obtain the most accurate information about the Stinging Tail Beetle in this world.
"That's right. In this world, the evolution of the Stingtail Bug isn't completely random; it follows certain patterns. The other evolutionary path for the Hunting Swallowtail Butterfly has a much lower difficulty level, or rather, a much lower probability of success!"
After a brief moment of reflection, Ye Yinchuan was confident and prepared to deal with the situation that was about to unfold.
"Look at this, young lady, let's get straight to the good stuff!"
At the same time, Ye Yinchuan also glanced at the time.
"Family members, there's only half an hour left. If this session goes on for too long, we'll be heading off. If it goes by quickly, we might have to rebroadcast it."
Upon hearing this, Bai Zhi yawned and stretched her arms and legs like a kitten.
I usually advise streamers not to sleep, but my assistant was sleepy, so I agreed.
[Wait a minute? Where will the assistant sleep later? They won't sleep together, will they? Please don't let the streamer go offline, protect our assistant!]
[It has to be a streamer, though. Everyone else keeps mistresses in luxury, but he'd be happy even if he had nothing.]
[You don't understand, streamers who do this can definitely earn over 10,000 yuan a month!]
Seeing the teasing comments in the live chat, Ye Yinchuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Especially the last one, Ye Yinchuan didn't know if they were serious or just pretending.
Earning over 10,000 yuan a month?
You make 20,000 to 30,000 yuan in one live stream, and you're just joking around with me?
Bai Zhi was still a little drowsy, but when she saw the comments, she was startled awake and couldn't help but feel her face burning. Looking at Ye Yinchuan's reaction, she was relieved to see that he seemed unaffected, so it wasn't too embarrassing.
At this moment, the person on the other end of the line also pointed the camera at the stinging crickets she was raising.
As its name suggests, the Pokémon Wurmple has spikes on its tail.
As mentioned earlier, it is also called a small pink worm, so most of its body is a pinkish-red color, with a single horn on its forehead and two yellow spines on its tail.
The head and back have uneven bumps, with the one on the head being the most prominent, and all of them are red.
The legs of the thorn beetle also resemble sharp spikes, with suckers on them, which supposedly prevent them from slipping on glass.
In addition, the eyes of the thorntail are quite large, surrounded by a yellow eyeshadow, and the mouth is particularly full, like a rabbit's mouth, or like two buttocks pressed together.
The shape and color of the tussock beetle are actually quite beautiful, as long as you don't dislike insects.
Ye Yinchuan began his light-speed appraisal technique:
"This slug's ability is to escape. As the name suggests, it is very good at escaping and has a special power that makes it immune to some restrictive moves... It's just that this ability is difficult to use in battles, but it's quite good for guerrilla warfare in the wild."
"Hmm... This one comes with the egg move 'Bug Bite,' so at this stage, it's a bit stronger than a regular Wurmple. Although Wurmple evolves very easily, having this move, if properly trained, can make it a trump card!"
"An S-rank individual, this is top-tier. Its ability is Scale Dust, and its moves are nothing special, but its high IVs are enough to compensate for the Bug-type's low base stats. It's like being the tallest among the short ones; there's not much to say about that."
After Ye Yinchuan's examination, although he did not find any particularly special individuals, he did help the contact person identify several animals with relatively good qualities and appearance.
The key now is to look at that strange "cocoon" mentioned by the contact person.
The shelled cocoon is the evolved form of the tussock beetle; if it evolves further, it will become the swallowtail butterfly.
"Look at this chick, its shell is a pale purple, and the pupil in the middle of its eye seems to be white, making the whites of its eyes look rather cloudy. I'm a little worried, is it sick?"
Ye Yinchuan glanced at it briefly and then made up his mind:
"This is not a shell cocoon, but a shield cocoon."
Upon hearing this, the person on the other end of the line was visibly taken aback, and asked, somewhat puzzled:
"What do you mean? I'm pretty sure this is the evolution of Wurmple! How could it evolve into a different Pokémon? Cocoon, I've never heard of it before!"
[That's normal. Animals like Poliwag and Slowpoke have multiple evolutionary paths, right? But I've never heard of another evolutionary path for Wurmple. Is it because it's too obscure? Or is it, like Poliwag, one of the extremely rare ones?]
[If the streamer says it's there, then it must be. I'm a college student, and my professor recommended that we watch the streamer's livestreams whenever we have free time, saying that the questions for our final exams might include Pokémon that the streamer has covered...]
Upon seeing one of the comments, Bai Zhi's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth, displaying an expression of surprise mixed with awe.
After all, she was a college student herself. Although she had witnessed Ye Yinchuan's prowess before, she was still amazed to see that even a university professor was strongly recommending his livestreaming career and even using it as a reference for his final exams...
That feeling was quite subtle; as a junior assistant, she also felt proud.
Ye Yinchuan then explained:
"Shield Cocoon is a branch of Cocoon. They look very similar, but without a doubt, they are all evolutions of Wurmple. They will evolve further into different forms of Pokémon."
"I'm sure you're all wondering why there's this difference in evolution, and what kind of Pokémon this Cocoon will evolve into. Don't worry, let me explain."
[Wow, even streamers have learned to ask and answer their own questions now?]
I suspect he did it on purpose, so he can pad his stream time and then go home!
"Most thorntail beetles evolve into cocoons, but only those that have ingested large amounts of toxic plants before evolution can evolve into shield-like cocoons. You should be able to see that the silk of shield-like cocoons is purple, which is a sign of the presence of toxins, and the cloudy whites of their eyes are for a similar reason..."
Besides, there is another obvious difference between carapace-like cocoons and shield-like cocoons: above their eyes, carapace-like cocoons have a distinct eyelash-like structure, making them look more attractive, while shield-like cocoons do not. This is similar to the difference between single and double eyelids.
[Got it, I'll feed the poison to my spiky worms now!]
[That's interesting, but why are shield-shelled cocoons so rare? There should be plenty of poisonous plants in the wild, right? And poison-type abilities should be quite powerful, right?]
"Good question. There's a reason why Shield Cocoons are so rare. Although ingesting toxins allows them to evolve into Shield Cocoons, and poison-type abilities do have an advantage in certain aspects... even if a Wurmple doesn't die from ingesting toxins, it will experience considerable pain..."
Research shows that only a very small number of slugs enjoy the pain, evolving into shield-like cocoons through this bittersweet experience. Additionally, a very small percentage of slugs, when faced with extreme food scarcity, are forced to feed on plants containing toxins!
[6. I understand now, only masochistic Wurmple can evolve into Cocoon!]
[If you don't understand, just ask: What is a masochistic attribute?]
Ye Yinchuan glanced at the comments and continued his explanation:
"The silk from the shield cocoon is of higher quality and better color than that from the shell cocoon because it has experienced pain. Although it is fine, it is extremely strong."
When they begin to evolve, they will remain motionless even when attacked. They will endure pain and transform it into strength. Once they can no longer bear it and choose to flee, their evolved strength will be limited.
Well, it's probably because during their evolution, their bodies undergo adaptive evolution, and their will and spirit also influence the final outcome. Therefore, it's best to experience some setbacks and endure them; only then can the resulting shield-like cocoon be the most powerful!
Wow, this shield-like cocoon, the evolved form it will surely be powerful, cool, and beautiful!
[Thank you, host! I've learned so much! I'm about your age, but I learn something new every day from you. Did you start studying Pokémon from the womb?]
Looking at the comments, Ye Yinchuan's expression was subtle.
First of all, the evolved form of Shield Cocoon is hard to say how powerful it is, but its appearance is definitely not something that everyone can accept.
Secondly, the comment that followed can be seen as a self-praise... Unfortunately, even if you start studying Pokémon from the womb, it's impossible to catch up with your own knowledge and understanding of Pokémon!
Meanwhile, viewers in the live chat were already asking what the Cocoon would look like after evolving.
After all, everyone is very familiar with the Hunting Butterfly that evolves from the Cocoon, but it's not an exaggeration to say that we know nothing about the Shield Cocoon.
"Don't rush. Someone just said that they were feeding poison to their own stinging beetles. You have to be very careful."
There are two main points. First, stinging beetles cannot digest all toxins. Only a plant called the half-poison lotus is suitable for them. Eating this plant can allow them to evolve into shielded cocoons; otherwise, they may be poisoned to death.
The second is the final evolution of the Shield Cocoon, which differs significantly in form from the Hunting Swallowtail, and is even somewhat unconventional; it might not be appreciated by everyone.
Just as Ye Yinchuan was about to briefly describe the evolved form of the Shield Cocoon.
The person on the other end of the line suddenly exclaimed:
"Hey streamer, look! My Cocoon looks like it's about to evolve! Should I get my other Pokémon to help it?"
The person who connected said it in a very euphemistic way, but to put it bluntly, it meant whether or not to beat up the Shield Cocoon to increase its evolutionary strength.
"Yes, I will."
Ye Yinchuan nodded.
"But there's a little detail to be aware of. Please turn your voice down a bit. I'm telling you, although Bug-type Pokémon evolve quickly, it still takes some time, so there's no rush."
"Um."
Although the person on the other end of the line had a slight doubt, she did as instructed. She put her ear close to the phone and whispered:
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
"Host, you can speak now!"
What kind of game is this?
[Hehe, a cute girl is whispering in my ear, it feels so good! The streamer knows how to have fun, I'm sorry in advance!]
[To the guy upstairs, that's just human nature, I can understand.]
Ye Yinchuan ignored these playful, even slightly mischievous, comments and explained his reasons for doing so:
"Although it was mentioned before that attacks suffered during evolution will make it stronger, it will remember the pain of those attacks exceptionally clearly, to the point of being unforgettable. It will even remember the attacker's face... waiting to take revenge after evolving!"
"what?"
[Who knew there were Pokémon that held such a grudge?]
Being attacked during evolution is akin to getting beaten up while taking a dump!
On the contrary, didn't we mention earlier that these stinging beetles have masochistic tendencies? I suspect it enjoys them... Anyway, listen to the host!
[If that's the case, is it possible that it remembered the attacker because it found being beaten enjoyable, so it could evolve to repay the favor? Or was it just a misunderstanding?]
Seeing the comments' understanding, Ye Yinchuan felt a sense of shock, as if a new world had been opened to him. His expression resembled that of a kung fu star, his unshaven face utterly dumbfounded.
"Are you really geniuses?"
But regardless of the shield cocoon's purpose—whether it's revenge or gratitude—most people couldn't bear it. Therefore, we still have to follow Ye Yinchuan's method:
"Here's what you'll do: get a black cloth or a burlap sack and put it over its body, then help it fiercely... preferably with your pet swallowtail butterflies, attacking simultaneously in different ways... put it in two layers, just in case the sack breaks?"
[This is hilarious! It's so funny!]
Does the streamer have any side hustles?
So, the reason for speaking so softly is that the shield and cocoon are afraid of hearing and holding a grudge?
The person in charge thought about it carefully, nodded vigorously, and began to carry it out.
While covering the shield cocoon with burlap sacks, the person on the other end of the line couldn't help but say a few words:
"Sixty-six cents, it'll be a little dark and painful later, that's normal, take a deep breath..."
Upon seeing this, Ye Yinchuan raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but ask:
What does "66 mao" mean?
"Oh, it's nothing. I've been raising a lot of spiky beetles, haven't I? My goal is to raise 99 spiky beetles and then stop... I have a number for each of them. You see, this shield beetle has the number 66 on its tag."
"Um... I have a very serious question."
"What?"
"Was your first slug named Big Hair or Little Hair?"
"Uh, it's called Head Hair."
[Hahaha! Hair, this is something I didn't expect!]
It's hard to tell who's more humorous; it's too abstract!
What happened next was simple: a sack was put on our shield cocoon, and a little help was given!
The hunter had at least a dozen swallowtail butterflies. Releasing them all at once would be dazzling, so Ye Yinchuan had her release six.
"Six are enough. It's just an unevolved Shield Cocoon; how much force can it withstand?"
These hunting butterflies used moves like "Wind," "Stinger," "Bite," and "Strike" to bombard the shield cocoon.
The shield cocoon seemed to let out a cry of pain, but it didn't move an inch.
"Hey streamer, why is the shield cocoon smoking?"
The person in the link is still very worried about their Pokémon.
"That's normal. It's because all the cells in its body are producing the energy needed for evolution, and the internal temperature is very high... Now the surface should be cracked, and the internal heat is being transferred out, which means that evolution is almost complete."
Ye Yinchuan provided a brief explanation.
puff!
With a burst of evolutionary light and a tearing sound, the sack that was originally covering the shield cocoon exploded into countless fragments!
And what flew out of it was a completely new Pokémon...
It is the evolved form of the shield cocoon - the poison moth!
Ye Yinchuan also made the name of this Pokémon public.
[Holy crap! This looks kind of scary! No wonder the streamer said it's a bit hardcore!]
Ugh! Its eyes are triggering my trypophobia!
[These antennae and these legs look like maggots, and the color... I'm sorry, I'm really feeling physically uncomfortable!]
No wonder this evolutionary path is so strange; it's practically a twisted product!
The barrage of comments was completely stunned by the beauty of the poisonous moth.
Ye Yinchuan was also admiring the Pokémon's posture. Even though he was very tolerant of Pokémon appearances, seeing Dustowdo like this still made him feel a little uneasy...
As the comments on the screen say, there are three main reasons why the poisonous moth is disliked.
One is that the eyes look like they have three holes, which can trigger trypophobia.
Another thing is that the antennae on its head and the legs on its body look somewhat like maggots.
Another point is its color scheme, which gives it a bright, eerie, and even toxic look... It's definitely not a very appealing color scheme.
If Pokémon were divided into heroes and villains, then this Venomous would make people want to categorize it as a villain just by its appearance...
The saying "beauty is justice" still holds some truth.
[Oh no, why isn't the girl saying anything? Could she be scared by the appearance of the poisonous moth?]
Seeing this comment, Ye Yinchuan was also a little worried. As a streamer, should he comfort the person or even provide some psychological counseling?
"Little powder worms..."
Just as he was about to speak, he heard a joyful cheer from the other end:
"Wow! Streamer, so this is what Cocoon looks like after evolving? It's incredible! It's a completely different Pokémon from Beautifly! I love it!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Yinchuan awkwardly touched his nose.
It seems my worries were unnecessary; the young lady has rather unusual tastes.
[I'm not a sister, I just want to ask, how did you come to like Pokémon like this?]
The person on the other end responded to the comments:
"I love the little pink worms, no matter what they look like, they'll always be my little pink worms. Even though the poisonous white moth looks completely different from the hunting swallowtail butterfly, I also really like the hunting swallowtail butterfly..."
But owning a special poisonous white moth is also a very happy thing for me, how could I not like it?
Ye Yinchuan couldn't help but give a thumbs up; this was the best owner.
No matter how a Pokémon evolves, you can always find its shining points and continue to love it.
Perhaps this is just a matter of personal preference... Wishing you happiness!
What a wonderful girl! She wouldn't reject a Pokémon just because of its appearance. I love her!
Let's talk about Toxtricity instead; we know absolutely nothing about this Pokémon!
[Actually, that's not the case. I wasn't sure at first, but after taking a closer look, I discovered that this Pokémon once appeared on a large scale! It was during a year of famine, probably when the streamer mentioned food shortages and Wurmple had to eat poisonous plants... which is why there were large-scale appearances of Whiteflies!]
[A year of famine? What an unfamiliar term... It must have happened at least several hundred years ago, right?]
Watching the discussions in the live chat, Ye Yinchuan took a tactical sip of water to moisten his throat.
Since we've come this far, let's talk about this poisonous powder moth!
(End of this chapter)