"Scy—!" The green mantis Pokémon vibrated with excitement, its twin blades glinting sharply as it fixed its gaze on Butterfree.
"Scyther, use Quick Attack!" the samurai called without hesitation.
"Fly up—Tailwind," Ash responded just as calmly. Butterfree's wings beat powerfully, far stronger than those of an ordinary Butterfree. With a single elegant motion, it rose into the air, a rushing current spiralling outward as Tailwind took effect.
"Free~!" The invisible wind wrapped around Butterfree's body, boosting its speed to another level. It hovered effortlessly, its movements light and precise, almost dancing in the air.
"Scy~!" Scyther didn't remain passive. Its small wings buzzed loudly as it kicked off the ground, using the surrounding terrain and brief bursts of flight to close the distance. It twisted its body midair, blades crossing as it aimed straight for Butterfree.
"X-Scissor!"
"Confusion."
Both commands rang out nearly at the same time. A faint psychic glow flashed around Butterfree's eyes. Scyther's crossed blades cut forward—
And struck nothing.
Its body froze midair, halted abruptly just inches away from Butterfree, as if caught by an invisible hand. Psychic energy wrapped around it, locking its movement completely. Ash's eyes widened slightly.
'It… overpowered X-Scissor?'
He immediately realised his mistake. Using a psychic-type move against a bug-type attack wasn't ideal—but the result was far beyond what he had expected. Then clarity struck him.
Scyther had been airborne. Without proper footing, its power output was reduced. Combined with Butterfree's overwhelming psychic strength, the clash had tilted entirely in Butterfree's favour.
Even so, the result was terrifying. Misty stared, stunned. Elsa blinked in surprise—though less so than before. She was already growing used to Ash's unpredictability. Yellow wasn't surprised at all.
With her Viridian Essence, she had sensed Butterfree's abnormal power from the moment it evolved. She hadn't known it was psychic energy—but now, it was obvious. Scyther dropped back to the ground, shaking off the restraint, its eyes sharp as it locked onto Butterfree again.
"Dodge it!" the samurai shouted. But Ash was faster.
"Sticky Web." Butterfree flicked its wings, releasing a shining bundle of web that shot downward. Scyther twisted aside, narrowly avoiding being fully trapped—but one leg caught the web.
Just for a moment. That was enough.
"Energy Ball." A dense sphere of green energy condensed instantly and slammed into Scyther before it could tear free. The impact sent it skidding backward before it collapsed, unconscious.
Silence followed.
"How?" the samurai muttered aloud, staring at his fallen Scyther. "Scyther dodged the Sticky Web completely…" Ash chuckled, rubbing the back of his head with a grin. "That's a trade secret, buddy."
That was exactly why he had trained Metapod the way he did. Sticky Web wasn't just a trapping move—it was a battlefield control tool. And Butterfree clearly understood that instinctively.
'Insight, huh…' Ash mused.
He hadn't heard of that talent before, but now he was certain—it existed for a reason. "I lost," the samurai admitted honestly. There was no bitterness in his voice—only admiration.
Seeing Butterfree fight like that had completely shattered his old understanding of Bug-types. He even glanced at his own Poké Ball, thoughts already racing about how he might train his Metapod differently.
"So", Ash asked curiously, "where did you find that Scyther?" Instead of money, Ash wanted information. The samurai explained that he had encountered it deeper within the forest, far beyond the usual routes.
Ash nodded thoughtfully, then turned to the girls. "Are you guys alright if we head off the main road?"
"It's fine, Ash," Yellow said immediately.
"Yeah," Misty added. "A Scyther like that would be an amazing partner for the conference." She had watched Caterpie grow into this Butterfree.
Seeing that transformation always made her wonder what Ash could do with a Pokémon that already had great potential. "Then it's settled," Ash said with a bright smile. "Thanks, everyone."
"If it's okay…" Elsa spoke up, a little hesitantly. "Could you help me catch one too?" Ash blinked, then smiled wider. "Of course."
He would never refuse something like that. In fact, he was glad. It meant he'd finally have a proper battle partner within the group. Misty preferred support and care over constant battling.
Yellow wasn't suited for that path either.
But Elsa… Ash had noticed long ago.
With a Combusken already at level 22, she clearly knew how to train and fight. She just hadn't shown her hand openly. 'This should be interesting,' Ash thought as they prepared to head deeper into the forest together.
With that decided, they chose to settle down and eat before heading deeper into the forest.
The samurai led them to a small cabin where he stayed. It was a simple wooden structure—nothing fancy—but sturdy. Inside was a single bed and a small storage rack. Outside, however, there was a proper open space for cooking, complete with a stone fire pit and a makeshift counter.
The moment Ash saw it, his eyes lit up. "Let's have a barbecue today." The reaction was immediate and surprisingly positive. The girls loved the idea of it.
Yellow's eyes sparkled first. She already knew about Ash's "special chutney", the one he used sparingly and only when he was in a good mood. She quickly told Elsa and Misty about it, and just like that, their anticipation rose noticeably.
Samurai, watching from the side, was honestly surprised. He did not know that Ash was that good of a cook; from the girl named Yellow's tone, he looked to be quite good at it. "You cook too?" he asked.
Ash laughed lightly. "Something like that."
The samurai nodded thoughtfully. Given Ash's ability to raise Pokémon like that Butterfree, it wasn't strange at all. In this world, Pokémon training was considered one of the hardest skills to master. Compared to that, cooking was almost… expected.
After all, raising a strong Pokémon didn't just mean battles and harsh training. It meant nutrition, proper care, timing, coordination—and above all, trust.
Bonds. One had to know that it is very hard to create it. And after creating it, with each battle journey, and above all trust, it grew on it slowly. That invisible connection that pushed a Pokémon beyond its limits. It is the reason why the strong trainers are accepted at the top of any field; after all, it shows how adaptable they can get.
Ash's Butterfree was the perfect example of that.
Plus, one has to say, Ash is multi-talented in quite a few fields.
Soon, the sound of sizzling meat filled the clearing.
Ash's cooking style was unusual. He mixed Pokémon berries and forest fruits into his seasoning, giving the meat a tangy sharpness layered with spice. The aroma alone made it hard to stay patient. To make things easier, Ash used a large iron slab as a grill—currently floating steadily in midair.
Butterfree hovered calmly nearby, maintaining it with [Confusion].
The moment the meat was done, Ash divided it fairly, giving Pokémon and humans alike their share. He noticed there wasn't much left for himself, but he didn't mind.
Instead, he sliced some bread and placed it onto the still-hot slab, letting the leftover oil crisp it nicely. He added vegetables and a bit of meat and folded everything together into small sandwiches.
Yellow noticed immediately.
She frowned slightly at how little meat Ash had taken and quietly shifted a portion from her plate onto his. Elsa noticed too. So did Misty.
Before Ash realised what was happening, he found the three girls standing unusually close. "Uh… want a sandwich?" Ash asked, holding one up.
"Here. Say ahh." Elsa moved first.
She casually brought a piece of meat to his lips with her chopsticks. Ash blinked, confused, but still accepted it, chewing slowly while giving her a strange look. Then another piece came—from Yellow.
And then from Misty. Ash froze. Even the samurai stopped mid-bite, staring at the scene with wide eyes.
"…The battle of the heart is the hardest to fight, young warrior," he muttered solemnly, before taking another bite. "I pray you good luck." Ash finally noticed something was off. The three girls were smiling. But not normally.
Still, instead of panicking, Ash did what he did best. He played dense. "Haha… thanks," he said warmly, smiling at all three. "You guys are really kind." That single sentence stunned them.
For a moment, the strange tension broke—replaced by something quieter. None of them felt irritated.
None of them felt angry. Just a silent rivalry.
Yellow felt a little awkward and quickly stepped in, smiling sweetly. She casually mentioned how Ash had always been like this from the very beginning—thoughtful without realising it. That somehow made Elsa and Misty feel less strange about the situation.
And closer to Yellow, oddly enough.
After finishing their meal, they packed up and left the cabin behind, heading deeper into the forest. Along the way, they encountered several Pokémon—some common, some rare.
They even spotted a few Nidoran, and once, from a distance, a Nidoking moving through the trees.
They didn't approach.
They simply watched.
And continued forward.