"Big Brother Ash, look! Scyther!"
Molly instantly covered her mouth. Her earlier exclamation had already attracted a swarm of Beedrill, and she didn't want to startle these Scyther.
"There it is! Scyther! The strongest batter in the fourth slot is taking the field!" Molly was holding her breath, but a voice suddenly rang out from the other side of the jungle.
"A heavyweight opponent has appeared!" It was Casey's voice, her tone high and excited. "For the first pitch, use the fastest and strongest fastball to give the enemy a warning! Go, Razor Leaf!"
Ash moved quietly with Molly on his back toward the sound. He saw Casey commanding her Chikorita to attack a Scyther on the edge of the group. This Scyther was relatively small, and its gaze wasn't as sharp as the others—no wonder it was stationed on the outskirts of the swarm.
Even so, this Scyther was definitely not an opponent that the current Casey and Chikorita could handle. Furthermore, it was obvious that Chikorita was in terrible condition.
The Razor Leaf hit the Scyther squarely, but Grass-type moves are not very effective against it. Casey, however, was thrilled. "Good job, Chikorita!"
She failed to notice that Chikorita was gasping for air. Unlike Ash, who had headed straight for his target, Casey had been battling her way through the park, even making Chikorita tackle tree trunks to lure out Bug-types.
The attacked Scyther grew angry. Crossing its twin blades, it lunged toward Chikorita.
Seeing this, Casey shouted, "Chikorita, don't be afraid! If you're scared, you lose!"
Exhausted, Chikorita was swatted away by the Scyther. Bug-type attacks are super effective against it, and the blow was devastating.
"Chikorita, hang in there! That's only one out! Show me your fighting spirit!" Hearing Casey's words, Chikorita forced itself to stand up once more.
"Second pitch! Aim for the center of the strike zone! Razor Leaf!"
The second Razor Leaf lacked both power and accuracy. Scyther swung its blades, knocking down the leaves and even batting them back toward Chikorita!
"It's a line drive back to the pitcher! Get out of the way!" Casey finally cried out in alarm.
But Chikorita no longer had the strength to move. It was sent flying by its own Razor Leaf.
"Big Brother Ash, that Chikorita is so tired," Molly whispered from her spot on Ash's back.
Indeed. If even Molly could see the truth, why couldn't Casey?
Chikorita landed not far from Ash. He walked over and gently picked up the Pokémon. "That's enough."
"Pikachu, 100,000 Volts!"
Pikachu's electric strike easily overwhelmed the Scyther. Burned and dazed, the Scyther retreated back to its swarm. Ignoring it, Ash carried Chikorita over to Casey.
"Ash, what are you doing?" Casey was furious at her battle being interrupted. She glared at him, huffing.
Ash had grown quite a bit recently. He used to be half a head shorter than Misty, but now he was about the same height as her. Casey had to tilt her head back just to glare at him.
Ash poked her forehead with a finger. "Take a good look at Chikorita."
He handed the Pokémon back to her. All along the way, Casey had made Chikorita walk beside her so they could start a fight at any moment. Now that she held it, she finally felt its condition.
"Chikorita, why are you breathing so hard? Are you shaking?"
Leaving Casey to her realizations, Ash turned away, once again carrying Molly on his back. "Standard procedure: hit the small ones, and the big ones come out."
Ash gave a confident smile and headed deeper into the forest with Pikachu. In that direction, three massive Scyther were already making their way toward them.
When they met, even the "Daughter of Entei" felt a chill and gripped Ash's hair tightly.
The Scyther in the middle stood 1.8 meters tall. Its body was incredibly robust, and a cold glint shimmered on its blades. Even its two companions were intimidating. Together, the three Scyther seemed to radiate a sharp, cutting wind.
However, Ash pointed his Park Ball at the strongest one in the center. "Scyther, let's have a battle for your capture!"
"Pika!" Pikachu's cheeks sparked with electricity, brimming with battle intent.
The Scyther actually accepted the challenge. It barked a few commands to the two behind it and then stepped forward, blades raised, toward Ash and Pikachu.
"Good luck, Pikachu!" Molly rested her chin on Ash's head, settling into a comfortable position to watch the show.
Against a Bug/Flying-type like Scyther, Pikachu had the type advantage. Moreover, while Scyther's blade-like wings allowed for flight, they were rarely seen flying high in the air during combat.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"
On command, Pikachu blurred, appearing instantly in front of Scyther. The Scyther's reflexes were top-tier; it crossed its blades in a flash, blocking the impact.
The counter-attacks followed like a torrential rain. This Scyther's combat instincts were terrifying; it seized every opening for a lightning-fast assault.
"Iron Tail!"
The tail, glowing with metallic light, clashed with Scyther's blades. The force sent Pikachu into the air. Scyther prepared to pursue, but Ash's command came instantly.
"100,000 Volts!"
The current Pikachu was a true super-soldier, reliable in both close and long-range combat. The surging lightning was dodged by Scyther, but after another clash, Pikachu landed safely and regrouped.
"Not bad at all!" Ash was beyond satisfied with this Scyther. It would eventually become a powerful "Red Flash."
"Go, Pikachu!" Molly cheered from above.
As she spoke, Scyther suddenly vanished from sight.
"Agility!"
Ash frowned, his body shimmering with blue light. "Pikachu, on your left! Iron Tail!"
Pikachu didn't hesitate. It swung its tail to the left almost subconsciously.
Clang!
The sound of metal hitting metal rang out. Scyther was forced to a halt in that spot, its other blade already coming down toward Pikachu!
Pikachu only had one tail.
"100,000 Volts!"
Blasted back, Pikachu bounced off the ground and, before Scyther could react, unleashed the thunder.
"Go, Park Ball!"
The Park Ball seemed particularly effective against Bug-types, and Scyther was captured in one go.
"Yay! We caught Scyther!" Molly cheered, stealing the thunder from Ash and Pikachu's own celebration.
Capturing the Scyther leader easily secured Ash's victory in the Bug-Catching Contest. Not only did he keep the Scyther, but he also won a six-month supply of cheese. Cheese made from Miltank milk—perfect as a snack for Molly.
Pikachu Sync: 230 / 255