Scyther knew it had lost—clean, absolute, hopeless.
Before today, Poliwhirl had never gone all-out, and that gap had fooled it. After this exchange, there was no "almost." Reiji had called it: Waterfall chained into bursts. Once Poliwhirl mastered it, most foes wouldn't even register the hits before they landed.
Half-finished or not, it was more than a wild Scyther could solve.
Poliwhirl had smeared mud across its eyes, then hammered in with a storm of Ice Punches.
The first it slipped. The second landed.
Then the third. The fourth…
Against a speed edge backed by burst and power, once Scyther fell behind, it stayed behind. Only a Trainer's orders could break that momentum.
This Scyther had no Trainer. And even with one, Reiji doubted they'd break Poliwhirl's chain tonight.
If you weren't faster than Poliwhirl, a serious Poliwhirl turned you into a sandbag.
Faster? They hadn't met one yet. Even Scyther's pace got clipped. Short of Trick Room, speed wouldn't save it.
Reiji walked to the fallen Scyther—ice still glazing its shell—and tossed a Net Ball. Three blinks. Click.
He picked it up and opened the readout.
[Scyther]
[Type: Bug + Flying]
[Gender: Male]
[Potential: 54%]
[Level: 35.42%]
[Ability: Swarm / 16.23%] [Hidden Ability: Steadfast / 27.33%]
[Moves: (Defog / 7.33%) (Night Slash / 23.64%) (Steel Wing / 7.81%) (Air Slash / 13.61%) (Acrobatics / 18.22%) (Bug Bite / 15.16%) (X-Scissor / 25.82%) (Fury Cutter / 27.45%) (Brick Break / 19.68%) (Slash / 17.84%) (Quick Attack / 29.91%) (Double Team / 8.24%) (Tailwind / 13.35%) (Agility / 22.73%) (Swords Dance / 20.88%) (Focus Energy / 18.95%)]
[Not training for now: Leer, Wing Attack, Double Hit, Bug Buzz]
"Fifty-four. Not bad," Reiji said.
He knew this patch of forest now, knew the Scyther that showed up in the anime—the one with the X-scar on its brow, heir to an aging clan leader across the lake.
A leader's potential wouldn't be low. You didn't earn the swarm by being average.
High potential, solid level—higher than the goofball Kingler. No wonder Shun's Poliwhirl couldn't put it down.
It sat around Kingler's tier and hadn't stepped into the next bracket. A hair short. Which is why Poliwhirl rolled it.
Still—good ability spread, a deep move pool, high proficiencies where it mattered. A battle addict. Perfect.
Second treasure in as many nights, after Gastly. If it listened, it was ready-made main force.
"Come on, Poliwhirl. Let's get Scyther to the Pokémon Center."
Inside the Ball, Scyther watched Reiji's grin. It remembered the stakes: a capture match. Pride stung, but a promise was a promise.
A little Ball couldn't truly hold it—if it chose to break free. But the frog's power… for now, it couldn't match it. Maybe following this human was right. If that Poliwhirl grew that strong at his side, it could too.
By the time they reached the Pokémon Center, lines ran out the treatment wing. Bug-Catching Contest fallout.
He put Scyther's treatment on hold and went to his room.
A knock came as soon as he shut the door. Shun.
"Contest over?"
"Yeah, Reiji-nii. Can we talk inside?"
"Come in."
Two packs in the corner, Poliwhirl in the chair. Nothing else.
"Caught this during the contest," Shun said, handing over a Ball.
"Heracross?" Reiji flicked the panel. Potential fifty-one. Luck favored the kid today.
"How is it?"
"Good talent. About your Breloom's lane."
Shun beamed, rubbing his nose. A clean pull.
"And these two?"
"Pinsir? Pineco?" Reiji checked both—mid-thirties. "Average talent."
Rules were rules: you could only take three Bugs out after the event. If you weren't happy, the evening exchange would handle trades. Failing that—take them or release them, Trainer's choice.
Reiji handed the Balls back. Shun sighed, then shrugged. The Heracross alone was a win.
"What time's the meeting?"
"Eight. The lanterns start, then the trading opens."
"Good. It's just past five. I'm crashing. Kick my door when it's time."
Shun nodded, then paused at the threshold. "I paid tonight's room. Also called Grandpa about Ren. Told him it's handled and we'll ship back in a couple days."
"Then we're good. See you later."
Door shut. Reiji released Croagunk to purge, then grabbed dinner for the team. Small room—he'd cycle them in pairs. Once he settled into a Gym apprentice slot, they'd eat together in the open.
One Ball on the bed jumped and popped on its own.
"Ko-kyeh."
Gastly floated out, took in the cramped room, and relaxed at the sight of its new Trainer.
"Gastly—don't pop out without my say-so."
"Ko-kyeh."
It nodded fast. First day in a Ball; it had wanted air.
"Here. Eat as much as you want." Reiji opened a half-box of Pokéblocks—eight left.
He'd promised food and lodging. He'd keep it.
"Ko-kyeh."
Gastly guided a block to its mouth with a nudge of psychic pressure and savored the ghost-grade blend.
Then it noticed the glass jar in Croagunk's hands.
"Gu-ga," Croagunk said, cool as ever. A nod. Back to purging, drip after drip of purple-black toxin into the bottle.
Gastly circled the jar, sniffed, and called out, curious. "Ko-kyeh. Can I try it?"
"Gua? Try what?"
Croagunk hadn't followed the thought at all.
"Ko-kyeh. Smells good," Gastly said, tongue flicking. It wanted a taste of the poison.
"Gua. Here."
Croagunk lifted a finger to Gastly's mouth.
"Ko-kyeh."
One drop. It rolled the taste across its tongue—like a Pokéblock, but sharper. Better. It liked it.
"Ko-kyeh, more…"
While Reiji handed food to Kingler and Pelipper, Gastly quietly drank down Croagunk's purge. When Reiji looked back, it burped a violet bubble like a drunk's hiccup. Croagunk sat there, resigned.
"What are you two doing?"
"Yobo, yobo—"
Poliwhirl answered, pointing at the jar, then Gastly's mouth. Translation enough: Gastly had chugged Croagunk's poison.
Reiji went still.
Gastly drinking Croagunk's venom—he hadn't seen that coming. Would something go sideways? So far it just looked—tipsy. Ghost/Poison typing meant it wouldn't "get poisoned" the way others did. No body to corrode, either.
Then Gastly stuck out its tongue, thinned it to a straw, dipped it into the jar, and finished the lot—nearly half a bottle. A week's savings.
Reiji didn't stop it. Not with it in that state. You didn't jostle a drunk in the wrong mood—on the news back home, that ended with a trip to the Hospital. He wasn't gambling with a buzzed Gastly that viewed him as the bartender.
If it liked poison, let it drink. If it felt fine, he'd worry less.
"Ko-kyeh… ko—kyeh…"
By the last pull, Gastly could barely stay aloft. It swayed like a soaked lantern, drifting in zigzags, lopsided and happy.
(End of Chapter)
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