Chapter 33

The Scyther and the Beedrill stood in a standoff in mid-air for a long time.

Their emerald-green insect wings and black-and-yellow wings were each taut; their sickle-like forelimbs and lance-like twin needles were held in a distant confrontation. Even the wind in the forest seemed to have stilled at this moment, with only the sunlight filtering through the branches, casting fragmented light spots upon them.

Suddenly, a sharp glint flashed in the Scyther's compound eyes, and it was the first to break the stalemate!

Its wings beat violently, creating an afterimage. Borrowing the speed of "Quick Attack," it charged toward the Beedrill like an arrow released from a bow. Its two cold-glinting blade-arms were crossed in front of its chest, intending to use the sharpness of the blades to shatter its opponent's defense upon impact.

"Beedrill, X-Scissor!" Huo La's command was unhurried, yet carried an unquestionable certainty.

He wanted exactly this kind of head-on confrontation. Only by thoroughly subduing this wild Scyther through a clash of power and technique could he make it willingly follow him.

The frequency of the Beedrill's wing beats suddenly accelerated, and its twin needles instantly overlapped in front of its chest to form an 'X'. A cold light spread along the blades, resembling a knight raising a cross-lance, steadily meeting the Scyther's blade-arms.

"Boom!" The crisp sound of metal colliding exploded suddenly, followed immediately by the dense clashing sounds of "Clang—clatter-clatter!"

The Scyther's blade-arms were like chopping sickles; every swing carried a sharp, wind-tearing sound, attempting to rip open the Beedrill's cross-defense.

Meanwhile, the Beedrill's twin needles were like a steadfast lance; the angle of the cross remained precise, not only blocking the sharpness of the blade-arms but also skillfully dissipating the force of the collision, even finding gaps to counterattack and strike at the Scyther's openings.

The two tangled in the air into a mass of afterimages, sometimes crossing and colliding, sometimes dodging rapidly before turning back for a fierce assault.

Every "Quick Attack" from the Scyther was so fast it almost left a trail, and the angle of its blade-arm slashes was extremely tricky. Yet, the Beedrill's reactions were not a bit slower; its cross-defense was airtight, and it could even use subtle adjustments of its wing beats to block the Scyther's attacks time and time again.

Huo La stood steadily in place the entire time, his fingertips tapping lightly against his palm, his gaze locked onto the figures tangling in the air like a hawk.

Since the "X-Scissor" command, he had not spoken again—he had absolute confidence in the results of the Beedrill's training and had no need to interfere with the battle with frequent commands.

The wind in the forest swept up fallen leaves, drawing arcs in the air, but it could not affect the clash in mid-air in the slightest.

Huo La's gaze clearly captured every detail: the Scyther's attacks carried the wild ferocity unique to wild Pokémon; its blade-arm slashes were devoid of method but full of explosive power, and every "Quick Attack" was driven by instinct, with astonishing speed.

In contrast, the Beedrill's moves were filled with the precision of training; the angle of its needle cross, the timing of its wing-beat dodges, and even the force of its counterattacks all carried the rhythm he had deliberately polished, as steady as if rehearsed a thousand times.

Their duel was so pure that only the collision of power and technique remained; there were no flashy tactics, nor any roundabout maneuvering—the Scyther relied on wild charges, the Beedrill on precise defense. Every crisp sound of metal clashing was like a contest to see who could hold out until the other revealed an opening.

Huo La had already calculated the outcome in his mind: although the Scyther's instinctive bursts were fierce, it lacked staying power; although the Beedrill's precise rhythm was slower, it could maintain a stable output. In a few more rounds, the Scyther's movements would inevitably deform due to physical exhaustion.

Sure enough, the next second, the Scyther's blade-arms slashed again with a wind-tearing sound, but the force was half a fraction weaker than before. The Beedrill did not block head-on as usual, but instead slid sideways using the subtle force of its wing beats—this was exactly the "Defense Counterattack" rhythm Huo La had trained it in!

Its crossed needles instantly unfolded, and the tips, like a knight's lance, followed the inertia of the Scyther's missed swing, precisely piercing the joint where its blade-arms connected to its torso.

The Scyther's pupils constricted, and it hurriedly retracted its move to block, but its action was ultimately half a beat too slow.

With a soft "Clang," the Beedrill's needle tip grazed its carapace, leaving a small but clear scratch.

The Scyther retreated several meters abruptly, its compound eyes full of surprise; it had never encountered an opponent with such tight defense that could also launch tricky counterattacks in the gaps.

The Beedrill hovered steadily in mid-air, its twin needles overlapping into a cross again, its black-and-yellow wings beating slowly, stirring up a faint current of air.

It did not pursue the victory, just stared quietly at the Scyther, like a knight who had the victory in hand, waiting for the opponent's next attack, and waiting for the moment the other side would thoroughly admit defeat.

On the ground, the samurai boy clenched his fists, his voice filled with excitement: "T-too amazing! The Beedrill can actually hide counterattacks within its defense! This isn't just a normal Bug-type Pokémon battle at all!"

A faint smile curled at the corners of Huo La's mouth, and his fingertips stopped tapping.

The outcome was decided; next was the moment for the Beedrill to thoroughly defeat the Scyther and capture it.

The battle's progression was exactly as Huo La had expected—the Scyther's stamina gradually failed during the continuous head-on clashes; the frequency of its wing beats slowed down, and its blade-arm slashes lost some of their ferocity.

The Beedrill seized the opening, and its crossed X-Scissor hit the gaps in the Scyther's carapace twice in succession. After two muffled "Boom" sounds, the Scyther ultimately could not hold on; its body tilted, and it fell heavily onto the leaf-covered ground.

Even after falling, it did not release those sickle-like forelimbs; its emerald-green insect body trembled slightly, but its compound eyes still burned with an unyielding light, staring fixedly at Huo La, who was walking over slowly.

The Beedrill beat its wings and landed beside Huo La, its twin needles retracting their sharpness, yet it remained vigilant.

Huo La half-squatted in front of the Scyther, his expression calm but revealing unquestionable determination, his tone carrying recognition for the strong: "Scyther, would you like to choose to come with me?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the Scyther's blade-arms, which it still hadn't lowered, and continued: "You have personally experienced the Beedrill's strength, and I have seen your wildness and technique. I can guarantee that as long as you come with me, I will polish you using the same methods I used for the Beedrill, making your speed faster, your blade-arms sharper, and even far surpassing your current self."

A look of hesitation flashed in the Scyther's compound eyes.

"Next, it is your choice." As his voice fell, Huo La placed the empty Poké Ball in his hand gently on the ground in front of the Scyther.

The button of the Poké Ball glowed with a faint red light, particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.

Originally, his plan was to capture it directly with the Poké Ball after the Beedrill defeated the opponent—this was the fastest way.

But just now, seeing the Scyther refuse to admit defeat even after falling, he changed his mind.

This Scyther was not an ordinary Pokémon; it had the pride of a warrior, and forced capture would not give the warrior enough respect.

Only by letting it make the choice itself could it truly recognize him as its Trainer.

Furthermore, regardless of this Scyther's aptitude, whether its aptitude could be improved was not important; as long as it was willing to nod, it would be a partner he could trust.

A Pokémon's power was never the only standard for measuring value; that warrior's heart that never bowed was even more worth cherishing.

On the ground, the Scyther stared at the Poké Ball in front of it, then looked at Huo La's firm gaze, and finally looked at the steady Beedrill beside it.

It was silent for a moment, its slightly trembling body gradually calming down; those blade-arms that had been taut the whole time slowly retracted, and then it touched the button of the Poké Ball gently with its nose tip.

With a soft "Click," the red light of the Poké Ball flashed, wrapping the Scyther's body inside and turning it into a red beam of light that was pulled into the ball.

The Poké Ball wobbled gently on the ground twice, and finally, with a "Ding," the button lit up with a steady white light—capture successful.

Huo La reached out and picked up the Poké Ball; a slight vibration came from his fingertips, as if the Scyther was sending a signal of recognition. He stood up and said softly to the Poké Ball: "Welcome to the team, new partner."

The samurai boy on the side felt his eyes grow hot and couldn't help but step forward: "Huo La, what you just did was really too cool! You didn't force it, but gave it a chance to choose—this is the true Trainer, the true Bushido spirit, right!"

Huo La smiled, tucked the Poké Ball containing the Scyther into his belt, and looked toward the depths of the forest: "Every Pokémon is a warrior, and warriors deserve to be respected. Now, I should continue preparing for the challenge at the Pewter Gym."