Present Day – Outskirts of Auroria Town
The cool breeze stirred the trees as Skylar left the Pokémon Center, his steps steady, his heart lighter than it had been in days.
His badge case gleamed inside his backpack—now filled with eight hard-earned symbols of his journey.
But Skylar knew there was no time to rest.
The League was fast approaching.
The path ahead demanded strength beyond anything he had shown so far.
Before leaving the town behind, he stopped by the Pokémon transfer terminal.
He exchanged Charizard, now needing rest after his battle against Lorelei, for an old ally he hadn't used in some time—
Scyther.
The PokéBall glowed warmly in his hand.
Skylar smiled.
He had a plan.
The mechanical doors of the Pokémon Center slid shut behind him.
Without a glance back, Skylar headed straight for the wild woods that bordered the frozen lakes.
Unaware.
That he was being watched.
From the shadows between the trees—
A pair of sharp, calculating eyes followed him.
A young woman.
Beautiful.
Elegant.
Refined.
Her arms crossed tightly over her academy uniform.
Her long silver hair barely fluttering in the breeze.
Her name—
Giselle.
She watched Skylar disappear deeper into the woods, her lips curling in faint disdain.
This is the so-called genius my aunt praised?
He's nothing special.
I'll expose him for what he really is.
Her fingers tapped impatiently against her sleeve.
She would observe.
Study.
And then destroy his reputation when the moment was right.
All according to plan.
Deeper in the Forest – Sunset
Skylar found a clearing.
Small.
Private.
Perfect for what he needed.
He set up a small campfire, arranging a circle of stones expertly.
Around him, his team settled into their surroundings:
Gardevoir sat quietly by the flames.
Darkrai drifted at the edges, merging with the gathering shadows.
Gyarados coiled lazily around a nearby pond.
Lucario perched on a stone, eyes closed in meditation.
Arcanine running around.
Standing tall beside him—
Scyther.
Skylar crouched down and rummaged through his bag.
He pulled out a cloth-wrapped bundle.
Inside gleamed a brilliant silver object.
A Metal Coat.
Skylar turned to Scyther, his eyes gentle.
"This," he said, holding it up, "can evolve you."
He set it carefully on the ground between them.
"It'll change your body. Make you tougher. Stronger. Faster in a different way."
He paused.
"But it's your choice. Always."
Scyther's yellow eyes stared at the Metal Coat.
For a moment, neither moved.
The fire crackled softly.
Then—
Slowly—
Scyther stepped forward.
And touched the Metal Coat with one curved blade.
The forest trembled.
A pillar of white light burst upward, lighting the trees.
Skylar shielded his eyes against the brilliance.
The earth itself seemed to hum with energy.
When the light faded—
Standing there, wings buzzing with steely precision—
Was no longer Scyther.
It was Scizor.
His armored body gleamed blood-red under the firelight.
Twin pincers clicked with lethal grace.
Wings of steel shimmered like blades.
Skylar stared in awe.
"You're magnificent," he whispered.
Scizor opened his claws.
Slammed them together once.
The sound rang out like a bell across the clearing.
A challenge to the world.
Skylar laughed and raised his fist.
"Let's see what you've got!"
They began to train.
Hard.
Intense.
Scizor darted through the clearing, slicing fallen logs into perfect segments.
He moved heavier now—but more deadly.
Each strike carried devastating force.
He learned to adjust.
To sharpen his mobility.
To channel his brutal weight with surgical precision.
Skylar coached him through it, calling out combinations.
Faster.
Tighter.
Stronger.
From her hidden vantage point among the trees, Giselle narrowed her eyes.
She had to admit—
There was… some talent here.
But still—
Instincts aren't enough.
Training. Precision. Perfection.
He's still a wild amateur.
She smirked to herself, stepping back deeper into the forest.
Soon.
Soon I'll show the world the difference between a genius raised in the wild…
And a true scholar of battle.
Skylar, oblivious to the coming storm, laughed with his Pokémon under the stars.
The fire crackled brighter.