Chapter 71: You and I join forces, we are invincible (1)
Spring departed, and summer arrived. Ryū had lamented countless times that saving Scyther had been an extremely correct decision. Scyther was an old hand in Mt. Silver, knowing the layout of the forest, the territories of powerful Pokémon, and the locations of rare herbs and berries. With his help, Ryū's leveling efficiency increased significantly.
"Scyther, I'm heading out," Ryū said, flying to the cave entrance.
"Scyther," his friend nodded from within. Scyther's injuries had long since healed, though his left eye was permanently blind. His level was high, likely around Lv. 46.
"Level 44 now, I should be close to evolving..." Ryū thought, his attention on his personal panel. He had lost track of how long he'd been away. He only knew he had arrived in winter, and now it was summer.
The summer heat on Mt. Silver was intense, and most Pokémon hid in the shade to conserve energy. Ryū himself didn't want to leave the cool cave, but training was a necessity.
Boom!
A heavy sound echoed from the forest nearby. Ryū frowned. It sounded like footsteps, but he didn't know of any Pokémon in the area that could make such a heavy sound. He flew over to investigate but found only a pair of huge, sunken footprints.
"Could it have jumped down from up there...?" he wondered, looking up at the 50-meter-high cliff face. "I'll have to remind Scyther when I get back."
It was another uneventful day of battling. Feeling tired, Ryū flew back towards the cave. On his way, however, he heard a familiar sound.
"That's... the sound of Scyther battling!"
His eyes widened, and he rushed towards the sound. He could tell from the slow, strained swings that Scyther was in trouble. When he arrived, he saw Scyther, surrounded and poisoned, fighting a colony of more than twenty Ariados.
Ryū knew this was Scyther's old enemy. The two colonies had often fought over territory, but because Ariados were weak to Flying-type attacks, the Scyther colony had always held the advantage. Now, seeing their old enemy's leader alone and vulnerable, the Ariados had seized the opportunity for revenge.
"Scyther..." Seeing Ryū, Scyther let out a sigh of relief before his body went limp, and he knelt on one knee.
"The poisoning is very serious," Ryū noted, turning his gaze to the hesitant Ariados. His massive size, combined with Scyther's presence, made them pause.
"Ariados!" the leader hissed. They decided to press the attack and finish Scyther for good.
"Scyther! (Leave!)" Scyther looked up and nudged Ryū, not wanting to involve his friend in his feud.
"...Can you still fight?" Ryū asked, glancing around.
It was too late to run. More than a dozen Ariados had already woven a massive web, trapping them. But Ryū felt there was no need to run. None of the Ariados were above Lv. 40.
"Scyther," the old warrior gritted his teeth and stood up, nodding with difficulty.
"You and I join forces," Ryū grinned, standing back-to-back with his friend. "We are invincible under the heavens."
"...Scyther."
Scyther glanced around, felt the solid presence behind him, and nodded. If he didn't have to worry about attacks from behind... he could win.