Scyther and Beedrill confronted each other in mid-air for a long time.
Emerald bug wings and black-and-yellow wings were both tensed; scythe-like forelimbs and lance-like twin stingers faced off from a distance. Even the wind in the forest seemed to stand still at this moment, with only the sunlight filtering through the leaves to cast fragmented spots of light upon them.
Suddenly, a sharp glint flashed in Scyther's compound eyes, and it broke the stalemate first!
Its wings beat into a blur as it used the speed of Quick Attack to lunged toward Beedrill like an arrow. Its cold, shimmering blade-arms crossed in front of its chest, clearly intending to shatter the opponent's defense with the raw sharpness of its arm-blades.
"Beedrill, X-Scissor!" Hora's command was steady and unhurried, yet filled with an undeniable certainty.
This was exactly the kind of frontal duel he wanted. Only by thoroughly defeating this wild Scyther in a clash of strength and skill could he make it follow him willingly.
Beedrill's wing speed accelerated sharply as its twin stingers instantly overlapped into a cross in front of its chest. A cold light spread along the edges of the stingers, looking like a knight's raised cross-lance as it firmly met Scyther's arm-blades. Clang! The crisp sound of metal hitting metal erupted, immediately followed by the dense, rhythmic sounds of a high-speed clash—shrrk, ping, clatter!
Scyther's blade-arms were like reaping scythes, each swing carrying a sharp whistle as it tried to tear through Beedrill's cross-defense. Meanwhile, Beedrill's stingers were like steadfast lances; the angle of the cross remained precise, blocking the brunt of the blades while skillfully parrying the force of the impact. It even found gaps to counter-thrust at Scyther's openings.
The two became a blur of shadows in the air, occasionally clashing and interlocking, then rapidly evading only to turn back for another fierce assault. Every Quick Attack from Scyther was so fast it nearly left afterimages, and the angles of its slashes were incredibly tricky. However, Beedrill's reactions were not a second slower. Its X-Scissor defense was airtight, and by fine-tuning its flight with its wings, it kept Scyther's attacks pinned in front of it time and again.
Hora stood firmly on the spot, tapping his palm lightly with his fingertips, his gaze locked onto the battling figures like a hawk. Since the command for X-Scissor, he hadn't spoken again. He had absolute confidence in the results of Beedrill's training; there was no need to interfere with frequent commands.
The forest wind swirled the fallen leaves into the air, but they didn't affect the mid-air struggle in the slightest. Hora's vision clearly captured every detail: Scyther's attacks carried the raw, fierce wildness unique to wild Pokémon—its slashes were unrefined yet explosive, driven by instinct and incredible speed. Beedrill's moves, conversely, showed the precision of rigorous training. The angle of the cross, the timing of the wing-assisted dodges, and even the force of the counters all carried a polished rhythm, as steady as if they had been rehearsed a thousand times.
The duel had been stripped down to a pure clash of power and technique. There were no flashy tactics or roundabout maneuvers—Scyther relied on wild charging, and Beedrill relied on precise defense. Every metallic ring of impact was a test of who would be the first to falter and reveal a weakness.
Hora had already calculated the outcome. Though Scyther's instinctive bursts were powerful, they lacked stamina. Beedrill's precise rhythm might be slower, but it provided a consistent output. In a few more rounds, Scyther's movements would inevitably deform due to exhaustion.
Sure enough, a second later, Scyther's blade-arms swung again with a whistling sound, but the force was half a beat weaker than before. Beedrill didn't block it head-on as usual; instead, it used a subtle wing adjustment to slide to the side—this was the "Defensive Counter" rhythm Hora had trained it for! The crossed stingers instantly unfurled, and the tips of the stingers, like a knight's lance, accurately pierced toward the joint where Scyther's arm met its torso, utilizing Scyther's own momentum from the missed swing.
Scyther's pupils shrank as it hurriedly tried to parry, but its movements were half a beat too slow. With a soft shrrk, the tip of Beedrill's stinger grazed its carapace, leaving a small but clear scratch.
Scyther recoiled several meters, its compound eyes filled with shock. It had never encountered an opponent with such an airtight defense that could also launch such a cunning counter-attack from the smallest gap. Beedrill hovered steadily in the air, its stingers re-crossing into an X, its black-and-yellow wings vibrating slowly to stir a weak current of air. It did not press the advantage; it simply watched Scyther like a knight certain of victory, waiting for the opponent's next move—or the moment of total surrender.
On the ground, the Samurai boy watched with clenched fists, his voice trembling with excitement. "So... so amazing! Beedrill can actually hide a counter inside its defense! This isn't just a normal Bug-type battle!"
A faint smile appeared on Hora's lips, and his fingers stopped tapping. The battle was decided. Next came the moment for Beedrill to completely defeat Scyther and for Hora to capture it.
The tide of the battle went exactly as Hora expected. Scyther's stamina gradually failed during the continuous frontal clashes; the frequency of its wingbeats slowed, and its slashes lost their ferocity. Beedrill seized a opening, landing two consecutive X-Scissors precisely into the gaps of Scyther's carapace. After two dull thuds, Scyther could no longer hold its form. It listed to the side and crashed heavily onto the leaf-strewn ground.
Even as it fell, it did not let go of its scythe-like forelimbs. Its emerald body trembled slightly, but its compound eyes still burned with a defiant light as it stared at Hora, who was walking slowly toward it. Beedrill landed beside Hora, pulling back the sharp edge of its stingers while remaining vigilant.
Hora crouched down in front of Scyther, his expression calm yet radiating an undeniable resolve. His tone carried a recognition of strength. "Scyther, do you choose to come with me?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the blade-arms that Scyther had yet to lower. "You've experienced Beedrill's strength for yourself, and I've seen your wild spirit and skill. I can guarantee that if you come with me, I will polish you the same way I trained Beedrill. I will make your speed faster and your blades sharper—making you far surpass what you are now."
Hesitation flashed in Scyther's eyes.
"The choice is yours." Having said that, Hora gently placed an empty Poké Ball on the ground in front of Scyther.
The button of the Poké Ball glowed with a faint red light, looking particularly prominent in the sun. Originally, his plan was to capture it immediately after Beedrill defeated it—that was the fastest way. But watching Scyther refuse to give up even when downed, he changed his mind. This Scyther was no ordinary Pokémon; it had the pride of a warrior, and a forced capture did not show sufficient respect. Only by letting it choose could he truly earn its recognition as a trainer.
Furthermore, regardless of this Scyther's potential, whether it could be improved or not didn't matter. As long as it was willing to nod, it would be a trustworthy partner. A Pokémon's power was never the sole measure of its value; that unyielding warrior's heart was worth far more.
On the ground, Scyther stared at the Poké Ball, then at Hora's steady gaze, and finally at the composed Beedrill. It remained silent for a moment. Its trembling body gradually calmed, and those tensed blade-arms slowly retracted. Then, it gently tapped the button of the Poké Ball with its nose.
With a soft click, the red light of the Poké Ball enveloped Scyther's body, pulling it inside as a beam of red light. The ball wobbled twice on the ground before a final ding sounded, and the button glowed with a steady white light. Capture successful.
Hora picked up the ball. A slight vibration came through the shell, like a signal of recognition from Scyther. He stood up and spoke softly to the ball, "Welcome to the team, new partner."
The Samurai boy's eyes were misty with emotion as he walked over. "Hora, what you did just now... was so cool! You didn't force it; you gave it the chance to choose. That is what a real trainer—a real Bushido spirit—is all about!"
Hora smiled, clipping the ball to his belt and looking toward the depths of the forest. "Every Pokémon is a warrior, and warriors deserve respect. Now, I must continue my preparations for the Pewter Gym challenge."