"Scyther, use X-Scissor! Aim for the sharp horn on Nidoran's head!" Hora's command fell clearly as his gaze locked onto the Nidoran♀ in the grass, which was preparing to counter-attack with Poison Sting.
"Scythe~!" Scyther let out a sharp cry, its wings vibrating into a blur of afterimages. Its twin blades quickly crossed into an 'X' in front of its body, descending from the sky with a cold, shimmering glint.
With a crisp crack, the X-Scissor struck precisely at the most fragile part of the horn atop Nidoran's head.
Nidoran let out a short whimper, its body wobbled, and it collapsed straight into the grass, completely losing the ability to battle.
"Now." Hora whispered to himself. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a pre-prepared Poké Ball toward the Nidoran.
The red light flashed, instantly enveloping Nidoran's body and pulling it into the ball as a beam of light. The Poké Ball wobbled twice on the ground before finally settling with a ding. The button glowed with a soft white light—capture successful.
Hora rubbed the Poké Ball containing Nidoran in his hand. The faint vibration coming through his fingertips deepened the smile on his lips.
Over the past few days, he had encountered many members of the Nido family—energetic Nidoran♂ and cautious, sensitive Nidoran♀—but most had the "Rivalry" ability and mediocre potential. It wasn't until he found this individual in the grass, carrying the "Poison Point" ability and improvable potential, that he decided to strike.
Pokémon: Nidorina
Gender: Female
Level: 18
Potential: C
Status: Injured
Personality: Gentle
Type: Poison/Ground
Ability: Poison Point (30% chance to poison the opponent on contact)
Height: 0.5m
Weight: 8kg
Held Item: None
Skills: Growl (Mastery 78%), Poison Sting (Mastery 38%), Fury Swipes (Mastery 45%)
Potential Upgrades Left: 1 (???)
"The time spent wandering the forest wasn't wasted after all." Hora clipped the ball to his belt, lining it up alongside those of Ivysaur, Beedrill, and Scyther. "Even though it hasn't evolved into Nidoqueen yet, it can still learn moves to counter Rock-types."
To be safe, once he reached Pewter City, he planned to head to the Pokémon Center to buy a "Dig" Technical Machine (TM).
He then turned to Scyther and gently patted its arm-blade. "You did well, Scyther. Your precision with X-Scissor has improved again. It seems you've completely adapted to my training rhythm."
"Scythe!" Scyther vibrated its wings excitedly, lightly nuzzling Hora's palm with its blade-arm as if asking for praise.
Looking at the high-spirited Scyther, Hora smiled with satisfaction and instinctively pulled up the System panel to check its status:
Pokémon: Scyther
Gender: Male
Level: 20
Potential: B
Status: Healthy
Personality: Brave
Type: Bug/Flying
Ability: Steadfast (Boosts Speed by 1 stage each time the Pokémon flinches.)
Height: 1.6m
Weight: 56.2kg
Held Item: None
Skills: Quick Attack (Mastery 28%), Fury Cutter (Mastery 38%), Air Slash (Mastery 35%), X-Scissor (Mastery 49%), False Swipe (Mastery 3%)
Potential Upgrades Left: 0
Even though it was B-rank potential, having the Hidden Ability "Steadfast" meant that with proper skill mastery training, Scyther would definitely become one of his main pillars.
He closed the panel and looked up at the setting sun. "Based on our planned route, we should be able to leave Viridian Forest by tomorrow at the earliest. Next, I'll need you to fly out and find a place to stay—preferably a dry cave or an abandoned cabin."
"Once we're out of the forest, we're going to Pewter City to challenge the Gym Leader, Brock. His Rock-type Pokémon have incredible defense; it will be a tough battle. We must rest well today."
"Scythe~" Scyther responded, its wings spreading wide to create a gust of wind as it soared into the sky. It circled once in the air to confirm its heading and then flew toward the edge of the forest, its emerald silhouette soon becoming a tiny dot among the leaves.
A moment later, a familiar buzzing sound came from high above—Scyther was back! Its green form dived through the canopy, landing steadily in front of Hora. It pointed its blade-arm toward the northwest and chirped.
"You found a place to rest?" Hora understood immediately. He stood up and brushed the leaves off his clothes. "Good. Let's head there now. We'll get plenty of energy tonight and set out for Pewter City first thing tomorrow!"
When the glass doors of the Pewter City Pokémon Center slid open, a wave of crisp, cool air greeted him. Unlike the humid heat of Viridian Forest, this city—famous for its Rock Gym—felt dry even in its breeze.
Hora walked to the front desk, handed his Pokédex to Nurse Joy for registration, and gently placed the Poké Balls containing Ivysaur, Beedrill, Scyther, and Nidorina onto the tray. "Please give them a full check-up."
"No problem! Please wait a moment~" Nurse Joy took the balls with a smile and moved them to the treatment machines in the back. "They'll be ready in about half an hour."
After thanking her, Hora turned toward the shopping area on the other side of the lobby.
Unlike the "healing-only" setting in his memories of the anime, the Pokémon Centers in this world had long since evolved into multi-functional complexes. Healing zones, lodging, and retail areas were all integrated. In major cities, these sections were even housed in separate buildings.
The retail area was currently bustling with trainers picking up supplies. Shelves reached from the floor to the ceiling, clearly labeled: from basic Poké Balls and Potions to advanced TMs and stat-boosters, down to Pokéblocks and nutritional biscuits for various tastes. It was a dazzling array of choices.
Hora slowed his pace, looking carefully—he wasn't short on money, but he would never waste it. As a rising trainer, every credit had to be spent where it mattered most.
He first walked to the "Basic Items" section and picked up a pack of Great Balls. Although his mother and Professor Oak had provided him with empty Poké Balls, they were all standard ones; having a few Great Balls as backup was never a bad idea.
Next, he picked up a few bottles of Super Potion and some Antidotes. While Pokémon Centers offered free treatment, these emergency items were life-savers when facing sudden situations in the wild.
A few steps further brought him to the "Pokéblock" section. The shelves were filled with jars of different colored blocks, labeled with their corresponding types and effects.
"This 'Enhanced Bug-Type Block' is good; the Fluorescent Grass ingredient can improve the mastery of Bug-type moves." Hora picked up a jar with a butterfly motif, checked the ingredients, and nodded in satisfaction. He also grabbed a jar of "Lithic Energy Blocks" for Ground-types. "Nidorina just joined; although she doesn't have the Ground typing yet, she's going to learn Ground moves next, and this will be a perfect supplement."