Scyther charged fiercely toward Metang, but this time its speed was restricted by the effects of Psychic.
Bang!
Metang's heavy punch collided with Scyther's twin scythes. Realizing its speed was limited, Scyther abandoned its rapid Fury Cutter strategy. Instead, it used X-Scissor to block Metang's attack.
Scyther's two scythes crossed each other, forming an X-shaped guard.
Upon seeing its move blocked, Scyther didn't hesitate. It kicked off the ground with its legs and immediately created distance between them.
Then its body moved quickly once more, knowing it couldn't afford to be caught by Psychic again.
"This Scyther... its battle experience is incredibly strong, isn't it?" Steven wondered aloud. There were clearly no Psychic-type Pokémon in Petalburg Woods, yet it understood the mechanics of Psychic so well.
"Unless it's exceptionally talented, there's only one possibility..."
"Was it abandoned by a Trainer?"
But Steven couldn't believe that such a powerful Scyther, one capable of battling so skillfully on its own, would be abandoned by anyone.
Whoosh whoosh—
Steven's brief contemplation was interrupted by sudden movement on the battlefield.
Numerous translucent wind blades formed around Scyther's wings as they vibrated at an extremely high frequency!
It knows Air Slash too!
Several Air Slash attacks flew toward Metang with a whistling sound, forcing Metang back several meters.
Scyther immediately pressed its advantage. It keenly noticed that the blue energy around Metang's eyes had dissipated! The psychic pull around its body had completely vanished!
"Confusion! Then follow up with rapid Bullet Punch!"
Steven reacted quickly and gave the command as Metang was struck by Air Slash.
That Scyther, with its exceptionally sharp battle instincts, would surely react as well. Steven just hoped his reaction would be faster.
Confusion was simpler to use, though far less powerful and precise than Psychic.
However, Metang could release Confusion more quickly than Psychic.
The blue light in Metang's eyes reappeared. As Scyther swung its scythes, preparing to strike Metang, its body suddenly froze.
No need to concentrate deeply, just release Confusion forward...
For Metang, this made the execution time of Confusion much faster than Psychic!
Seeing Scyther's movements slow down, Metang didn't hesitate. It raised its arms and unleashed a relentless Bullet Punch barrage onto Scyther's body!
Bang bang bang!
The final heavy punch sent Scyther flying backward more than ten meters before it finally stopped.
Scyther dropped to one knee, one scythe embedded in the ground, and began breathing heavily.
Between the high-intensity continuous attacks and constant movement from before, if it could still breathe steadily after taking several punches, Steven would have to suspect that his reborn self's special advantages had somehow been stolen by Scyther.
Infinite stamina would be far too overpowered!
Metang's stamina was naturally dropping quickly as well, but it simply didn't show it as obviously.
"Flash Cannon!"
"Meta!"
Metang raised its arms, and a silvery-white beam of light suddenly shot forward!
"Ha-shaa!"
Scyther roared, a white light flashing across its body as it dodged the Flash Cannon with lightning speed.
This was the first time Steven had heard Scyther cry out. Previously, its demeanor had been too cool and aloof, unwilling to make even a sound.
The battle was actually nearing its end, with both Scyther and Metang having little stamina remaining.
Scyther's two scythes slowly lifted, crossing over its shoulders, and its aura suddenly began to rise!
"How is that possible?!" This wasn't the first time Steven had been surprised by Scyther.
Earlier, observing Scyther's precise attacks, he had thought it possessed the Technician ability. But now, this suddenly rising aura seemed more characteristic of the Swarm ability!
If it really had the Swarm ability, Metang would have no chance of winning in the next exchange.
It would be better to concede now to avoid unnecessary injuries.
Losing to such a powerful Scyther wouldn't be shameful at all.
"Stop." Steven stepped in front of Metang, raising his arm toward Scyther.
Scyther's brow furrowed tightly. Though puzzled, its aura gradually weakened.
"Ha-shaa!" Scyther's tone was filled with dissatisfaction.
This was the first time in a long while it had encountered such a formidable opponent. It had just gotten fired up, and ending things like this—how could it possibly be satisfied?
"Fighting on would only result in more injuries. We've already lost." Steven emphasized the word "we."
The purpose of a Trainer was to analyze the situation and give their Pokémon advantages in battle until achieving victory.
From that perspective, Scyther had already defeated both Steven and Metang. And even if they fought until the very last exchange, Steven felt there was an eighty percent chance Scyther would emerge victorious, and that was enough.
Scyther looked at Metang, whose fighting spirit had completely faded, its face full of indignation. It carved a slash mark into the ground with its scythe and turned to leave.
"Scyther!" Steven called out.
"In our next battle, I'm going to catch you!"
Scyther snorted coldly and left without looking back.
During the battle, Scyther had realized that Steven was different from the others who had ventured deep into the forest trying to catch it. He had chosen a fair one-on-one battle and hadn't attacked the surrounding Pokémon, so after the battle ended, it didn't continue to attack Steven.
However, Scyther didn't know that a week ago, Steven had used his Pokémon to attack an opposing Trainer directly, and then, with Skarmory's cooperation, he had defeated their Honchkrow.
It was simply that Steven knew how to read situations; the battle with Scyther had been purely to determine a winner.
But this battle had sparked Steven's desire to catch Scyther.
Simply because this Scyther was incredibly powerful!
"You worked hard, Metang." Steven turned and gently touched the slash marks on Metang's body. Noticing Metang's dejected mood, he immediately smiled and comforted it:
"It's okay. We lost this time, but next time we'll win decisively!"
"The next victory or defeat will be when we return to challenge the Rustboro City Gym!"
Steven took out a Potion spray and applied it to Metang's wounds.
Scyther's injuries were mostly caused by Metang's punches; the rest were due to its own intense offensive leading to stamina exhaustion.
It would recover after resting for a while.
This was also why Steven felt that after one final exchange, Scyther had the greater chance of winning.
The slash marks on Metang's body could also heal with proper care over time, so it wasn't a serious problem.
"Let's go, Metang. After this battle, the side effects of the Rare Candy should be stabilized now."
"For the next few days, let's all rest together."
"Meta!"