Silas gave the signal to begin the assault.
Monferno stepped forward first. The fire type gathered aura between its palms, forming a dense blue sphere that pulsed with aura.
The surrounding Scyther watched in awe as the attack took shape. They could feel the vast power contained in the small sphere.
"Monferno, use Aura Sphere."
Monferno launched the attack directly at the giant tree.
The Aura Sphere slammed into the hive entrance and detonated violently.
Boom!
The explosion shook the massive trunk. Wood chips scattered in every direction while fragments of bark rained down across the battlefield.
The surrounding bug pokemon immediately panicked, fleeing into cracks, branches, and holes throughout the giant tree.
Scyther instinctively shifted their feet, preparing for retaliation.
Silas narrowed his eyes and watched the opening carefully.
A direct attack like that would force the hive to respond. The question was whether the colony would send weaker defenders first or immediately mobilize its strongest members.
A few moments later, several Beedrill rushed out from the hive entrances
Silas scanned them instantly.
They were only level 28-30. These were not the true warriors of the colony.
Most likely, they were younger or weaker members stationed near the outer sections of the hive.
Against an ordinary trainer, even these Beedrill could still pose a threat through numbers and poison. Against Silas' current team, they were perfect training targets.
"Tropius, Air Slash."
Tropius raised its wings.
Several blades of compressed wind formed and shot forward. The attacks cut through the air with sharp whistles, striking the emerging Beedrill before they could spread out properly.
Silas had specifically ordered controlled attacks.
Tropius was already level 34 and its Air Slash carried enough power to seriously injure these weaker Beedrill. If it attacked without restraint, the targets might be cut open or even split apart. That wasn't the goal here.
This wave belonged to Eevee.
The Beedrill crashed to the ground one after another. Their wings twitched. Their bodies struggled. They were barely conscious, but still alive.
"Eevee, now."
Eevee immediately stepped forward beside Silas.
The young pokemon's eyes were bright with excitement. This was not like ordinary training. This was a real battlefield, and for the first time, she had been given a defined role.
She closed her eyes while using Calm Mind.
Psychic energy gently gathered around her small body. Her breathing became steadier. The faint tension in her muscles eased as her mind settled into focus.
Then came the 2nd Calm Mind. The psychic pressure around Eevee grew stronger. The 3rd followed soon after.
Silas watched closely.
3 uses remained her comfortable limit. Any more than that would risk losing control or exhausting her too quickly. She was still young, and Silas refused to damage her foundation through impatience.
Stored Power was a unique move.
Its strength increased depending on the number of boosts the user had accumulated. Since Calm Mind boosted 2 different stats, each use dramatically increased Stored Power's output.
With 3 Calm Minds stacked together, Eevee's attack would be far beyond what her level normally allowed.
Pink psychic orbs materialized around her.
Eevee opened her eyes.
"Eee!"
The orbs shot forward. One struck a weakened Beedrill directly in the chest. The psychic energy exploded on impact.
The Beedrill collapsed.
Another orb curved slightly and struck a second target.
Eevee's attacks lacked the raw power of Monferno or Ursaring, but they were clean and accurate. More importantly, she was learning how to participate without overextending herself.
Silas nodded in satisfaction. This was exactly what he wanted.
Eevee would not become strong by staying hidden forever. She needed controlled exposure to real danger.
After a few minutes, all 5 Beedrill had been defeated.
Eevee's tail wagged before she remembered she was supposed to look serious. She quickly straightened her posture and stared at the fallen Beedrill with a determined expression.
"You have defeated 5 pokemon in the 20-29 range, 100 points added to balance bringing you to 2,005 BP."
Silas threw several pokeballs at the defeated Beedrill. All 5 were captured without much resistance.
Even low level Beedrill possessed value. They could be sold, used for materials, or assigned elsewhere if needed. Silas had learned not to waste anything useful.
The brief lull did not last long.
The Beedrill colony realized they were under attack.
The sound came first, a low buzzing from inside the hive that grew louder and louder.
It was no longer the sound of a few wings, it was the sound of an army.
The vibration spread through the giant tree, then into the surrounding air. Leaves trembled. Smaller bug pokemon fled deeper into hiding. The Scyther tightened their grips on their bladed arms and shifted into combat positions.
Silas' expression turned serious. There were still many Beedrill alive.
Now he understood why this colony had dominated the region. Before today, they likely had close to 100 Beedrill with decent levels, all led by a near Advanced or Advanced Class queen. That kind of force could easily terrorize most wild pokemon in the area.
Even after their earlier losses, they still had enough strength to mount a terrifying counterattack.
One after another, Beedrill poured out of the hive. Their wings filled the forest with a furious hum.
Silas scanned the swarm as they emerged.
They were all at level 38-42. These were the real fighters.
The weaker defenders from before had merely been the outer layer of the hive. The pokemon emerging now possessed stronger bodies, sharper movements, and far more dangerous energy control.
The Scyther strike force responded immediately.
They spread out, taking positions that allowed them to intercept multiple Beedrill at once. Their earlier confidence was gone, replaced by grim focus. They knew how dangerous this colony was better than anyone.
The swarm parted as the queen emerged.
Silas frowned the moment he saw her. This Beedrill was significantly larger than the others, at least twice their size.
Her body carried a heavier, more oppressive presence. Her stingers looked longer, sharper, and more dangerous. Her wings beat with a deeper sound that seemed to cut through the chaotic buzzing around her.
Most importantly, her eyes were different from the others. They were blood shot and sharp.
This was not some mindless swarm leader driven only by instinct.
This pokemon was intelligent enough to assess the battlefield.
Silas scanned her.
Beedrill (F) — Level 47
Ability: Swarm
Potential: B
Moves: Rank B Harden, Rank B Twin Needle, Rank B Poison Jab, Rank B X-Scissor, Rank B Electroweb, Rank B Agility, Rank B Toxic, Rank B Venoshock, Rank C Drill Run, Rank C Fury Cutter, Rank C Solar Beam, Rank C Lunge, Rank C Brutal Swing, Rank C String Shot, Rank C Focus Energy
The scan confirmed his concern.
The rest of the swarm had C potential at best, but the queen stood far above them with B potential. That was peculiar. In a colony this large, at least a few descendants should have inherited similar talent.
Perhaps the talented Beedrill had already been cut down by the Scyther during previous conflicts or perhaps the queen had consumed the best resources for herself.
Either way, she was the true core of the hive.
Silas and the Scyther had already agreed on a plan.
The Scyther would fight aggressively against the swarm and leave the queen alone. Their job was to prevent interference, not to defeat her directly.
The queen belonged to Silas. More specifically, she belonged to Ursaring.
Despite Monferno and Electabuzz being higher level, Ursaring had become the strongest member of Silas' team in terms of raw firepower after using Belly Drum. His attacks were simple, direct, and devastating.
There was also another factorc, Guts. If the queen poisoned Ursaring, she would only make him stronger.
The Scyther moved first.
All 20 launched themselves at the surrounding swarm, each engaging multiple Beedrill at once. Blades flashed through the air as Cut and Fury Cutter met X-Scissor and Poison Jab. The forest immediately erupted into another brutal melee.
This left Silas and his pokemon facing the queen.
The giant Beedrill hovered in place.
Her blood-red eyes locked onto Silas. A cold chill passed through his body. She had identified him as the true threat.
Silas immediately adjusted his position, making sure his pokemon stayed between himself and the queen. The smart thing to do was always anticipate movement and never give a powerful wild pokemon a direct path to the trainer.
"Tropius, use Grassy Terrain."
Tropius cried out softly as energy spread across the battlefield.
Patches of grass sprouted beneath their feet and expanded outward. Even in the middle of the forest, the change was obvious. The air grew fresher, and a gentle life-giving aura surrounded Silas' team.
Tropius had trained hard and now reached level 35. It was still far too weak to deal meaningful damage to an Advanced tier pokemon like the queen, but that was never its role here.
Support would be pivotal.
This would be a drawn out battle, and Grassy Terrain restored a pokemon's stamina and relieved fatigue.