Catching Scyther

The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the forest as Greg and I made our way through the outskirts of Oreburgh. The wilds between here and Eterna were getting denser, more alive with the sounds of wild Pokémon hidden in the undergrowth. The air felt heavier, more dangerous, like something was watching us. Tyrunt walked beside me, his head low and eyes alert, ready for anything that might spring from the shadows.

"Not a bad day so far," Greg said, walking a few steps ahead with Lotad bouncing along beside him, the little Pokémon's lily pad bobbing with every step. "I think we're making good progress."

I nodded, glancing at the trees lining the path. "Yeah, but something feels... off. Keep your eyes open."

We had run into wild Pokémon earlier—nothing major, just a few Bidoof and a Zubat that Tyrunt took care of easily—but the further we went, the more it felt like we were entering unfamiliar, more dangerous territory. The occasional rustling in the bushes had me on edge, and even Tyrunt seemed unusually tense.

Just then, something shot out from the trees, fast as lightning.

"Look out!" I shouted, but it was too late.

A green blur came slicing through the air, and I barely managed to move before something sharp grazed my arm. I stumbled back, clutching my arm in pain. Blood trickled from a deep cut, and my heart pounded in my chest. I looked up, and there it was—a Scyther, its scythe-like arms gleaming in the fading light, its red eyes locked on us.

"Tyrunt, get ready!" I yelled, trying to shake off the pain as I stood up. Tyrunt roared, his eyes locked on the Scyther, but the Bug-type was fast—faster than anything we'd faced so far.

"Lotad, Water Gun!" Greg shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Lotad leapt forward, shooting a jet of water at the Scyther, but the Scyther dodged easily, its wings buzzing as it darted in for another strike. I barely had time to react as it slashed at me again, this time knocking me off my feet.

I hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of me. My arm throbbed, the cut stinging with every breath. Tyrunt let out a furious growl and lunged at the Scyther, snapping his jaws just inches away from its leg, but the Scyther was already in the air, its wings carrying it just out of reach.

"Jack!" Greg called, rushing to my side. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," I said through gritted teeth, pushing myself up. "Tyrunt, Rock Slide! Bring it down!"

Tyrunt slammed his claws into the ground, and the earth trembled as rocks lifted into the air. He roared, hurling the rocks toward the Scyther, but the Bug-type was fast—it zigzagged through the boulders, dodging every one with precision. This thing was a blur, too fast for Tyrunt to get a solid hit on.

"Lotad, Absorb!" Greg called, trying to keep the Scyther distracted.

Lotad's lily pad glowed as it sent out green energy tendrils, wrapping them around the Scyther's body. The Scyther let out an angry screech as its energy was drained, but it quickly slashed through the tendrils with a single swipe of its scythe, breaking free and diving toward us.

Before I could react, the Scyther was in front of me again, its blade raised high. Time seemed to slow down, and all I could see was the gleaming edge of its scythe coming straight for me.

"Tyrunt, Bite!" I shouted in desperation.

Tyrunt moved like a bullet, launching himself between me and the Scyther. His jaws clamped down hard on the Scyther's arm, stopping its strike just inches from my face. The Scyther screeched, thrashing wildly as it tried to shake Tyrunt off, but Tyrunt held on, his teeth sinking deeper into the Scyther's limb.

"Lotad, help him out! Water Gun!" Greg called, his voice full of urgency.

Lotad fired another stream of water, hitting the Scyther directly in the chest. The force of the water sent the Bug-type stumbling back, but it was still standing, still glaring at us with murderous intent.

I pushed myself to my feet, my arm throbbing with pain. This Scyther wasn't giving up easily, but neither were we.

"Tyrunt, now! Rock Slide again!" I called, my voice hoarse.

Tyrunt snarled and slammed his claws into the ground once more, this time with more power. The rocks shot up faster and harder, and before the Scyther could react, they came crashing down on it, pinning it to the ground. The Scyther let out one last screech before falling silent, its body trapped under the rubble.

Greg didn't waste a second. He grabbed an empty Poké Ball from his belt and threw it at the Scyther. The ball hit its mark, and with a flash of red light, the Scyther was sucked inside.

The ball wobbled on the ground, once, twice, and then clicked shut.

We both stood there, panting, my heart racing as the adrenaline wore off. Greg walked over and picked up the Poké Ball, grinning from ear to ear.

"Got it," he said, holding up the ball. "That was insane!"

I nodded, wiping the sweat from my brow. "Yeah, no kidding. That thing was brutal."

Greg looked at the ball, his grin growing wider. "A Scyther, though... That's a serious catch. This guy's gonna be a powerhouse once I train him up."

I let out a shaky laugh, cradling my injured arm. "Yeah, just... maybe keep it away from me for a while. I've had enough of those scythes for one day."

Greg glanced at my arm, his smile fading slightly. "You sure you're okay? That cut looks bad."

I nodded. "I'll be fine. We just need to clean it up when we set up camp."

We moved a bit further down the path until we found a decent clearing to set up camp for the night. As the fire crackled and I bandaged up my arm, I couldn't help but replay the battle in my head. That Scyther was fast—faster than anything we'd faced so far. But Tyrunt had come through, protecting me just when it mattered most.

As I watched Tyrunt gnawing on a rock by the fire, I smiled. We were getting stronger, one battle at a time.

And now, with Greg's new Scyther on our side, the wilds ahead didn't seem quite so daunting.

We still had a long way to go before we reached Eterna City, but for the first time, I felt like we might just be ready for whatever the wilds decided to throw at us next.