Chapter 6

Samurai

"The Caterpie's body completely dissolves when it becomes a Metapod and then the Butterfree's body starts to form from the goo. A lot of people think the Caterpie just turns purple inside the cocoon and grows wings, but it's way more complicated than that." Patrick explained, they were all seated around a small campfire as the dark forest darkened further as night fell.

They had traveled the rest of the day without incident, their various Pokémon easily taking care of any Caterpie or Weedle that came too close. Nidoran and the Ekans were typically the ones to dispose of the latter, as their natural immunity to poisoning kept them safe from the small bugs' stinger. Patrick was also pleased to note his feet and legs didn't ache as they did on the trek from Pallet to Viridian thanks to the hours of training with Takashi.

Currently, they were discussing the Metapod that hung high above them in the canopy, a bright green pod partially hidden amongst the leaves. Posing no threat to the group, it had become a conversation piece.

"Where did you read that? The Pokédex doesn't go into that much detail." Rob asked, scrolling through his Pokédex to confirm that it didn't have that information.

"My research specializes in Pokémon Evolution. Training Pokémon and getting badges just allows me to travel quicker and safer across Kanto for my research." Patrick explained. He had mentioned he was a research aid upon first meeting the brothers, but hadn't elaborated and hadn't been asked to.

"Very cool! Can you tell me when my Voltorb is going to evolve? I have had him for a while, so it should be soon right?" Ed asked excitedly.

"I can't, sorry. Pokémon typically don't show any signs until they are close to evolving. They will only evolve after they have become strong enough and experience a high-stress situation. A battle or near-death experience for example. That's why you can get Charmander dying of old age without ever evolving into a Charizard." Patrick explained.

"And you are looking for new species of Pokémon in Pewter?" David asked, vaguely following the Pokémon-centric conversation that was taking place.

"Yup, we believe currently known Pokémon in the Pokédex might have the ability to evolve further, given the right external stimuli. We can't exactly expose every Pokémon to every possible stimulus so I am looking for the trainers who accidentally got it right and learning from them."

"Well, you'll want to visit Brock for sure. He has some mighty impressive Pokémon down in that gym of his." David offered helpfully.

"Yeah, that's the plan when we get to-"

"Weddle." Rob cut in, pointing at the small bug climbing a tree branch towards them. They were currently camped between a group of smaller trees; Bug having already secured the perimeter in crisscrossing electrified webbing. While the webbing worked to keep larger Pokémon at bay, Weedle were unfortunately small enough to squeeze through the gaps, forcing the trainers to be wary of the venomous nuisances. "Ekans, you're up."

"Wait, I want to show you a magic trick!" Patrick said grinning, judging the distance between himself and the approaching bug.

"Is now really the time?" Rob asked, hand resting on his snake, holding it back from devouring the insect.

"Yeah, it's more impressive if I have a moving target. This'll take care of the Weedle, no problem." Getting to his feet, he shook out his arms and rolled his shoulders, making a show of warming up. "Watch closely," Patrick said, still grinning.

The blonde trainer took a deep breath and leveled his right arm at the bug, right index finger extended and thumb straight up, forming a 'gun'. Closing his left eye, he peered down his right arm, using his outstretched thumb like an iron sight. He held his right forearm with his left hand to steady his aim. "Ready… Aim… Thundershock!"

A bolt of electricity flew from his outstretched finger and slammed into the unsuspecting bug, frying it instantly and knocking it off its branch.

"What the hell?!" Ed shouted, jumping at the sudden appearance of lightning. "Are you a Pokémon?!"

"Through years of practice, I have learned to harness the power of lightning itself," Patrick said ominously, blowing non-existent smoke from his index finger.

"It's a trick, you have a device up your sleeve that does that. A TASER or something." Rob stated after a few seconds of hesitation, staring at his right wrist and looking for any machinery.

"Dammit, I wanted to lead you on longer," Patrick said disappointedly. "It's not quite a device up my sleeve though." Turning his right arm over, he showed off Bug, who was latched onto his wrist like a fluffy yellow watch. "We made up this technique while training in Viridian. Bug is too small and doesn't have the mobility to get a clean shot in during a fight. This way I point, and he shoots! It makes fighting wild Pokémon way easier and helps protect me as well!"

"That's a clever trick. I've been around quite a few trainers and have never seen a technique quite like that." David said. "I've never seen a Pokémon quite that small before either…" Eyeing the yellow spider as it detached itself from Patrick's wrist and disappeared back into the folds of his hood.

"Joltik are some of the smallest Pokémon discovered. When he evolves, he'll be able to battle on his own. But until then, we'll use the point-and-shoot strategy. It also gives me a literal trick up my sleeve." As Patrick talked more about Joltik, he fished out a fresh AA battery from his pack and slipped it into his hood. Where Bug happily started sucking the energy out of it.

After that, the conversation around the small fire shifted to less Pokémon-themed topics, which David was appreciative of. They talked mostly about Pewter, the three trainers grilling their charge on everything about the remote city. It was a mining town, extracting various raw materials from the surrounding mountains and then either processed in Pewter or sent to Viridian in heavily guarded caravans dozens of times bigger than their current group.

Caravans would also head East, through the mountains to Cerulean, where the merchants could trade and sell goods. Merchants would fill their carts with various fish and other goods not found in Pewter before heading back through the mountains to sell for a steep profit. Until recently going through the caves had been the most used route, however, rangers had managed to clear out a path through the valleys that even a team of Taurus could pass through. Slightly longer but less dangerous, the new path quickly became the preferred route to and from Cerulean.

Night had fully fallen now, and the forest floor was pitch black, no starlight able to filter through the thick canopy high above. The dull drone of insects buzzing and chirping, birds hooting and the occasional huffs and oinks of Mankey that passed their camp reminded the trainers they weren't alone. The small fire illuminated the clearing they were in but sent flickering shadows throughout the forest, dancing over the surrounding tree trunks and underbrush and masking any movement beyond. The trainers kept an eye out, warry of danger but trusting their Pokémon to detect a threat long before their weak human senses could pick up anything.

One by one, the humans unrolled their sleeping bags and found a spot near enough to the fire to stay warm without risking catching fire themselves. The released Pokémon split into teams and separated watch duty amongst themselves.

0000

"You guys have bacon and eggs…" Patrick said, longingly looking at his three traveling companions as they pulled out breakfast food from their packs. Patrick himself was eating an MRE he had bought in Viridian.

"Did you only pack MREs?" Ed asked, looking at this friend who was slowly eating brown paste from a bag.

"The lady in Viridian told me they were the most popular thing trainers ate when traveling through the forest."

"Was that lady also the one that sold you the MREs?" Rob asked, not looking up from the bacon he was cooking.

"Yes… I see now she may have had a conflict of interests." Patrick said, feeling betrayed by the nice lady he had met in the narrow streets of Viridian. She had insisted that trainers always stocked up on MREs from her store before leaving for the forest.

"They are great if you are going out into the wilds for weeks at a time… but the trek to Pewter is like 5 days. Tops. Meat in an ice box lasts 2 or 3. And then you move onto the cans." Ed explained. Showing off his pack that had a small insulated pouch where the bacon had appeared from and then the cans of beans, soups, stews, meats, vegetables, and fruits that lined the bottom of his back. "If you hunt a Pokémon, you can cook fresh meat the whole time too!"

"I'll know that for next time, I guess." Patrick sighed, moving on to the packet of dry crackers.

As the human's made their breakfast the Pokémon went in search of food. Nidoran stayed close by, nibbling on different leaves, grasses, and vines before deciding on a particular bush. Meowth slunk off into the underbrush before returning shortly with a half-eaten Caterpie in its mouth. Proudly dropping the carcass at Patrick's feet.

"Thanks, girl, but I'm already full from my breakfast. It looks delicious though." Patrick lied, scratching the cat behind its ears and eliciting a purr from the large feline.

The Ekans both returned at the same time, unidentifiable lumps in the middle of their body's the only evidence of a successful hunt. Pidgeotto sat on a tree branch, picking at the body of a small yellow and black Pokémon it had caught.

The trainers quickly broke camp and were once again on the move by the time the sun had fully risen. Joltik had already shorted out the grid of electrified webbing that protected them and they had begun to degrade, allowing the humans to leave unhindered.

They walked slowly along the dirt road, allowing the big Taurus to set the pace. Patrick walked in front of the group, Nidoran never more than a few feet away and the brothers flanked David on either side.

The terrain inside the forest was mostly flat marked by the occasional hill. Whoever had cut the original path must have deemed going around hills easier than over them, so the path twisted and turned in response to changes in elevation.

Huge tree trunks flanked the sides of the path at regular intervals, like giant skyscrapers in a great wooden city. Curious Pokémon would occasionally stick their heads out of a bush or from behind a tree branch. A pair of Pichu emerged from a dense cluster of vines, to stare at the group, however, a predatory glare from Pidgeotto quickly sent them back into the underbrush. A troop of Mankey followed them for a time, filling the air with hoots, grunts, and oinks as they swung through the canopy high above.

"It's quite peaceful in the forest on days like this." David mused, reclined in his seat atop the cart. The sun had risen high in the sky by now, sunlight streamed through tiny patches in the canopy, covering the road in a mottled pattern of shadow and light. "The little ones will cause you no harm. They will gawk and stare, but won't dare get any closer." Staring up at the tree tops, he watched a pair of Mankey wrestle over a large yellow berry.

"Have you met any that do cause you harm?" Patrick asked after a moment of silence.

"Ay, the big Pokémon aren't afraid of humans and will challenge you if you trespass into their territory. I've met a couple of big red spiders, Ariados I think they are called. A big yellow, man-eating plant, I forget the name of that one..."

"Victreebel." Ed offered.

"A couple of mushrooms with claws…"

"Parasect."

"And too many Beedrill to count. I'll be surprised if we make it through without seeing a couple of those nasty buggers." David said staring off into the trees, memories flashing behind his eyes. "Young trainers like you three have pulled my sorry self out of some sticky situations."

"Hopefully we don't have to pull you out of any situations this trip," Rob said, speaking for the first time in hours. One of his Ekans had grown tired and had slithered around his neck and torso like a scaly purple scarf. The other was resting in its pokéball, waiting to relieve its brother later in the day.

David passed the next hour by telling stories about different Pokémon he had encountered and the various ways the trainers had dealt with them. Like when a trainer's Growlithe started a small forest fire to escape the Beedrill hive they had accidentally wandered into. Or the Graveler, whose hide was so tough that no Pokémon they encountered was able to even injure it.

They traveled a good distance the second day as well, eating lunch while they walked and switching out Pokémon as they grew tired. Sometime around mid-afternoon, David pointed out a large cluster of mossy boulders through the trees that marked the halfway point of the forest. As night fell and the shadows grew longer and darker, the group set up a camp almost identical to the one from the previous night. Exhausted, Patrick barely managed to finish his MRE before sleep took him completely.

0000

Patrick took another bite of his Chili-flavored MRE. After eating MREs for three days, he had learned a few tricks to make eating them a little more enjoyable. This time he had crumpled up the crackers into the Chili pouch to give the red-brown mush a little more texture. Ed had informed him hot sauce improved them as well, so he made a note to pack some next time he had MREs.

They had been walking throughout the morning and had stopped to eat lunch rather than walk through it like they usually did. David estimated they would be out of the trees in the next few hours. Directly in the center of the path, the group was technically blocking the road. But they hadn't seen another human during the entire journey so weren't worried about being in anyone's way.

After everyone had finished, they packed their trash back into the cart and got ready to keep walking. Patrick's feet ached underneath him, but he stood up along with the rest of the group, unwilling to be the one to slow them down. Rob gave a sharp whistle and his two Ekans, who had been sunning themselves on a nearby rock, slithered over.

As the group moved, they slowly spread out to their regular positions with David in the middle of the three trainers. Nidoran hopped along beside Patrick while Voltorb hovered beside Ed. Meowth was nowhere to be seen but that wasn't surprising. The elusive cat spent the majority of her time amongst the trees, hunting the occasional Pokémon and exploring the underbrush.

While the other trainer's Pokémon were tense and on guard throughout the journey, Meowth seemed perfectly at ease in the strange surroundings. She would regularly disappear for hours at a time only to reappear from a bush or jump down from a tree branch. She had accumulated a small collection of shiny objects from her wanderings that Patrick kept in a small unused pocket of his pack. Patrick, Ed, and David were discussing the best restaurants in Pewter to try when a loud yowl, echoed through the trees to their right.

Freezing in their tracks the group turned to the eastern forest, eyes searching the shadows for any threat.

"Was that…" Ed began.

"Meowth." Patrick finished. He could already feel Bug crawling down the inside of his jacket and latching onto his wrist, ready.

The forest had grown deathly quiet after Meowth's cry, the background noise of buzzing, chirping, and hooting had ceased. A breeze rushed down the road, rustling leaves.

Nobody moved.

In the depths of the forest, the sound of crunching leaves and breaking twigs could be heard in the distance but quickly coming closer. Nearer and nearer the sound drew until it was at the tree line. Meowth exploded from the bushes, a tan missile heading straight for Patrick. Barely slowing down, she leaped at his waist, tapped her Pokéball, and disappeared into the depths of the red and white orb.

The trio of trainers barely had time to ponder the strange behavior when more sounds came from the forest, drawing closer just as Meowth had. The trainers turned, ready to face whatever threat had been chasing Meowth. Pokémon advanced to stand in front of their respective trainers. Voltorb levitated off the ground, crackling with electricity, while Pidgeotto perched on a tree branch ready to drop on the intruder. The twin Ekans swayed back and forth, tails twitching and flicking their tongues in anticipation.

The sound drew closer until a Pokémon burst from the trees, a round animal about the size of a soccer ball and covered in fine purple hair jumped out of the bushes and landed in front of the group, two tiny feet poked out from the tufts of purple hair. Startled at the appearance of trainers it hesitated for a second, large red eyes staring at them, before bouncing across the road and into the bushes on the other side. Disappearing into the leaves and branches.

"Meowth was scared of a little Venonat? She really is a scaredy-cat!" Ed laughed, relaxing and letting the tension flow from his body.

"Unless they were both running from the same thing." Rob interrupted, still staring intently at the forest. Sensing something the humans were unable to, the Pokémon tensed and looked around hissing, squeaking, and chirping amongst themselves. All around them, the trees and bushes started to come alive. Leaves shook, branches swayed and creaked as the weight of dozens of Pokémon pulled them from side to side. From the underbrush, a stampede of Caterpie and Weedle burst out of the foliage, crawling as fast as their legs could carry them. Crawling over and between the trainer's feet, they barely took notice of the humans as they made it across the road and into the bushes on the other side. Several more Venonat hopped amongst the yellow and green sea, all running in the same direction. Pidgey and Spearow were the next to appear, darting amongst the branches and trunks, they shot across past as well.

The trainers were stunned as wave after wave of Pokémon crossed the road, in front and behind them. Every species that lived in the forest was accounted for, several Beedrill and Butterfree flew by, Paras and Parasect made an appearance and so did several Bellsprouts, running on thin root-like legs. High above them, a troop of Mankey leaped across the road, tree branch to tree branch.

In their rush, a smaller Mankey missed a branch and tumbled through the air, landing heavily on the hard dirt road. The young female lay on the ground for several seconds stunned as her comrades hooted and called from high above. Urging her to stand and come back to the safety of the canopy.

Patrick began to run over to the Mankey but Rob quickly grabbed his arm, stopping him. Without looking at Patrick, he gestured to the tree line further up the path where Mankey lay. A shape was moving amongst the shadows, brown as the bark on the trees, silently approaching the downed Pokémon.

The Mankey had shakily gotten to her feet and was looking for a low-hanging branch to grab onto and begin her ascent when the creature struck. Lunging from the forest, it shot into the open road and grabbed the young Pokémon before it had time to react.

Clamping onto a thin arm, it violently pulled the Mankey off the ground and dangled it in front of its vertical jaws. Standing almost as tall as a man, the great brown insect was covered in a segmented exoskeleton, thick overlapping plates covering its entire torso. Its armored arms ended in three claws that held onto the struggling monkey. Its most striking features however were the vertical mouth, with rows and rows of razor-like teeth, and the pair of towering pincers projecting from the top of its body. Almost two feet long and ivory white, they were covered in sharp barbs that shredded prey as well as cut and crushed.

"We can't save the Mankey; we need to hope Pinsir takes its prey and leaves us alone," Rob said, cutting off Ed before he could order his Pokémon to attack.

"And what? Just let it die? I'm not going to stand here and watch a Pokémon get eaten alive." Ed spat back, venom in his usually carefree voice.

"This is Viridian Forest the strong prey on the weak. We can't pick unnecessary fights, protecting David is our primary goal." Rob responded, anger and annoyance leaking into his voice.

The brother's argument was cut short by another arrival. Dropping from the trees and landing directly in front of the Pinsir, a Primape unleashed a powerful barrage of punches at the giant insect's thorax. The force of the blows sent the Pinsir flying backward, releasing the trapped Mankey, and impacted heavily with a thick tree trunk off the road.

Snatching the Mankey out of the air, the Primape cradled the smaller monkey protectively with one arm. The Pinsir reemerged from the forest, crushing branches under its feet and letting out an eerie gurgling cry, and snapping its huge pincers. Primape responded, stomping its feet and letting out bellowing cries to intimidate the larger insect. Primape's shaggy pelt had already stood up, making the large ape look even larger, but still not quite as big as the opponent before it.

Lunging forward with its head lowered, the Pinsir attacked, attempting to crush the ape between its powerful pincers. Darting to the right, Primape delivered a powerful blow to the bug's side as it rushed past. Pinsir responded by swinging its head and pincers to the side, catching Primape across the chest and drawing a line of blood from its white fur. The Mankey, still clutched to Primapes side, barely missing decapitation.

Grimacing at the wound that was slowly turning its pelt dark red, Primape leaped backward. Not allowing the ape to escape, Pinsir pursued. Swinging pincers and grasping hands tried to catch the agile opponent but Primape ducked and evaded each attack, occasionally landing one of its own. As the two grappled and rolled, Primape's attacks started to slow. Exertion and blood loss dulling its reflexes and sapping the strength from its punches. A fist finally connected with Primapes abdomen, blasting the air from its lungs and sending it rolling backward.

Stalking over to the disoriented primate, Pinsir took its time lifting a foot to crush the opponent. Just before it could bring it down, however, Primape lashed out. Tossing a handful of dirt and sand from the road into its opponents' eyes. Temporarily blinded, the Pinsir stumbled backward, wiping the grit from its face. Not missing its chance to escape, the Primape darted into the forest and up the tree trunks, disappearing into the canopy above and out of Pinsir's reach.

Finally wiping the grit from its face, the large insect blinked and looked around trying to locate its opponent to finish it off. Peering into the dense foliage Pinsir looked for the white pelt of the Primape.

Unable to find the ape, its murderous gaze landed, instead, on the group further up the trail. While the two Pokémon had fought, David was driving the cart further north, trying to put distance between the fight and himself while the three trainers guarded the rear. However, the path was straight as an arrow in this particular part of the forest and the Pinsir spotted their retreating forms before they could escape.

Predator instincts kicking in, the Pinsir charged down the path towards its fleeing prey.

"Thundershock!" "Electro Ball!" Patrick and Ed cried at the same time.

An arch of lightning shot from Patrick's outstretched arm and hit the Pinsir in the center of its chest. The thin tendrils of electricity rippled across the surface of the exoskeleton before dissipating, searing the armor but leaving the bug unharmed. The electro ball hit a second later, stunning the Pinsir mid-stride and causing it to stumble. Once again however the exoskeleton dispersed the electricity across its surface without it penetrating deeper into the flesh beneath.

"Wing Attack!" "Acid!"

Shooting forward like an arrow, Pidgeotto attacked the distracted bug. Slamming into the Pinsir's face, Pidgeotto clawed at its eyes with sharp talons before swooping away, barely avoiding being caught by the huge pincers. Two globs of purple acid hit the Pinsir on its chest and side, the viscous liquid clung to the bug hissing as it burned away layers of the exoskeleton.

Turning its murderous black eyes to one of the purple snakes it lunged forward, intent on crushing the reptile into the ground. Before Pinsir could close half the distance, Ekans retreated into the forest, disappearing amongst the bushes and vines.

"Wing attack!" "Double kick!"

Nidoran charged forward now, jumping from the ground it spun in midair, delivering a powerful kick to the distracted bug and striking one of the chest plates covered in acid. A crack was heard throughout the clearing as one of the plates split in two. The acid weakening the tough armor.

Thrashing in pain, the Pinsir lunged towards the retreating pink Pokémon, intent on crushing it. Nidoran was too quick and dodged away from the blow. Pidgeotto, not expecting the Pinsir to lunge, clipped its wing on a barbed pincer. With a squawk the bird fell to the ground, blood seeping through its feathers and its wing twisted awkwardly beneath it.

Grabbing the downed bird, Pinsir moved to crush it between its pincers. Before Pinsir could snap its pincers shut, Pidgeotto dissolved into red light and was sucked back into Ed's pokéball. The trainer let out a sigh of relief at the close call, trembling hands slipped the orb back onto his belt.

"Its chest plate is damaged; we need to focus fire there!" Rob yelled, ordering his snakes to once again fire at the large insect. Acid struck the damaged plate and sizzled. Pinsir howled and once again charged the snakes who quickly disappeared into the underbrush.

"Leave this to me," Ed replied with steel in his voice. "Rollout!"

The red and white orb that had been floating by his side, started spinning. Slowly at first but quickly gaining speed the ball became a spinning blur of pink, as its two halves blended into one. Canceling its levitation and dropping to the ground, Voltorb shot forward like a cannonball tearing a small trench into the dirt as it rolled down the path.

The Pinsir, who had turned its attention to the Ekans, was unprepared as the ball Pokémon struck hard and true. Directly striking the plate that had been damaged by the acid. The plate shattered and the Pinsir's soft internal structures were crushed beneath the force of the attack. Falling flat on its back, the bug spasmed several times before lying motionless on the ground. Dark green blood seeped out of its collapsed chest.

Levitating itself out of the crater that was once Pinsir's chest, Voltorb spun rapidly, flinging the blood and ichor off its spherical body.

"We aren't safe yet. We need to leave the area before any of Pinsir's friends show up." Rob said, whistling to his Ekans to take position alongside the cart. Heart still pounding from the battle, Patrick followed the orders, moving to take the lead again. Ed and Voltorb were the last to fall into position, the former staring mournfully at his Pidgeotto's pokéball. Desperate to find out the status of his injured bird but unwilling to release it, lest the additional movement hurt his Pokémon more.

They moved down the path a light jog now, David crying words of encouragement to the old Taurus who heaved and struggled with its heavy load. Every minute they drove the caravan further away from the scene of the battle, the safer they felt. They had just begun to relax when a mournful cry echoed through the forest. The gurgling screech of a Pinsir, far at their back.

"Shit. They found him already. They'll be heading this direction now; our tracks aren't exactly subtle." Rob cursed, motioning to the deep groves as the cart's wheels cut into the earth. "Patrick, get that Meowth of yours back out! We need all the Pokémon we can get. Ed, Snap out of it! You can't help Pidgeotto if you die!"

Taking charge of the party, Rob started barking orders. With some coaxing and one threat, Meowth finally agreed to be released and fight. All three trainers now jogged behind the caravan, guarding its rear as that was the most likely direction of attack. David stood on the seat of the wagon, coaxing the gasping Taurus to even greater speeds.

Above them, the canopy was thinning. Patches of blue sky could be seen poking through the branches high above. The trees on either side of them were also getting smaller, and younger, as they started to near the edge of the great forest. With freedom and safety so close the trainers peered ahead further down the road, desperate to see sunlight and open skies.

With all eyes focused forward and back, no one noticed the dark shapes moving through the trees around them. The creaking and groaning of the wooded cart and their heavy breathing masked the snapping of leaves and breaking of branches that echoed through the otherwise silent forest. A particularly loud snap drew the distracted trainers back to their immediate surroundings.

"Did you hear tha-" Patrick began but was unable to finish as a pair of Pinsir surged out of the trees and tackled the side of the cart, breaking wooden beams and knocking it briefly onto two wheels before it came crashing back down. Yanked off balance by the rods attaching it to the cart, Taurus stumbled and fell. Its heavy body skidded along the ground before coming to a halt.

Before the trainers could mount a counter-attack, they too were ambushed. Dropping from the tree tops above them, three Pinsir landed in front of each of the trainers and lunged at the humans. Patrick managed to avoid the initial snap of the great pincers that surely would have cleaved him in half but was unable to avoid the thin, segmented arm that struck the side of his temple.

The world exploded into stars as he tumbled across the road, the force of the blow causing him to momentarily black out.

Blearily looking around, he noted he was now on his back and the world around him swam in abstract colors and shapes that refused to focus. The most interesting one was the large brown blur stalking toward him. Steadily getting larger and larger.

A pink blob of color collided with the brown one and stopped the advance but was quickly thrown off and once again the brown blur stalked closer and closer to him. A cream shape attacked next but it too was also thrown off.

Feeling a sense of danger but unable to pinpoint exactly what it could be, Patrick tried to get to his feet but a wave of nausea forced him back to the ground. Fighting the urge to vomit, his vision started to return and he was once again able to focus on individual shapes. A thin segmented arm reached into his field of vision, three wicked claws grasping for his throat.

The realization of what was in front of him struck at the same time a green shape tackled the Pinsir away. By the time Patrick screamed, Pinsir was already dead. Two scythes pierced its thorax, killing it instantly.

Crouching over the downed Pinsir, the newcomer yanked its blades free from the carapace. While Pinsir's body had been bulky and armored this new Pokémon was thin, streamlined, and humanoid, built for speed rather than defense. Large translucent wings vibrated at its back and it turned its reptilian head, assessing Patrick with yellow, slit pupils. Protruding from its forearms were two curved, sickle-like blades. The wicked edges were chipped from past battles and dripping in dark green gore.

With a burst of speed, it rushed past Patrick and to the battles happening at his back. Quickly turning to see where his savior went, Patrick's vision swam for a second before refocusing on the carnage before him.

Rob and Ed had both managed to avoid the first attack but were quickly being overpowered by the large bugs. Rob was pressed against a tree, pincers inching towards him ready to crush and tear. Only the combined strength of himself and the two Ekans, each coiled around a horn slowed the deadly weapons.

Ed was crouched on the ground, covering his neck and head as Voltorb levitated above him. Glowing yellow and crackling, the little red and white ball was keeping four Pinsirs at bay, sending monstrous bolts of lightning at any bug that approached. Several Pinsir already sported blackened exoskeleton from getting too close.

The two Pinsir that had been rummaging through the cart looking for David, who was cowering behind several crates, quickly jumped out to engage the deadly green insect. Moving faster than Patrick's eyes could see, the Scyther dodged and weaved through the Pinsir's clumsy attacks. Blades flashing, it severed one of the Pinsir's arms and stabbed its scythe deep into the second Pinsir's chest.

While Scyther was making quick work of its opponents, a huge red spider dropped from the tree above Rob and landed on Pinsir's back. Yellow and purple legs quickly wrapped around the Pinsir for leverage and the spider stabbed the venous spike on its forehead deep into the larger insect, easily piercing the tough armor. The Pinsir turned, intending to engage this new opponent when it stumbled forwards.

Suddenly finding it difficult to breathe, let alone stand, the Pinsir collapsed to its knees fighting the effects of the poisoning to no avail. With one final ragged breath, the bug coughed up a glob of green blood before collapsing on the ground.

Dead.

Having both dealt with their opponents, Scyther and Ariados turned to engage the final four Pinsir that were trying to attack Ed but were unable to get close enough. They hesitated from engaging, however. The maelstrom that was Voltorb was growing and getting more powerful by the second, forcing the Pinsirs further and further away from its trainer.

Hovering above Ed's crouched form, Voltorb was glowing like a miniature sun now. Electricity crackled and arced across its spherical body and the air around Voltorb buzzed with energy. Wind whipped through the clearing, shaking branches and creating dust devils along the dirt road. High above them, dark clouds coalesced and swirled above the battle. Thunder and lightning rippled through the interior.

The hair on Patrick's arms and head started to rise into the air, a surge of static emanating from the Pokémon as its power built to a climax. For a moment, everything was still. The wind that had previously been howling died out in an instant and a smell of ozone filled the air.

A flash of light high above was the only warning as a bolt of lightning pierced the clouds and slammed into Voltorb's body. Rather than injuring Voltorb, the massive amount of power was redirected splitting into 4 identical beams that struck the Pinsirs surrounding it. Shattering their armor, the electricity coursed through each of the insect's bodies, boiling them from the inside and killing them instantly. A thunderclap echoed throughout the clearing.

Its energy spent, the Ball Pokémon fell from the air and landed with a thunk next to Ed. Unconscious on the dirt road, the Pokémon was noticeably bigger than before and its coloring had reversed, the white portion now covering its upper half.

At some point during the battle, unseen through the veil of electricity, Voltorb had evolved.

"Impressive Thunder attack. Very powerful." A fast, clipped voice commented from the trees.

Finding the source of the voice, Patrick blinked, maybe he had been hit in the head harder than he thought. Striding out of the trees a second Scyther appeared. Quite a bit taller than its counterpart, it also only had one scythe rather than two.

"Likely acted as a signal to the horde. Will converge on location very soon." The Scyther continued in short sentences. Grabbing its face, the Scyther gently tugged and removed it from its body, revealing a human face below it. Ragged brown hair that looked like it had been hacked at with a sword fell around the trainer's face and several days' worth of stubble covered his cheeks.

What Patrick had first thought was a very ugly Scyther was a man, covered from head to toe in the green plating of a Scyther's shed exoskeleton. Each plate tied in place with cords of leather, forming an interlocking set of strong, lightweight armor. Loosely held in his hand was a wicked curved sword with a blood-red hilt. The blade glinted in the light; green blood dripped from the tip. This man had been busy fighting Pinsir too, it seemed.

"Haste is imperative." The man said, annoyance slipping into his voice as the four humans continued to gawk at the strange man. "We must move."

"Who are you?" Rob asked, wearily getting to his feet and returning his two Ekans. They had both been badly injured during the first, their scales shredded from where they coiled around the Pinsir's barbed pincers. Ed also returned his unconscious Electrode, still too shaken up to appreciate the milestone.

"You may call me Samurai." With a click of his tongue and several hand, gestures Scyther and Ariados nodded in unison and disappeared into the forest on either side of them. "Perimeter will be secured for time being. Elder, can your beast continue?" Directing his attention to David, who was tending to his Taurus.

"She can go on. She has a nasty bruise and several cuts but no lasting damage." David responded, still crouching next to Taurus and gently whispering encouragement and reassurance to the large animal. Shakily, Taurus got to its feet and tested each limb for any injury. Satisfied, it let out a low moo.

David spent another minute inspecting his cart and assessing the damage the Pinsirs had caused. While still road worthy, it would need a great deal of work done once they reached Pewter. Patrick took this time to inspect Nidoran and Meowth, who were both bruised and bloody but able to continue. Samurai said nothing, stalking across the road his yellow catlike eyes searched the trees for threats.

The group fell into awkward silence after that as Samurai led them north. Uninterested in small talk, Samurai typically strayed far down the path ahead of the group. The minutes ticked by and the forest shrank around them. Trees grew smaller and gaps between them wider. Fields of tall grass began to dominate their surroundings as they left the dangerous forest behind them.

"Can we trust him?" Ed whispered, eyeing the back of the strange man. The original four party members all walked in a line now, David had opted to walk instead of ride to give his Taurus a lighter workload.

"If he wanted us dead, he could have let the Pinsir do it," Rob replied.

"Gail has spoken highly of this man. I believe he acts as a protector to everyone who passes through the forest." David added.

"Bit strange though." Was Ed's only response.

"He lives in a deadly forest by himself and wears Scyther parts for armor. No normal person would do that." Rob agreed.

"Scyther is back," Patrick commented. The bug had appeared again and was hissing and gesturing to its trainer. Samurai nodded and dismissed the insect, who disappeared into the foliage once again.

"Several dozen Pinsir approach from the rear," Samurai informed them, unsheathing his sword. "I will engage whilst you retreat. Noctowl will guide you. Pewter is not far."

"Don't go back, we are almost out of the forest." Patrick pleaded, worried for the strange trainer's safety.

"Please give my message to Brock. I require a team of trainers to help cull the Pinsir population and a cease of travel through the forest until it is completed." Samurai said ignoring Patrick's statement as he confidently walked south back the way they came, sword drawn. He moved silently, with all the grace of a hunting cat, his green armor not making a sound. "I also require my supplies earlier this month. I have been busy."

"You can't fight that many Pinsir alone!" Ed protested, unwilling to let their savior sacrifice himself so they could flee. "If we hurry, we can all escape."

Turning back to face them one last time, he called out. "You underestimate me, human. I am not walking to my death, the Pinsir walk to theirs."

"Human?" Ed asked, but the samurai was already gone.

"What is a Noctowl?" Rob asked after a moment.

"A kind of bird Pokémon." Patrick absentmindedly replied, still looking down the path where the strange trainer had disappeared.

A soft hoot brought their attention to the large brown owl that was now perched atop the cart. Seeing it had their attention, it gave a second hoot before spreading its wings wide and taking to the air, heading north. With no other option, the party continued down the path following the bird that glided silently above them.