Thanks to mestwendyfan for reviewing the previous chapter

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Chapter Nine: Bugged Out

The battle had already commenced. Bugsy had immediately quashed all her beliefs that bug Pokemon were weak when Scyther appeared on the field. It was truly an intimidating Pokemon, with blade-like forearms that were capable of slicing through logs. The arms reminded her of a scythe. She did not look forward to her Pokemon being on the receiving end of those blades.

Bugsy lifted a finger and pointed it at Lyra, flicking a strand of hair away from his face. If Lyra didn't already know Bugsy was a guy, she would've assumed Bugsy was a she. "Many people say that bug-type Pokemon are weak. I'm here to prove to you that Bug types can handle anything. Give it your best shot, trainer… but don't come crying to me after you lose. Scyther, use U-Turn!"

Faster than the human eye could see, Scyther struck hard and fast, throwing itself into a ball. It struck Starly hard, almost knocking the avian over. Lyra knew Starly wouldn't be able to withstand an attack like that again. Scyther returned to its pokeball and was immediately replaced by a Kakuna. Lifting an eyebrow, Lyra looked at Bugsy for an explanation.

"A Pokemon that uses U-Turn returns to its trainer. That's too bad for you and Starly, but good news for me."

Well, at least it was only a Kakuna and not another Scyther. "Starly, use Wing Attack!" Fortunately for Lyra's sake, Bugsy's Kakuna was laughably weak. It was not much stronger than the other Kakuna's she had faced. Bugsy didn't even show any concern when his Kakuna fainted – it was as if he expected that to happen.

Once Kakuna fainted, Bugsy called out his Scyther again. Dammit, thought Lyra. Starly couldn't survive another attack – she had to change or lose her one real weapon against the super bug. She swapped out her Starly for Toto, hoping to rely on the reptile's heavy bulk.

"Scyther, use Quick Attack!"

Scyther slammed into Croconaw, causing the reptile to stumble backwards. Fortunately, Toto was sturdy enough to remain on its feet. "Toto, use Bite!" Unfortunately, for Lyra, Scyther was much faster and attacked again before Lyra had a chance. The Scyther used Quick Attack again, striking Lyra's Pokemon hard. Croconaw was hanging on by a mere thread. Come on Toto, Lyra silently hoped. Please inflict some form of damage.

Croconaw lunged forward and bit down on one of the Scyther's arms. The opponent's Pokemon fought back, using its other forearm to free itself from Croconaw's grip. A hiss of pain left Croconaw's mouth as the Scyther removed its arm. "Scyther, use U-Turn!"

Not again, Lyra thought. The attack was powerful enough to cause Croconaw to faint. Her heart beat began to quicken sweat beads beginning to form on her forehead. Using the back palm of her hand, she wiped the beads away, but the nerves were still there. How could she defeat something that moved so damn fast?

A strange looking green shell replaced Scyther. Lyra used her Pokedex to obtain information.

Metapod. The evolved form of Caterpie. Inside the shell, it is soft and weak as it prepares to evolve. It stays motionless in the shell.

It didn't look intimidating at all which proved to Lyra, Bugsy's Metapod and Kakuna were shields for Scyther. Now if only she could take that bug down…

"Starly!" She brought back her trusty avian to the field. "Wing Attack!" At least this time she managed to land an attack first. The Metapod fainted. Starly flapped to the ground and froze. Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Starly?" she repeated.

Starly closed her eyes and sat on the floor, as if it were sitting on a nest. She tucked her head under her wings and started to vibrate. A while glow emanated from her as the Pokemon continued to shake. Having seen this before with her Totodile, Lyra wasn't frightened, but she was still concerned. Did the Pokemon feel pain when it evolved?

A few seconds later a much larger version of Starly stood before her. The avian's feathers were still the same colour, only they were longer. The bird also looked less cute than her baby version, sacrificing cuteness for a more mature look. The tuft of feathers on the bird's head curved forward, now twice as long as it had been before.

Staravia. The evolved form of Starly. They flock around mountains and fields, chasing after bug Pokemon.

Lyra couldn't help but think the Kakuna and Metapod had possibly won the battle for her, giving her Starly the experience it needed to evolve. Now Staravia was faster and stronger – possibly strong enough to defeat Scyther with one lucky hit. According to her Pokedex, Staravia could learn a new move – Double Team, which increased the Pokemon's evasion ability.

But in order for her Staravia to learn it, she needed to forget another. Double Team could potentially win her the battle if luck was on her side, but what move to sacrifice? Tackle? Quick Attack? Wing Attack? Growl, the move she never used? There wasn't much time to think about it. She decided to forget Growl. "Staravia, forget Growl. Learn Double Team."

Professor Elm had mentioned earlier on Pokemon could be commanded to forget moves when evolving. All she had to do was touch her pokeball against her Pokedex and two screens would come up. One screen had details about current moves and the other about moves her Pokemon could learn currently.

It was a difficult process to understand, but she suspected that every Pokemon knew their moves. They just had to be at a certain level to be able to use it. Staravia nodded, and began to glow a deep shade of red then jumped into the air, circling high above the Scyther.

"So your Pokemon evolved. It still won't be strong enough to defeat my Scyther. Even though it's my last Pokemon, Bug Pokemon are tough! Scyther, use Quick Attack!" Scyther dashed forward, moving so fast it was just a blur to Lyra's eyes. But to Staravia's eyes, Scyther might as well have been walking. The avian evaded the attack and retaliated with a Wing Attack which did major damage to the speedy bug.

Scyther took a few steps backwards, hunched over panting. Bugsy looked worried now. Lyra caught him wiping sweat beads of his forehead. "Hang in there! Just a little more!" he cried out. Scyther stood up straight, but Lyra could see the noticeable signs of exhaustion in the Pokemon's eyes and forced posture. Just one more hit, she thought. "Scyther, use U-Turn!"

Curling itself up into a ball, the Scyther threw itself forward. "Staravia, counter-attack with Wing Attack!" At least Scyther couldn't swap out with another Pokemon this time, leaving it vulnerable. Scyther's attack hit hard still despite it being in quite a weakened state. Fortunately, Staravia managed to withstand the blow. If she hadn't evolved Lyra knew the avian would've fainted.

The Scyther returned to its position. Staravia counter-attacked. As Lyra had expected, her attack was enough to take down the Scyther thus winning her the match. Scyther remained still, swaying slightly then fell forward landing face-first. Lyra jumped into the air. "I did it!" she cheered. Staravia stretched her wings out and danced around in a circle.

Bugsy retrieved his fainted Scyther, said something Lyra's ears didn't catch then hurried over to congratulate Lyra on winning the battle. "Whoa, amazing! You're an expert on Pokemon! My research isn't complete yet. Ok, you win. Take this Badge." He reached down into the pockets of his shorts and handed Lyra a red and black circular badge. It looked a bit like a Ledyba's back now that Lyra thought about it. The badge had three black dots and a mostly red background except for the top which was also black.

"Thanks," she said, adding the badge to her growing collection.

"Do you know the benefits of the Hive Badge? If you have a Pokemon that knows Cut, you will be able to use it outside of battle too. Here, I also want you to have this." He reached down into a different pocket and pulled out a small bottle of greenish liquid. "This contains U-turn. It lets your Pokemon attack then switches with the next Pokemon in your party. Isn't that great? Bug-type Pokemon are deep. There are many mysteries to explore. Study your top choices thoroughly."

"I'll keep that in mind," Lyra replied, giving the leader a handshake.

"I know you'll go far. Your next stop should be Goldenrod City. To get there you have to travel through Ilex Forest. You'll need Cut though, so make sure one of your Pokemon knows the move." He waved his goodbyes as Lyra hopped back onto a Spinarak kart. Two gyms down and only six more to go. She exited the gym.

Lyra wasn't exactly sure where to find the move Cut – none of her Pokemon could learn it, and she hadn't spotted the potion available in store. When she asked the people in the city they simply looked a little confused and told her to ask the Charcoal Man. She sought the Charcoal Man out but he wasn't at home. Was he hiding in Ilex Forest? There didn't seem to be anything else she could do here.

But first, she was going to pay the Pokemon Centre and Poke Mart a much needed visit. As she headed towards the Pokemon Centre, a lady wearing a kimono dress approached her. She did not look like the other lady she had seen in the Slowpoke Well, although the girls did share similar features. Black hair tied up in a bun, the same eye shape, the same jaw structure…

"You defeated your second gym leader… I thought you might have gotten lucky getting past Falkner… but defeating Bugsy as well…" The Kimono Girl rubbed her jaw, looking Lyra up and down. "Such dedication… such skill for one so inexperienced… Is it possible?"

"What are you talking about?"

The Kimono Girl ignored her. "A pure heart… perhaps… she is the one…" A soft smile crossed her face. "We will meet again." Before Lyra could ask any more questions, the Kimono Girl walked away. Weird, thought Lyra. That was the second Kimono Girl that approached her in the same strange manner, as if she were special or something. Pushing her thoughts aside, Lyra entered the Poke Mart.

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A couple of hours had passed since Lyra had entered the Poke Mart. It was amazing how quickly time flew by when shopping for items. Lyra purchased ten potions, a couple of status healing potions and a few more pokeballs and placed them in her bag. Her bag was so full now she could barely fit it on her back. The mysterious Pokemon egg was still in there. She thought about storing it in her Pokemon Storage Box at the Pokemon Centre, but it didn't feel right parting with it.

Exiting the building, she stepped back outside and took in a deep breath. Bugsy had mentioned Goldenrod City was her next destination and to get there she needed to pass through Ilex Forest. Perhaps the Charcoal Man was hiding somewhere in the forest.

She made way for the forest, her stomach muscles tightening as she neared it. Stopping at the boundary, she arched her neck back and gazed at the entrance. It looked unfriendly and extremely quiet. The absence of birdsong sent a shudder down her spine. What kind of creepy Pokemon lived in here, she thought.

Taking in another mouthful of air to calm her nerves, Lyra stepped inside the forest, her loyal band of three Pokemon tagging behind her. Gible remained in her pokeball this time – she couldn't afford to lose such a precious Pokemon inside the forest again. Croconaw and Bagon flanked her sides while Staravia remained a few steps ahead. The Pokemon's sharp eyes were needed in this situation.

Sweat beads formed on her head. The humidity of the forest was unbelievable. She felt as if she had just taken a really steaming hot bath. Her clothes clung to her skin, as if they had suddenly become a part of her body. Disgusting. What she wouldn't give for nice cool bath right now… As she ventured further into the forest, she couldn't shake off the feeling she was being watched. Every few steps she would stop to dart her eyes at a nearby bush or tree, as if expecting an ambush of some sort. Beady little eyes peered at her through the vegetation. Not human eyes fortunately, but eyes belonging to various Bug-type Pokemon.

"Oh no, this is such a disaster! The boss is going to be so mad when he finds out!"

The distraught voice of an anxious man caught Lyra's attention. Someone was in trouble. Following the source of the voice, she walked ahead ignoring the peering at her. There was a man dressed in a white coat pacing back and forth, muttering. "Can I help you?" Lyra asked, stepping forward with great caution.

The man stopped, turned around and rushed over to her. "You… you are a trainer! Please help me! I was supposed to be taking my boss' Farfetch'd for a stroll in the woods but they got spooked and they ran away before I could do anything! You must help me find them, please!" he begged, looking at her with pleading eyes.

Well, that was a little irresponsible, she thought. "How can I help?"

"The Farfetch'd are roaming around the forest. You just have to approach them from behind and throw their pokeballs at them. But make sure you come from behind – they get spooked easily and if see they see you coming, they will run deeper into the forest," the man said, giving Lyra two pokeballs. "Please don't take too long. I don't want to be here when the sun comes down." A visible shudder raced down his spine.

That was understandable. Lyra didn't want to be stuck here in Ilex Forest at night either. "All right, I'll do my best."

The man smiled. "Thank you so much! You won't regret this."

"Before I go, can you tell me what they look like?"

"You won't miss them. They're the only two birds in the forest."

She thanked him again. Moving away from the panicking man, Lyra walked further into the forest, cautiously navigating through the undergrowth. Cobwebs surrounded her, hanging down from many low branches. Walking into one wasn't something she wanted to experience so she made sure she walked slowly.

There! Up head! A tiny brown avian! The bird Pokemon was sitting on the grass, holding a miniature stick in its right wing. Lyra crept towards it, after telling her Pokemon to remain in place. "Please stay still," she whispered, clutching the pokeball in her hand. The bird seemed unaware of her presence, seeming more fascinated by its stick.

She crept closer still, now only a few metres away from the oblivious bird. Raising her hand, she pulled back her arm then brought it forward, releasing the ball. The ball sailed through the air and hit the bird's back then bounced off, lying on the ground, the Farfetch'd back inside. That was relatively easy, she thought.

Venturing deeper into the forest, Lyra was surprised to find this section was more active than the previous area. It was also much darker, but no dark she felt like she was in the Dark Cave again. She spotted Spinaraks running across branches, crossing the joint webs between different trees. A group of Caterpie were battling against a group of Weedle over some fallen leaves. Metapod and Kakuna hung down from branches, unmoving. She even spotted a few Zubat hanging from some of trees choked by thick vines.

She kept moving forward paying attention to the large amounts of Pokemon around her. It was tempting to catch a few, but there were so many present she was worried she'd anger the entire forest population. Bagon and Croconaw wondered over to a fallen tree to investigate a fallen Kakuna. Lyra followed closely behind a little more cautiously than her Pokemon. Gible shook in his pokeball, eager to get out.

Reaching down to her belt, she pulled out her Gible's pokeball and looked down at it. "Promise you won't be naughty, all right?" The pokeball shook again. It was a risk releasing Gible into such a risky forest, but keeping him inside while the others got to roam free was unfair. She summoned Gible. Gible immediately ran over to join his other friends.

Croconaw touched the fallen Kakuna with his tail. Gible prodded it with his stubby little arms. Bagon sniffed the Kakuna and pushed it with its nose. The Kakuna did not move at all. Was it even still alive? Or had it somehow gotten injured when the tree had fallen? Lyra walked over to the tree, stopping a few feet away from it. There was an opening in the trunk where the Kakuna had fallen. She dropped to her knees and peered inside, coming face to face with a Paras.

A Paras could learn Cut. It had the pincers after all. "Bagon, use Bite!" Bagon jumped forward to attack the Paras, but Gible attacked instead, pushing the other baby dragon out of the way. The Paras winced as it was struck and hid deeper into the trunk. Gible stuck its head in the trunk, trying to get at the Paras.

"Gible!"

Once Gible heard his name, he stopped moving. He tried to pull himself out but found he couldn't. His massive jaw had gotten stuck in the smaller hole. Gible panicked and frantically started to move. Gible repeated his name several times over, becoming more agitated with each passing second. Lyra placed her arms around Gible's waist and did her best to pull him out. Noticing Lyra's struggle, Croconaw and Bagon assisted, tugging Lyra back.

She clenched her teeth, planting her feet firmly into the ground, pulling with all her might. Eventually, their combined effort freed the Gible from its stuck position. They tumbled backwards onto the grass. "Gible!" Lyra scolded, glaring at her sulky dragon. Gible lowered his head, sulking. "How can I let you out of your pokeball if you get yourself into situations like that?" she added, in a gentler tone.

The disciplinary session came to an abrupt halt. In the corner of her eye she spotted the fallen Kakuna shaking back and forth. Evolution time. She glanced up and spotted some of the other Kakunas shaking. "Run!" she exclaimed sprinting forward, stopping only once to ensure her Pokemon were following behind her. They were. The Paras that had been hiding was also on the run. It was a little injured though so it was fleeing at a much slower pace.

Lyra stopped, turned back and threw a pokeball at the Paras. The ball rocked to the left, then right then to the left again and paused for three seconds. The Paras remained inside. There was no time for celebration though - she could hear the sounds of angry Beedrills in the background. She continued heading forward until she heard some soft chirping sounds.

It just had to be another Farfetch'd. The avian glanced back in her direction, prompting Lyra to duck behind a bush. Parting the leaves, Lyra peered through the open hole, spying on the Farfetch'd. The Pokemon was looking in a different direction now. Slowly, she rose from behind the bushes, fingers clasping the Farfetch'd pokeball. She counted to three seconds before throwing the ball.

The Farfetch'd returned to its pokeball. Lyra sighed with relief. Thank goodness for that, she backtracked her steps, returning to the place where the Kakuna had fallen. There were no Beedrills around anymore, but she knew they were there somewhere in the forest, searching for the trainer that had disrupted their peace. Without wasting more time, she continued retracing her steps until she found the man who had lost the Farfetch'd. "I found the Farfetch'd," she said, returning the balls to the man.

He took them back eagerly, throwing them both onto the ground, summoning the two birds. "You actually managed to find them… thank you so much for doing this! Oh, here is the boss!"

Another adult man walked towards her, wearing a round sun hat. "Ah, my Farfetch'd. I take it you lost them again?" he said, glancing at the other man's relieved expression. "Nevermind. The important thing is that this trainer found them. For your efforts, I want to give you this move, Cut. Teach it to one of your Pokemon and you'll be able to cut down the vines blocking the path to Goldenrod. Thanks again! You did me a real favour!" The two men left, retreating back to Azalea Town.

Lyra was pleased she was able to move forward now and put this behind her. She summoned her Paras and gave the Pokemon the potion containing Cut. The Pokemon lapped it up eagerly, seeming to enjoy the taste. "You're local to this forest. Could you lead us to the vines?" Paras nodded and headed back towards the fallen tree. There were still no signs of the Beedrill around, so they continued moving forwards, returning to where the second Farfetch'd was.

Paras veered to the left, then moved north towards a mass clump of vines blocking a path. "Okay, Paras. Use Cut on those vines!" Lyra ordered.

Her new Pokemon leapt forward, snipping the vines with its pincers. It didn't take long for the Paras to cut down all the vines allowing Lyra and her other Pokemon to move through. Once they reached the other side, Lyra found another kimono girl standing a few feet away. The lady was walking around in circles, murmuring to herself, a troubled expression on her delicate face.

"Do you need any help?" Lyra called out.

The lady turned around. "Oh, a Pokemon trainer! I was taking a stroll through the forest and I accidentally took a wrong turn. I do not know which direction to take to leave this place. Do you know where to go?"

Lyra shook her head. "I've never been here before," she admitted.

"Then we are both lost." Paras waved its pincers in the air. The kimono girl looked down with raised eyebrows. "Oh? What's this? You know where the exit is? What a smart Pokemon!" she gushed. Paras led the kimono girl to the furthest path on the left, Lyra following close behind. "You were willing to show a stranger the way out of the forest… what kindness… will it be enough though?"

"I don't understand what you are talking about," Lyra said.

"All will be explained in due time, dear girl. But I must depart this place and seek out my sisters. Thank you again for your kindness." She bowed gracefully, and left the forest. Lyra was quite prepared to leave herself when she saw a mass group of trees shaking nearby. She decided to investigate.

It wasn't a Pokemon causing the trees to shake; in fact, it was a rather solid man shaking them, simply by ramming into the tree with his head. What the heck? Lyra thought, rushing over to check if the man was all right. Perhaps he was mad? "What are you doing?" she called out.

The man looked up, wiped his mouth with the back palm of his hand, and gave her a cheeky grin. "It's a move called Headbutt. It's a great move that has uses both during and outside battle. If you see a Pokemon hiding up in a tree, use Headbutt and it'll fall down so you can capture it. Here, show me one of your Pokemon and I'll teach it the move."

Well, that sounded like a useful move. "I would like you to teach Bagon." Bagon needed another decent move aside from Bite anyway.

"All right then, just give him this potion and your Bagon will know how to use Headbutt in its next battle! If you have any other Pokemon you'd like to learn this move, come back and see me!" He rammed into the tree again. Lyra shook her head and moved away, heading towards the exit. Some people were just plain crazy.