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[Pokemon] Chapter 33: VS Annihilape
🕑 Added 2024-08-17 09:59:50 +0000 UTC"Are you ready, Annihilape? Because now, I’m about to get angry."
Jin glared sharply at Annihilape, reaching into his pocket to pull out one of the six Poké Balls inside. He was definitely angry at the Annihilape in front of him, but as a seasoned Pokémon Trainer, his experience kicked in, and despite his burning rage, his mind became exceptionally calm as the battle was about to begin.
(...I don’t want to damage the forest too much.)
Not long ago, a fire had ravaged much of the forest, and it hadn’t yet begun to recover. If he recklessly used Fire or Electric-type moves here, the damage could spread, possibly ending the forest for good. He wanted to avoid that at all costs.
"...I've decided."
There was one Pokémon Jin had been wanting to use in battle, one that met all the criteria for not damaging the forest too much. Based on its level, it likely wouldn’t be too different from Annihilape.
"You’re the perfect opponent for its first battle. Let’s go, Scizor!"
"Scizor!"
The Pokémon that emerged from the Poké Ball was Scizor, which had evolved from the Scyther he caught on a remote island in the Kanto region after meeting Roy. This Scizor had often sparred with Jin’s other Pokémon and had been a training partner for both Sprigatito and Fuecoco, but this was its first real battle.
"Buhiiii!"
As soon as Scizor emerged, Annihilape, standing several meters away, readied its fist and launched a right straight punch. A shadowy fist emerged from Annihilape’s right hand and flew towards Scizor.
"Use Metal Claw!"
Scizor raised its pincers, deflecting the shadowy fist in mid-air. Thanks to its steel-hardened pincers, Scizor didn’t seem to take much damage.
(...That move wasn’t as powerful as I expected.)
When the attack came, Jin initially thought it was a Shadow Punch, and instead of dodging, he chose to confront it head-on. But seeing how easily Scizor deflected it and how little damage it took, it seemed less powerful. If it was weaker than Shadow Punch but a similar move, there was only one possibility.
Most likely, Annihilape had used Rage Fist. This is Annihilape’s signature move, which, though initially weaker than Shadow Punch, gains 50 power for each hit the user has taken.
(If I keep landing attacks carelessly, Rage Fist will only get stronger...)
He needed to avoid that at all costs. To do so, he had to take Annihilape down with as few attacks as possible, continuously pressing the offensive without giving it a chance to strike back. With that decision, Jin issued his command to Scizor.
"Now it’s our turn! Use Bullet Punch!"
Scizor clenched its pincers tightly, like bullets, and swiftly closed the distance, driving its fist into Annihilape’s gut. With its Technician ability boosting the power of Bullet Punch, the force of the attack sent Annihilape rolling backward with great momentum.
"Keep up the pressure! Use X-Scissor!"
To follow up, Scizor rushed in again. Annihilape stood up and noticed Scizor’s approach but seemed to give up on dodging, bringing its arms forward, closing its sides, and bracing for impact. Annihilape emitted a pink aura as it took the X-Scissor head-on.
"Scizor! Fall back!"
At Jin's command, Scizor hastily jumped back. The moment it leaped, Annihilape's fist swept through the space where Scizor's head had just been. It seemed that Annihilape had been aiming for this counterattack ever since it realized it couldn’t avoid Scizor’s strike. If Jin’s reaction had been a moment slower, the punch might have connected.
(Bulk Up... and then Drain Punch...)
Indeed, after entering a defensive stance, Annihilape had used Bulk Up to boost its attack and defense. As a result, it managed to withstand the X-Scissor, taking only minor damage, and then immediately tried to recover its health with Drain Punch.
Thanks to Jin’s quick thinking, they avoided damage, but Annihilape had already taken two hits from Bullet Punch and X-Scissor, while also raising its attack and defense with Bulk Up. The power of Rage Fist was bound to be on a whole different level now.
"...You're more clever than you look."
Analyzing Annihilape’s strategy, Jin couldn’t help but let those words slip out.
"Bugyaaaaaaaa!"
Jin had meant it as a compliment, but Annihilape took it as an insult. Its rage intensified to the point where it looked like blood might burst from its veins. With its eyes glowing red, Annihilape charged forward with reckless abandon, completely abandoning the calculated tactics it had shown earlier.
"Use Double Team."
As Annihilape closed in, swinging its limbs wildly, Scizor used Double Team, creating several duplicates of itself. Enraged and with its vision narrowed, Annihilape didn't even notice the duplicates and attacked the clone right in front of it.
Thanks to Bulk Up, Annihilape's attack power was higher, but with such reckless strikes, it wasn't hitting anything. If it were in the calm and collected state it had been before, it would’ve realized this. But now, it was completely consumed by anger.
(...Is this Outrage? Or maybe Thrash? Either way, what a waste.)
If Annihilape had used Rage Fist at this point, it would have been difficult for Scizor to deflect it with Metal Claw like before. And since it’s hard to distinguish Rage Fist from Shadow Punch, which is a guaranteed hit, dodging would have been nearly impossible. If they had faced off head-on, Scizor might have taken serious damage.
(If it could control that rage...)
If it could, Annihilape would become much stronger. It definitely had the potential. But right now...
"It’s time to end this..."
Annihilape, driven by rage, was recklessly attacking the surrounding trees. If this continued, the damage to the forest would only increase. The battle needed to end quickly.
"Scizor, take flight."
At Jin's command, Scizor soared high into the air. When it evolved from Scyther, its weight nearly doubled, and its wings had atrophied, making it less agile in flight. However, it could still fly for short periods.
"Let’s finish this! Use Dual Wingbeat!"
With Annihilape still lost in its fury, Scizor maintained a safe distance and then dove from the sky, accelerating toward the ground as it struck with its wings. The double strike, which was not only super effective but also boosted by Scizor’s ability, delivered a powerful blow. Annihilape, overwhelmed by the attack, collapsed and fell unconscious.
"Go! Poké Ball!"
After confirming that Annihilape had collapsed, Jin pulled an empty Poké Ball from his pocket and threw it at the fallen Pokémon. A red light enveloped Annihilape as it was absorbed into the ball. The Poké Ball shook from side to side a few times before making a clicking sound, signaling that the capture was successful.
"...Alright. Scizor, good job."
"Scizor!"
Jin praised Scizor for its effort and returned it to its Poké Ball. He then operated his Pokédex to keep the newly caught Annihilape in his party, transferring Manectric to Professor Birch in exchange.
"Liko, it's all clear now."
"O-Okay..."
Liko, who had been watching the battle from a safe distance behind Jin, approached him.
"Jin... c-congratulations..."
"You don't have to force yourself."
"N-No, it's not that!"
"It's fine. Besides, I want you to decide whether we add Annihilape to the team."
If Annihilape stayed with Jin, it would inevitably encounter Liko many times in the future. Each time might remind her of the terrifying experience when it attacked her. While Jin intended to train Annihilape not to lash out at others, there was no guarantee that it would be easy.
"...Me?"
"Yeah. If you're too scared to even look at Annihilape, we can release it back into the wild later."
Annihilape was a rare Fighting/Ghost-type Pokémon. It had a high level and showed great potential—Jin could tell it could become even stronger. He definitely wanted to keep it, but if forced to choose between Annihilape and Liko, Jin would choose Liko without hesitation.
"...I..."
(Annihilape... it was so scary... but...)
In truth, they were the ones at fault for stepping into Annihilape's territory. Annihilape was just trying to protect its home. Of course, the fear from when it attacked her hadn't gone away, but Liko couldn't bring herself to hate it.
(If I keep running away because I'm scared, nothing will change... I left on this journey to be brave!)
"...I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. It was my fault to begin with. And... I want to understand Pokémon better. So, you don't have to worry about me."
"Liko..."
"Besides, Jin, you really want Annihilape, don't you?"
"...Well, yeah."
If Annihilape could learn to control that overwhelming rage, it would undoubtedly become a valuable asset. Given that Jin currently had no Fighting or Ghost-type Pokémon, letting it go would be a huge loss.
(Liko... you've gotten stronger...)
Back when they first met at the academy, she probably wouldn’t have been able to say something like that. Ever since Liko decided to embark on an adventure after meeting Jin, Sprigatito, and the Rising Volt Tacklers, she had grown much stronger without Jin even noticing.
"Alright, let’s go meet up with Mollie!"
"...Yeah, let’s go."
Jin and Liko had spent quite a bit of time gathering berries and battling here. By now, Mollie must be getting tired of waiting, so they decided to retrace their steps and head back.
"Huh? Wait a minute..."
"...This is bad."
Annihilape’s rampage had knocked down several trees, altering the landscape Jin and Liko had memorized, making it difficult to find their way back.
"We-we’re lost!? What do we dooooo!?"
Just when Jin thought Liko was getting stronger, she started panicking like this. Mentally, she had toughened up, but her reaction to this situation showed she still lacked experience in traveling. Jin found her distress oddly amusing, but he knew this wasn’t the time to joke around, so he used his own travel experience to give her some advice.
"Calm down... In situations like this, the first thing to do is check in and look at the map."
With that, Jin and Liko both took out their Rotom Phones and turned them on. But...
“No signal.”
“Th-that can’t be!”
"Well, we’re in a forest. It’s common for machines to malfunction and cause you to lose your way. It’s no big deal."
“No big deal!? What are we going to do!?”
"...Right. We should head to the rendezvous point and meet up with Mollie and Roy, at least."
Jin’s words reminded Liko that they had agreed on a meeting spot in case anyone got lost. Looking around, she quickly spotted the designated location.
"There, right?"
"Yeah, let’s go."
They began walking toward a large tree visible a few kilometers away. Little did they know, that tree, which they saw as just a landmark, would soon reveal its true nature. This discovery would mark the beginning of a grand adventure and uncover a deep mystery—something no one could have anticipated.
// END
Originally, I was planning to use Scizor for the battle against Brassius, but after writing about Roy's success, I couldn't find a good spot for Scizor to shine, so I had it take the spotlight this time.
Next up is the battle against Arboliva! It's been a while, so I’m looking forward to using Mega Evolution!
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