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Watching the Scyther escape right before his eyes, Liam wasn't ready to give up just yet. He quickly retrieved the Safari Ball that had been knocked away earlier and immediately took off in pursuit.
Scyther typically doesn't use its wings for flight, but that doesn't mean it can't fly. In fact, Scyther not only can fly, but it's incredibly fast while doing so.
Liam dashed into the dense forest, chasing in the direction Scyther had fled. However, within moments, he lost sight of it completely, leaving him feeling frustrated.
He instinctively reached for the PokéBalls on his belt but hesitated and withdrew his hand.
Truthfully, if he released any of his partners, capturing this Scyther wouldn't be a problem. But the rule of the Safari Zone was that Pokémon battles couldn't be used for captures. Reluctantly, Liam abandoned that idea.
"Ah, if it's not meant to be, I won't force it. Guess we just don't have the right fate. Oh well, I'll go catch something else instead."
Liam sighed with a bitter smile, no longer dwelling on the Scyther.
He continued searching for wild Pokémon, and before long, he spotted a Kangaskhan walking nearby. A small baby peeked curiously out of its pouch, clearly intrigued by the world around it.
Judging by its size, it probably hadn't been born for very long.
Kangaskhan was a rare Pokémon, and its strength was undeniable—Professor Oak's Champion team even included one.
Liam was somewhat interested, and since he still had Safari Balls left, catching one wouldn't be a bad idea.
Casually, he tossed a Safari Ball. However, Kangaskhan had been keeping an eye on him the whole time.
The moment he made his move, it swiftly dodged, and the Safari Ball rolled harmlessly onto the ground. Kangaskhan then turned back and let out a few mocking cries at Liam.
"Kan..."
After taunting him, Kangaskhan prepared to leave. But just as it turned around, something felt off.
A sudden realization struck—it reached into its pouch and was instantly horrified. The baby was gone!
Panicked, Kangaskhan frantically searched in all directions. Then, as it turned back, its entire expression froze...
Behind it, the baby Kangaskhan had somehow crawled out of the pouch. Curious about the Safari Ball on the ground, it reached out and pressed down on it.
"Kang!"
The tiny hands hit the exact spot—the button that activated the Safari Ball. Instantly, the ball popped open, emitting a burst of red light that engulfed both the baby and its mother.
"KAN?! (YOU LITTLE—!)"
In a flash, both Kangaskhan were sucked into the Safari Ball. The ball wobbled twice... then fell still.
Liam: "..."
The sheer luck was overwhelming. He hadn't even processed what had just happened.
After walking forward to pick up the Safari Ball, he thought to himself, Maybe this is the universe compensating me for missing out on Dratini and Scyther.
With that, he placed the Safari Ball into his bag and continued onward.
After wandering for quite a while, Liam realized there weren't many new Pokémon left to capture. Most of the ones he encountered were species he had already caught, and his Pokédex wasn't getting any new entries.
Still, all his captures so far had earned him an extra 400 points in exchange value.
After a full morning of exploring, Liam eventually returned to the riverbank where the cruise ship was docked. Sitting beneath a large tree, he leaned against its smooth roots and pulled out some bread to replenish his energy.
"Scythe!"
Just as he had barely taken a couple of bites, a familiar cry reached his ears. In an instant, Liam shot up from the ground, tossing the half-eaten bread aside. Grabbing his backpack, he sprinted toward the sound, his face filled with excitement.
"It's it! It's gotta be it! Let's see you escape this time!"
Liam bolted at full speed, sprinting like he was in a hundred-meter dash. But when he reached the scene, he was completely taken aback.
Right in front of him, in a clearing surrounded by thick shrubs, was an unusually colored Scyther. But it wasn't alone—it was completely surrounded by a group of Paras and Parasect.
Several Paras were already lying unconscious nearby, with clear slash wounds indicating that Scyther had taken them down. However, it was unclear whether Scyther had attacked first and gotten cornered, or if the Paras had ganged up on it first.
Regardless of who started the fight, Scyther was clearly in bad shape.
It was now kneeling on one knee, using one scythe to support itself as it panted heavily. A faint purple glow flickered across its body—a sign of poisoning.
On top of that, its dazed expression suggested that it was also suffering from sleep effects. It was likely fighting just to stay conscious.
"This is bad!"
The situation looked terrible for Scyther. On one side was a swarm of enemies, and on the other, a lone, wounded fighter.
The Paras were closing in, tightening their encirclement, while a massive Parasect stood by, its large claws glowing with a sinister purple light, ready to strike.
"Ssss!"
After a brief standoff, the Parasect grew impatient. It hissed loudly, seemingly issuing an order. Immediately, one of the Paras rushed forward.
However, just as the Paras got close, Scyther suddenly slashed out with its razor-sharp scythes, cutting deep into its opponent. The Paras collapsed on the spot.
But at the exact moment it fell, the mushrooms on its back released a dense cloud of spores. Unable to dodge in time, Scyther was instantly covered in the powder.
"Scythe!"
A pained growl escaped from Scyther as golden sparks of paralysis crackled across its body.
"I see! These Paras have the Effect Spore ability. That means all those Paras lying around must've been sacrifices—suicide attackers meant to inflict as many status conditions on Scyther as possible. Should I call that smart... or devious?"
Liam was slightly taken aback by the cunning of the Parasect leading the swarm. Its intelligence and leadership were beyond expectation.
"Ssss!"
Seeing Scyther's condition worsening, Parasect let out a sinister chitter, then signaled for its underlings to charge in for the final attack.
"This is bad! They're going in! Think, think—what can I do? Wait... I've got it!"
Liam, seeing the incoming attack, panicked momentarily before a sudden idea struck him.
"Scythe!"
Scyther was furious. It had barely escaped capture, only to be ambushed by these Paras.
Though it had taken down a few of them, it had fallen victim to their Effect Spore, and now, it was completely surrounded. Scyther could no longer contain its rage—it let out a deafening roar and, with one final burst of strength, swung both scythes wildly, sending nearby Paras flying.
Just then, the lurking Parasect suddenly made its move.
With a swift burst of speed, it charged forward, its enormous claws glowing with an eerie purple light as it struck down at Scyther's back with Cross Poison.
Sensing the attack, Scyther's eyes widened in alarm. It quickly turned and raised its scythes in defense, only to feel a tremendous force crashing down.
The impact knocked Scyther to the ground, and the poisoned glow across its body deepened in color.
"Scythe!"
Now completely drained, Scyther could only lie on the ground, letting out low, furious growls as the victorious Parasect loomed over it.
"Ssss!"
Parasect sneered down at Scyther, then raised both claws high. The glow of Cross Poison intensified—it was ready to deliver the final blow.
At that moment, a round, plump object came flying from afar, landing right in the middle of the Paras swarm.
It was a well-crafted Clefairy doll.
As soon as it hit the ground, the doll began to shake, immediately drawing the attention of Parasect and its minions.
Then, from the distance, a Safari Ball flew in at high speed.
Caught off guard, Parasect was struck directly.
In an instant, it was engulfed in red light and sucked into the ball. The Safari Ball wobbled violently for a moment—then fell still.