"Hey, Sceptile! Slow down a bit!" Su Feng called out to the Pokémon darting through the treetops.
Sceptile, a master of forest navigation, moved like a green blur, leaping between branches with near-phantom speed.
"Scep? (Can't keep up?)" It paused, hopping down to the ground. It had already reduced its pace to a crawl by its standards, yet the humans still struggled. Its elders had claimed humans were formidable creatures—this pair seemed… underwhelming.
Su Feng could manage the speed, but Xiao Da was gasping for air, her face flushed as she stumbled out of the foliage. "Huff… Huff… Wind Bro… Are you even human?!" She collapsed against a tree, glaring at Su Feng, who stood unfazed. Growing up on grasslands, she'd prided herself on her stamina. But Su Feng? He looked ready to run a marathon.
"Let's rest," Su Feng said, tossing Sceptile a Energy Cube from his pocket. Sceptile sniffed it cautiously before gulping it down, its eyes widening.
"Scep. (Not bad.)"
As Xiao Da chugged water, Su Feng idly groomed Growlithe's fur, the scene almost leisurely—if not for the urgency of rescuing Xiao Di.
[Livestream Chat]
[Xiao Di: cries in forgotten]
[Xiao Di: HELLO? I'M IN DANGER HERE?!]
[But fr, Sceptile's design is chef's kiss.]
[Those leaf blades on its arms? Peak cool.]
[Can it even cross its arms without slicing itself?]
[Priorities, people! Wind Bro, DO YOUR JOB!]
Noticing the chat's demands, Su Feng obliged. "Sceptile, the Forest Guardian Pokémon. A pure Grass-type with blades for arms and a tail that stores nutrients to rejuvenate forests. They're agile climbers—unbeatable in wooded terrain without type disadvantages."
[Chat Explodes]
[That tail's gotta help balance, right?]
[But seriously, HOW DOES IT CROSS ITS ARMS?!]
[Designer: "Aesthetics > practicality."]
Xiao Da finally caught her breath. "Let's go."
Nodding, Su Feng turned to Sceptile. "Stick to the ground this time. Slow and steady."
"Scep. (Fine.)"
Twenty minutes later, sunlight pierced the canopy as they reached the forest's edge. A rocky mountain path stretched ahead—Dragon territory.
"Scep. (My job's done.)" Sceptile said flatly. "Scep. (Crossing further breaks the pact.)"
"Thanks," Su Feng said, tossing it another Energy Cube. As Sceptile turned to leave, Su Feng grabbed its arm—yanking it face-first into the dirt.
Sceptile: "…"
"Sorry!" Su Feng winced. "Just… what are the Dragons like?"
"Scep. (Battle junkies.)" It spat grass from its mouth. "Scep. (That's it.)"
Su Feng: "…Helpful."