However, unlike the aggressive Beedrill or the Pinsir who enjoy intimidating the weaker ones, Scyther are proud and confident. As long as they're not provoked, they generally won't attack first.
Facing these wild Pokémon in a one-on-one duel didn't worry Cain, but these Pokémon that live in groups tend to work as a team. If you upset one, the whole group will quickly appear. If they all attacked at once, they would easily overwhelm Cain by sheer numbers.
Additionally, as Cain ventured further into the forest, the level of the Pokémon also increased.
Cain had no idea what level the Scyther he would encounter might be.
Thinking about it now wouldn't be of much help, so Cain quickened his pace while Slowpoke and Murkrow constantly guarded him.
Cain's endurance had also improved recently; after walking for an hour, he didn't feel especially tired, just a bit short of breath.
For Murkrow and Slowpoke, this was like breathing, something very easy. If it weren't for the wild Pokémon that attempted to ambush them along the way, this would have been easier than training for them.
Finally, Cain arrived at the Scyther territory marked on the map and proceeded with more caution.
Although capturing Slowpoke had greatly increased his power, one should never lower their guard in the wild.
The journey had been fairly smooth; aside from a few overly confident wild Pokémon who tried to attack them and were easily defeated by Murkrow and Slowpoke, there were no major incidents.
Most Pokémon, sensing the threatening presence and the scent of blood from his team, preferred to keep their distance.
Finally, upon entering Scyther territory, in the center of the area, Cain found a group of the Pokémon he had so longed to see—about ten of them.
Proud as they are, Scyther prefer to fight opponents of similar level. In this forest, there weren't many Pokémon worth their while, so they mostly spent their time training with each other.
When Cain saw them, they were in the middle of a fierce battle.
Upon spotting Cain, they also noticed him.
Two of the Scyther, who were in the midst of an intense fight, stopped. One of them, more robust, stepped forward and took the lead, looking at the three newcomers with a serious expression.
Cain's eyes sparkled a bit, and the system displayed the leader Scyther's data.
Pokémon: Scyther (Dark Yellow)
Gender: Male
Level: 23
Type: Bug + Flying
Ability: Technician
Held Item: None
Egg Move: Endure
Basic Moves: Vacuum Wave, Quick Attack, Leer, Focus Energy, Pursuit, False Swipe, Agility, Wing Attack
Learned Moves: Bug Buzz, Bug Bite
TM Moves: None
It was a powerful Pokémon. Cain glanced at the other Scyther; all were above level 20. In addition to the dark yellow-quality leader, there were two others of yellow quality.
However, Cain decided not to attempt capturing any of them.
Not only would it be difficult to capture one of these powerful Scyther in the middle of a group, but the leader Scyther itself was quite troublesome.
As a speed-based Pokémon, although Murkrow had a type advantage, his main advantage—speed—wouldn't be as significant, and Scyther, with its high physical power, could deal considerable damage if it struck.
Additionally, the numerical advantage was considerable. Even if he managed to defeat the leader, he wasn't certain Slowpoke could protect him from all the attacking Scyther.
It's important to remember that, being so fast, they could prevent Slowpoke from using Teleport to escape.
Moreover, none of the Scyther in the group met Cain's standards for potential, so capturing them wasn't worth much.
Some Scyther in the group showed interest in fighting, feeling the threat posed by Murkrow and Slowpoke. For them, lovers of combat and challenges, these were perfect opponents.
However, before they could attack, the leader stopped them. It could see beyond what its companions perceived; not only did it feel the threat of the Pokémon, but it also sensed an aura of gravity from the human, as if he didn't fear its group.
This feeling could only mean two things: either the human was a fool who didn't understand the situation, or he possessed real power.
Its instinct told it that if they attacked, they should be prepared for half of the group to perish.
Although they enjoyed fighting, that didn't mean they were unafraid of death.
Thus, the leader Scyther held back its impulsive companions, watching as Cain and his Pokémon cautiously retreated.
Scyther respect strength. If they believe in an opponent's power, they will allow them to pass through their territory without issue.
The reason Scyther had their own territory wasn't due to a strong sense of territory but because of their combative nature. The neighboring Pokémon feared them so much that they gradually abandoned the surrounding areas, turning them into Scyther territory.
After crossing the Scyther territory without incident, Cain finally passed through the forest marked on the map Umbra had provided.
All that remained was to cross a rocky region to reach the place where the mission item was located.
However, after a day of travel, Cain had not only fought with attacking Pokémon but had also gained a better understanding of the territory of the more powerful Pokémon indicated on the map.
Along the entire route, the only complicated territory had been that of the Scyther at the beginning, with a level 23 Scyther and ten others of level 20 or higher—a formidable group.
Then he crossed the Paras territory, where many types of mushrooms grew. The Paras's activity area centered around these mushrooms, which served as their food.
The Paras's leader, a level 24 Parasect, led the group.
Paras are peaceful, and unlike other Pokémon that attack intruders in their territory, they don't.
Both Paras and Parasect have a great weakness against Flying types, so Murkrow was a considerable threat to them. However, due to Cain's hurry, he chose not to attack them.
Furthermore, within the Paras group, there weren't many with good potential. Although the group was large, they were the calmest Pokémon in the region.
In Paras's land, many other Pokémon coexisted, mostly in harmony. When Cain passed through with Murkrow and Slowpoke, he was almost never attacked.
(End of Chapter)