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After more than an hour of effort, a thoroughly exhausted Bellossom finally completed treating all the injured teammates. Right after that, Sato mounted his fully recovered Arcanine and continued racing toward the Pinsir Forest.
Perhaps because Sato had successfully taken down an entire Mightyena pack by himself earlier, he encountered several smaller groups of Mightyena along the way, but they all wisely stepped aside without provoking him.
Sato kept a constant eye on the detector in his hand as he rode Arcanine. Unfortunately, reality didn't quite align with his hopes. Even as Arcanine carried him deep into the Pinsir Forest, the red indicator on the detector remained off the entire time.
Pinsir Forest was home to a large number of sweet trees, although these trees generally only grew in the areas surrounding a central lake in the forest, forming a near-continuous patch.
As a result, the Bug-type Pokémon that relied on the sweet tree branches for food usually gathered in that central region. However, the dominant Pinsir population had completely occupied the heart of the forest.
Due to their overwhelming strength, other Bug-type Pokémon in Pinsir Forest didn't dare challenge the Pinsir clans. All they could do was retreat to other, less optimal parts of the forest where sweet trees also grew.
But as the Pinsir population continued to grow, so too did their demand for resources.
Eventually, they began invading the habitats of other Bug-type Pokémon in the forest, attempting to seize the sweet trees these species relied on for survival.
Upon entering Pinsir Forest on Arcanine, Sato found himself unfamiliar with the terrain. To locate the Scyther clan, his only option was to wander the forest aimlessly.
It wasn't long before he stumbled upon a one-sided battle — a desperate defense of a homeland.
Right in front of him stood a dense cluster of sweet trees, their trunks riddled with gnaw marks. Fresh gouges still oozed fragrant, sugary sap.
Tragically, no one was around to enjoy this sweet nectar. It simply dripped to the forest floor, wasted.
The reason for that was simple: the sap's rightful owners were engaged in a fierce battle against invaders. From the looks of it, they were completely outmatched.
This grove of sweet trees belonged to a group of Heracross. Right now, these Heracross were being overrun by a large swarm of Pinsir. Despite their bravery and determination to defend their home, they were steadily pushed back under the sheer weight of numbers.
Heracross are Bug- and Fighting-type Pokémon. Despite their Fighting attribute, they're naturally gentle and avoid conflict when possible.
Now, facing the violent and aggressive Pinsir, the Heracross — who had little experience with combat — were crumbling fast. Some of the more timid ones were already fleeing.
The only reason they hadn't completely broken was because one particularly fierce Heracross was still holding the line.
Unlike the others, who had relatively few injuries, this one was covered in scars from head to toe — a battle-hardened Bug-type warrior.
However, this Heracross was only about half the size of the others — very small by comparison.
From this, Sato surmised that it was either underdeveloped or simply very young and still growing.
Using his system's scan function, Sato quickly gathered data:
Pokémon: Heracross
Level: 21
Type: Bug/Fighting
Ability: Moxie
Gender: Male
Known Moves:Tackle, Leer, Horn Attack, Endure, Feint, Aerial Ace, Arm Thrust, Bullet Seed, Night Slash, Revenge
Egg Move:Focus Punch
Tutor Moves:Reversal, Stomping Tantrum, Rock Slide
Held Item: None
IVs: (out of 31)
HP: 19
Attack: 21
Defense: 18
Special Attack: 17
Special Defense: 21
Speed: 30
Overall IV Rating: Blue (Total IV: 126)
...….
Likely due to its smaller size, this Heracross was nearly twice as fast as the others.
It darted through the air using the insect wings on its back to hover and accelerate, flying like a fighter jet through the Pinsir ranks. Since Pinsir couldn't fly, they had no way to counter it.
Aerial Ace was this small Heracross's most lethal move, especially combined with its Moxie ability, allowing it to grow stronger with each knockout. The longer it fought, the more ferocious it became.
In just the five or six minutes Sato watched from the sidelines, the little Heracross had already taken down six Pinsir that tried to surround it — some even higher in level.
Unfortunately, its fellow Heracross were pathetic. Most of them were too timid, and as the few more courageous ones were defeated by Pinsir, the rest began fleeing in panic.
The small Heracross was clearly nearing its limit. Though its fighting spirit remained unbroken, its body — battered and outnumbered — couldn't keep up much longer.
Finally, a Pinsir managed to sneak behind the airborne Heracross and used Bind just as it faltered mid-flight. The Pinsir's massive pincers clamped around it tightly.
If Heracross had more energy left, it could've easily broken free and retaliated with Revenge. But now, that wasn't possible.
This misstep left it vulnerable. Several nearby Pinsir seized the opportunity and unleashed their favorite move — Brick Break — all at once.
Even in this dire state, the small Heracross refused to give up. It instantly activated Endure, gritting its teeth through the wave of brutal strikes. Wounds opened one after another, yet it uttered not a single cry of pain.
Just as the Pinsir thought it was finished, Heracross's eyes suddenly snapped open. A terrifying surge of Fighting-type energy exploded from its battered frame.
With a single Reversal, Heracross struck the five Pinsir surrounding it.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
All five were blown back like ragdolls, crashing into trees and snapping trunks. Only after skidding across the ground, half-dead, did they finally stop moving.
But the moment of triumph came at a cost. Having used up the last of its strength, Heracross's vision dimmed, and it collapsed where it stood.
Seeing their tiny champion fall unconscious and possibly lifeless, the remaining Heracross completely lost morale and scattered in all directions.
The Pinsir, however, weren't about to spare the small Heracross. In fact, they hated it. If not for this lone warrior, their victory wouldn't have cost them so much.
Beyond hatred, they feared it — feared that this terrifying, relentless foe might survive, recover, and one day return.
Watching the other Heracross abandon their fallen comrade without hesitation, Sato felt a pang of sorrow for the tiny Heracross who had chosen to fight to the bitter end to defend its home.
"A true warrior… Since your comrades have forsaken you, let me lend you a hand. A brave soul like yours doesn't deserve to be buried in the dust."
Sato's eyes narrowed.
"Arcanine — use Flamethrower."
Just as the small Heracross was about to be finished off by the approaching Pinsir, Sato finally made his move.