Chapter 99: Forretress
"No need to worry about feeding rounds just yet," Professor Oak repeated, waving Xiu's concern away again. "Plenty of time for that later. First," he gestured towards the Scyther waiting patiently nearby, "let's talk about him. Or rather," a challenging glint entered Oak's eyes, "let's see him in action."
"Action?" Xiu repeated, confused. "Professor?"
"Before we discuss any further research or training," Professor Oak stated calmly, a faint smile playing on his lips, "let's have a brief battle. Your Scyther versus one of mine."
"Huh!" Xiu blinked, stunned by the unexpected challenge. A battle? Against Professor Oak? He quickly suppressed his surprise, forcing a confident grin. "It would be my honor, Professor," he replied, trying to sound eager rather than apprehensive. 'A chance to see one of Oak's own Pokémon in action…'
Professor Oak just smiled knowingly, saying nothing more. He reached into the pocket of his lab coat and casually tossed a standard Poké Ball into the air. With a flash of red light, a Pokémon materialized on the grass before them.
Xiu stared, his brow furrowing in confusion as he tried to identify the creature. It was… bizarre. Roughly spherical, it seemed to lack any discernible limbs – head, arms, legs all hidden. Its body consisted of two large, bowl-shaped shell segments clamped together, one forming the top half, the other the bottom. The inner surfaces of these shells, visible through the slight gap between them, were smooth, tough-looking, and deep red.
The outer surfaces, however, were a pale, almost pinkish-grey, covered in rough, uneven grooves and jagged protrusions, strongly resembling weathered rock or perhaps ancient, hardened bark. It looked incredibly solid, armored.
Protruding from four points around the central seam where the shells met were thick, tube-like appendages, presumably used for manipulation or anchoring. Peeking out from the gap between the shells were two large, expressive black and white eyes, currently regarding Scyther impassively.
'This strange, heavily armored creature…' Xiu vaguely recognized it. 'Forretress, the evolved form of Pineco.' He recalled seeing one briefly in the anime, maybe belonging to Brock? His memory was hazy. He'd certainly never used one in the games.
Why? Oh right. Because it didn't look cool enough. His younger self had prioritized aesthetics over strategic utility. Consequently, his practical knowledge of Forretress' capabilities was almost zero, limited purely to its appearance and typing – Bug/Steel.
"Forretress..." Xiu murmured the name, assessing the matchup. He glanced at Scyther, patting its shoulder ridge reassuringly. 'This is going to be tough...'
Scyther seemed to understand the challenge instinctively. It stepped forward, positioning itself opposite the Forretress, raising its scythes into a ready stance, blade held slightly forward.
Even without knowing Forretress's specific abilities, Scyther recognized the defensive nature of its opponent. Against that thick, rock-like shell, Scyther's primary advantage – its sharp cutting power – would be severely negated.
'This is a bad matchup,' Xiu realized grimly. 'The scythes will just bounce off that armor. Trying to cut through it might even damage the blades again. Honestly, against an opponent like this, Abra's Telekinesis, capable of bypassing physical defenses entirely, might actually stand a better chance.'
"Looks like you're ready," Professor Oak observed, his faint smile never leaving his face as he watched Xiu analyze the situation. He made no move to issue a command and simply stood there relaxed, like an old man enjoying a leisurely stroll, yet the pressure Xiu felt radiating from him was immense.
Xiu didn't rush to command either. Taking the initiative against a heavily armored opponent like Forretress felt like suicide for Scyther. Attacking recklessly would just blunt its blades, waste energy. But waiting indefinitely wasn't an option either; letting Professor Oak dictate the pace of the battle would be disadvantageous.
"Scyther, move!" Xiu finally commanded, opting for probing maneuvers. "Circle around! Look for an opportunity!" Better to stay mobile, try to understand Forretress's capabilities, than stand still or charge blindly. If they waited too long, their own momentum, their fighting spirit, would falter.
Scyther obeyed instantly, utilizing its superior speed, darting sideways, attempting to flank the seemingly immobile Forretress, searching for a weak point, perhaps a vulnerable joint where the shells met.
Xiu watched Professor Oak closely, expecting a counter-command. But Oak remained silent, still just observing, seemingly content to let Forretress react on its own. 'He's not going to give a command? Is this a test of Forretress's independent battle capability? Or mine?'
If Oak wasn't going to direct the battle, Xiu had to seize the initiative, however slight. 'Okay, maybe there's a chance.' "Scyther, Focus Energy! Then, Slash! Aim for the central seam!" If direct cutting was ineffective, maybe a focused, high-speed strike at the potential weak point between the shells could work? It was the only viable physical attack strategy he could think of.
Scyther stomped the ground, the familiar white aura briefly flaring around it as it channeled its internal energy. Then, it lunged forward, scythe raised high, aiming a precise, powerful downward chop directly at the narrow gap where Forretress's two shell halves met. Scyther had practiced this specific strike countless times, infused with the power of Focus Energy, it felt confident it could land the blow accurately.
But Forretress wasn't just a stationary target. As Scyther closed in, Professor Oak finally gave a quiet, almost conversational command. "Forretress. Protect."
Just as Scyther's blade descended, a shimmering green barrier materialized around Forretress, deflecting the blow harmlessly. 'Predictable.'
Xiu had anticipated a defensive move like Protect or Harden. However, Forretress's next action completely baffled him. Instead of hunkering down or launching a counterattack like Gyro Ball or maybe even Spikes, the Forretress… simply lifted off the ground.
'What?! It can fly?!'
Not exactly flying, Xiu corrected himself, watching closer. It wasn't using wings. It seemed to be… hovering? Levitating somehow? Its spherical body rose smoothly, effortlessly, a few feet off the ground, completely negating Scyther's ground-based assault.
'Since when can Forretress levitate? The games, the anime… he had absolutely no memory of this ability. Is this another 'real world' deviation?'[1] The unexpected maneuver completely threw off Scyther's attack, its powerful Slash striking empty air as Forretress floated just out of reach. The sheer absurdity of the heavy, armored ball just floating there dealt a significant blow to Xiu's confidence.
"Scyther, jump! Kick it upwards!" Xiu yelled, recovering quickly, adapting on the fly. If it was hovering low, maybe a powerful kick could knock it off balance, bring it back to earth.
Scyther, though likely just as confused as Xiu, obeyed instantly. It took a quick step forward, leaped high, and delivered a powerful rising kick towards Forretress's underside. The impact connected solidly, sending the hovering Forretress tumbling upwards like a cannonball shot into the air.
"Follow up! Wing Attack! Knock it back down!" Xiu commanded immediately, seeing the opening.
Scyther's thin wings flared behind it. Using the momentum from its jump and the leverage provided by its wings, it launched itself higher, intercepting the airborne Forretress. Instead of slashing with its scythes, it slammed the hard, leading edge of its wing – the 'blade' surface – against Forretress's underside again.
The unexpected aerial combo caught Forretress completely off guard. The second impact sent it spinning uncontrollably through the air. It took barely two seconds from Xiu's initial command to Scyther connecting with the second hit— a perfect follow-through.
Except… Scyther was now falling too, its brief aerial maneuver expended. Xiu quickly scanned the surroundings – no nearby trees, no ledges for Scyther to land on or gain leverage for another attack. He could only watch helplessly as Scyther descended back to the ground, while Forretress continued its uncontrolled tumble through the air above them.
[1] Xiu died before Scarlet and Violet, and back in those days, Forretress' primary means of locomotion is hopping, similar to the Mexican jumping bean according to the wiki