Chapter 105: Magnetism
'Why does Forretress look like this, though?' Xiu pondered, observing the Forretress silently from a distance after it had finished eating. This rugged, uneven outer shell… the tube-like appendages… the way it clamps shut completely… He didn't believe these were random features.
In nature, form often followed function. Useless attributes tended to be eliminated through evolutionary pressures over time. There had to be a reason Forretress looked and behaved this way.
He stared intently, analyzing its shape, its texture, trying to deduce its purpose. He became so absorbed in observation that he momentarily forgot his intention was to communicate with it, not just study it like a static object.
'Right. He mentally shook himself. Need to actually talk to it.' Now he understood why Professor Oak had described Forretress as docile. If it were any other wild Pokémon, being stared at so intently for so long would undoubtedly provoke a defensive, if not aggressive, reaction. But Forretress remained perfectly still, seemingly indifferent. Anyone unfamiliar might mistake it for an oddly shaped boulder.
"Uh, hello again," Xiu began awkwardly, approaching cautiously now that it had finished eating. "My name is Xiu. I'm Scyther's partner, the one you sparred with earlier." He offered a polite nod. "It's nice to meet you."
Hearing Xiu's voice, Forretress finally reacted, tilting its entire upper shell segment slightly upwards, 'raising its head' to look at him with its large, unblinking eyes. The movement was peculiar; the rough outer shell seemed to pivot smoothly over the inner red layer. 'Interesting.'
An odd thought popped into Xiu's mind. The outer shell… it almost looks like… clothing? Armor worn over an inner body? The gap between the two layers seemed more pronounced up close, though Forretress shifted its gaze before Xiu could get a clear view inside. The thought felt ridiculous, anthropomorphic, yet…
He quickly suppressed the embarrassing analogy, forcing another polite smile. "Well," he continued, trying to sound casual, "looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other over the next few days. Please bear with us."
Forretress didn't respond verbally, of course, but its attention shifted, its large eyes focusing intently on Abra, who had floated silently over beside Xiu.
"Ah, this is Abra," Xiu introduced quickly, assuming Forretress was curious. He prepared to act as a bridge, perhaps asking Abra to relay questions telepathically. But he quickly realized it was unnecessary. A silent, invisible communication was already flowing between the two Pokémon – Abra's faint psychic aura pulsed subtly, while Forretress remained still, seemingly receiving. Xiu felt like an awkward third wheel, standing by while they had their own private conversation.
Watching Forretress's impassive, shelled form, Xiu's curiosity got the better of him again. He tentatively reached out. "Mind if I…?" he asked softly.
Seeing no reaction from Forretress, who seemed preoccupied with its telepathic exchange with Abra, Xiu gently poked the rough outer shell with one finger.
To his utter astonishment, the shell segment shifted slightly under his touch, rocking almost loosely, then immediately bounced back into place with a soft thump.
'What?!' He poked it again, slightly harder this time. The reaction was more pronounced. The outer shell visibly slid sideways in the direction of the force, like a crooked hat, revealing more of the smooth red layer beneath. But this time, it didn't bounce back. It stayed tilted, askew.
'Damn it! Did I break it?' Panic flared in Xiu's chest. He had dared to try again only because it had bounced back the first time! 'Why hadn't it recentered itself now?'
Forretress finally broke off its mental conversation with Abra, turning its large eyes towards Xiu. Its expression was unreadable, but Xiu felt no hint of anger or pain, just… mild curiosity perhaps?
"Uh… sorry! Let me… let me fix that," Xiu stammered, reaching out again. He gently pushed the tilted shell back towards the center. The movement felt surprisingly smooth, almost frictionless, as if lubricated. But the moment he let go, the shell slid downwards again under its own weight, tilting in the opposite direction.
Xiu reacted quickly, catching the shell segment before it slid off completely, supporting its weight. He carefully repositioned it again, trying to find the 'center'. After several attempts, juggling the heavy shell segment, he finally managed to get it balanced.
"See? All better…" he started to say, relieved, but before the words were fully out, the shell tilted slowly downwards again with a soft groan.
"Ah!" Xiu wanted to tear his hair out. Why am I so clumsy? Curiosity really does kill the cat… or break the Bug/Steel type!
But then… the panic subsided, replaced by puzzlement. 'Wait. Forretress still hadn't reacted negatively.' No sign of discomfort, no defensive posture. It just watched him struggle with its shell with that same impassive gaze. 'Why? If the shell was truly broken, wouldn't it react? Unless… the shell wasn't rigidly attached?'
Driven now by scientific curiosity overriding his embarrassment, Xiu placed his hands firmly on the outer shell segment again. Slowly, deliberately, he lifted.
'Damn! It actually comes off!' He felt the distinct weight in his hands, confirming it wasn't an illusion. The outer shell was separate. But just as he lifted it a few centimeters, revealing the smooth, red inner body beneath, a strong, unseen force suddenly pulled the shell back downwards from his grasp, snapping it back into place with a solid clunk.
That feeling… the sudden pull, the distinct polarity… it was instantly familiar. 'Magnets!' The same force he'd played with as a child.
The realization hit him with full force. The inner red body and the outer rough shell weren't physically connected; they were held together by magnetism. Forretress could likely manipulate these internal magnetic fields, allowing the outer shell to rotate independently, detach slightly, maybe even act as a shock absorber.
He had been fooled! All his earlier analysis about ricocheting off the ground… it wasn't just kinetic energy; it was likely magnetic repulsion and attraction! The levitation too! Not true flight, but magnetic suspension!
This discovery instantly verified his earlier, fleeting suspicion about how Forretress targeted opponents while spinning – by sensing disruptions in magnetic fields, not just bio-electricity. And it explained the structure: the segmented shell, the rough, perhaps ferrous outer layer, the smooth inner core… all likely optimized for magnetism.
Xiu stared at the now perfectly reassembled Forretress, feeling a mixture of awe at the biological ingenuity and slight annoyance at having been so thoroughly deceived by its seemingly simple appearance. He quickly jotted down his observations and hypotheses in his notebook.
'Forretress literally wears its armor like clothes… wonder what the inner body actually looks like?' He glanced back at the impassive Pokémon, resisting the urge to try and lift the shell again.
— — —
Two days later, in the backyard training area
Scyther darted left, then right, a green blur against the grass. Forretress, bounced off the ground rapidly, ricocheting off a large rock Xiu had placed strategically, and shot towards Scyther who dodged just in time. The scene repeated over and over again, a familiar pattern emerging.
Xiu watched from the sidelines, feeling a growing sense of boredom, almost frustration. It had been two days since Professor Oak assigned Forretress as Scyther's sparring partner. As predicted, Scyther couldn't land a meaningful blow against the armored shell. Without Xiu's direct commands, Scyther defaulted to pure evasion, unwilling to risk damaging its scythes again in futile attacks.
So, their 'battles' devolved into a repetitive game of chase: Forretress relentlessly pursuing with its magnetic ricochets with Scyther endlessly dodging. It was excellent evasion practice for Scyther, forcing constant vigilance and agility.
But it lacked… substance.
Interestingly, Forretress seemed to tire relatively quickly. Its high-speed spinning and ricocheting consumed considerable energy. After ten or fifteen minutes of intense pursuit, it would inevitably slow down, clamp its shell shut, and remain motionless, presumably recovering.
During these periods, however, Scyther still couldn't capitalize any opportunity. It just circled the inert Forretress, clearly lacking the means to breach the defense. The entire exercise felt like… a joke, almost.
Soon enough, Forretress recovered and spun again for several minutes before slowing down again. It bounced one last time, then settled onto the grass, shell clamped tight.
The 'battle' was over. Scyther, breathing heavily but otherwise unharmed, ceased its evasive maneuvers, completing its dodging drill for the session.