Steven stopped and looked around.
He saw groups of Pokémon emerging from the surrounding bushes.
"What's going on?!"
Zigzagoon, with deep brown fur, resembling a raccoon mixed with a badger.
Wurmple, a caterpillar with distinct red and white markings and dull, large eyes, crawling on a tree.
Taillow flying down from a tree branch.
Shroomish, a beige and green mushroom-like Pokémon, hopping to Scyther's side.
A group of Pokémon appeared nearby, surrounding Scyther protectively.
"Scyther!"
Scyther roared, forcefully swinging its scythe.
It seemed to be scolding them for coming out.
Steven stood quietly in place, not disturbing them.
Because he didn't understand what was happening.
Metagross came to Steven's side, ready to prevent Scyther from suddenly attacking.
"Shroomish..."
A Shroomish was saying something.
The following is a conversation between Pokémon:
"That's enough, Boss. This is already enough." Shroomish looked down, its eyes filled with concern as it gazed at Scyther.
Scyther said angrily, "Shut up! I didn't tell you to come out!"
"It's still very dangerous here. What are you doing out here?!"
A Taillow landed next to Scyther and whispered, "We can't bear to let Boss shoulder all of this alone anymore."
"I've said it many times—this is my own decision! You fools!"
Scyther struggled to stand up, forcing its battered body to move.
"Don't move, Boss. Your injuries are very serious right now." Zigzagoon also ran over, trying to stop Scyther's actions.
"Get lost!"
Scyther swung its scythe, pushing Zigzagoon away.
Although Scyther's words were harsh, in reality, it didn't dare to use too much force even when pushing Zigzagoon away.
Zigzagoon was only lightly pushed back a small step.
"Haven't you understood after all these times I've told you?!"
"This is something only I can do!"
Scyther roared, its body trembling continuously, trying to struggle to its feet.
However, lacking strength, it fell back to the ground with a thud.
"Boss!!!"
The Pokémon gathered around anxiously.
"Don't make me say it so many times! All of you, leave!" Scyther, lying on the ground, shouted.
"Actually, I don't think that person is very bad. I feel we can convince him to leave."
The Wurmple on the tree spoke quietly.
This statement was met with surprised looks from the group of Pokémon and Scyther's angry glare.
"Uh... sorry, but I really feel that way."
"Stop talking! Humans can't hear you anyway!" Taillow flew onto a branch and gently pecked Wurmple with its beak.
"Stop pecking, stop pecking—it hurts!"
Wurmple quickly stopped Taillow's actions.
"So you know it hurts!"
"But I just have that feeling!"
"Hmph!"
Scyther snorted coldly, tried to stand up again, and gritted its teeth, saying:
"You don't know the true nature of humans..."
"As long as you are useful, they will continue to exploit you."
"But as soon as you are no longer useful, they will immediately abandon you!"
With the help of Shroomish and Zigzagoon, Scyther successfully stood up, sitting on the ground and breathing heavily.
But its gaze remained sharp as it looked at Steven standing there.
"He's not moving now—he's just watching the show!"
"He sees my value, so he expects to capture me!"
"In the future, when he no longer needs me, he will abandon me without hesitation!"
Saying this, Scyther looked down at Shroomish and Zigzagoon, who were supporting it.
"So you don't need to become strong. Just live out your lives peacefully."
"As long as you don't have any value that can be exploited by them, you won't know the feeling of being abandoned."
At this moment, Wurmple asked a question.
"Boss, are there no humans who will treat us with sincerity?"
Scyther froze, its thoughts drifting back to the past.
"Scyther! Hello!"
"Scyther! From now on, you and I are family!"
"Go, Scyther! Use your best Fury Cutter!"
"It's okay, Scyther. We only lost once! We'll go back and train hard, and next time we won't lose!"
"Scyther! Keep going! Our goal is that legend which no one has ever achieved!"
"Let's reach the peak of legend together, Scyther!"
"It's all my fault, Scyther, for letting you get hurt..."
"We have money! Scyther! Let's go have a big meal!"
Past memories flashed continuously in Scyther's mind.
Undoubtedly, they were all beautiful memories.
Wurmple's words awakened its long-sealed past.
Is there really no Trainer who would treat us with sincerity?
Yes...
Its memories kept providing the answer to this question.
With its keen perception, how could it not sense whether that person was sincere toward it?
Yes, that was definitely his heartfelt thought.
It could feel it.
But... why?
Why?!
Why!
The beautiful memories of the past suddenly shattered!
The fragments continuously reassembled.
Unlike the previous beautiful and warm scenes, that day... was very bleak.
"You should leave..."
The boy, whose face was unclear, lowered his head and spoke to Scyther in a cold tone.
"Scyther?" Scyther was confused—it couldn't understand the boy's intention.
The boy slightly raised his head, and those eyes became the source of its nightmares ever since.
They were eyes devoid of any emotion, as if only endless coldness resided within them.
"I said, you should leave."
"You are useless to me now."
"Scyther?!" Scyther was in disbelief, desperately trying to explain something.
But the answer it received was the boy's resolute turn.
This action interrupted Scyther's explanation.
"You no longer have any value for me to exploit."
"Do you understand?"
"Just live on in this forest full of weak Pokémon, like this."
"This is your home now."
Scyther watched the boy's retreating back, a feeling of powerlessness surging through its body, and it suddenly collapsed to the ground.
Drops of rain fell on Scyther's body.
Am I... too weak, too useless?
What were those past memories then?
Scyther slowly raised its head, looking up at the cloud-filled sky.
Its confused eyes slowly became sharp.
Is this... what humans are like?
"It's precisely their false sincerity that made you believe it was real," Scyther slowly said.
"That's why you fell into the endless abyss."
The scene fell silent for a moment.
Steven asked Metagross beside him, "What are they saying?"
He truly didn't understand what kind of meeting these Pokémon were having together.
Metagross glanced at Steven, took a deep breath, and said seriously:
"Metagross!"
They said you are insincere.
"Hiss..."
Steven looked at Metagross and felt that this didn't sound like a good thing.
Should he teach Metagross how to write?
Compared to learning telepathy, writing should be simpler for Metagross, right?
"It can't be that they don't approve of my appearance, can it?"
Metagross gave Steven an exasperated glance.
"Metagross..."