POKEMON : STARTING WITH FLASH METAGROSS

The chase through the flower field continued. Rax discarded the third bottle of Bug Repellent Spray and pulled out another one.

While the number of Beedrill pursuing them had decreased, other Bug-type Pokémon, like Beautifly, Yanmega, and even Ninjask, had joined the pursuit.

These Pokémon were fast, making it difficult for Metang to shake them off completely. Worse, new Bug-types kept appearing.

Pshhh!

As a Ninjask closed in, Rax didn't hesitate, spraying a wide area with Bug Repellent Spray.

The Ninjask was hit directly, its senses overwhelmed by the strong scent, and it dropped out of the chase.

This scenario had played out numerous times over the past hour. Yes, they had been fleeing for a whole hour.

Though Rax was exhausted, he held up. The one truly struggling was Metang, who had been flying non-stop.

Metang's crimson eyes were glowing brighter, its silver body overheating. Its engine-like arms, red-hot from overuse, glowed ominously, even sparking occasionally.

During a brief lull after repelling the Ninjask, Rax glanced at skiploom in his arms.

The once-intense green glow from skiploom's body had dimmed significantly, and its furrowed brows had relaxed. It seemed to be nearing the end of the energy absorption process.

Relieved, Rax quickly pulled out an Energy Cube and fed it to Metang.

Metang crunched the treat and regained some strength, though its overheated arms still caused discomfort, as if they might melt into molten steel.

Metang's overuse of its psychic abilities left it mentally drained, making it harder to stay on course. Rax had to guide it constantly to avoid them veering off track.

Time dragged on for another half-hour.

The once-vivid flower fields blurred before Rax's eyes—a clear sign of motion sickness.

Though many Beedrill had dropped out of the chase, others, including a massive Mothim, had taken their place. Its imposing size drove away competitors, narrowing the chasing swarm to the strongest contenders.

The slower Queen Beedrill, like the Giant Beedrill, remained at a distance.

Despite this, Metang was in terrible condition. Its arms, fully red, sparked dangerously.

Rax hesitated no longer and patted skiploom on the head.

"skiploom, it's fine if you can't absorb it all. Toss the remaining energy crystal!"

"Beta!"

Metang protested, unwilling to give up after enduring so much.

"There will be other energy crystals. But if we keep pushing, you'll destroy your arms! Is that what you want?"

Metang fell silent, though it forced itself to pick up speed once more.

"skiploom..."

"Flaaffy!"

Finally, skiploom opened its eyes, which now glowed faintly blue—a clear sign it had absorbed a significant amount of Flying-type energy.

Without hesitation, skiploom leapt from Rax's arms and turned to face the pursuing swarm.

It gave a small shake of its flower-like body, dislodging the crystal. Now nearly transparent with only a faint trace of blue energy remaining, it floated into the air.

With a flick of its vines, skiploom tossed the crystal skyward.

A sudden gust of wind sent the crystal hurtling toward the oncoming Pokémon.

Pandemonium erupted as the swarm scrambled to claim the crystal.

A Beautifly grabbed it first, only to be attacked and torn apart by the others. The chaos worsened when the crystal shattered, unleashing a surge of Flying-type energy.

The previously cautious Pokémon now turned on each other in an all-out brawl.

Meanwhile, skiploom used Tailwind to create a strong wind, pushing Metang forward.

Metang no longer needed to rely on its engines; it floated effortlessly on the gusts, moving even faster than before.

"Is this... Tailwind?" Rax marveled.

"Flaaffy!" skiploom nodded, using Aromatherapy to heal Metang's overheated arms.

Rax was stunned. skiploom's species wasn't supposed to learn Tailwind, nor any notable Flying-type moves aside from close-range techniques like Acrobatics.

"skiploom, you're amazing!" Rax exclaimed, realizing how valuable the energy crystal had been.

Once they escaped the swarm, Rax found a pond where Metang could cool down.

Metang's arms slowly returned to their normal silver color. However, Rax noticed they now looked shinier, almost as if they had been tempered and hardened by the ordeal.

"Metang, let's do a little test after dinner!"

Metang flopped to the ground, exhausted but blinking in agreement.

After a quick meal, Marowak practiced with its bone club, grumbling about missing the action. skiploom had already recounted the day's events, leaving Marowak determined to become the strongest on land.

Nearby, Rax and Metang set up a training target by the pond.

"Alright, Metang. Use Bullet Punch!"

Swish! Bang!

The strike left a deep dent in the target.

Rax raised an eyebrow. "That's definitely stronger than before!"

Metang nodded, clearly feeling the improvement. Its arms tingled, and a strange energy seemed to build within.

On impulse, Metang struck the target again.

This time, electricity crackled around its arm, leaving a black scorch mark on the target.

"Was that... Thunder Punch?" Rax asked in disbelief.

Metang examined its own arms, nodding uncertainly. "Beta..."

"Try again!" Rax urged.

Eager to confirm, Metang struck once more.

Crackling... Bang!

It was undeniably Thunder Punch.