Venipede were a defensive Pokemon, their round forms helping to take punishment from their mortal enemy. They lined the ground and stood- ready for their usual turf war. Their evolved version, Whirlipede, stood behind them all rolled up into a ball and looked like a wheel. Eyes stood on either side as they stared down the opponent. Like all bugs, the stronger evolution controlled the swarm, even having an advantage in speed.
Eyes scanned the battlefield to get a better lay of the land. None regarded their presence, so the group crept closer to get a better look.
‘This could be interesting to watch, but if they spot us we’ll have to run…’ Lilith set her priorities.
Only three Whirlipede stood against the Swadloon who numbered to five. The type advantage was on their side given that Poison ate through grass, but with numbers, and their natural stats being more defensive, they were about equally matched.
‘I wonder if there are more waiting in the wings…’
Both sides spread out in the small clearing. Felled trees from long ago were moved aside or broken up all together Many trees were available for a vantage point, but their view was obscured heavily when moving around. The only way to gain highground was to approach the trees, but the Whirlipede side held the line on flat ground.
The Swadloon gave up, issuing the first command, as the Sewaddle underneath them started the attack. String Shot flew through the air to try and cripple the mobility of the approaching army. To the spectators surprise, Venipede curled up and Protected themselves. White films covered their body, nullifying all moves for a split second. The string landed harmlessly on their bodies and slipped right off. Once one volley was finished, a second one returned fire.
The young Venipede stayed in position, waiting for Whirlipede’s next move. Their mouths opened in unison and sent out a Screech that traveled in an omnidirectional sphere encompassing the entire area. With Venipede still protecting, everyone else affected by the move were left defenseless. Lilith and her team tried mitigating the damage, covering their ears in surprise. Absol didn’t have time to Detect, with Lilith and Sableye almost falling out of their hiding spot.
The strategy was implemented so incredibly that one couldn’t help but marvel at their ingenuity. The group was extremely intelligent and combined different moves to try and weaken their opponents while mitigating their losses.
‘As long as we don’t go into battle we should be fine…’ Lilith grew less sure of herself by the minute.
If they didn’t battle, then the disruption in their membranes would dissipate naturally without consequences. That wouldn’t change even if they were recalled into their Pokeballs.
The Swadloon began the charge as even more Sewaddle flanked their opponents. Their numbers were large enough to attack from multiple angles without worry. The frontline mostly protected while the ones behind attacked with Poison Sting. Once the move's duration was up, the members would shift, replacing fresh bodies to tank with. The main idea was to nullify the frontal assault and pick off as many as possible.
The Swadloon watching the battle tried their best to mitigate the strategy. It was something they were used to, usually ending up on the back foot early. A sweet lullaby drifted through the air, sent forwards by the Grass Whistle covering their bodies. The easiest way to create disruption was slowing their reaction time, and if they were lucky, put some to sleep.
As if on cue, multiple Venipede began to sway, unable to find stable footing. Their energy flow came to a stop, not allowing them to use any moves. With the forced stop, some fell to the ground unconscious. The attack had been well timed, being unleashed right before their Protect duration was up. The front was hit the hardest when they scrambled to replace the immobilized Pokemon.
Some openings were inevitable, the tiny bugs squirming through to the backline to try and cause trouble. It would take some time for the Pokemon that were put to sleep until they could return to battle.
‘Fascinating!’ Lilith analyzed.
The strategies on both sides were surprising. The use of complete nullification and numbers served them well, seemingly the only group able to pull off such a defense. Their side had lost only a few Pokemon, with their opponents having much more casualties.
Each species was geared towards different tendencies. While Venipede were Bugs, they were geared more towards quality, even if they were more numeric. Their defensive features helped immensely against the attack oriented bugs.
‘But how will the big bosses react?’ Lilith leaned forward in anticipation.
The wall of Venipede met with the wall of Sewaddle and clashed together once more. A low goran came out from the Poisonous side and began to switch strategies. The Venipede accepted the command almost immediately, spinning in circles and catching the front line off guard with their Poison Tails.
The difference in each side became increasingly clear. Most, if not all, Venipede had their first star, while Sewaddle did not. It was an all out war, trying to use numbers to overwhelm their opponent. They crashed their defensive line and tried Biting at anything they could get their little mouths on. The Damage was easily resisted, only diminished by the sheer quantity of their opponents.
Venipede only had one child at a time, with a longer gestation period, leading to more well nurtured Pokemon. The younger ones had to be protected, leading to less manpower.
A Poison Tail would instantly knock out an opponent’s shields due to typing and strength. The move was incredibly effective, as weaker Venipede targeted the already defeated Pokemon.
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‘They’re playing for keeps…’ She had been caught off guard by their savagery.
Two attacks would be needed to end a Pokemon completely. One to knock down the shield, no matter how weak, with the other the fatal blow. It was a strange phenomena having weak Pokemon take attacks from the strong and still live while their membranes were shattered completely. It created some imbalance, but the only way around it would be Critical hits, bypassing the shields altogether.
Lilith watched with nervous trepidation. There was no way she could stand against a wave of Pokemon like that. A 3 star Pokemon at the minimum would have to be used to fortify against such a wave. Even then, she wasn’t sure if they would survive.
‘I really need more Pokemon…’
The lives of both sides slowly started to dwindle as the battle rages on. The natural ecosystem only allowed a certain number of Pokemon to thrive. When the carrying capacity of an area was reached, species fought for survival where only the strongest would survive.
‘What a waist…’ She thought.
The numbers thinned until only a small group of Sewaddle remained. It became increasingly clear that neither side’s bigshots had participated, leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Lilith cherished each Pokemon's life equally, and to watch them kill each other off was more than disturbing. Their mentality was something hard to watch, killing off all that potential.
Once it got to a certain point, the Swadloon called off the attack. They unleashed a call and the small Pokemon scurried away in a retreating formation. They laid down suppressing fire, spraying String Shot everywhere to reduce the temptation to chase.
The Venipede split up into teams collecting the dead once the battle was over. The end had been extremely anticlimactic. Everyone split up into teams, with one gathering their own while the other gathered the enemy’s numbers.
‘Must be for food…’ She mused.
The only research she had done into dietary restrictions when it came to Pokemon was the few that she wanted to have on her team. It was always best to prepare beforehand and not get caught off guard.
Lilith waited for everyone to retreat before revealing herself. They blended back into the surrounding forest while she climbed down from her hiding spot to where Absol sat.
“That sure was something.” Lilith whispered, thinking back to the fight.
Bug types were the only species of Pokemon that had fought together so naturally. It could be assumed that humans could teach something similar, if not emulate their natural fighting styles. Nothing had come up in class, realizing how little she had actually learned. Wild Pokemon were incredibly straightforward and it was inspirational to see them at work.
The attack was a test, trying to take more territory for their kind. The less strong evolutions that the Venipede species had, the less area they could hold onto. If they budged even a little, then the resulting losses could snowball into catastrophe. Fortunately, both side’s bosses stuck firm and weathered the storm.
Venipede’s losses were nothing compared to the Sewaddle side, only because of their numbers. The ratios were much more even.
Lilith glanced back to where the battle had just been fought. It seemed unreal, only the scars on the forest proof of the infinite struggle. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed it if someone else told her.
“What now guys?” She asked in a dazed light.
The display of power was simultaneously humbling and grew her drive to become stronger. She wanted to be able to hold off a swarm like that, but other concerns stopped her from trying.
‘They would swallow us up and spit us out…’
On the other hand, the moves she would be able to use made her shake with anticipation.
“Sol!” Absol barked.
“And you?” Lilith turned her other Pokemon.
“Eye.” Sableye appeared at her feet.
“Beeline for Virbank it is!” Lilith cheered.
The decision was anonymous. The group wouldn’t waste any more time and would take the most direct path to their destination. The surrounding Pokemon were all either incredibly strong, or too much to handle in one sitting.
The trio spent the rest of the night moving as fast as possible towards their next destination. Dawn was coming and they would have to take shelter eventually.
Her eyes drooped considering it was only a matter of time until they would have to stop and rest.
They would jog a short way before taking a rest. During their brakes, it was the perfect time to check her Pokedex. Once they were in range, it would be a much easier journey from there as a signal of their location would be broadcast to her map feature.
“Snap!”
The top flipped open with a pleasant crack. Her heart jumped for joy when notifications started to pile in. She ignored them for the moment, opening up the map feature. The screen started to broadcast their location.
“Hmm, we're still hours away. Lets call it a night here guys.” She examined the map thoroughly.
Everyone agreed and got to setting up camp. She still couldn’t help but fangirl over the bag that the League had given her. It allowed her to fit so much stuff inside to a ridiculous degree. It somehow bent space, filling small pockets with a giant sleeping bag that she could fit into. The large sac was pulled out with her large white tent. It was a terrible color, but it blocked out the light of day, so it was mildly acceptable.
The day went by without incident. Everyone was up and about before the sun set, excited for what was to come next. The camp was disassembled, throwing everything back into the bag. It was much easier to pack up her belongings than put them together.
Absol kept an eye out until everyone was ready. There had been no attacks thus far, but it was better safe than sorry.
The South western and eastern sides of the Region were known for the best starting point in a journey for that very reason. The Pokemon only came up to two stars, with none going over three. Other parts of the Region had similar small pockets of what were considered weak Pokemon, but a new Trainer could easily get lost and find themselves in a danger zone. Most, if not all, new Trainers traveled to the southern reaches to start their journey and was the basis upon which the foundation of their economy was built. The cities were built for trade and comfort. Tourism was the largest industry around.
They moved north until a large strip of trees were simply missing. Hundreds of meters wide, there was open space for as long as the eye could see. It was a strange sight, even after having journeyed the first stretches of Route 19. Lilith pulled out her map to check her location.
“Yup, this is Route 20” She spun in circles, trying to find her orientation.
“That way!” She pointed her finger in a triumphant pose as they marched onward.