Still at Mid-Stage Elite.
The real issue was Scolipede's Poison Point Ability. Any contact move had a 30% chance to inflict poison, and its entire body was essentially toxic—getting in close was extremely risky.
On top of that, it resisted both Bug- and Poison-type moves, making it a direct counter to Beedrill.
That was probably why the Bug Catcher sent it out.
...
"Scolipede—Iron Defense!"
The Bug Catcher opened with a defensive play, clearly wary of Beedrill's offense. In his mind, anything that could drop Scyther that fast had to hit ridiculously hard.
What he didn't realize was that even maxing out Scolipede's Defense wouldn't save it from Beedrill's two-hit combo.
If some Arceus out there saw this, it would probably just shake its head. No saving it.
"Scolipedee…"
A metallic sheen spread across Scolipede's body, like polished steel catching the light—its Defense sharply rising.
Aaron watched it happen, a faint smile on his face.
"Beedrill—Agility."
If the opponent wanted to stack Defense, he'd stack Speed.
"Bzz…"
A pink glow wrapped around Beedrill as its wings blurred faster and faster—its Speed spiking sharply.
Its speed spiked instantly, its wings buzzing so fast they blurred like a spinning engine.
The Bug Catcher frowned. Aaron still hadn't made a move.
This kid… he's way too calm.
Patient, too… this isn't going to be easy.
After a brief pause, he made his call.
"Scolipede—Iron Defense again!"
If the other side wasn't attacking, neither would he. Speed alone wouldn't break through. Once Scolipede's Defense was maxed, it could simply outlast Beedrill.
"Scoo…"
Another layer of metallic sheen spread across its body, growing even brighter.
Aaron just smiled.
"Beedrill—same plan. Agility."
"Bzz…"
The pink glow intensified as its wings beat even faster—its Speed climbing once more.
...
Both sides kept stacking boosts.
Before long, Scolipede's Defense was maxed, and Beedrill's Speed had hit its limit. Any further setup was pointless.
Now confident, the Bug Catcher was sure Beedrill wouldn't be able to break through.
So he made the first move.
"Scolipede—Megahorn!"
"Scolipedee!"
Its horns flared with bright white light as it charged straight in.
"Beedrill, dodge—then Twineedle."
Calm as ever.
"Bzz!"
Beedrill slipped past the attack with ease—then vanished.
A blur—
and it reappeared behind Scolipede.
Its twin stingers lit up with a sharp yellow-black sheen, striking the same point twice in rapid succession.
A butterfly-shaped mark flared at the impact point, pulsing with an eerie glow.
"Scooo—!"
Scolipede's body suddenly jerked.
Pain hit first—then everything drained out of it.
Its cry twisted into panic. Its eyes rolled back, and its massive body slammed into the ground.
BOOM.
Dust kicked up as Scolipede lay there, completely out.
"This… this is impossible!!"
The Bug Catcher stared, voice shaking.
"My Scolipede's Defense was maxed out! Your Beedrill only boosted Speed—how did it take it down in one hit!?"
He'd completely lost his composure, glaring as he demanded an answer.
The crowd wasn't any better.
"Yeah! We all saw it—Iron Defense stacked multiple times! How did it drop instantly!?"
"No way… that's cheating, right!?"
"This is insane. That's not a Beedrill—that's a killer bee!"
"Another one-hit KO… does it have some kind of special toxin!?"
"Are you dumb? They're both Poison-type—poison wouldn't even work!"
"Then what the hell is it!?"
"Like I know!?"
...
No one could explain it.
How did a Beedrill just drop a fully boosted Scolipede like that?
The Bug Catcher stared, still shaken—but Aaron just smiled.
"Just because you think something's impossible doesn't mean it is."
Simple. Calm. Final.
"Scolipede is unable to battle!"
"Please send out your next Pokémon!"
Simon waved his flag as he called it.
The Bug Catcher held his gaze for a moment, then recalled Scolipede and threw out another Poké Ball.
"Come out—Pinsir!"
A flash of light—
and a Shiny Pinsir appeared before the crowd.
...