The group headed toward the registration booth while officials explained the contest rules to the crowd.
According to the official rules of the Johto Bug-Catching Contest, each trainer could only bring one Pokémon inside the National Park competition zone and would receive a limited number of special Park Balls for captures. Winners were judged based on the rarity, condition, and strength of the Bug-type Pokémon they caught.
Ethan, Bugsy, Lyra, and Whitney decided to participate.
Ethan picked Sentret.
Bugsy picked Bayleef.
Whitney picked Miltank.
And Lyra—
After staring at her team for nearly three minutes—
Picked Bronzor.
Bugsy looked at her choice.
"…Bronzor?"
Lyra nodded confidently.
"It floats."
Nobody knew what that meant.
At the registration table, an old official handed them each a small case of Park Balls.
"Twenty each. One Pokémon only. Contest lasts until time expires or you return voluntarily."
Whitney immediately held up a finger.
"What if someone finds a Scyther in five minutes?"
The old man answered instantly:
"Then everyone else suffers emotionally."
"…Fair."
Meanwhile Ethan checked the prize display again.
Dusk Stone.
Thunder Stone.
Sun Stone.
Everstone.
His eyes locked onto the Dusk Stone once more.
Sentret noticed immediately.
"Sentret…"
Ethan crouched beside her.
"If we win that Dusk Stone, Gengar gets stronger."
Sentret saluted.
Dead serious.
Whitney stared.
"…Did the tiny ferret just lock in?"
Kitsu nodded proudly.
"Harmonia Pokémon are workaholics."
Falkner looked concerned.
"That sounds unhealthy."
Bugsy meanwhile was kneeling beside Bayleef dramatically.
"This is our sacred battlefield."
Bayleef looked deeply embarrassed by him.
Lyra looked around nervously at the huge forested park.
"So… what exactly even appears in this thing?"
Bugsy answered instantly.
"Caterpie, Weedle, Paras, Venonat, Butterfree, Beedrill, Scyther, Pinsir—"
Whitney interrupted.
"Basically bugs and suffering."
An announcer's voice echoed across the park:
"The Bug-Catching Contest will begin shortly!"
Trainers around them started getting excited.
Some looked competitive.
Others terrified.
One kid in the distance was already crying.
Ethan looked toward the forest entrance calmly.
"Sentret."
She jumped onto his shoulder immediately.
"Ready?"
"Sent!"
Whitney looked at him suspiciously.
"…Why do I feel like you already have a strategy for a bug-catching contest?"
Ethan answered without hesitation.
"I do."
Lyra looked horrified.
"You made a strategy for bug hunting?"
Sabrina adjusted her glasses.
"He made probability maps during the drive."
Everyone turned toward Ethan slowly.
Ethan looked away.
"…I got bored."
A loud horn echoed through the National Park.
"The Bug-Catching Contest has officially begun!"
Immediately, trainers rushed into the forest paths.
Some sprinted.
Some sneaked carefully through tall grass.
One kid tripped within the first ten seconds.
Bugsy vanished into the trees almost instantly with Bayleef.
Whitney walked off confidently with Miltank beside her.
Lyra nervously floated away with Bronzor.
And Ethan—
Ethan walked calmly into the deeper parts of the park with Sentret on his shoulder.
Leaves rustled overhead.
The forest felt alive.
Bug Pokémon crawled through bushes, fluttered across branches, and hid beneath roots.
A Caterpie poked its head out nearby.
Sentret looked at Ethan.
Ethan shook his head immediately.
"Not enough points."
Sentret nodded seriously.
Competitive mode activated.
A Weedle appeared.
"No."
A Paras crawled past.
"Still no."
Sentret pointed at a Butterfree.
Ethan considered it.
"…Possible backup option."
Then kept walking.
Meanwhile nearby—
Whitney was trying to convince a Venonat to come closer using snacks.
It stole the snacks and left.
Whitney looked betrayed.
Elsewhere—
Lyra accidentally scared away three Pokémon because Bronzor's eyes glowed in the dark like a haunted object.
And Bugsy—
Bugsy was in heaven.
The boy was literally identifying bug nests from leaf patterns.
Back with Ethan—
He moved deeper into the forest.
Sentret suddenly perked up.
"Sent!"
Ethan stopped.
Something was nearby.
A sharp cutting sound echoed faintly through the trees.
SHNK.
Ethan's eyes sharpened instantly.
"…Scyther."
The sound came again.
Precise.
Clean.
Branches falling in perfect angles.
Not random movement.
Territory clearing.
Ethan crouched lower immediately.
"Quiet steps."
Sentret nodded and lowered herself carefully.
The pair moved silently through the brush.
Then—
They saw it.
A Scyther stood in a clearing.
Tall.
Sharp-eyed.
Its blades moved with practiced precision as it cut through fallen branches nearby.
Sunlight reflected off green armor-like plating.
Ethan immediately noticed something.
"…Old scars."
Scyther wasn't young.
Several healed cuts lined one arm.
One antenna had a chipped edge.
This Pokémon had fought before.
A lot.
Sentret whispered softly.
"Sent…"
Even she could feel it.
This wasn't a random bug Pokémon.
This was a veteran.
Scyther suddenly stopped moving.
Its head slowly turned.
Yellow eyes locked directly onto Ethan.
The air changed instantly.
Sharp.
Focused.
Scyther raised one blade slightly.
Not aggressive.
Cautious.
Evaluating.
Ethan slowly smiled.
"…Yeah."
"This one's strong."
Scyther froze mid-step.
Its sharp eyes narrowed instantly.
Around Ethan—
Faint purple energy flickered for a brief moment.
Wild.
Ancient.
Predatory.
Dragon Force.
Scyther's instincts screamed.
Danger.
Not because Ethan was hostile—
But because something about him felt wrong to a wild Pokémon's senses.
Old.
Heavy.
Like standing near the top of a mountain during a storm.
Scyther immediately lowered its stance.
Then turned and bolted.
Leaves exploded behind it as it vanished through the trees at terrifying speed.
Ethan blinked.
"…Hey, wait."
Then he started running after it.
"Why are you running?!"
Sentret clung to his shoulder for dear life as Ethan sprinted through the forest.
Branches whipped past.
Scyther cut through obstacles effortlessly ahead of them.
Ethan was completely confused.
"I wasn't even battling!"
Scyther moved even faster somehow.
Meanwhile, nearby trainers suddenly saw Ethan sprint through the forest at high speed chasing a terrified Scyther.
Trainer #1 pointed.
"…Is that kid hunting it?"
Trainer #2 looked disturbed.
"No."
"That Scyther is escaping."
Back deeper in the forest—
Scyther leapt onto a tree branch and looked back.
Purple aura.
Again.
Faint.
But there.
Its instincts screamed even louder now.
Predator.
Dragon.
Danger.
Scyther immediately changed direction again.
Ethan almost crashed into a tree trying to follow it.
"Sentret, why is it acting like I'm evil?!"
Sentret looked away.
Honestly?
Even she could kind of feel the Dragon Force sometimes.
It was weird.
Above them, nearby Bug Pokémon were hiding now.
Even wild Beedrill were avoiding the area.
Ethan finally slowed slightly.
"…Wait."
Realization hit him.
"The Dragon Force."
Sentret nodded immediately.
"Sent."
Ethan groaned.
"Oh come on."
Of course.
To dragon types and trained partners, the aura felt powerful.
To wild Pokémon?
Especially weaker ones?
It probably felt like being near a hungry apex predator.
Meanwhile Scyther hid atop a high branch breathing hard.
Watching Ethan carefully from a distance.
Not attacking.
Not threatening.
Just deeply wary.
Ethan sighed and raised both hands.
"I'm not going to eat you."
Scyther stared.
Unconvinced.
Ethan pulled out a Park Ball.
"I'd better just catch it."
He pulled his arm back—
Then stopped.
Another Park Ball flew past him from the side.
Click.
It struck Scyther perfectly.
The Bug type vanished into red light.
The ball hit the ground.
Shake.
Shake.
Click.
Captured.
"Got you."
An elegant female voice spoke calmly from nearby.
Ethan paused.
Sentret paused.
Even the wild Pokémon nearby seemed confused.
Ethan slowly turned.
And saw her.
A girl around Ethan's age stepped out from between the trees.
Short blonde hair in a smooth bob cut.
Emerald green eyes.
A black-and-white outfit that somehow looked expensive even in the middle of a forest.
Floating beside her—
A Misdreavus watched Ethan curiously.
Ethan blinked once.
Then pointed immediately.
"Hey!"
The girl tilted her head slightly.
"Yes?"
"That was my Scyther."
The girl looked at the Park Ball on the ground.
Then back at Ethan.
"No."
Ethan stared.
She continued calmly:
"It was a wild Scyther."
Sentret looked offended on Ethan's behalf.
"Sentret!"
The girl looked at her politely.
"Your Sentret is very cute."
Sentret instantly lost momentum.
Critical emotional damage.
Ethan crossed his arms.
"I was literally about to catch it."
"And I caught it first."
"That's not the point."
"It is technically the entire point of the contest."
Ethan opened his mouth—
Then closed it.
Because annoyingly—
She was correct.
The girl bent down and picked up the Park Ball gently.
Scyther's ball shook once in her hand before settling.
Her Misdreavus floated around her happily.
"Misdreavus~"
Ethan sighed dramatically.
"…I chased that thing through half the forest."
The girl blinked.
"…Why?"
Ethan looked personally attacked by the question.
"It ran from me."
"…That sounds like a personal problem."
Sentret fell onto Ethan's shoulder laughing.
"Sent! Sent!"
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"You're enjoying this too much."
The girl watched the interaction quietly.
Then unexpectedly smiled a little.
A small one.
But real.
"You're strange."
Ethan pointed immediately.
"You stole my Scyther."
"And yet you are the one shouting in a forest."
"…Fair."
Misdreavus giggled while circling around Sentret.
Then the girl looked at Ethan more carefully now.
Recognition flickered faintly in her eyes.
"…Harmonia?"
Ethan paused.
"…How do you know that?"
The girl gave a tiny smile.
"Your scarf."
Ethan blinked.
Then looked down.
Right.
The red-and-black stitched lining on his jacket sleeve carried the Harmonia family crest.
He forgot rich people details sometimes.
The girl held the captured Scyther's ball lightly.
"…Interesting."
Ethan just blinked.
"…Ok."
The girl smiled at him slightly.
"You're cute, you know."
Ethan froze for half a second.
Then immediately looked away with a faint blush.
'Great.'
'Soulmate Aura doing its thing again.'
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Thanks."
Lusamine seemed amused by how direct honesty affected him.
"You know," she said lightly, "I can help you catch a different Pokémon."
Ethan looked at her for a moment.
Then shrugged.
"Sure."
Normally, Ethan had enough pride to refuse help from random people.
But after somehow ending up with three girlfriends before puberty properly ended—
He had developed a weakness for pretty girls being nice to him.
Whitney would probably call it a "serious condition."
Lusamine tilted her head slightly.
"We should probably introduce ourselves properly."
Ethan nodded.
"Ethan Harmonia."
Her emerald eyes flickered slightly at the name.
Then she answered calmly:
"Lusamine Lawliet."
Ethan blinked.
"Oh."
"You're from a rich family too."
Lusamine looked mildly surprised.
"You recognized the surname?"
Ethan nodded.
Truthfully, before his regression, he didn't know much about Lusamine herself.
He had heard about the Aether Foundation a few times.
Read articles here and there.
But never paid close attention.
Still—
There were some names rich families just knew.
The Lawliets were one of them.
Not old-money powerful like some aristocratic clans.
Not politically dominant like League families.
But financially?
Terrifying.
One of the few families wealthy enough to stand near the Harmonia Corporation without looking small.
Lusamine smiled faintly.
"You say that very casually."
Ethan shrugged.
"My family owns a corporation and apparently an Elite Four member."
"…Apparently?"
"My father forgot to tell me."
Lusamine stared at him for a second.
Then unexpectedly laughed.
Not a noble fake laugh.
A real one.
Soft.
Bright.
Misdreavus floated in circles happily from hearing her trainer laugh.
Ethan blinked slightly.
'Oh.'
'She actually looks happier when she laughs naturally.'
Lusamine regained composure quickly.
"You're strange, Ethan Harmonia."
"I've been told that a lot recently."
Sentret raised a paw immediately.
"Sent!"
"Not helping."
Lusamine looked toward the deeper forest.
"If you wanted a Scyther…"
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"There's probably another one near the northern ridge."
Ethan blinked.
"How do you know that?"
Lusamine lifted Scyther's Park Ball slightly.
"This one was territorial."
"Misdreavus sensed another presence nearby."
Her Ghost type nodded proudly.
"Misdreavus~"
Ethan looked impressed despite himself.
"That's actually useful."
Lusamine smiled.
"I know."
Then she started walking deeper into the forest.
Before pausing slightly.
"Well?"
Ethan blinked.
"You're coming, right?"
Sentret immediately whispered from his shoulder:
"Sentret…"
Translation:
Pretty girl detected. Follow immediately.
Ethan sighed.
"…Traitor."
Lusamine laughed again.
"Come, let's go."
The two of them started heading toward the northern ridge while Sentret and Misdreavus followed behind.
The forest slowly became denser.
Sunlight slipped through the trees in narrow beams while Bug Pokémon scattered whenever Misdreavus floated too close.
Ethan glanced toward Lusamine.
"So, what are you trying to win?"
Lusamine answered immediately.
"The Dusk Stone for my Misdreavus."
Ethan got a visible tick mark on his forehead.
'Just great.'
Outwardly though, he only smiled politely.
"Makes sense."
Sentret looked at Ethan knowingly.
Ethan looked away.
He was not about to start competing with a pretty rich girl over a rock.
Probably.
The deeper they walked, the quieter the forest became.
Then—
CLANG.
A sharp metallic impact echoed through the trees.
Both trainers stopped instantly.
Another slash followed.
Then an angry buzz.
Lusamine's eyes sharpened.
"Battle sounds."
Ethan nodded.
The two quietly moved through the bushes—
And saw them.
A Vespiquen and a Scyther fighting in a clearing.
The Scyther moved aggressively.
Fast.
Precise.
Its blades flashed through the air in clean arcs.
Meanwhile Vespiquen hovered above the ground while issuing sharp commands to a swarm of tiny Combee circling nearby.
Ethan immediately noticed something.
"…That Scyther is injured."
Several fresh cuts lined its arms.
One leg movement looked unstable.
Lusamine narrowed her eyes slightly.
"The Vespiquen is controlling the area."
Another loud clash echoed out.
Scyther slid backward across the dirt.
Still refusing to retreat.
Sentret whispered softly.
"Sent…"
Even she could tell.
The Scyther was losing.
Then Ethan noticed something else.
Behind Vespiquen—
A nest.
Inside it were several Combee protecting honey stores.
Realization hit instantly.
"…It's defending the hive."
Lusamine looked at him.
"You sympathize with the Scyther?"
Ethan crossed his arms.
"No."
A pause.
"Maybe a little."
Scyther suddenly lunged forward again with X-Scissor—
Only for Vespiquen to slam it backward with Attack Order.
The Bug-type commander clearly had the advantage.
Lusamine studied the battlefield carefully.
Then calmly said:
"If we interrupt now, we can catch the Scyther while it's weakened."
Ethan looked toward the wounded Bug type.
Scyther still stood back up despite shaking legs.
Still glaring at Vespiquen.
Still fighting.
Ethan sighed softly.
"…Yeah."
Then he started walking forward.
Lusamine blinked.
"…What are you doing?"
Ethan cracked his neck slightly.
"Making this fair."
Lusamine stared at him for a second.
Then slowly smiled.
'He really is strange.'
To be continue
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