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Description
Now this was my favourite Pokémon as a child, and I think it's easy to see why. Essentially someone at Game Freak asked the question: what would happen if we crossed a velociraptor and a praying mantis? Well Scyther is what happens, a JP raptor with swords for hands. Like, Jesus, what a monster. Now I predominately went the reptilian route for Scyther here, sorry for those who prefer an insectoid design, but to me, Scyther was always a reptile first, and bug second. Don't worry though, the other mantid Pokémon are definitely staying insects.

Overview: Very few Pokémon induce the kind of fear that Scyther are known for. Although relatively rare in the wild, Scyther are notorious man eaters, and are responsible for the most human fatalities of any Pokémon. Although modest in size compared to many other Pokémon, Scyther make up for it with their unmatched agility and speed. High velocity leaps are used in tandem with their long bladed foreclaws to effortlessly slice through their prey, repeated attacks of this kind allow them to bring down Pokémon many times their size. Despite their arsenal of fearsome weapons, what truly makes Scyther a force to be reckoned with, is strangely enough, their metabolism. In order to meet the needs of their highly active predatory lifestyle, Scyther have evolved to have one of the fastest metabolisms of any Pokémon. This allows them to process information quickly, and launch lightning fast attacks. However this also means they starve quickly, a fully grown individual needs roughly 50lbs of fresh meat a day, and even large and healthy individuals can starve to death within as little as a few days. This leaves Scyther in a perpetual state of hunger, and forces them to be ambitious and overconfident hunters, always willing to go after large and unfamiliar prey. Another byproduct of their high metabolic rate, is the production of heat. Scyther muscle is hot to the touch, often exceeding 48 degrees Celsius, and in order to prevent their flesh from cooking, must constantly cool down by panting, and by vibrating their wings like fans. Scyther become inactive during the hottest parts of the day, entering a dormant state, where their body temperature and metabolism drop temporarily to conserve energy. Though they cannot remain in this state for long. Contrary to popular belief, Scyther cannot sustain powered flight, although to watch a Scyther leap about, seemingly never touching the ground, may give an opposite impression. Scyther's wings are ill-suited to keep them airborne, and although in some subspecies may be used to allow gliding, powered flight is impossible for them.

Diet: Scyther are exclusively carnivorous, and will readily approach and attack virtually any Pokémon in their environment. Their elongated claws aim to sever and slice tendons and vital arteries, often disemboweling their prey in the process. Normal Type specialists, Tauros and Miltank are among the most common prey, due to their high yield of meat, and lack of effective defenses against an attacking Scyther. Rattata and Raticate are hunted in large numbers, as are other similarly sized rodents like Watchog and Bidoof. Even giant Pokémon like Snorlax are not safe from Scyther, who in the presence of large prey may form temporary packs in order to even the odds against such a gigantic target. Though such packs are not sustained long term, once a kill has been made, smaller individuals must eat quickly in order to avoid being killed and cannibalized by their larger kin. Killed prey is consumed with unearthly enthusiasm, often being butchered and consumed in a matter of minutes. Scyther are often referred to as 'meat cleavers' for their somewhat exaggerated ability to strip entire carcasses in seconds. Rock Type Pokémon are among the few Pokémon that do not fear Scyther. Lacking effective Elemental attacks, Scyther has very little options against a heavily armoured Rock Type. Onix in particular are especially well known for their ability to withstand attacks from multiple Scyther. Being compassionate and friendly Pokémon, Onix will often intervene in Scyther hunts to protect other Pokémon. Some Onix are even known to seek out and drive Scyther away, though due to their lack of speed, are very rarely able to catch the nimble Pokémon. Scyther have very few natural predators, however one notable exception being the famous Charizard. Capable of attacking Scyther both from the sky, and from a distance, with its advantage of flight and Fire Type attacks respectively, Charizard are the most effective Scyther hunters on Earth. Often specifically pursuing them over vast distances, seemingly preferring their taste over other prey items. However Scyther have combated against their predators by choosing to live predominately in dense jungles and forests, where larger Pokémon have difficulty maneuvering.

Size: Scyther is not a particularly large Pokémon, although is capable of standing more than seven feet tall when fully grown, and weighing in excess of eight hundred pounds. Females are notably larger than males, and have much greater fat and muscle deposits in their tails, which functions as a storage for leaner times.

Reproduction: Female Scyther are unique among reptilian Pokémon, in that they in many ways act like males of other species. Their sexual organs, stored in the base of their tail, are known as a hemiclitoris. This fleshy organ is elongated and capable of sustaining an erection, making them sexually dominant over the males. This has lead to early reports of Scyther, confusing the sexes and mislabelling the females as male. Females will aggressively attack and even kill rival females for access to males, and although only mate with one male per season, may command a territory containing dozens of males. There is a longstanding myth that female Scyther will consume their mates during coitus, but this is actually not substantiated. The myth most likely stems from Scyther in captivity in the years before their unnaturally fast metabolism was properly understood. Where a starved female contained with a male will be forced to kill and eat her partner in order to provide food for her developing eggs. Scyther in the wild are not nearly as hostile to their mates, and male Scyther remain with the female during the entire incubation process. Between three and twelve eggs are laid, and upon hatching, the firstborn will often immediately kill and consume its siblings. This ensures that only the strongest Scyther survive to adulthood. Though if the parents are vigilant enough to provide enough food, it is not uncommon for multiple hatchlings to survive.

Interaction with Humans: Scyther are among the few Pokémon that specifically target humans for food, and thus are deemed to be highly dangerous Pokémon, this has resulted in many regions adopting policies to kill Scyther on sight. The presence of Scyther were solely thought to be the reason Kanto adopted Charizard as a regional starter Pokémon. Scyther were once common throughout much of their range, although thanks to government eradication programs, they are now confined to isolated forests, usually far away from human settlements. Though their tendency to roam large distances makes encounters with humans unfortunately very common. Every year an estimated 1'500 people, predominately children, are killed by Scyther. This has lead to a not entirely undeserved reputation of Scyther as mindless killing machines. Although this does a great disservice to them, as they are remarkably intelligent Pokémon, capable of long lasting relationships with their Trainers. Some of the greatest Pokémon heroes in the bloodiest conflicts have been Scyther. Including the famous 'Namu-Yuki', a female Scyther that is credited for saving thousands of lives during the Johto-Orre conflict, giving her life to defend a convoy escorting civilians (mostly children) away from the battleground. A statue of her can be viewed in the Azalea Gym, where to this day, the Gym Leaders train Scyther to honour her sacrifice.

Military Application: Scyther are prized Pokémon for many League operatives, as their ravenous nature means they will readily attack humans and enemy Pokémon alike. However their habit of consuming killed enemies give them an unsettling reputation. Scyther are predominately used for frontline battles and guerrilla warfare, however do poorly in long term expeditions due to their high caloric needs. Starvation may lead to Scyther turning on their allies, and even their own trainer. This has resulted in the creation of Scizor, weaponized Scyther that trade much of their speed and agility for increased durability, and ability to consume metals instead of exclusively flesh. Allowing trainers to keep their Scizor satisfied and no longer a risk to the team.

Description
Now this was my favourite Pokémon as a child, and I think it's easy to see why. Essentially someone at Game Freak asked the question: what would happen if we crossed a velociraptor and a praying mantis? Well Scyther is what happens, a JP raptor with swords for hands. Like, Jesus, what a monster. Now I predominately went the reptilian route for Scyther here, sorry for those who prefer an insectoid design, but to me, Scyther was always a reptile first, and bug second. Don't worry though, the other mantid Pokémon are definitely staying insects.

Overview: Very few Pokémon induce the kind of fear that Scyther are known for. Although relatively rare in the wild, Scyther are notorious man eaters, and are responsible for the most human fatalities of any Pokémon. Although modest in size compared to many other Pokémon, Scyther make up for it with their unmatched agility and speed. High velocity leaps are used in tandem with their long bladed foreclaws to effortlessly slice through their prey, repeated attacks of this kind allow them to bring down Pokémon many times their size. Despite their arsenal of fearsome weapons, what truly makes Scyther a force to be reckoned with, is strangely enough, their metabolism. In order to meet the needs of their highly active predatory lifestyle, Scyther have evolved to have one of the fastest metabolisms of any Pokémon. This allows them to process information quickly, and launch lightning fast attacks. However this also means they starve quickly, a fully grown individual needs roughly 50lbs of fresh meat a day, and even large and healthy individuals can starve to death within as little as a few days. This leaves Scyther in a perpetual state of hunger, and forces them to be ambitious and overconfident hunters, always willing to go after large and unfamiliar prey. Another byproduct of their high metabolic rate, is the production of heat. Scyther muscle is hot to the touch, often exceeding 48 degrees Celsius, and in order to prevent their flesh from cooking, must constantly cool down by panting, and by vibrating their wings like fans. Scyther become inactive during the hottest parts of the day, entering a dormant state, where their body temperature and metabolism drop temporarily to conserve energy. Though they cannot remain in this state for long. Contrary to popular belief, Scyther cannot sustain powered flight, although to watch a Scyther leap about, seemingly never touching the ground, may give an opposite impression. Scyther's wings are ill-suited to keep them airborne, and although in some subspecies may be used to allow gliding, powered flight is impossible for them.

Diet: Scyther are exclusively carnivorous, and will readily approach and attack virtually any Pokémon in their environment. Their elongated claws aim to sever and slice tendons and vital arteries, often disemboweling their prey in the process. Normal Type specialists, Tauros and Miltank are among the most common prey, due to their high yield of meat, and lack of effective defenses against an attacking Scyther. Rattata and Raticate are hunted in large numbers, as are other similarly sized rodents like Watchog and Bidoof. Even giant Pokémon like Snorlax are not safe from Scyther, who in the presence of large prey may form temporary packs in order to even the odds against such a gigantic target. Though such packs are not sustained long term, once a kill has been made, smaller individuals must eat quickly in order to avoid being killed and cannibalized by their larger kin. Killed prey is consumed with unearthly enthusiasm, often being butchered and consumed in a matter of minutes. Scyther are often referred to as 'meat cleavers' for their somewhat exaggerated ability to strip entire carcasses in seconds. Rock Type Pokémon are among the few Pokémon that do not fear Scyther. Lacking effective Elemental attacks, Scyther has very little options against a heavily armoured Rock Type. Onix in particular are especially well known for their ability to withstand attacks from multiple Scyther. Being compassionate and friendly Pokémon, Onix will often intervene in Scyther hunts to protect other Pokémon. Some Onix are even known to seek out and drive Scyther away, though due to their lack of speed, are very rarely able to catch the nimble Pokémon. Scyther have very few natural predators, however one notable exception being the famous Charizard. Capable of attacking Scyther both from the sky, and from a distance, with its advantage of flight and Fire Type attacks respectively, Charizard are the most effective Scyther hunters on Earth. Often specifically pursuing them over vast distances, seemingly preferring their taste over other prey items. However Scyther have combated against their predators by choosing to live predominately in dense jungles and forests, where larger Pokémon have difficulty maneuvering.

Size: Scyther is not a particularly large Pokémon, although is capable of standing more than seven feet tall when fully grown, and weighing in excess of eight hundred pounds. Females are notably larger than males, and have much greater fat and muscle deposits in their tails, which functions as a storage for leaner times.

Reproduction: Female Scyther are unique among reptilian Pokémon, in that they in many ways act like males of other species. Their sexual organs, stored in the base of their tail, are known as a hemiclitoris. This fleshy organ is elongated and capable of sustaining an erection, making them sexually dominant over the males. This has lead to early reports of Scyther, confusing the sexes and mislabelling the females as male. Females will aggressively attack and even kill rival females for access to males, and although only mate with one male per season, may command a territory containing dozens of males. There is a longstanding myth that female Scyther will consume their mates during coitus, but this is actually not substantiated. The myth most likely stems from Scyther in captivity in the years before their unnaturally fast metabolism was properly understood. Where a starved female contained with a male will be forced to kill and eat her partner in order to provide food for her developing eggs. Scyther in the wild are not nearly as hostile to their mates, and male Scyther remain with the female during the entire incubation process. Between three and twelve eggs are laid, and upon hatching, the firstborn will often immediately kill and consume its siblings. This ensures that only the strongest Scyther survive to adulthood. Though if the parents are vigilant enough to provide enough food, it is not uncommon for multiple hatchlings to survive.

Interaction with Humans: Scyther are among the few Pokémon that specifically target humans for food, and thus are deemed to be highly dangerous Pokémon, this has resulted in many regions adopting policies to kill Scyther on sight. The presence of Scyther were solely thought to be the reason Kanto adopted Charizard as a regional starter Pokémon. Scyther were once common throughout much of their range, although thanks to government eradication programs, they are now confined to isolated forests, usually far away from human settlements. Though their tendency to roam large distances makes encounters with humans unfortunately very common. Every year an estimated 1'500 people, predominately children, are killed by Scyther. This has lead to a not entirely undeserved reputation of Scyther as mindless killing machines. Although this does a great disservice to them, as they are remarkably intelligent Pokémon, capable of long lasting relationships with their Trainers. Some of the greatest Pokémon heroes in the bloodiest conflicts have been Scyther. Including the famous 'Namu-Yuki', a female Scyther that is credited for saving thousands of lives during the Johto-Orre conflict, giving her life to defend a convoy escorting civilians (mostly children) away from the battleground. A statue of her can be viewed in the Azalea Gym, where to this day, the Gym Leaders train Scyther to honour her sacrifice.

Military Application: Scyther are prized Pokémon for many League operatives, as their ravenous nature means they will readily attack humans and enemy Pokémon alike. However their habit of consuming killed enemies give them an unsettling reputation. Scyther are predominately used for frontline battles and guerrilla warfare, however do poorly in long term expeditions due to their high caloric needs. Starvation may lead to Scyther turning on their allies, and even their own trainer. This has resulted in the creation of Scizor, weaponized Scyther that trade much of their speed and agility for increased durability, and ability to consume metals instead of exclusively flesh. Allowing trainers to keep their Scizor satisfied and no longer a risk to the team.