"With so many Bug-type Pokémon, I shouldn't have any trouble making it into the top ten, right?"
"But among all these Pokémon, there are only Beedrill, Butterfree, and the like... Even if I make it into the top ten, I won't be able to choose one that I actually like."
Ethan Black glanced at the huge number of Poké Balls in his backpack and sighed lightly. He felt that, from now on, he needed to focus on looking for Pokémon he truly wanted to capture.
"Hmm?"
"Cacnea, stop for a moment."
As they walked, Ethan Black suddenly halted.
"This kind of web... Looks like there's a Bug-type Pokémon nearby."
He observed for a while next to a large tree, then narrowed his eyes as he scanned the forest with his gaze.
"Cacnea, use Ingrain right here. The enemy could be close."
Sensing something unusual, Ethan Black quickly hid under a tree and gave Cacnea a quiet order.
Cacnea nodded and silently spread its roots through the ground, slowly extending them in all directions.
"Hisssss..."
Just as Cacnea finished setting up its root field, a hissing sound began to echo. Ethan Black looked up and saw a colorful figure crouched in the treetop, watching its surroundings closely.
The figure had the form of a spider, a red body with black stripes on its abdomen, two black spots on its back, a horn on its head and tail. It had two legs colored yellow and violet, and its abdomen was filled with spikes and pointed antennae.
"Ariados!"
Upon seeing this Pokémon, Ethan Black recognized it immediately and felt somewhat tempted.
He had heard that Ariados was a very reliable Pokémon: loyal and meticulous as a trainer's partner. If he had to choose a Bug-type, Ariados could be an excellent option.
"Cacnea, get ready to attack."
Cacnea gave a small nod at Ethan Black's signal.
Then, two roots stretched from the ground like snakes, climbing slowly up the tree trunk toward Ariados, carefully avoiding the webs.
But just as the roots were about to reach it, Ariados turned its head and fired a white web from its mouth, catching one of the roots and binding it tightly to the branch.
"We've been spotted!"
"Cacnea, attack now!"
Seeing Ariados react, Ethan Black stopped holding back and ordered Cacnea to unleash more than ten roots at once, hurling them at Ariados.
Ariados, clearly surprised by the ambush, couldn't react in time and was completely entangled by the dozens of roots.
"We got it!"
Ethan Black grinned as Cacnea activated Absorb once again.
Chiiich!
But at that moment, a sudden sound of corrosion filled the air, and green smoke rose from the roots wrapping Ariados. The roots were being corroded right before their eyes!
"Poison!"
Seeing the purple liquid seeping through the roots, Ethan Black's face immediately changed.
At the same time, Cacnea kept using Absorb, trying to restore the damaged roots by draining Ariados's energy.
However, the roots tainted by the poison began glowing purple and could no longer be regenerated by the absorption of life force.
"This..."
"Is it because the roots were literally corroded to death?"
Watching this, Ethan Black quickly understood why they couldn't be restored: if something is dead, no matter how much energy you give it, it won't come back to life.
"Then we'll just grow new roots!"
Cacnea nodded at Ethan Black's words, drew energy from the nearby trees using Ingrain, and generated a new batch of roots to strike Ariados.
Chiiich!
But as soon as the new roots touched the poison, the sound of corrosion echoed again.
These fresh roots also began to decompose after coming into contact with the poison, which behaved almost like a virus: as Ariados injected more toxin, the venom spread rapidly through the roots.
Small drops of the purple liquid dripped from the roots to the ground, sizzling as they corroded the earth, leaving holes in the soil.
"Hissss!"
"What terrifying poison!"
Ethan Black was dumbfounded at the sight.
Although he knew that Poison-type, like Fire-type, has a natural advantage over Grass-type Pokémon, he had never imagined that Ariados's venom would be strong enough to completely corrode the roots.
If it were fire, Cacnea could counter it with water or bury it with sand, but against this corrosive poison, there was absolutely nothing it could do!
"Cacnea, keep using Absorb, we have to wear it down!"
Ethan Black gritted his teeth. The only option was to fight a battle of endurance against Ariados.
Facing Cacnea's Absorb, Ariados's body trembled a little, but soon a green glow radiated from its body: it had also activated Absorb, directly clashing with Cacnea!
"Hisss hisss!"
At that moment, one of Ariados's claws thrust out from between the roots. With a strong pull, it tore away the roots that bound it!
Chiiich!
The roots, completely dyed purple, fell to the ground, leaving corrosive grooves in the soil that looked as if the earth had been ripped apart.
"Hisss hisss!"
After breaking free, Ariados shot a menacing glare at Ethan Black and Cacnea, then let out a shrill, intimidating screech.
Then, without warning, it fired a volley of venomous stingers from its mouth, directly at Cacnea.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Cacnea reacted quickly. Several roots surged from the ground to block the projectiles.
Clang clang clang!
The stingers embedded themselves into the roots like darts.
But soon, a purple glow spread through the roots, and once again, that terrifying sound of corrosion filled the air...
(End of chapter)