Toxicroak. As the signature Poison-type Pokémon of Sinnoh, it normally would not appear in the Kanto region, which Tetsuya found rather strange. However, it had arrived at the perfect time. It would make an excellent sparring partner for Drapion and Spinarak.
Toxicroak extended its arms, its battle stance already set as it prepared to attack. However, it did not make a move for quite some time.
At that moment, Tetsuya had already concluded that this was definitely a Trainer's Pokémon!
…Or at least one that had once belonged to a Trainer.
Such battle awareness was not something a wild Pokémon could have. From this alone, it was obvious that this Toxicroak was exceptionally strong.
"Spinarak, Spider Web."
Tetsuya opened with a probing attack. Drapion had also already prepared itself for battle. If Spinarak found itself in danger, Drapion could take its place at any moment.
After receiving the command, Spinarak immediately launched Spider Web, with silk trailing behind it. Toxicroak leaped into the air, already outside the web's range!
However, Spinarak did not stop after a single attack. Its web latched onto a rock on the ground, and using the silk for leverage, Spinarak swung its body forward, closing the distance to Toxicroak once again.
Yet Toxicroak still showed no intention of attacking…
Although Tetsuya had no idea what Toxicroak was thinking, simply dodging like this revealed nothing about its true capacities.
"Spinarak, Toxic."
The greatest measure of a Poison-type Pokémon's value was, naturally, the potency of its poison. If Toxicroak could withstand Spinarak's Toxic, then there would be no question about its own capabilities.
Spinarak opened its mouth and spat out a stream of purple poison. One stream after another followed, several sprays of poison sealing off every possible route of escape for Toxicroak.
This time, Toxicroak did not dodge. It simply allowed the poison to splash over its body…
For a Poison-type Pokémon, such behavior was perfectly normal. After all, they were "immune" to Poison type moves.
Any Poison-type with enough confidence would naturally assume that such moves could do nothing to it.
However, poison's toxins also varied in potency. Once confronted with a deadlier toxin, it could still lead to death.
Tetsuya quietly observed Toxicroak's reaction. The poison seeped into Toxicroak's body, yet it remained completely unaffected. In the end, it revealed a uniquely sinister smile that was thoroughly unsettling.
By now, Tetsuya could already perceive how powerful this Toxicroak was. It had completely absorbed Spinarak's poison into its own body!
In his previous life, his research into Poison-type Pokémon had covered virtually every species, yet he had never known that Toxicroak owned such capacity…
There were simply too many mysteries in this world!
They were far beyond what any single person could ever fully understand.
A few drops of poison then dripped from Toxicroak's arms, and it resumed its previous battle stance. It had just absorbed Spinarak's poison and converted them into its own.
"Spinarak, Megahorn."
Tetsuya launched another attack, naturally intending to force Toxicroak to make its move.
Using its silk for leverage, Spinarak suddenly extended the horn on its head and thrust toward Toxicroak. With the web pulling it along, Spinarak could change direction at any moment, making it extremely difficult for Toxicroak to shake it off in a short period of time.
This time, however, Toxicroak struck directly with its claws, meeting Spinarak's Megahorn head-on!
In an instant, Spinarak was knocked flying. Toxicroak strode forward, immediately following up with Poison Jab from its other hand
In just two moves, it knocked Spinarak to the ground!
"Oh~ What an excellent Spinarak! Hahaha!"
An old man with gray hair and a long beard emerged from the dense forest. His body was hunched over, he wore a tattered shirt, and his appearance was gaunt and withered.
The old man swept his gaze over Tetsuya's Pokémon and said, "Quite a collection of Poison-types… Looks like today's harvest won't be bad… Hohoho!"
The old man's intentions were obvious. He was likely searching for every possible method to strengthen his Toxicroak.
"Drapion, you're up."
With a casual motion, Tetsuya recalled Spinarak to its Poké Ball.
At that moment, Drapion and Toxicroak had already engaged each other. The instant Toxicroak's claws collided with one of Drapion's pincers, it immediately sensed Drapion's terrific raw strength. It quickly leaped backward to retreat, but Drapion's other pincer followed close behind, preparing to clamp down on Toxicroak's hands.
"Toxicroak,Cross Poison!"
Toxicroak immediately unleashed Cross Poison, narrowly avoiding Drapion's pincer.
The old man commanding Toxicroak finally let out a sigh of relief. That exchange had indeed been dangerous, and even Toxicroak was still shaken. It immediately used a tree for leverage, leaping behind Drapion before launching Sludge Bomb straight toward Drapion's back.
"Poison Tail."
Tetsuya gave the command. Drapion swung its tail. In terms of Attack power, it was no weaker than Toxicroak, and although its toxicity could not surpass Toxicroak's right now, it was no less potent.
Poison Tail knocked each of Toxicroak's Sludge Bombs out of the air one by one. At the same time, Poison Sting shot from the hooked claw at the end of Drapion's tail, catching both Toxicroak and the old man completely off guard!
Toxicroak had just finished using Sludge Bomb and could not mount a "smooth" defense. It hurriedly raised both hands, waving them up and down in a frantic attempt to block the Poison Sting, which fell to the ground one after another.
However, Drapion's attacks were never that simple. Its head suddenly spun one hundred and eighty degrees, and Cross Poison was unleashed immediately afterward!
The blade-like purple light made it difficult for Toxicroak to evade. This time, it finally struck Toxicroak and knocked it down.
"I didn't expect you to be so strong… Hehe, you're far more dangerous than that brat from last time!" the old man said. Rather than showing the slightest panic after taking that hit, he became even more excited.
By now, Tetsuya had formed a rough estimate of Toxicroak's level. It was on the same level as Drapion. Although definitely older; otherwise, with Drapion being a [Badly Poisonous] variant, Toxicroak wouldn't be able to withstand its poison.
If the battle turned into a prolonged fight, Drapion would gradually gain the advantage through its all-around offensive capabilities, and defeating Toxicroak would only be a matter of time. However, judging from the old man's confidence, he definitely still had something in reserve…
Sure enough, the old man immediately threw out five more Poké Balls!
The first to appear was an even larger and more robust Toxicroak, with an even larger, more swollen vocal sac beneath its jaw.
Next came a Muk that gave off a nauseating stench, while the poison dripping from its body corroded the soil beneath it into sludge.
Floating in the air was a Weezing surrounded by a purple poisonous mist.
On both sides, two enormous Arbok coiled around tree trunks, flicking their tongues as they prepared to attack at any moment.
Looking at this lineup, Tetsuya immediately recognized it as a fully matured Poison-type team. Yet he could not understand how such a powerful Trainer, and clearly not a benevolent one, could be hidden deep within these mountains…
He himself was currently planning the core of his own battle team. Although he had the experience from his previous life, his pursuit of perfection had never changed.
Moreover, he had encountered nearly every renowned Poison-type ace Trainer from each region in his previous life. The only places left where he could still learn something new were hidden places like this.
A battle was inevitable…
What methods did this hidden Trainer of the deep mountains have?
Whether they could contribute to the growth of his own Poison-type team would have to be discovered through battle!