Pokémon Simulation: Hunting The Protagonists

The final opponent Ethan selected for Oddish before her evolution was Arbok, a predator feared by countless Pokémon in the forest.

This cold-blooded and ruthless Pokémon excelled at using the terrain, environment, speed, and its Poison typing to its advantage. Once it locked onto a target, it would relentlessly pursue them until they were exhausted or paralyzed by its venom, then feast on its prey.

Arbok was far more dangerous than the Pidgeotto they had faced earlier.

At this moment, Oddish was struggling against a level 21 Arbok, barely able to hold her ground.

Her proud Razor Leaf, Energy Ball, and Hidden Power moves were completely ineffective at restraining her opponent.

Once Arbok realized it couldn't win in a direct confrontation, it began hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Each time Oddish let her guard down, Arbok would launch a flurry of Poison Sting attacks like a violent storm.

Ethan refrained from giving commands, wanting Oddish to experience a true sense of crisis.

This made Oddish uneasy. She feared losing and disappointing Ethan.

Oddish forced herself to calm down, carefully observing her surroundings.

Unbeknownst to her, Arbok was greedily eyeing her from behind.

At level 21, Arbok was already on the brink of evolution.

All it needed was to devour a highly energetic Pokémon to complete its transformation.

It had been struggling to find such a target—most Pokémon of its level were too strong to handle. But today, it encountered Oddish, whose energy fluctuations were incredibly rich.

It was nothing short of a gift from the heavens.

However, Arbok wasn't reckless. Their initial clash made it aware of Oddish's strength.

Instead of rushing in, it decided to toy with her, finding pleasure in watching its prey struggle.

Thus, this game of attack and defense dragged on for nearly thirty minutes.

Oddish was hit by another Poison Sting and tumbled across the ground, sliding several meters before coming to a stop.

This time, she struggled to get up but failed.

Thanks to Synthesis, Oddish's stamina was still full, so she decided to use the same strategy she had used against Pidgeotto—playing weak to lure her opponent in.

But Arbok wasn't so easily fooled.

Having lived in the forest for over a year, its experience far surpassed that of any ordinary Pokémon. It patiently waited, suspecting that Oddish was pretending.

To test her, Arbok fired another Poison Sting, but Oddish gritted her teeth and endured it without moving.

This even caught Ethan by surprise.

After a while, Arbok finally couldn't resist the temptation.

It cautiously slithered over, intending to wrap Oddish in its tail and carry her away.

The moment it extended its tail, Oddish opened her eyes and hurled a fully charged Energy Ball at Arbok's head.

Boom!

The Energy Ball struck directly at Arbok's eye.

Arbok let out a pained scream and was sent flying, crashing into a pile of nearby rocks.

Debris rained down, burying half of its body under the rubble.

Arbok lay there, barely breathing—its life hanging by a thread.

Seeing this, Oddish felt a pang of guilt.

Her kind heart never intended to take her opponent's life—she only wanted to defeat it.

After some hesitation, Oddish placed an energy cube Ethan had given her in front of Arbok.

Ethan's eyes darkened as he checked Arbok's health.

"Gastly, follow it. Wait for my command to attack."

Gastly paused for a second, sensing the cold edge in Ethan's voice, then quickly followed his instructions.

Ethan was well aware of Oddish's kindness.

But unconditional kindness toward an enemy was nothing short of naïveté.

If Oddish was going to change, she needed to learn this lesson the hard way.

As Oddish turned to leave, Arbok's blood-red eyes suddenly snapped open.

It had learned from Oddish's trick, pretending to be unconscious.

Seizing the moment when Oddish was most vulnerable, Arbok lunged forward with its jaws wide open, aiming straight for her.

Oddish instinctively tried to use Razor Leaf, but the sight of Arbok's ferocious face made her freeze in fear.

Intimidate—Arbok's ability—activated at the critical moment, causing Oddish to hesitate.

Arbok took full advantage of this pause, biting down hard on her.

Oddish let out a heart-wrenching scream, causing Ethan's heart to ache.

"Gastly, use Psywave!" Ethan commanded.

Gastly swiftly maneuvered through the trees and launched a powerful psychic attack at Arbok.

Unlike Oddish, Gastly didn't hold back—every strike was full force.

Already severely injured, Arbok couldn't withstand the relentless assault. Its head felt like it was about to explode.

It rolled around in agony, finally releasing Oddish, who was flung into the air before being caught by Ethan.