Pokémon Simulation: Hunting The Protagonists

Dusknoir was Cassandra's hidden trump card.

It had been lurking in her shadow all along.

Her seventh Pokémon.

Though Dusknoir was only level 30—

Against an unarmed human, wasn't this an easy kill?

Without hesitation, the ghostly figure melted into the shadows, creeping behind Ethan.

Its gemstone-like eye gleamed with icy killing intent.

Ethan, focused on the battle between Bellossom and Arbok, appeared completely unaware—

Full of openings.

Dusknoir gathered its strength and prepared a Shadow Sneak.

Then—

It lunged from the ground, aiming a brutal strike at Ethan's head.

A human's fragile body couldn't withstand a Pokémon's attack.

Forget Dusknoir—

Even a lowly Caterpie's tackle was as strong as a full-force adult punch.

Seeing Ethan oblivious to the danger behind him—

Cassandra's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

She could already picture Ethan's skull being crushed in an instant.

But just as Dusknoir's fist was about to land—

From Ethan's own shadow—

A Will-O-Wisp shot out.

Boom!

The eerie blue flames struck Dusknoir dead-on.

"Grahh—!"

Dusknoir let out a shriek as it was blasted away, crashing hard onto the ground.

Before it could even get up—

The burn's effects spread rapidly, engulfing its entire body in ghostly fire.

Cassandra clenched her teeth in frustration.

This bastard…

He had a trump card too!

Haunter slowly emerged from the shadows.

Ethan had given it clear orders beforehand.

It had been waiting for Dusknoir to strike.

Now, after perfectly predicting its move—

Haunter couldn't help but admire its trainer even more.

Why had Ethan been so reluctant to invest system points into Haunter before?

Why did he prioritize Gloom's evolution over Gastly's?

The answer was simple.

At the time, Gastly's loyalty wasn't high enough.

On a scale of 100, its score had only been 75.

Compared to Oddish, which had a staggering 98, the difference was huge.

Gastly followed orders—

But Oddish was ready to live and die for Ethan.

Naturally, he would favor Oddish.

However, after spending time together, and after watching Ethan help Aron—

Gastly had finally acknowledged its trainer.

Its loyalty had skyrocketed past 90.

That very night, Ethan spent hours simulating battles—

Leveling Gastly up until it evolved into Haunter.

Arbok unleashed a barrage of venom.

The acidic sludge sizzled as it melted through the ground, leaving cratered burn marks.

But no matter how aggressively it attacked—

It couldn't land a single hit on Bellossom.

Its once-fierce expression began to falter.

Bellossom's graceful movements showed no signs of struggle.

She wasn't even using her full power yet.

"Bellossom, Hidden Power."

Bellossom moved swiftly into the open—

Summoning orbs of energy that morphed into jagged stones, launching them at Arbok.

"Iron Tail!" Cassandra commanded.

Arbok regained its composure.

Its tail gleamed silver—

Shattering the first few incoming stones.

But there were too many.

As it destroyed a dozen of them—

One managed to break through, slamming into Arbok's body and sending it tumbling backward.

Arbok panted heavily.

The intense battle was taking its toll.

Its wounds from the Blackthorn Hunt were reopening.

The massive purple serpent lay sprawled on the ground, blood seeping from its injuries.

At this rate—

Even if it survived, it would suffer permanent damage.

"…Return, Arbok."

Cassandra gritted her teeth and reached for its Poké Ball.

But before she could recall it—

Bellossom appeared right in front of Arbok.

With a single Drain Punch, she knocked it out cold.

The Poké Ball's red beam missed its target.

Cassandra could only watch in horror as—

Bellossom's Leaf Blade sliced through Arbok's body.

The serpent's head and torso were severed.

Dead.

A chill ran down Cassandra's spine.

Her once icy composure shattered, replaced by trembling rage—

And fear.

She stumbled backward.

Her fingers brushed against the remaining Poké Balls on her belt.

Her team was weakened, heavily injured.

But at this point—

She had no choice.

If she could just escape to Lakeside City…

She could disappear.

But to buy herself time—

Some of her Pokémon would have to be sacrificed.