Very soon, the moving cruise ship approached the island.
After that, the trainers preparing for the exam began putting on their equipment with the help of the staff, as well as registering the six Poké Balls they would use.
The equipment prepared by the Pokémon Trainer Guild was extremely complete: a fully equipped safety suit, a backpack with ample internal space, and inside it, flashlights, tents, and other outdoor survival supplies.
"Six Pokémon, huh?"
Ethan thought for a moment, looking at the ten Poké Balls in his hand.
He hesitated only for a few seconds before deciding which ones he would bring this time.
They would be: Sandslash, Cacturne, Slowking, Meltan, Vibrava, and Charmeleon.
After completing the registration, all the trainers disembarked on the island.
Then, guided by the examiner, they reached a cave. On the other side of that cave... was the Secret Kingdom.
...
Inside the Secret Kingdom...
In a spacious stone hall, numerous screens were shining nonstop. The images projected on them showed the exact scenery of the testing grounds.
Dozens of examiners crowded the room, all watching the screens with serious expressions. They were responsible for recording the scores and also served as part of the immediate response team.
Outside, there were even more trainers waiting, each accompanied by a massive and sturdy Pidgeot.
At the slightest command, they would immediately take off with their Pidgeot and fly toward the location of the trainer in danger.
...
Upon entering the Secret Kingdom, Ethan discovered that he was in a mountainous forest.
The size of the forest was enormous. It seemed like the outer part of a mountain range, and looking into the distance, the end of the mountains could not be seen.
"Come out, Vibrava and Slowking."
After briefly inspecting the surroundings, two Poké Balls opened behind him. Vibrava and Slowking appeared at his side.
These two Pokémon were his core defensive force—the ones who could best protect him. He decided not to summon the other four yet so they could conserve energy.
"Yadon!"
At that moment, Slowking let out a sound, indicating that it had detected a Ghost-type Pokémon nearby.
Ethan nodded. The examiners had already explained that those Ghost-types would be monitoring them, so he had no intention of scaring them away. He simply instructed Slowking to ignore them.
"Vibrava, use your ultrasonic detection to scan the surroundings."
He then ordered Vibrava to begin using its ultrasonic detection ability.
Although Slowking's psychic power could accomplish a similar effect, keeping it active consumed too much energy.
By contrast, Vibrava's ultrasonic detection only required a flap of its wings to generate, making it far more efficient for continuous surveillance.
Rustle rustle rustle~
As they advanced, the distant bushes emitted a faint rustling sound.
Vibrava immediately sent out an alert signal, causing Ethan and Slowking to stop in their tracks.
"Has the prey arrived?"
Feeling Vibrava's antennae brush against his back, Ethan smiled sharply.
Behind the bushes, a pair of crimson eyes stared fixedly at the human prey. Two blood-red venomous fangs vibrated slightly, patiently awaiting the perfect moment to strike.
Its dark skin, bloody fangs, blade-like tail, and constantly flicking forked tongue... it was a Seviper, an extremely aggressive Poison-type Pokémon.
In the control room, the examiners watched through the images transmitted by the Ghost-type Pokémon.
"Damn it, a Seviper!"
"That treacherous thing... If Ethan keeps walking like that, even with two Pokémon protecting him, it's still too dangerous!"
Seeing Ethan show no intention of stopping, the examiners nearly shouted, "Is that kid stupid!? With all that noise and he still hasn't reacted!?"
Swish!
The Seviper lunged with incredible speed, bursting out of the bushes. Its venomous fangs glinted with a deadly cold light as it pounced toward Ethan.
But at that exact moment, Slowking's eyes flashed. Its psychic power erupted just as Seviper jumped from the bushes, freezing it in midair.
Seviper stiffened in shock, then began struggling frantically to break free, but Slowking's psychic grip was impossible to escape.
"Cacturne, kill it."
Ethan looked at the immobilized Seviper without the slightest hesitation in his expression. A Pokémon that tried to kill him... would receive no mercy.
Hearing the command, Cacturne appeared immediately.
Then, right there, Cacturne used Ingrain. Countless roots rose from the ground and wrapped around Seviper's body. When Absorb activated, Seviper's struggles grew weaker and weaker.
Finally, under the continuous absorption, Seviper's body began to wither. Its blood was completely drained, and even its venom was extracted, dyeing Cacturne's roots a dark, blood-red color.
"Cac!"
Sensing the extracted venom, Cacturne then used Toxic, actively absorbing the toxin until the dark color on its roots disappeared.
Fwoosh...
A gentle breeze blew, and Seviper's dry, weightless body slowly fell to the ground, as if nothing remained inside.
In the control room, absolute silence reigned.
Everyone stared speechlessly at Cacturne as it slowly retracted its roots, unable to process what they had just witnessed.
What the hell was that Cacturne?
Not only did it use a strange variation of Ingrain... but its Absorb was terrifying!
It had drained not only its life energy, but also its blood and even its venom.
It was too brutal!
(End of chapter)