League Year 750
The 9th Elite Four Challenge held every four years
Time had passed, and Cain was now an old man with white hair. The years had left deep marks on his face.
Cain looked up at the sky, where the wind was gentle and the clouds were thin. Another four years had passed, and his Drapion and Ariados had been successfully raised. This time, victory was within his grasp.
"Come on out, Ariados."
A blood-red giant spider with piercing eyes appeared. Its two exposed fangs rubbed together, making a "clack" sound as it searched for its prey.
Cain, the current gym leader of the Ecruteak Gym, was the strongest gym leader in the city's region and had long coveted the position of Poison-type Elite Four member held by Koga.
"Cain's first Pokémon is Ariados. This is the old man's third attempt at challenging for the position of Poison-type Elite Four member. Will he fulfill his dream this time, as he's now over sixty years old? Let's wait and see."
The announcer held a microphone and shouted, his voice deafening.
The atmosphere among the audience was stirred up.
"Now, please welcome our Poison-type Elite Four member, Koga."
Amidst the cries of the announcer and the noise of the audience, an older ninja with white hair appeared opposite Cain.
Koga, a senior Poison-type Indigo Elite Four in the Kanto region, was on par with the Psychic-type Elite Four member, Will. However, Koga's strength was somewhat inferior to Will 's.
"Cain, you're too obsessed. You should enjoy your twilight years."
Koga looked at his familiar yet strange "old friend" opposite him and teased.
Cain still had a gloomy face, unmoved by Koga's words.
"Enough talk, let's battle."
Koga showed a mysterious smile and shook his head, saying, "Arbok, come on out."
Arbok's eyes were cold, and it constantly flicked its forked tongue.
Ariados and Arbok stared at each other, and the field was silent. The atmosphere was freezing cold.
A gentle breeze passed by...
Arbok slithered forward in an S-shaped motion, its mouth wide open and its fangs like hooks, exuding a chilling light.
Ariados kept its eyes on the rapidly approaching Arbok.
In the blink of an eye, Arbok closed the distance to Ariados, just as it was about to strike.
A spider web unfolded, blocking Arbok's path and binding it, preventing it from moving forward.
"Fire Fang."
Seeing Arbok fail to land a hit and fall behind, Koga issued his command.
The spider web was sticky and strong, its greatest weakness being fire.
Arbok's fangs were wrapped in flames as it bit towards the spider web.
"Now's the time, Ariados."
Cain seized the opportunity, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
As Arbok opened its mouth, Ariados shot a powerful poison into it.
"What's the meaning of this? Why would Cain, a Poison-type expert, use a Poison-type move against another Poison-type?"
The host's puzzled words had just fallen when Arbok was already writhing in pain on the ground, confusing everyone present.
At this moment, Koga spoke, "Cain, the power of your Ariados is truly extraordinary."
"Koga, are you trying to deceive me?"
Cain calmed his mind, and by now, Ariados had already dealt with Arbok.
Koga's heart remained undisturbed as he silently withdrew Arbok. After all, the first five Pokémon he had used were merely meant to weaken Cain mentally, so he threw the Poké Ball to a disciple by his side.
He knew that Arbok was now useless, as the Ariados that Cain had cultivated had an incredibly potent poison that Arbok simply couldn't withstand. Its poison sac had been ruptured.
At this point, Arbok could no longer use its poison and was as good as a useless snake.
Cain's Ariados was on a roll, and Koga's five consecutive Pokémon had their poison sacs ruptured, resulting in defeat!
The match was one-sided, and both the host and audience sighed, unable to believe that Koga, who had been the Poison-type Elite Four member for so many years, could be so easily defeated.
Even Cain was continuously suppressing his excitement, as if he could already see the dawn of victory.
Koga withdrew his fifth fallen Pokémon, Arbok, and casually tossed it to a disciple on the side.
After losing five in a row, a sinister smile appeared on Koga's face.
"Come out, Gengar."
As soon as Gengar appeared, Koga revealed the Mega Stone on his left wrist.
The bond of hearts, the connection of energy.
Gengar underwent Mega Evolution, and only the upper half of Mega Gengar was visible to the naked eye, while its lower half was said to be hidden in a twisted void.
At this moment, Cain's mind was filled with countless thoughts.
Mega Gengar – if he could defeat it, he could claim the title of Poison-type Elite Four member. Then, he would have access to more resources, and his strength would rise to another level. In time, the name Cain would surely be etched in the history of the Indigo League.
"Fame and fortune" – two simple words, yet many have spent their entire lives chasing them "Ariados, use Toxic Thread."
Cain commanded Ariados, almost grasping the hand of victory.
Dozens of poisonous purple spider threads seemed to be given life by Ariados as they coiled towards Mega Gengar in midair.
Koga gave no command but chuckled at Cain.
"Cain, are these childish attacks all you have?"
Cain ignored him, thinking that Koga was just trying to have the last word before his defeat.
However, the situation in the next moment left Cain dumbfounded.
The dozens of spider threads disappeared before even touching Mega Gengar, and no matter how many poison threads Ariados spat out, they vanished without a trace, like clay oxen entering the sea.
"Ariados, use Megahorn."
Cain gritted his teeth and launched an aggressive attack, filled with murderous intent.
Ariados didn't hesitate. Under the guidance of the poison threads, its horn on top of its head suddenly grew several times larger, resembling a sharp sword stabbing towards Mega Gengar.
"Gengar, take action."
At Koga's command, the space below Mega Gengar showed obvious distortion, and an unknown fear emanated from within.
To the naked eye, the space appeared gloomy, with transparent yet unclear vortexes rotating below Mega Gengar, creating a massive suction force.
Ariados' entire body plunged into the twisted space, disappearing without a trace.
Faced with this sudden change, even the experienced Cain began to panic.
On the field, all that was visible was the ghostly smile of Mega Gengar and Koga's somber face.
"Referee, I object. Ariados has disappeared from the battlefield. I cannot accept this kind of battle."
Cain's restlessness became evident. Koga's strategies were unprecedented, causing a sense of uncertainty
Regarding Cain's objection, the referee was momentarily at a loss, as there had never been a situation like this before.
However, at this moment, Koga spoke up and even shouted at the referee: "This is Mega Gengar creating a Distortion World. I applied to the league for permission to use it in battle last month, and the league has already approved it. Check your referee manual."
A small referee, when faced with such an experienced Elite Four member, naturally didn't dare to slack off and hurriedly took out the referee manual.
Everything seemed to be under Koga's control.
The referee announced the continuation of the match.
On the field, Ariados had already been thrown out of the Distortion World, looking like a dried corpse, having long lost its fighting ability. If it were not for the rules prohibiting harm to Pokémon, Ariados would have already perished.
The match had progressed beyond Cain's expectations. Although he still had five Pokémon, he had no way to break through the powerful Distortion World created by Mega Gengar, which was utterly unpredictable.
One after another, Cain was walking on thin ice, helpless against this mysterious Mega Gengar. All the Pokémon that were sucked in became like dried corpses.
Cain suddenly had a surge of thoughts.
If he lost today, there would be no more chances. To think that he was once an ordinary businessman on Earth, who, by a twist of fate, had traversed to this world for more than sixty years. With no relatives or friends, he had exhausted all his schemes and done whatever it took, only to be so close to the title of Elite Four, yet...
How vast were the heavens, yet how cruel to me!
"Your last one should be Drapion, right? To nurture Ariados and Drapion, how many Poison-type Pokémon have you deprived of their lives? Doesn't your conscience feel any guilt?"
Koga's words broke Cain's train of thought like a thunderbolt.
At this moment, Cain finally felt that something was off. How could Koga know his secrets so clearly, and even use them to distract him?
He glanced coldly at his disciple beside him but didn't lash out.
Although the referee and some spectators had questions, they were clueless and simply regarded it as Koga's psychological warfare.
Cain knew that what he needed to do now was to remain calm. Even if he lost the match, at least he could still save his own life.
The last one was indeed Drapion.
Drapion, dancing wildly with its claws, exuded a demonic aura, and the venom dripping from its mouth instantly corroded a large area of rock on the field.
Koga also marveled secretly after seeing it.
What a powerful Drapion! It was a pity that if Cain had sent it out after Ariados's defeat, Mega Gengar's Distortion World might not have been able to withstand such intense poison. But now!
Koga let out a cold laugh.
Mega Gengar had already absorbed the life energy of five Pokémon, and the Distortion World had expanded to a certain scale. The current Drapion was no longer a threat.
Cain forced himself to stay calm, "Drapion, use Rock Slide."
Drapion raised its pincers to the sky, and a massive rock collapsed from above like a mountain crashing down, aiming for the Mega Gengar.
Mega Gengar launched continuous Shadow Balls, instantly shattering the massive rock, with debris flying everywhere.
Drapion's attack didn't pause for a moment, as its Rock Slide rained down like a torrential downpour, aimed directly at Mega Gengar.
Having perfected this move, Drapion made it difficult for Mega Gengar to defend against.
Koga's heart trembled, knowing he couldn't let this Drapion to attack so recklessly. If Cain discovered the weakness in the Distortion World, he would be in trouble.
Now that Mega Gengar's Distortion World had absorbed a lot of energy and expanded, Cain's Pokémon were too toxic. If this energy was absorbed by Mega Gengar itself, it wouldn't be able to withstand it, and the Distortion World would collapse.
Koga gritted his teeth, deciding that even if it meant sacrificing Gengar, he had to take down Drapion.
"Gengar, expand the Distortion World and suck Drapion in."
Drapion was too powerful, and forcibly pulling it into the Distortion World would undoubtedly provoke a strong backlash. However, Koga had no choice but to take the risk.
Mega Gengar channeled all its power, and the Distortion World generated a powerful suction force. The rocks seemed to vanish into thin air, falling into another dimension and disappearing without a trace.
Despite Drapion's desperate resistance, it couldn't withstand the force of the now-powerful Mega Gengar.
Cain had a sudden epiphany at the brink of defeat.
"Drapion, release Toxic Spikes."
Although Drapion struggled against the powerful suction, it knew that being pulled into the Distortion World would mean certain defeat. Instead, it decided to gamble, spraying a flood of Toxic Spikes.
Mega Gengar had no choice but to rely on the Distortion World to win.
Koga's previous confidence in victory had faded, as beads of sweat rolled down his face, and his heart pounded in his throat.
Despite Drapion's tenacity, it couldn't turn the tide.
The Distortion World slowly devoured Drapion bit by bit.
Koga's expression gradually calmed down.
However, Mega Gengar revealed a painful, sorrowful expression, as the entire Distortion World seemed to wobble and collapse.
Cain gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, praying silently, "Drapion, break free, you must."
Koga's expression grew serious once again.
Drapion, in the Distortion World, realized that its life force was slowly fading and launched a desperate counterattack in its final moments.
Rock Slide, Toxic Spikes, and a frenzied thrashing.
The entire Distortion World was stirred into chaos, and Mega Gengar had to exert all its strength to maintain it.
Although Cain had now seen through the situation, he had little hope of victory.
If he had sent Drapion against Mega Gengar from the beginning, the Distortion World wouldn't have had so much energy. Relying on Drapion's toxicity and strength, it could have certainly broken free.
What Cain didn't know was that Koga dared not let Mega Gengar itself absorb this energy; this highly toxic energy merely served to strengthen the Distortion World.
As the Distortion World was on the verge of collapsing, Mega Gengar was also about to give in.
Koga bit his gums until they bled, "If we lose today, there will be no chance to turn the situation around. There will be no intact eggs under a toppled nest; Gengar probably won't make it. The title of Elite Four is far more valuable than a single Gengar."
Koga composed himself and shouted, "Gengar, enter the Distortion World to absorb energy, and defeat Drapion quickly."
Mega Gengar quickly disappeared into the Distortion World, and all the energy within the Distortion World converged on it. A Shadow Ball as powerful as a meteor from outer space struck Drapion.
As the dust settled, Drapion was barely hanging on.
The referee announced the results of the match.
At this point, Cain was utterly disheartened and felt as if his life had come to an end.
However, even if he were to die now, there was one thing he had to do.
Koga felt no joy in his victory, for only he knew the true cost of it. He immediately recalled Gengar and got into his private car, which was hurriedly driven back to the main camp by his disciples who had driven away the reporters. In the world of Pokémon, one learns to survive in the cracks of self-reflection.
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