บท 1: Challenge
The Union has a history of 750 years.
The Nth Pokémon League Champion Challenge is held every four years.
Time passed, and Kane was now a gray-haired old man, the rings of time deeply etched into his face.
Kane looked at the sky as the gentle wind blew. Another four years had passed, and his training of the highly venomous Ariados and Drapion had finally been successful. This time, his victory seemed inevitable.
"Come out, Ariados."
A giant blood-red one-horned spider with gleaming eyes and two exposed serrated fangs making a grinding "click" sound, it searched for its prey.
Kane, the current Gym Leader of Ecruteak Gym, and the strongest Gym Leader in the Johto region, had coveted Koga's title of Poison-type Master for a long time.
"The challenger, Kane, has chosen Ariados as his starting Pokémon. The elderly gentleman has already challenged the Poison-type throne three times, and now, at over sixty years old, will he be able to realize his dream this time? We'll have to wait and see," the announcer shouted into the microphone, his voice booming.
The audience buzzed with excitement.
"Next, we invite our Poison Master, Koga, to appear!"
As the announcer's voice rang out and the audience erupted in cheers, an elderly man dressed as a ninja with white hair appeared opposite Kane.
Koga, the senior Poison-type Master from the Kanto region, was known as an evergreen veteran of the Pokémon League, though his strength still had a gap compared to other Elite Four members.
"Kane, you're so fixated on this. It's time for you to enjoy your old age in peace," Koga teased, looking at his familiar yet distant "old friend" across the battlefield.
Kane's face remained gloomy, unfazed by Koga's words.
"Stop wasting time. Let's battle," Kane said coldly.
Koga smiled faintly, shook his head, and called out, "Come out, Arbok!"
Arbok's eyes were cold, its tongue flicking in and out as it hissed.
Ariados and Arbok stared each other down, the crowd hushed, the tension rising.
A light breeze swept through the arena…
Suddenly, Arbok darted forward, mouth wide open, fangs gleaming as they reflected the light.
Ariados watched the swiftly approaching Arbok, poised for the strike.
In an instant, Arbok was upon Ariados, just as it prepared to attack.
A spider web shot out, blocking Arbok's path, leaving it trapped and unable to advance.
"Fire Fang!" Koga ordered.
The web was strong and thick, but vulnerable to flames.
Arbok's fangs ignited with fire as it bit into the web, tearing through it.
"It's now, Ariados!"
Kane had been waiting for this moment.
As Arbok opened its mouth, a fierce toxin shot from Ariados straight into Arbok's mouth.
"What is this? As a Poison-type expert, how could Kane use poison to attack a fellow Poison-type?" The announcer's confused voice echoed across the arena.
Before the announcer could finish, Arbok was already writhing on the ground in pain, much to everyone's confusion.
At this moment, Koga spoke, "Kane, your venomous spider is indeed formidable."
Kane's normally stoic face flickered with a hint of surprise. Koga? How did he know about the venomous properties of the spider? Since Kane had developed and trained this Ariados specifically to defeat Koga, it had been kept an absolute secret.
Yet now, on the battlefield, Koga seemed to know everything. Kane was deeply unsettled.
"Old man, are you toying with me?"
Kane hardened his resolve as Ariados finished off Arbok.
Koga, however, remained calm, recalling Arbok without a trace of emotion. Arbok, being part of Koga's second-tier team, was merely a decoy to lure Kane into a false sense of security. He casually handed the Poké Ball to one of his disciples.
He knew Arbok was done for. Kane's venomous Ariados had broken Arbok's poison sac, rendering it useless.
With Arbok unable to use poison, it was no better than a discarded snake.
Kane, meanwhile, was riding high as Ariados had taken down five of Koga's Pokémon, all of them losing their ability to use poison!
The match was becoming one-sided, leaving both the host and the audience in disbelief. Could Koga, the Poison Master for so many years, really be this weak?
Even Kane had to suppress the rising excitement in his heart. He could already taste victory.
Koga calmly recalled his fifth fallen Pokémon and handed it to his disciple. He then smiled with a wicked grin.
"Come out, Gengar."
As soon as Gengar appeared, Koga revealed the Key Stone on his left wrist.
The bond of their hearts, the link of energy—
Gengar underwent Mega Evolution, its ethereal form hovering in mid-air, only the upper half of its body visible to the naked eye while the lower half was said to dwell in a distorted dimension.
Kane's thoughts raced.
Mega Gengar… if he could just defeat this one, he could claim the Poison-type throne. He would gain more resources, increase his strength, and solidify his name in the history of the Johto League.
The pursuit of fame and fortune seems simple, but how many spend their whole lives chasing it?
"Ariados, use Poison!"
Kane commanded, feeling as if victory was within his grasp.
Dozens of venomous purple webs materialized from Ariados, swarming toward Mega Gengar in mid-air.
Koga, however, just smiled at Kane.
"Kane, are you still relying on such juvenile tactics?"
Kane ignored him, thinking Koga was simply putting up a brave front.
But in the next moment, Kane was left speechless.
Before the webs could reach Mega Gengar, they disappeared into nothingness. No matter how much venomous silk Ariados spewed, it was as if they vanished into thin air.
"Ariados, use Megahorn!"
Gritting his teeth, Kane ordered an all-out attack, full of determination.
Ariados, propelled by its own threads, lunged forward, the horn on its head growing several times larger like a sword aimed at Mega Gengar.
"Gengar, do it."
At Koga's command, the space beneath Mega Gengar visibly distorted, filled with an unknown terror.
To the naked eye, it seemed as if the space had dimmed, a vortex swirling beneath Mega Gengar, forming a massive suction.
Ariados was pulled into the distorted space, disappearing without a trace.
The sudden turn of events left even the battle-hardened Kane panicking.
On the field, all that could be seen was Mega Gengar's eerie grin and Koga's composed expression.
"Referee, I object! Ariados has disappeared from the field! This kind of tactic is unacceptable!"
Kane finally lost his composure. Koga's tactics were unlike anything anyone had ever seen before, raising doubts in everyone's minds.
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