'It's definitely poisoned. There's no way it can keep fighting now.'
That was Tetsuya's first reaction. Zangoose had been struck by Seviper's Poison Tail and was bleeding heavily, so the poison would certainly enter its bloodstream.
This was also the normal way to poison an opponent. As long as the poison entered the opponent's bloodstream, it would definitely become poisoned.
However, this Zangoose did not seem to care at all. That was hardly surprising. Having survived for so long in a miasma-filled forest like this and constantly dealing with Poison-type Pokémon, it was bound to have developed a resistance to it.
Zangoose continued fighting, but judging by its actions in battle, it had become even more ferocious than before.
It did not look poisoned at all, but when Tetsuya caught a glimpse of a faint purple trace of poison flashing through Zangoose's eyes, he immediately understood…
This Zangoose was poisoned, but the poison didn't affect it at all.
Perhaps this was also the result of its living environment. New toxins entered its body almost every day, and by now, it could be said to have no fear whatsoever of the Poisoned status. It did not affect Zangoose's condition or drain its stamina at all.
Zangoose let out a long roar, all the fur on its body standing on end. With a casual Slash, it directly tore the nearest Seviper in half.
Tetsuya could not help but swallow. This was something he had never expected.
The remaining five Seviper no longer dared to approach after witnessing that.
Tetsuya now understood completely. This Zangoose's Hidden Ability was Toxic Boost. When it was Poisoned or Badly Poisoned, its Attack would sharply rise by 50% or even more.
Among all Pokémon, this Ability was unique to Zangoose. This was also the result of ecological conditions, born from the natural rivalry between Seviper and Zangoose.
Seviper specialized in poison, and if Zangoose did not have this Ability, it might have been driven to extinction by Seviper long ago.
Tetsuya found himself appreciating this Zangoose more and more. It was practically tailor-made for his Poison-type team!
Although the Toxic Boost Ability was rare among Zangoose, it could still occur.
Zangoose's increased combat power could be said to come at the cost of sacrificing its own stamina. It was practically cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.
But this Zangoose was different. Having lived in an environment like this for years, it had already become immune to these toxins. They were practically child's play to it. Toxins had become a part of its life.
Combined with the Toxic Boost Ability, this made it practically monstrous!
Zangoose's Attack received a huge increase without being constrained by the effects of poison. It was this environment that had created a Pokémon like this!
Once the Seviper became fearful, their combat power dropped even further. Zangoose cut down the remaining four Seviper with ease. What Tetsuya had not expected was that this Zangoose also fed on Seviper's poison sacs. No wonder it had such strong resistance…
After eating its fill, Zangoose was about to leave when Tetsuya stepped in front of it.
"Zangoose, you're mine!" Tetsuya used Ash's first phrase from when he caught Caterpie and then took out a Poké Ball and held it toward Zangoose.
Zangoose was immediately startled. Humans had never appeared in this place before. How could this person possibly survive in this forest? And he actually wanted to catch it…
Zangoose immediately assumed a battle stance!
"You want to battle?"
This was also a perfect opportunity to test Ariados's capacities now that it had finished learning all of its moves.
If it were not for this environment making his other Pokémon unsuitable for battle, Tetsuya would not have chosen Ariados. Using a Poison-type Pokémon to battle this Zangoose put him at a considerable disadvantage. If he poisoned it, it would only get stronger, but if he did not poison it, defeating it through normal means would be extremely difficult. It was truly a dilemma.
After receiving Tetsuya's command, Ariados poked its head out from among the branches and fired a Spider Web. Zangoose's senses were all extremely sharp, and it leaped up to avoid Ariados's ambush. Ariados did not allow this to disrupt its rhythm.
Sticky Web continuously sprayed toward Zangoose. With Ariados positioned high above it, Zangoose found it difficult to launch an effective attack and could only keep dodging while searching for an opportunity.
Tetsuya and Ariados's objective was also obvious. With Ariados's other Poison-type moves restricted, using Sticky Web to limit Zangoose's Speed would be enough.
During this exchange of attacks and defenses, the ground had already become covered in Sticky Web. Zangoose was incredibly frustrated. Despite having the skills, it had no way to use them, or even find an opening to attack. Ariados was completely leading it by the nose.
This was also why Tetsuya had chosen Ariados for the battle. If he had used Drapion, it might not have been a match for this Zangoose in a head-on confrontation. Weezing's offensive rhythm was too slow to keep up with Zangoose, making Ariados, which specialized in disrupting battles, the best choice.
Ariados perched high in the tree, toying with Zangoose. This completely enraged Zangoose, which charged straight toward the tree where Ariados was positioned. However, it had only taken a few steps when its feet became stuck in the Sticky Web.
Its pent-up fury instantly erupted. Using all of its might, Zangoose broke free from the web. This time, it no longer dared to step on any of the Sticky Web, but moving by jumping naturally reduced its speed considerably, and Tetsuya had already prepared for this.
Zangoose reached the base of the tree where Ariados was positioned and lunged forward with Crush Claw.
"Move away. Swords Dance."
Without any hurry, Ariados used String Shot and attached its silk to another tree.
Pulled along by the silk, Ariados spun its body through the air and used Swords Dance. In such a suitable environment, Ariados bring out its potential, learning both Swords Dance and Focus Energy, moves it could learn after Evolution. This also contributed considerably to its fighting style.
Zangoose's Crush Claw tore the tree trunk directly in half, demonstrating its power, but all it saw was Ariados already on another tree…