Venusaur's Giga Drain pierced into Mamoswine's body. However, instead of absorbing Mamoswine's vitality, the energy spikes were actually injecting poison into it.
Mamoswine was quickly tormented by Venusaur's terrifying toxins until it was in unbearable pain!
'This toxicity…'
Even Tetsuya felt somewhat apprehensive. Mamoswine, Golurk, and the others sparred with Weezing and the others almost every day, so they had long since developed a strong resistance to poison. Ordinary Poison-type Pokémon could no longer poison Mamoswine at all.
This Venusaur could directly inject poison into an opponent's body through an energy link, poisoning the opponent…
This was the most direct possible application of poison!
And it had poisoned Mamoswine in an instant. Its toxicity had already surpassed that of Tetsuya's own Pokémon.
Mamoswine's limbs soon went limp, and it collapsed to the ground in agony.
Without the slightest hesitation, Tetsuya immediately took out a Poké Ball and recalled Mamoswine. This was currently his strongest Pokémon, and he could not afford the slightest mishap.
"Well~? Are you going to surrender? Hand over those Pokémon of yours now, and maybe I can spare your life."
The old man spoke grimly as Venusaur's vine whips waved around it, ready to strike the moment Tetsuya made a move. Right now, Tetsuya had no way to escape. Even using Teleport required him to concentrate, and in that instant, Venusaur could easily interrupt him.
Tetsuya stood where he was, not daring to make the slightest reckless move. Perhaps even taking a single step backward now would cause Venusaur to attack.
At that moment, Golurk clenched both fists, preparing to step forward.
"Golurk, fall back. We're no match for it."
Tetsuya understood the situation very clearly. He still needed Golurk for escape. If Golurk were also incapacitated, then even if Tetsuya used Teleport to put some distance between himself and the old man first, he still would not be safe.
Falling into the old man's clutches would only be a matter of time. Therefore, Golurk absolutely could not act recklessly!
Nor could Tetsuya "multitask". If he had Gengar attack, it would become even more impossible for him to concentrate on using Teleport.
After Tetsuya ordered Golurk back, the old man pressed him even harder. "Tch… since you know you're no match for me, hurry up and hand over your Pokémon!"
At this moment, Tetsuya was facing an unprecedented crisis. Could all the hard work he had put in over so many years really be wasted just like this?
If he handed over these Pokémon, he could indeed take advantage of the instant the old man lowered his guard to escape, but that was something he wouldn't do. His combat power would be greatly diminished, and the road ahead would become even more difficult.
'If only my sole thought had been to escape from the very beginning…' After coming this far, Tetsuya never imagined he would have to lose something in his life again; he never thought he would have to choose to sacrifice someone in order to live, just as Ariados had chosen to sacrifice itself to let him escape alive in his past life…
Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down Tetsuya's face. Just as he was utterly at a loss, a thunderous buzzing sounded through field. Looking up, he saw Beedrill using Double Team as it charged toward Venusaur!
"You don't know when to give up!"
The old man sneered. Dozens of Vine Whips lashed out from Venusaur, and Beedrill's clones continuously dwindled in number. It would soon be forced to reveal its true body.
" 'Run, now!' Beedrill is… it is…-"
Gengar spoke from deep within Tetsuya's mind.
"What? …B-Beedrill, could it be…?" Tetsuya said.
"Yes. This is the only way… It's impossible for us all to get away safely. The choice is yours. I've already conveyed Beedrill's words," Gengar said.
Tetsuya froze for a moment. In that instant, Venusaur's energy spikes had already pierced into Beedrill's body.
Beedrill let out a piercing cry that shook Tetsuya's soul.
"…"
At that moment, Tetsuya's heart grew calm. Another Pokémon was about to sacrifice itself for him… Silently, he recalled Golurk.
"Beedrill… I… I will definitely avenge you…"
Fwoosh---
In those precious seconds of distraction, which cost him a part of himself… Tetsuya managed to focus, he used Teleport and disappeared from the spot.
Tetsuya's sudden disappearance left the old man utterly astonished. "Where… where did he go? Damn it! …That damned Beedrill. Venusaur, drain it dry, then torture it to death!"
Seeing his prey escape when it had already been within his grasp, the old man gritted his teeth. Now he could only vent all his fury on Beedrill.
...…
---◓---
Tetsuya used Teleport several times in succession. Night had already fallen, and his psychic power had reached its limit. He was now some distance away from his previous location.
Aside from Golurk, all of his Pokémon were severely injured, and several had also been poisoned. The greatest loss was Beedrill…
The first Pokémon he had caught on Shadow Island had started out as nothing more than an modest Weedle. Through his own efforts, it had evolved into Kakuna and then Beedrill.
After evolving into Beedrill, it had grown stronger and stronger through its own unrelenting efforts. Its speed and attack had been trained to perfection, and it had now reached the peak of its capabilities. Yet just like that, it had sacrificed itself for Tetsuya and the entire team…
"Bee… drill…"
The more Tetsuya thought about it, the more anguished he became!
This was the result of all the effort he had personally poured into raising Beedrill, and now it had all come to nothing!
'…'
The memories… the moments, emotions, the…-
'…'
Although Beedrill's capacities would have declined with age later on, what made this world so extraordinary was that nothing was impossible…
Giovanni's Beedrill was the simplest and most direct example!
Yet all of it had lost any meaning with Beedrill's death. What Tetsuya would be left with was a Poké Ball and memories that would last forever.
More importantly, there was the promise he had made to Beedrill… revenge.
---◓---
Tetsuya found a cave in the mountains and lit a fire. He sent out all of his Pokémon. By this point, they all already knew about Beedrill's sacrifice…
Golurk, the only one that had not been injured, ate dinner first and then stood guard at the cave entrance to protect everyone. Tetsuya silently treated the wounds of all his Pokémon and administered Antidotes. Not a single Pokémon made even the slightest sound.
Administering Antidotes, treating wounds, giving them Potions and Max Elixirs to recover their stamina, and finally feeding them dinner. By the time Tetsuya finished all of this work, it was already late at night. He could no longer face the exhaustion and fell asleep as soon as he collapsed onto his sleeping bag.
All of his injured Pokémon huddled around him…
---◓---
In his dream, Tetsuya's thoughts became exceptionally clear. When he had first come to this forest and begun training Spinarak and Drapion, that old man must have already been watching him. He had taken an interest in Tetsuya's Poison-type Pokémon, which was why everything that followed had happened.
The old man's repeated attempts to probe him had merely been to test the value of his Pokémon, while all of those Poison-types were nothing more than ingredients for his Venusaur, including even his own Pokémon.
A person who had already lost all reason could no longer be understood through the thinking of a normal person. Tetsuya had no idea what kind of deep hatred the old bastard held toward Agatha that drove him to use any means necessary to commit such unspeakable acts.
Tetsuya had no idea how long he had slept before he finally woke in a daze…
•.
•.
"......"