Chapter 82: -*Hidden*-

I am Spinarak.

My Trainer is a handsome guy named Sato.

The first thing I saw after I was born was him.

At first, I thought he was my dad, but Big Bro Zoro told me he was our Trainer, not our dad.

Well, a title is just a title, I really like him, and he treats me and Big Bro Zoro very well.

Though… when it comes to training, he can be so strict, it scares me a little...

Today, before we left, Sato told me that someone was going to ambush us.

Apparently, they were the same group of people we poisoned to death last time.

That fake-serious Larvitar always tells me that, as a girl, I shouldn't always be shouting about fighting, that I should act ladylike when it's time to be ladylike.

But I love fighting!

So when I heard this news, I got excited, thinking I'd get to beat up some weaklings again.

But I waited and waited and waited, and they still didn't show up!

Even when night fell, still no sign of them!

It was so frustrating!

Sato "The Handsome" had me spar with that annoying Houndour. If I couldn't fight enemies, at least I could beat up that annoying dog!

After the battle, I got sleepy, that's totally normal, right?

After all, I'm still a baby!

As for those so-called enemies, who cares? I'm sleeping first!

But when I woke up, the tent was torn open. The space around me was empty. Outside, there was chaos. The enemies I had been waiting for had finally shown up, while I was asleep!

Gengar might tolerate this, but I won't!

I ran out of the tent, ready to join the fight, only to see that Annoying Dog, The Big Brothers, and Sato "The Handsome" were all struggling in battle!

And that annoying Houndour was the only one overpowering its opponent, looking so brutal and ferocious, it wasn't ladylike at all!

Seeing that no one was paying attention to me, I snuck up a large tree nearby.

Sato "The Handsome" told me once that my strongest ability was setting traps. So this time, I'm going to use traps to poison them all to death!

…

Sato's young body limited his physical strength, but being small had its advantages, he was more agile.

The moment Spinarak woke up inside the tent, Sato noticed immediately.

Right now, he and the assassin were locked in combat, making it impossible to release more Pokémon, but just having one extra ally could turn the tide of battle!

Keeping part of his focus on Spinarak, Sato realized it was smart enough not to charge in directly, instead, it climbed up a nearby tree.

Feeling a surge of relief, Sato subtly showed fatigue, baiting the assassin into attacking more aggressively.

But Sato wasn't the only one who noticed Spinarak.

Both Gengar, Houndour, and Arbok sensed it as well. Arbok, already in a dominant position, immediately tried to warn its Trainer, but Gengar understood how crucial Spinarak was right now.

Its golden eyes widened, and it suddenly sat cross-legged on the ground, pressing its hands together like a monk.

Psychic!

It poured everything into its psychic purple energy, desperately keeping Arbok restrained!

At the same time, Houndour burned through its last reserves of stamina, launching a relentless assault on Banette.

It didn't want Spinarak to steal the spotlight. At the very least, it had to prove that it didn't need Spinarak's help!

Banette, despite being a Ghost Pokémon, was terrified. Houndour's sheer madness made it feel like it was facing a true demon from hell, while it was nothing more than a weak, fragile ghost.

BOOM!

A lava-like Flamethrower erupted from Houndour's mouth! Banette, overcome with fear, failed to dodge, and was instantly eliminated!

First kill-Houndour!

However, exhausted, it collapsed onto the ground, too drained to assist its allies any further.

"Charrr!" Arbok let out a sharp cry. It finally broke free from Gengar's psychic grip.

But in the next moment, a massive web descended from above, trapping it completely!

Arbok began struggling frantically, snapping through several Silk Threads instantly. But just in the next moment, even more Silk Threads clung onto its body.

Spinarak leaped swiftly between the trees, weaving a web that completely cocooned Arbok, rendering the five-meter-long serpent utterly powerless!

The assassin panicked.

His Banette had been countered and defeated, Spinarak had appeared out of nowhere, and now Arbok was completely restrained.

He immediately realized: this was the end!

Desperate, he blocked Sato's dagger with his bare left hand, blood splattered everywhere.

At the same time, he hurled another Poké Ball, summoning a Pidgeot!

With a powerful flap of its wings, Pidgeot unleashed a Gust, sending Sato flying backward.

Wasting no time, the assassin jumped onto Pidgeot, preparing to escape.

Arbok, Hitmonchan, none of them mattered anymore.

But just as Pidgeot flapped its wings to take off, it found itself surrounded, between the trees, massive white webs stretched from branch to branch, blocking all possible escape routes!

"Thwip!"

Perched on a nearby tree branch, Spinarak shot a thick strand of silk thread, latching onto Pidgeot's legs, preventing it from flying away!

"Kill it!"

The assassin's furious voice rang out, he ordered Pidgeot to eliminate Spinarak.

As long as this bug was gone, they could escape!

Pidgeot's sharp eyes were filled with contempt. After all, bugs were nothing more than food for birds!

"Whoosh!"

Aerial Ace activated, Pidgeot vanished instantly, lunging straight for Spinarak!

But just before impact, a dark energy pulse erupted from Spinarak's body. With a speed even greater than Aerial Ace, Spinarak slammed into Pidgeot's fragile underbelly!

Sucker Punch!

If the opponent was using an attack move, this move would always strike first!

"Carvanha, Aqua Jet! Larvitar, Rock Slide!"

A blue blur streaked across the battlefield, Carvanha took over from Spinarak, knocking Pidgeot even further back!

Then came Rock Slide, a rain of boulders crashed down, sealing Pidgeot's fate! In the final moment, Sato released his last two Pokémon. An all-out attack!

"Piiidgeot!"

With a final cry, Pidgeot's wings were crushed by Rock Slide, It plummeted from the sky!

Sato kept his gaze locked on the assassin.

"Spinarak, restrain him. Don't let him escape!"

----

Two minutes later, the assassin lay motionless, his arms bound by Spinarak's poisoned web.

The deadly toxin seeped through his wounds, within seconds, he was dead.

After swiftly finishing off the remaining Hitmonchan, Sato finally let out a breath of relief, when suddenly, a blinding blue light erupted from Spinarak's body!

Within the glow, Spinarak's form rapidly expanded, Its six legs grew longer, with the middle pair flipping onto its back.

Its horn extended, and sharp fangs emerged.

As the light faded, a massive red-and-black spider with yellow-purple legs loomed over the battlefield.

The once cute and goofy Spinarak was no more, now, its aura was sinister and eerie.

Its fangs, horn, and legs were now deadly weapons.

To Sato, this Ariados had a look that was, Ugly but cool. Ugly but strong.

"Congratulations, Ariados!"

Sato reached out and touched Ariados' sharp horn, feeling a bit nostalgic, after all, this was the only Pokémon he had ever raised from an egg, in both past and present lives.

"Aria-Dos!"

Chapter 82: Spinarak Evolves