Chapter 32: Two Kills in One Move, Level 40 Hitmonchan

As soon as Aron woke up, it immediately checked its surroundings.

Only after seeing Ethan did it finally break down, crying pitifully.

Bellossom gently inquired about what had happened.

Aron then recounted everything in detail.

Through Bellossom's gestures, Ethan got a rough understanding of the situation.

Aron and Lairon had encountered a dangerous situation, which led Aron to seek Ethan's help.

Since Aron was a Pokémon he had set his sights on, Ethan naturally had no reason to refuse.

However, before avenging Aron, he needed to gauge the opponent's strength.

If they could defeat Lairon, they were at least Level 40.

He couldn't afford to let Bellossom get injured before dealing with Cassandra.

『Host's default bonded Pokémon: "Bellossom (Lv.35)." Daily simulation will cost 50 points and can be stopped at any time.』

『Starting Life Simulation...』

『Day 1: Gloom evolves into Bellossom, significantly increasing her strength.』

『You encounter the injured Aron and, after some thought, decide to help it get revenge.』

『Leaving the cave, you are ambushed by unknown attackers. Through conversation, you learn that they are high-level criminals trying to capture Aron to sell.』

『Your four opponents include one elite trainer and three advanced trainers.』

『However, they underestimate you, and Bellossom's overwhelming strength crushes them with ease.』

『You capture Aron.』

『Day 2:』

『You rescue Cassandra from the Blackthorn Hunt's encirclement and defeat the pursuing members.』

『You take her to a relatively safe cliffside.』

『A battle breaks out between you.』

『Arbok and Banette are both taken down in one hit by Bellossom and Haunter.』

『You believe victory is within your grasp.』

『But in your overconfidence, you are caught off guard by a desperate attack from Cassandra.』

『You lose one of your eyes.』

[...]

『Ding! Host has chosen to end the simulation.』

『Life Simulation Complete.』

『Evaluation: This should have been an easy victory, but your thirst for revenge made you careless.』

『As a top-tier assassin, Cassandra had multiple contingency plans even after being saved.』

『Her first poison attack was neutralized by Bellossom's Healer ability. Her second hidden move, Banette lurking in the shadows, was detected by Haunter. But the third—a burst of corrosive poison hidden in her pocket—caught you off guard, directly hitting your eye.』

『Remember: Never underestimate any opponent, no matter their condition.』

『Select one of the following rewards:』

Life Simulation Experience Experience Points (for Oddish) Item (None)

"I actually lost an eye?!"

Ethan let out a sigh, feeling a mix of frustration and curiosity.

Why had he been so careless in the simulation?

He immediately chose "Life Simulation Experience" and merged the memories into his own.

After a while, he sighed.

"Cassandra really lives up to her title as the fated heroine."

"Even on the brink of death, she remained calm."

"She stopped her heartbeat and breathing to play dead, tricking Bellossom and Haunter."

"And the moment I got close, she threw a poison-filled orb at me."

"The poison had powerful corrosive properties, severely damaging my eye and skin—basically leaving me disfigured."

"No wonder I lost an eye."

"These so-called chosen ones really are a pain."

Ethan smirked coldly.

"Too bad for you, Cassandra. The system just exposed all your tricks. Now, what will you do next?"

Despite the gruesome memory of losing his eye, Ethan felt no fear.

After all, no matter how tragic the outcome in the simulation, it was still just that—a simulation.

If the future were set in stone, then Jayden wouldn't have taken his place in the hospital.

And Cassandra?

She was doomed to die by his hands.

"But before that…"

"I have some other loose ends to deal with first."

"Let's go, Bellossom, Haunter, Aron."

Ethan led his Pokémon out of the cave.

However, they had barely taken a few steps before stopping abruptly.

Aron looked up in confusion.

Ethan, however, turned his gaze toward a large tree and spoke slowly.

"You've been hiding for a while. Why not come out and say hello?"

Aron tensed up in shock.

Bellossom and Haunter, on the other hand, had already sensed the intruder long ago and remained unfazed.

A chuckle came from behind the trees.

A scar-faced man stepped out, flashing a friendly smile.

"Relax, kid. We don't mean any harm. That Aron belongs to us—it just wandered off by accident."

"Would you mind returning it? We'll even give you 1,000 Alliance Coins as compensation."

Ethan narrowed his eyes. His tone was unreadable.

"Your Pokémon?"

"That's right. This Aron is ours." The scar-faced man's voice was firm.

"I see… then why don't you recall it with a Poké Ball?"

"And as for the money, there's no need to be so polite, sir."

Ethan lazily smiled.

But as soon as he spoke, the expressions of the men darkened.

After all, they hadn't actually caught Aron.

Which meant… they had no Poké Ball to recall it.

"This kid isn't easy to fool."

"Boss, he only has one Bellossom with him. Shouldn't be hard to take him out."

"Let's just kill him and save ourselves the trouble."

The men behind Scarface grinned maliciously.

They were seasoned criminals, already with blood on their hands—one more kill wouldn't make a difference.

The leader, Scarface, stepped forward. His Hitmonchan took a stance.

Ethan's Oddish stepped forward as well.

"Kid, don't tell me you're planning to fight my Hitmonchan with a Bellossom!"

The criminals burst into laughter.

"This rookie probably doesn't even know who Scarface is."

"That Hitmonchan is his ace, and it's Level 40! There's no way a Bellossom can take it down!"

"Kid, you might as well run home to your mommy now!"

They laughed loudly, finding it hilarious that a small Bellossom was about to face off against a trained fighter like Hitmonchan.

But in truth, they were prepared.

If Bellossom showed even the slightest threat, they would release their full team of twenty Pokémon.

Even the strongest Pokémon couldn't handle an army.

But what they didn't know…

Was that Hitmonchan wasn't Bellossom's target.

As Bellossom's Swords Dance took effect, her hands glowed with vibrant green energy, forming a razor-sharp Leaf Blade.

Under the sunlight, the thirty-centimeter blade gleamed with a faint, chilling light.

For some reason, Hitmonchan felt a deep sense of unease.

And in that brief moment of hesitation—

Bellossom vanished.

A flash of silver streaked through the air.

In an instant—

Two of the criminals' laughter was silenced forever.