Hisss… hisssss…
Deep within the marshlands—
A massive Arbok, nearly seven to eight meters long, slithered forward with a group of Ekans and Arbok trailing behind. Their destination: a hollow nestled within the roots of a thick tree.
Outside the hollow, a pair of young Nidoran—male and female—were playing joyfully in a puddle of mud that shimmered faintly with violet bubbles.
Beside them stood a towering Nidoqueen, her expression gentle as she watched the children frolic. Yet the corner of her eye remained vigilant, constantly scanning the surroundings for any signs of threat.
The Arbok leader's gaze locked onto the tainted mud with unmistakable greed.
As a pure Poison-type Pokémon, he could clearly sense how potent the toxins in that pool were—and how much they would enhance his own poisonous capabilities.
If he could claim that pool, even if his overall strength didn't rise significantly, the potency of his venom would definitely reach a new level.
And for Poison-types, venom was everything.
With powerful enough toxins, even stronger opponents could be brought low—turned from threats into prey.
But when the Arbok turned his eyes toward the Nidoqueen, wariness flashed across his face.
Previously—
Even if someone gave him ten times the courage, he wouldn't have dared to attack this particular Nidoqueen and her kin.
Because aside from her, this little family also had a mighty Nidoking watching over them.
But lately, with the children entering a growth spurt, their demand for food had sharply increased.
The Nidoking had no choice but to go out hunting, seeking more sustenance.
That—was the Arbok's chance.
The Arbok leader turned and gave his underlings a pointed look.
Attack her.
The Ekans and lesser Arbok hesitated, clearly uneasy. But under the pressure of their leader's threat, they were forced to obey.
Normally—
Arbok are solitary Pokémon, preferring to hunt alone.
But this particular leader was different.
He clearly understood the value of numbers. Any Ekans or Arbok he encountered, he'd forcefully conscript into his ranks.
But that didn't change their cold-blooded nature.
He didn't see his followers as companions—only tools to make hunting easier.
When faced with a powerful enemy, they were just meat shields to draw the foe's attention.
As his minions launched their assault, the Arbok leader vanished into the earth with a sudden dive—using [Dig] to tunnel underground and move in secret.
Crack—snap!
A dry branch broke under pressure.
Even though the snake group had tried to minimize their noise, they still couldn't escape the ears of the alert Nidoqueen.
Nido, nido!
"Kids, get inside!"
Nidoqueen barked at the playful Nidoran siblings, her gaze snapping toward the disturbance.
The two youngsters clearly weren't new to danger. At their mother's shout, they immediately darted back into the hollow.
Ssskra!
The snakes, realizing their ambush had failed, no longer bothered to hide.
The Arbok leader rose to his full height, locking eyes with Nidoqueen.
The rest of the snake group followed, raising their bodies in a unified show of force.
Nido—!
Nidoqueen bared her fangs and launched a volley of poisonous barbs from her mouth, hoping to intimidate them into retreat.
In terms of sheer strength—
She was a Gym-level powerhouse. These mere elite-tier Arbok and Ekans weren't a true threat.
But the problem was—her children were behind her.
That made her position much more vulnerable.
If intimidation worked, that would be the best outcome.
But unfortunately—
Their leader was still lurking underground.
And the snakes knew their alpha well: if they ran, their fate was sealed—death.
So the Arbok leader let out a furious roar, both to bolster his own courage and to trigger his [Intimidate] ability.
The next moment—
He led the charge, and the entire snake swarm lunged forward.
NIDO!
SSKRA!!
Nidoqueen met them head-on, and the clearing erupted into chaos.
Though she was vastly stronger than her attackers, their numbers overwhelmed her.
Wounds began to appear across her thick hide.
But the snakes weren't unscathed either.
As a Ground-type, Nidoqueen dealt brutal damage to the Poison-type reptiles.
Had the battle continued on pure terms, victory would've been hers eventually.
But they hadn't counted on one thing—
Their leader, waiting underground.
And with the battle reaching its peak, Nidoqueen had less attention to spare for her children.
That was the opening.
The Arbok leader tunneled beneath the battlefield, emerging silently behind the tree hollow.
SSKRA!
Faced with the monstrous maw of the Arbok, Nidoran♀ curled into a trembling ball of fear.
But her brother, Nidoran♂, stood in front of her with bared teeth, growling defiantly.
Then, without hesitation, he charged.
The Arbok leader's eyes flickered with disdain.
His tail flicked—
Crack!
Nidoran♂ was sent flying, slamming into a tree trunk. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.
That was the moment Nidoqueen noticed what was happening.
She turned and saw the Arbok leader looming over her children.
Fury exploded within her.
The brilliance of a mother's protective instinct ignited.
With a mighty roar, she slammed the snakes around her aside and charged straight toward the Arbok leader.
But halfway there—she froze.
Because—
The Arbok's tail was wrapped around her son.
He was being held hostage.
Clear and unmistakable.
The Arbok was threatening her child to hold her back.
SSKRA!
What are you waiting for?! Attack her!
Seeing Nidoqueen hesitate, the Arbok leader snapped at his stunned followers.
Snapping out of their daze, the snakes surged forward.
During the fray—
Nidoqueen, unable to bear the pain, instinctively knocked out one of the attackers.
Instantly, the Arbok leader's grip tightened.
Nidoran♂ began to struggle and gasp.
Now—
Even though the pain racked her body, Nidoqueen didn't dare strike back.
The damage to her body grew worse, her breathing more labored.
The Arbok leader smirked, confidence growing.
"Hahaha!"
"With the mother and child in hand, even that Nidoking will have to bow down when he returns!"
Just as the Arbok leader was basking in fantasies of his glorious future—
A cold voice rang out behind him.
"Beedrill, [X-Scissor]!"