Arbok Leader

Mark and Caterpie did not delay for long before accelerating toward Caterpie Territory once more.

Along the way, Mark saw more Ekans.

Unlike the Ekans they had encountered while traveling earlier, some of these Ekans were highly aggressive. There were even scenes of Ekans fighting and slaughtering one another.

From time to time, Caterpie fled through the grass and bushes in panic, and scattered Caterpie corpses could be seen as well.

It was not only Caterpie. Some Rattata that had lived harmoniously alongside Caterpie also inhabited Caterpie Territory. These Rattata were constantly fleeing outward too, and they appeared even more terrified.

Just as Caterpie instinctively feared Pidgey and Spearow, Rattata, as mouse Pokémon, instinctively feared Ekans—especially such a large group of them.

Several Spearow circled overhead, crying out from time to time as if watching the excitement, before flying north.

Mark frowned in thought, pondering why those Spearow had flown north.

"What did those Spearow say?"

Mark asked Caterpie. Pokémon had their own unique communication system that allowed them to communicate across species, so Caterpie could understand the meaning of the Spearows' cries in the sky.

Caterpie did not answer immediately. Instead, as if it had sensed something, its body trembled slightly.

"Did your Run Away Ability activate again?"

Mark frowned slightly and saw that Caterpie had already recovered, staring in the direction the Spearow had flown.

"Shh, shh, shh."

"You mean there's fighting over there, and it might be dangerous?"

"Shh."

Caterpie nodded repeatedly. Mark glanced north, then turned to the west.

Caterpie Territory lay to the west, while the Ekans habitat was even farther west beyond Caterpie Territory.

"Let's go to Caterpie Territory first and see what the situation is like there."

The man and Caterpie accelerated again.

The closer they came to Caterpie Territory, the more Ekans there were, and the more violent they became.

Besides that, Mark and Caterpie saw even more Caterpie corpses.

Unlike ordinary predation within the food chain, these Caterpie corpses had been left exposed in the wilderness, ignored by all. Mark also saw some Ekans chewing at tree roots while spraying pale purple liquid with an irritating smell.

They appeared to be marking territory.

Mark took a deep breath and led Caterpie onward.

At last, Mark and Caterpie arrived at Caterpie Territory—at the sweet-and-spicy fruit tree Caterpie had always missed, and the blue stone filled with Caterpie's memories.

The surroundings were a complete mess. Countless Caterpie corpses lay scattered nearby, while a thick, pungent toxic stench rushed at them. Several irritable Ekans prowled nearby, immediately letting out low hisses when they saw Mark and Caterpie.

Tackle (Seven-Hit Combo)!

Tackle (Instant Strike)!

Tackle (Power-Up Tackle)!

Caterpie swiftly cleared the area. Though these Ekans looked violent, they were not much stronger than ordinary Caterpie. One Ekans was roughly equal to three Caterpie.

Caterpie did not hold back as it had with its own kind. More than twenty Ekans nearby lost consciousness one after another. Two had been struck too heavily and might die, but Caterpie had no mind to consider that.

During all its years living in the forest with Mark, Caterpie had seen dead members of its own kind. It had even seen four dead Caterpie at once.

But this was the first time it had seen more than a hundred corpses of its kind all at once.

Caterpie stared blankly at those corpses, at a loss. It could not put its feelings into words. All it knew was that it felt terribly uncomfortable.

"Shh, shh?"

After looking at the bodies of its kind for a while, Caterpie questioned Mark, asking why so many Caterpie had died.

Mark furrowed his brow. "It looks like a territorial dispute. But as far as I know, Ekans in Clear Stream Forest have no concept of territory. Like bird Pokémon such as Pidgey, Ekans only have habitats. The swampy area in the west is the environment most suited to their survival, so most Ekans gather there. For something like a territorial dispute to happen, unless..."

Mark stopped. He had already realized the reason for this situation.

Taking a deep breath, Mark continued, "For these Ekans to undergo such a change, there must have been something like the Caterpie Leader born among them. It led the group outward to expand its territory.

"That also explains the Ekans we saw on the way here—the group was rejecting outsiders.

"Just as the Leader's Guard once drove you away, the Ekans leader also drove some Ekans out of their habitat, causing many of them to migrate in all directions. Some even migrated near Clear Stream Village. The Ekans we saw fighting and killing one another earlier were also fighting for this reason."

Mark lightly pinched his chin. He was about to further explain the Ekans spraying their irritating toxic liquid when something suddenly occurred to him, and his expression darkened.

Mark took a deep breath. "We can't stay here. We need to go to the place where you sensed danger earlier, right now.

"The Ekans group should have already occupied all of Caterpie Territory, but they haven't stopped. They're still expanding. If I'm right, the Caterpie Group should have been driven there by now."

Caterpie looked around in confusion.

It had not yet understood that this was no longer Caterpie Territory when it saw Mark already moving in the Northeast Direction.

After looking once more at the corpses of its kind nearby, Caterpie quickly followed.

Along the way, the scenes grew increasingly chaotic.

The violent Ekans hissed constantly, while scattered Caterpie ran about in panic like headless flies.

At last, Mark and Caterpie arrived near the center of the battlefield and saw the conspicuous central figure there.

It was a dark purple Arbok with its body raised high, nearly four meters tall. The face-like pattern on its belly looked savage and terrifying, giving off an intensely oppressive feeling.

As they drew closer, Mark felt his heart tighten and goosebumps rise all over his body. Caterpie also looked as if it had been startled, its body seeming to bristle.

It appeared to be Arbok's Intimidate Ability, and its effect was extremely powerful. Even Mark had been affected.

Near the Giant Arbok, not only had countless Ekans gathered, but there were also more than ten normally sized Arbok.

Opposite the Giant Arbok and the snake group was a massive Butterfree, nearly two and a half meters tall.

Its butterfly wings looked slightly damaged, but they still could not conceal its beauty.

The butterfly danced gracefully through the air, performing a mysterious and elegant dance. Faint rainbow colors swirled around its body.

From time to time, one or two Ekans or Arbok shot into the sky in an attempt to attack, yet they could never touch the elegant butterfly.

The butterfly dancing in the air grew visibly faster and faster, while the rainbow glow surrounding it became increasingly rich.

"Quiver Dance? So this is what Quiver Dance looks like when used in the real world." Mark watched Butterfree's move thoughtfully, then suddenly realized something. His face filled with surprise. "...Wait. Could this Butterfree be the Caterpie Leader?"