124 Chapter 124:

"Murkrow, use Protect!" Cain commanded as Slowpoke unleashed Hidden Power.

Murkrow and Sneasel clashed, their bodies entangled as an energy ball hurtled towards them. Murkrow felt the scorching heat in the air and cried out, using its defensive move to shield itself.

As an ice-type Pokemon, Sneasel was more sensitive to temperature changes than Murkrow. It felt the heat rising, and was already having difficultly withstanding its effects.

In an instant, the energy ball exploded at the center of the battle, creating a violent blast. The cave's temperature rose, melting the surrounding ice, and the water in the center evaporated into vapor. The explosion also created a mist that filled the cave.

Murkrow emerged unscathed and flapped its wings to disperse the smoke and steam. Sneasel's fur was slightly burnt, and it lay limply on the ground, seemingly unable to move.

Cain looked at Sneasel and chuckled. "Don't pretend to be defeated. I know you still have some fight left. Get up."

An ordinary trainer might think that Sneasel was out of the game, but Cain had been monitoring its condition through the A.I. System. He knew that despite reaching its limit, Sneasel could still launch another attack.

"Sneasel!" Knowing that Cain had seen through its act, Sneasel stopped pretending and used its hands to support itself before standing up shakily.

Cain looked at Sneasel's unsteady state and grinned happily. He was thrilled to have the opportunity to catch such a strong-willed Pokemon.

Sneasel's strength impressed Cain, but what pleased him more was its intelligence. As a wild Pokemon, using its brain was crucial for survival, and Sneasel had mastered this skill.

"Rest up, Sneasel. Slowpoke, use Yawn!" Cain didn't want Sneasel to overexert itself in battle, as the impact of this fight could affect Sneasel's future growth.

An oval-shaped bubble formed on Slowpoke's nose, slowly floating toward Sneasel. The bubble popped with a crisp sound, and Sneasel, whose body could no longer withstand the pressure, felt a wave of drowsiness wash over it. Its eyes felt as heavy as a mountain.

Sneasel's body fell once more, and in its descent, it caught a glimpse of the half-drunk bottle of milk lying in the corner. A sense of disappointment washed over Sneasel, and it muttered, "My milk..."

With a loud thud, Sneasel hit the ground, unable to fight any longer. Slowpoke's Yawn was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Cain swiftly threw a Great Ball towards the fallen Sneasel, hitting it directly and enveloping the creature in a bright, flashing light. The Pokéball's energy beam drew Sneasel inside the ball, and the outer shell of the Great Ball snapped shut with a satisfying click. As the ball shook a few times, the middle button flashed with a red light before eventually stopping, indicating that Sneasel had been successfully caught. Cain made his way over to the dry, cracked ground, which bore some damage from the earlier explosion, and picked up the Great Ball containing Sneasel.

This battle was a result of the perfect coordination between Murkrow, Slowpoke, and Cain's precise commands.

Without Cain's leadership, even if Murkrow and Slowpoke were more potent, they might not have been able to defeat Sneasel, who had an attribute advantage over them.

Despite their victory, Murkrow and Slowpoke were injured. Miltank provided fresh milk to replenish their strength, and Cain applied various types of medicine to heal their wounds and relieve their pain. He also gave them Pokéblocks to restore their energy.

Thanks to the combination of these items, Murkrow and Slowpoke quickly recovered from their injuries.

After attending to Murkrow and Slowpoke, Cain released Sneasel from the Great Ball.

Sneasel had awoken, but its injuries prevented it from moving. Looking at Cain and his Pokemon surrounding it, Sneasel's eyes flickered with fear and hostility.

Cain squatted down and didn't say a word. He took out his best medicine spray to treat the various burns, paralysis, and blood clots on Sneasel's body.

"Sneasel!" The sight of Cain pulling out the medicine spray made Sneasel instinctively want to resist. However, the pain from moving caused it to fall back down.

"Don't move! Lie still!" Cain said sternly and began treating the Pokemon's injuries.

Sneasel's wounds were more severe than Cain had anticipated. He sprayed the medicine and used his expertise to help Sneasel recover quickly. At first, Sneasel was terrified, thinking that Cain was going to harm it. But soon, a cool feeling enveloped its wounds, and some of the formerly numb muscles regained their sense of pain.

The cool sensation and the return of pain intertwined, making Sneasel understand the meaning of bittersweetness.

Miltank approached Sneasel with a bottle of milk in hand and a straw sticking out. She placed the straw in Sneasel's mouth and gestured for it to drink.

Sneasel recognized the familiar scent of milk and looked at Miltank, who smiled shyly. Its eyes wandered, and no one knew what it was thinking.

After a moment's hesitation, the temptation of the milk proved too strong. Sneasel bit the straw and drank quickly.

In that moment, Miltank seemed to glow with a divine radiance in Sneasel's eyes.

What was that saying again? Ah, yes, the milk of the Goddess of Twilight.