163 Chapter 163:

Thus, Skorupi was called to Cain's side, now somewhat unsuitable for high-intensity combat.

As its body grew, Skorupi needed to become familiar with the changes.

Since Cain had not allowed Gastly and Skorupi to use the recently purchased Poison-type items, he did not let them learn any moves from the corresponding TMs either.

After all, sometimes learning too many moves could be detrimental, as it could lead to biting off more than one could chew. Most of Cain's Pokémon were not yet proficient with the moves they currently possessed.

For example, Sneasel, who had recently joined the team, had not yet mastered its own Ice-type moves.

Miltank had only just recovered from the physical toll of living in the wild and hadn't undergone systematic training for some of its moves.

Then there was Skorupi, who had just entered its growth phase. Although its battle talent was immense, and its experience with moves was skyrocketing, time was too short for it to master all its moves, such as the Pin Missile it had learned at level nine.

Murkrow, Slowpoke, and Gastly each had one or two moves they couldn't fully grasp yet.

So Cain planned to have the Pokémon master their learned moves as quickly as possible before reaching Vermilion City. Even if they couldn't master everything, they should at least get a grip on their main battle moves.

As a result, their journey featured Pokémon taking turns battling.

Of course, Cain didn't forget the primary goal of nurturing Gastly and Skorupi. He sent them out to face wild Pokémon the most, using unconventional moves they didn't often practice.

Compared to honing moves in the air, training with tangible targets was far more effective, even if the wild Pokémon they faced weren't particularly strong.

As they ventured deeper, the wild Pokémon's levels began to rise, and they occasionally encountered small groups.

With Miltank and Skorupi staying close to Cain, the other Pokémon took turns battling, filling the once-narrow tunnel with various energy fluctuations, sometimes worrying Cain that the tunnel might collapse.

However, his fears proved unnecessary, as the Dugtrio and Diglett had constructed the tunnels sturdily enough to withstand an explosion caused by Hidden Power without any issues.

Cain outfitted Skorupi with a weighted vest and fed it some exclusive high-grade Pokéblocks, then had it follow him for physical training.

Miltank, experienced in this type of training, occasionally offered Skorupi advice on what to watch out for.

The branch tunnel seemed to stretch on endlessly. Even after an additional hour, there was no end in sight.

The wild Pokémon's levels continued to rise, with some reaching level 20, including a few Raticate and Golbat appearing in the cave.

These evolved Pokémon were often accompanied by their unevolved counterparts, forming a weaker group.

For instance, the small Raticate colony they encountered consisted of only about thirteen or fourteen Pokémon. However, among them were two level-20 Raticate, one male and one female. It was evident that the smaller Rattata were their offspring or even descendants.

Influenced by the torch flame in Cain's hand, the Pokémon charged into an attack as soon as they came into sight.

"Gastly, use Fire Punch on the male Raticate; Sneasel, Hone Claws and follow up with an Ice Punch on the female Raticate," Cain quickly reacted and issued orders. "Murkrow and Slowpoke, take care of the other Rattata!"

Though Gastly had learned Fire Punch, it rarely used the move, and Sneasel wasn't entirely proficient with Ice Punch. They seized this opportunity to practice against two resilient opponents.

Gastly formed a hand out of the purple gas surrounding its body, then rubbed the gas against the air, creating sparks. The sparks grew larger, eventually enveloping the whole fist, and Gastly ferociously attacked the male Rattata.

It was clear that Gastly's proficiency with this move was low, taking a full three seconds just to execute the move. If it weren't for Rattata's lack of energy-based attacks and Gastly's immunity to Normal-type moves, who knows how many times it would have been hit by now.

Fortunately, the Normal-type Rattata were immune to Gastly's Ghost-type moves, and Gastly was immune to Rattata's Normal-type attacks.

Since they couldn't be hurt, Gastly fearlessly practiced the non-Ghost-type moves it didn't often use.

Sneasel was much faster. After a quick sharpening of its claws, it swung and launched an Ice Punch, immediately freezing the female Rattata solid.

Without Cain's command to stop, Sneasel relentlessly threw a barrage of Ice-type moves at the frozen Rattata.

Perhaps stimulated by Skorupi, Sneasel's desire to attack grew stronger when facing wild Pokémon. Its rapport with Cain also soared, sometimes guessing Cain's next order without needing a prompt.

It had to be said, actual combat was the best training method, and Cain's Pokémon were locked in a healthy cycle of competition.

Each Pokémon was a standout in its group, and none were content being weaker than the others. This drove them to work even harder in battles and training.

Of course, there was an exception: Miltank, the nurturing Pokémon.

Her greatest joy now was helping each of her companions, and seeing them quickly regain their strength by drinking her milk was the happiest thing for her.

Soon, the entire Rattata colony fell beneath the feet of Cain and his Pokémon.

After defeating the male Raticate, Gastly leveled up to 21, closing the gap between itself, Murkrow, and Miltank. It was also getting closer to evolving into Haunter at level 25.

Upon Gastly reaching level 21, Cain finally decided to give it the special Elite-grade Poison Gas residue he had purchased. This would allow Gastly to further develop its Poison attribute and prepare for its evolution into Haunter.