Chapter 167:
He decided that since he could only make conjectures, he'd capture the two Grimers for further study.
Though they were quite smelly, when it came to potentially making a fortune in the future, the stench didn't matter so much.
"Slowpoke, use Confusion to control the larger Grimer! Sneasel, use Icy Wind to freeze them! Murkrow, use Dark Pulse!" Cain commanded without hesitation.
At that moment, the unspoken understanding among his Pokémon was evident. Slowpoke and Murkrow let go of their noses the instant Cain gave the command, not allowing the stench to affect them in battle.
Sneasel, on the other hand, hesitated for half a second before obeying, not questioning Cain's intentions.
Cain noticed this, but said nothing, as he and Sneasel still needed time to build their rapport. He believed that after some more days of working together, their partnership would be fully established.
Slowpoke used Confusion to envelop the Grimer with the slightly higher aptitude and a marginally larger body. Sneasel followed up with Icy Wind in a timely manner.
After practicing Ice-type moves all day, Sneasel's execution was no longer as awkward as before, showing signs of mastery.
Sneasel's innate talent for Ice-type moves was high; the reason for its lack of proficiency was that it lived in an ice cave where other Pokémon were more resistant to such attacks. As a result, Sneasel had never given much thought to its Ice-type moves.
This was also why Sneasel, with its impressive light blue aptitude, hadn't thrived as expected in the ice cave region.
Murkrow took flight, flapping its wings with such force as if trying to dispel the foul stench entirely.
Already adept with the use of Dark Pulse, Murkrow launched a powerful attack fueled by malice at the other Grimer.
"Muk!" Both Grimers cried out in pain.
Initially, they had been lured by a tantalizing scent but had been outrun by a group of Zubats and Golbats. By the time the Grimers arrived, the aroma had almost dissipated.
However, they discovered a pile of Zubat and Golbat corpses, which held an even greater attraction for them than the scent.
The two Grimers were so engrossed in eating that they forgot everything around them. They didn't even notice someone observing them as they feasted.
It wasn't until they were attacked just before leaving that they remembered the original purpose of their visit.
However, the Grimers were already slow by nature, and after eating so much, their bodies had swollen, making it difficult for them to even turn a corner, let alone engage in battle.
Soon, under the Psychic-type Slowpoke's double-effective attacks, combined with the relentless onslaught from Murkrow and Sneasel, the two Grimers collapsed onto the ground, completely incapacitated.
From a distance, Cain threw two ordinary Pokeballs and captured the Grimers.
The thick stench in the tunnel only began to dissipate after the Grimers were captured.
Murkrow flapped its wings furiously, attempting to speed up the dispersal of the foul smell.
Slowpoke used Confusion to bring the Pokeballs containing the Grimers back to Cain's side.
Through the AI system's scan, Cain noticed that the originally yellow-aptitude Grimer's stats had increased slightly after the brief battle.
These changes were subtle and would probably go unnoticed by most people. However, Cain could clearly see their stats rising, with their overall physical attributes increasing at a minuscule rate.
By then, Gastly, who had absorbed the wisp of the poisonous gas, gradually regained some clarity.
Although the change was barely noticeable, the color of the purple gas surrounding Gastly had darkened slightly.
According to the system's data, Gastly's Poison-type talent was slowly increasing. And this would continue until Gastly completely digested the gas.
"How are you feeling, Gastly?" Cain asked gently after putting the Pokeballs containing the Grimers into his pocket.
Gastly cackled and circled around Cain, indicating it felt great and that its body was full of power.
Seeing Gastly's energetic display, Cain smiled and nodded.
It seemed that Gastly had developed a slight resistance to the poisonous gas, so Cain wouldn't need to worry as much next time as long as Gastly didn't exceed the limit.
Meanwhile, Skorupi, who had been soothed by Cain the whole time, looked enviously at Gastly.
As a Poison-type Pokemon itself, the scent it had detected earlier was incredibly enticing. If it hadn't been for Cain's constant reassurance, Skorupi might not have been able to resist.
Cain saw Skorupi's expression, chuckled, and patted its head. "Don't worry, you little glutton. I've prepared something for you too. But for now, you need to get used to your body and grow stronger as quickly as possible."
Upon hearing Cain's words, Skorupi's eyes lit up, and it nodded vigorously. It even demonstrated its readiness by performing a push-up-like action in front of Cain.
Skorupi's playful antics brought a hearty laugh to the already delighted Cain.
As Cain continued deeper with his Pokemon, the appearance of the two Grimers turned out to be quite beneficial. At least they didn't have to deal with the fallen Zubats and Golbats on the ground.
Further in, the previously empty area due to the battle gradually became populated with more Pokemon. The most active ones were Rattatas and Raticates, as well as a few surprise appearances by Sandshrews. Any aggressive Pokemon were swiftly defeated by Murkrow and the rest of Cain's team.
When they encountered weaker Pokemon, Cain sent out Skorupi, who was getting more and more accustomed to the weight vest it wore. As for the risk of injury during battles, the resilient Skorupi bore it bravely.
In fact, for Bug-type Pokemon, even incidents like joint fractures and dislocations were normal. Bug-types had a remarkable ability to recover quickly. With sufficient resources and energy, limb regeneration could occur within a certain timeframe.
Moreover, Cain had plenty of healing potions, Miltank's Milk for stamina, and the support of the other Pokemon. If Skorupi ever found itself in a dire situation, all Cain had to do was give a command, and the others would immediately come to its rescue.