48 Chapter 48:

"Can you make out any Pokemon in there, Slowpoke?" Cain queried as they approached the cave, its entrance marred by faint scratch marks that spoke of excavation. It was clear that this was a cave had been dug out by a Pokemon, but the marks were not of the kind left behind by Geodude or Onix.

Slowpoke's eyes glowed slightly as he emitted invisible psychic fluctuations, searching for any signs of life within. A moment later, he shook his head at Cain, indicating that he had not sensed the presence of any Pokemon.

"Hmmm," Cain mused, pulling a flashlight from his Team Rocket belt and shining it directly into the cave. After a moment's hesitation, he stepped inside, with Murkrow landing on Slowpoke and floating alongside them with the help of the Psychic Pokemon's powers.

As they ventured deeper into the cave, Cain noticed that it was gradually expanding and quickened his pace. But despite reaching the end in a mere five minutes, there was nothing to see but rocks. "Strange, is this really just a normal cave?" he muttered to himself as he surveyed the scene before him.

Just then, Slowpoke called out to Cain, pointing in a certain direction. Cain's heart skipped a beat as he moved in the direction Slowpoke had indicated, and there he found a large stalactite hanging from the dark cave ceiling. A drop of milky-white sticky liquid clung to its round tip, not dripping down.

This drop of milky fluid gave off a refreshing scent that lasted less than a meter before dissipating into the air. No wonder Cain hadn't smelled it at first. "Is this...'Geocentric Cleansing Milk'?" Cain couldn't help but wonder, for it was a heavenly treasure in the Pokemon world, known for its rich energy and minerals that could boost a Pokemon's attack and defense when taken alone, and its effects would increase exponentially when combined with various ingredients to make Pokeblocks.

Even humans could drink geocentric cleansing milk to increase their strength and vitality, prevent illness, and live longer. This was a rare and precious substance, sought after by Team Rocket and powerful families and factions alike for its life-prolonging properties.

Cain remembered, from his previous life, the frenzied rush to acquire a batch when it appeared on Team Rocket's exchange list. It was snatched up in less than a minute, and at a price of 1000 Team Rocket points per drop.

"A single drop can take several months to condense," Cain sighed, "It's a shame it's still a little too early."

But then, as Slowpoke concentrated on inspecting the ground, a blue light flickered in his eyes and a stone the size of a pot lid was lifted. At once, a strong scent wafted out, and with a single breath, Cain, Murkrow, and Slowpoke felt their bodies relax.

The stalactite hanging above them was directly over a small puddle of geocentric cleansing milk, and the drop stuck to its tip finally broke free with Slowpoke's slight movement and fell into the puddle below. The initially calm surface rippled, but there was no splash.

Cain was taken aback by the scene before him, never expecting to see so much geocentric cleansing milk coalescing here. He gulped unconsciously as he stared at the milky-white liquid, which emitted rays of starlight.

Cain finally came to his senses and hastily took some bottles and containers from his belt, had them washed by Slowpoke and dried by Murkrow. He then took out a spoon used to make pokeblocks and slowly filled the containers with the geocentric cleansing milk.

However, as he filled a glass jar, he noticed a Pokemon egg in the middle of the puddle. Who knew how long the geocentric cleansing milk had been collecting, or when the Pokemon egg had been placed here?

Cain thought back to the scratch marks he had seen all over the cave. "Could it be that a Pokemon placed this Pokemon Egg here?" he wondered, his heart stirring slightly. "But it's been so long that this Pokemon Egg must have died already."

Nevertheless, he didn't rush, instead continuing to steadily fill the containers. As the vats gradually filled and the puddle gradually disappeared, the Pokemon Egg was finally revealed in its entirety. And soon, the full data of the Pokemon Egg appeared before Cain's eyes, revealing a surprise that he never could have predicted.

Pokemon: Larvitar (Egg Form, Non-Hatchable) (Blue)

Gender: Male

Level: 1

Type: Rock + Ground

Ability: Unknown

Held items: Geocentric Cleansing Milk

Egg moves: Dragon Dance, Outrage, Ancient Power, Stealth Rock

Basic moves: Bite, Leer

Taught moves: None

Technical Machines (TMs): None

Dumbfounded, the spoon in Cain's hand clattered to the ground as he stared in shock at the Pokemon Egg's data. He could hardly believe that the Pokemon egg was actually of a Larvitar, but it would explain the scratch marks and the size of the cave.

Looking at this Larvitar egg's moves, Dragon Dance and Outrage, one could only imagine how strong and talented its parents were. A pseudo-legendary Pokemon with a blue aptitude! In his previous life, Cain had owned a Pseudo-legendary Pokemon, but it wasn't a Larvitar, and it was because of that Pokemon that he had risen to the level of a quasi-elite trainer.

"What does it mean by 'non-hatchable?" It was the first time he had seen this message after using the system for so long. If the Pokemon egg was dead, it was normal that it couldn't be hatched, but now it seemed that the Pokemon egg's life force was intact, even a little too strong, which was confusing.

Cain placed a piece of cloth on the ground before carefully removing the Pokemon egg from the puddle and placing it on the cloth. He noticed that the smooth Pokemon egg emitted a faint glow, almost identical to the geocentric cleansing milk. Murkrow and Slowpoke also leaned over, and as Pokemon, their feelings were even clearer. The presence of the little creature inside the egg was obvious, but for some reason, a wave of sadness seemed to emanate from it.

Slowpoke leaned his pink, round head gently against the egg, and Cain understood what he was trying to do. After a while, Slowpoke tugged at Cain's pants and motioned for him to put his hand on his back and for Murkrow to do the same. And in an instant, the scene changed before their eyes, revealing a mystery that Cain never could have imagined.