Chapter 54:

Cain inclined his head, but remained silent. He felt no urgency to make a decision, as if he couldn't find a Gastly that suited his needs here, he could always seek one elsewhere. There was no cause for discouragement.

Old Gastly, noticing Cain's imminent departure with Murkrow and Slowpoke, hesitated briefly before taking action. He beckoned to a nearby Gastly and murmured something to it. Then, he faced Cain and declared, "Please, hold on. A few more are yet to arrive."

Cain shot a look at Old Gastly and, with a nod, settled into a patient wait.

Minutes passed and the Gastly that had previously left the cavern returned, accompanied by several more.

Cain's eyes lit up at the sight of the new Gastlys. It was evident they were distinct from those he had seen before. Their eyes shone brighter, the purple gas that surrounded them was more substantial, and they exuded excitement, as indicated by their broad grins.

A glimmer appeared in Cain's eyes as he accessed the system and read their aptitudes. "Yellow, yellow, light yellow, dark yellow, yellow, light green, dark green!" He mentally recited each Gastly's aptitude, growing increasingly amazed until he came across the last one, which had reached dark green!

Pokemon: Gastly (Dark Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 10

Type: Ghost + Poison

Ability: Levitate

Held items: None

Egg moves: Fire Punch, Scary Face, Haze

Basic moves: Hypnosis, Lick, Spite, Mean Look

Taught moves: Rest, Shadow Ball, Psychic, Skill Swap, Snore

Technical Machines (TMs): None

Old Gastly watched as Cain zeroed in on a particular Gastly and sighed wistfully. "It seems you have a way of gauging their talent. This Gastly is the most gifted member of our clan, and we had hoped for him to mature here and eventually lead the clan after I pass away."

Cain wasn't surprised that Old Gastly discovered that he possessed a method of evaluating a Pokémon's talent, but he was taken aback by the fact that, despite its low level, this Gastly had learned so many moves. It was a testament to both its innate talent and the support of its clan in its training.

The Gastly, too, noticed Cain's gaze and met it with curiosity. It was the first time it had seen a human and longed to explore the world beyond the cave, as described in Old Gastly's tales.

These Gastlys had been thrilled at the prospect of meeting a human, but Old Gastly had kept them at bay. Now, for some unknown reason, he had summoned them to meet the human they had been eager to see.

"I've made my choice," Cain stated firmly and approached the Gastly with the dark green aptitude.

Old Gastly briefly considered intervening, but ultimately chose not to. From the moment he asked the other Gastly to bring these talented young ones here, he had decided to let Cain decide for himself. He had not expected Cain to be so discerning and pick the most gifted one so quickly.

"Very well," Old Gastly said slowly, as if his heart was breaking.

Cain approached the Gastly with a smile and asked, "Would you like to join me and explore the vast, vibrant world outside?"

Gastly was momentarily stunned by Cain's offer, then glanced at Old Gastly and, seeing no objection, nodded eagerly, "Jie Jie!"

Cain's smile widened as he retrieved a Great Ball from his belt and said, "If that's what you want, come on in."

Murkrow and Slowpoke gazed upon Gastly with joyous anticipation, aware that they would soon have another ally.

Gastly approached the Great Ball held in Cain's hand, delicately pressing the center button, and was enveloped by a red flash of light.

With a sharp click, Gastly was caught effortlessly.

Cain beamed with satisfaction. It was a welcome surprise to have caught a talented and well-trained Gastly, and he was relieved that he no longer needed to be constantly on guard.

Releasing Gastly from the Pokeball, Cain greeted him with a warm welcome, "Welcome aboard, Gastly!"

Murkrow and Slowpoke voiced their approval with a chorus of "Caw!" and "Yadong!"

Gastly seemed even more lively and energetic, as he began to circle Cain, Murkrow, and Slowpoke, who were all elated to see their new companion.

Cain smiled at Gastly, who, despite being older than both Murkrow and Slowpoke, still retained a youthful spirit. He was certain that Gastly would bring a new level of vitality to their team.

Although Old Gastly struggled to keep his emotions in check, he was comforted by the sight of Gastly's happiness.

With everything settled, Old Gastly led Cain and the others to the entrance of the cave.

Cain relished the feeling of being outside and basking in the warmth of the sun. The damp and chilly environment within the Gastly-filled cave was not the most comfortable place to be. However, when he turned around, he noticed that Old Gastly remained at the entrance, avoiding the sunlight. Gastly also showed a dislike for the sun, though without any noticeable physical discomfort.

"Gastly, just hide in my shadow for now," Cain said with a smile.

Gastly obliged, disappearing into Cain's shadow. Being in the shadow was much like being in a cave, but with the disadvantage of it being smaller. Cain decided not to put Gastly back into his Poké Ball as one of Gastly's future duties would be to protect Cain from the shadows, specifically his own shadow. So, it was best to let Gastly acclimate as soon as possible.

With a wave goodbye to Old Gastly, Cain set off. But he knew he would be back soon, drawn by the mysterious stone altar and the promise of a family visit with Gastly.

Old Gastly hovered at the entrance of the cave, watching as Cain and the others departed. Eventually, with a sigh, he returned to the cave, his posture somewhat forlorn.

A short distance away, Cain, Murkrow, and Gastly stood under a tree, observing Slowpoke. Cain stroked the Pokemon's back and said, "Slowpoke, use Teleport to bring us back. Take it slow, focus on preserving your energy."

Cain couldn't walk back because the trip from the cave to Team Rocket's base would take at least three days. He had accounted for Slowpoke's Teleport, or else he wouldn't have been able to leisurely train Murkrow and Slowpoke along the way.

Slowpoke, still new to telepathy, remained quiet and nodded. He enveloped Cain, Murkrow, and the hidden Gastly with psychic energy. This caused Gastly's body to rise above Cain's shadow, to his surprise.

Ignoring Gastly's reaction, Slowpoke focused on the coordinates. Teleporting three people over such a long distance was a heavy burden for him. Slowly, he gathered his energy, and with a bright flash, they vanished.

"Boom!"

When they reappeared, Cain was momentarily dizzy from the sudden spatial shift, but Murkrow and Gastly were unaffected. Slowpoke, however, lost control of his body and nearly fell to the ground, disoriented. But, he was prepared for it, thanks to Cain's warning.

"Slowpoke, your exertion has exceeded your limits," Cain spoke with a stern expression. Despite being uncertain of their location, he deduced from Slowpoke's depleted state that they were far from the Gastly Cave.

Slowpoke obediently used the remnants of his psychic energy to hand the egg incubator, which he had protected, to Cain before collapsing onto the ground and using Calm Mind.

"Murkrow, Gastly, keep vigilant of our surroundings and attack any approaching Pokémon without hesitation," Cain ordered with a serious tone.

"Caw!"

"Jie Jie!"

Both Murkrow and Gastly nodded, understanding the importance of their companion's safety.

"Gastly, you are to traverse the shadows and survey the area for any formidable Pokémon. Ensure that you remain discreet at all times," Cain instructed Gastly.

Cain was still unaware of their location and needed Gastly to gather information.

"Jie Jie," Gastly nodded, recognizing the priority of the task. Though he was eager to explore the outside world for the first time, he remained disciplined, especially with Slowpoke in a weakened state.

Gastly gradually dissipated into the shadow cast by a nearby tree. He possessed the ability to move freely through any connected shadows and the forest was teeming with them.

Meanwhile, Murkrow continued to glide in the air, his sharp eyes never ceasing in their surveillance.

As Cain sat beside Slowpoke, he gazed contemplatively at the incubator in his hand, which housed the Larvitar egg. When scanned with the system, various parameters were displayed, but the hatching time remained unknown. The egg incubator displayed that the Larvitar egg was unresponsive.

"How am I to hatch you, this is a vexing predicament," Cain muttered to the unresponsive Larvitar egg with a hint of frustration.

"The sun dipped below the horizon as Gastly returned, bringing news of the surrounding Pokémon. Through gestures formed by gas on his body, Gastly informed Cain of the powerful creatures he had spotted and their location, finally allowing Cain to determine where they had been transported.

"It's no wonder Slowpoke is worn out," Cain thought. "We're on the outskirts of the Scyther territory." It was well known that other Pokémon avoided the battle-crazed Scythers, who would never tire of challenging their foes, win or lose. Any wild Pokémon would be afraid of their never-ending cycle of conflict.

The base wasn't far away and Cain could reach it in a day if he hastened his pace. A second Teleport from Slowpoke, once he had recovered, would significantly reduce the journey time.

Slowpoke's mastery of Teleport was improving with each use. This time, he had teleported more than a hundred kilometers, a tenfold increase from his previous range. Although each Teleport drained Slowpoke's psychic energy, the benefits were immense. He still had some residual energy after this teleportation, enough to handle any unexpected events.

Slowpoke fully regained his energy and opened his eyes, shining with vitality. "How are you feeling, Slowpoke?" Cain asked.