Chapter 15: Pinsir

Cain wiped the small drops of sweat that had appeared on his forehead. Despite everything he had seen in his life, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

If, in the middle of his path, a Kakuna suddenly turned into a Beedrill, even if he could escape, he would likely end up seriously injured.

It's important to remember that Beedrill is a Bug and Poison-type Pokémon. If he were to get poisoned and didn't have an antidote, surviving would be a stroke of luck.

Finally, Cain left the terrifying forest of Kakuna behind. The sense of relief was immediate, and even the air felt much fresher.

Murkrow, who had been restrained for a long time, flew energetically in the sky. The tension of the previous situation had weighed heavily on him. Despite being a Flying-type Pokémon, facing a swarm of almost a hundred Beedrill, his only option was to flee in terror.

The next place they headed was Caterpie's territory. If it followed the same logic as Weedle's territory, it had probably also become a forest of Metapod.

However, unlike Kakuna, Metapod is a docile Pokémon.

As long as they weren't attacked first, passing through their territory shouldn't pose any danger. Even if the forest contained Butterfree, which are also peaceful by nature, there wouldn't be any major problems.

After checking the map again to make sure he was going in the right direction, Cain was finally able to straighten up and walk with more confidence. Murkrow flew in circles in the air, like a bird newly freed from a cage, with no intention of stopping anytime soon.

According to the landmarks, after walking a few more kilometers, when he found a small hill, the treasure would be there.

The sun was beginning to set, and the shadows of the trees and Cain intertwined on the ground. The Caterpie forest didn't pose a great threat, and Cain passed by several Metapod patiently waiting for their time to evolve into Butterfree.

Finally, he reached the small hill marked on the map. At the top of the hill was a tree so large that it would take three people to wrap around its trunk. The treasure was buried under that tree.

However, what surprised Cain was seeing a Pokémon with two large horns on its head clinging to the tree, moving slightly as if searching for something.

Cain raised his hand and signaled Murkrow to come down.

Seeing Cain's signal, Murkrow stopped flying in circles and quickly swooped down to him. Cain, along with Murkrow, began to approach the hill. About five meters away, Cain used the system to scan the data of the Pokémon in front of him:

Pokémon: Pinsir (Orange)

Gender: Female

Level: 18

Type: Bug

Ability: Hyper Cutter

Held Item: Resin

Egg Move: Feint

Basic Moves: Vice Grip, Focus Energy, Bind, Seismic Toss, Harden, Revenge, Vital Throw

Learned Move: Bite

TM Moves: None

After seeing Pinsir's data on the screen, Cain frowned slightly. He knew this type of Pokémon very well, as in his previous life he had a Pinsir of exceptional quality that played a key role in his team.

With a base attack stat of 125 and 100 in defense, plus a speed of 85, Pinsir could have been an extremely sought-after Pokémon if it weren't for its low health and inability to evolve.

Even in its current state, Pinsir was known as a trainer-killer for beginners.

Bug-type Pokémon grow quickly, and with Pinsir's high offensive power and the moves it learns early on, it becomes a deadly threat to opponents.

Pinsir has a fierce temperament and will attack any Pokémon that comes near. And if it catches you with its large horns, escaping is almost impossible.

The Pinsir that Cain is facing is at level 18. Although it's only of orange quality, it is still the strongest opponent that Cain and Murkrow have faced so far.

It was clear that this Pinsir was the guardian of the hill. If Cain wanted to get the treasure, he would have to face it, and with Pinsir's temperament, a battle was inevitable.

"Murkrow, be careful not to get caught by its horns," Cain warned seriously. Fortunately, Murkrow is a Dark and Flying-type Pokémon, giving him a double advantage against Pinsir.

"Caw!" Murkrow also sensed that the opponent wouldn't be easy to defeat and nodded in understanding.

Cain began devising a strategy in his mind, trying to avoid a direct confrontation with Pinsir.

"Murkrow, use Gust."

The Pinsir, who was enjoying its meal, was suddenly attacked, and on top of that, it was a Flying-type move, its least favorite type. It felt a sharp pain in its body.

A wave of rage surged in Pinsir's heart. As the leader of the area, she had always been the one intimidating others. How dare they attack her, and while she was enjoying her meal? This was like adding fuel to the fire.

"Grrr!" Pinsir roared in fury as it charged towards Murkrow. It knew that little Pokémon was the one who had interrupted its moment of enjoyment.

As Pinsir ran, it took a deep breath, concentrated its energy, and a gust of wind surged from its feet. It was using Focus Energy, a move that increases the chance of landing a critical hit.

With its high attack power combined with the possibility of a critical hit, a single blow from Pinsir could be deadly.

"Murkrow, use Snatch," Cain ordered quickly upon noticing Pinsir's shift.

A dark energy emerged around Pinsir, and the gust of wind it had accumulated instantly dissipated, appearing around Murkrow in the form of a black shadow. Feeling the power contained in that shadow, Murkrow's eyes sharpened.

Snatch is a Dark-type move that, with Murkrow's Prankster ability, allowed it to steal the effect of Focus Energy before Pinsir could benefit from it.

Enjoying the effect of Focus Energy, Murkrow kept a close eye on Pinsir, observing every movement of its body, noting small inconsistencies that could be weak points to exploit.

"Murkrow, use Gust again." With the Prankster ability, any attempt by its opponent to power up became useless and could even be turned against them.

Upon hearing the command, Murkrow flapped its wings, generating an even sharper gust of wind than before, aimed at the inconsistencies it had noticed in Pinsir's body.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two blasts of wind hit Pinsir.

"Grrr!" Pinsir cried out in pain. Not only was it confused by the ineffectiveness of its usual move, but now it felt an even sharper pain than before. Its eyes filled with rage.

Without the ability to fly, Pinsir found itself powerless against Murkrow's cunning tactics, like a child facing an adult, unable to do anything.

It was being attacked but couldn't strike back, and that powerlessness only fueled its frustration.

Resigned, Pinsir decided to use one of its least favorite moves. Concentrating all its strength, its body tensed. It was using Harden, a move that increases its defense.

(End of Chapter)