Chapter 189: Post-Battle Practice

An hour later, Cain and his companions moved forward through the tunnel for another hour, finally reaching its end.

This tunnel was clearly one of the deepest among the various branches of Diglett Cave.

He gathered his other Pokémon, leaving only Slowpoke.

He instructed Slowpoke to use Teleport to return to the previous entry point.

As they exited, they didn't draw anyone's attention. Cain dusted off his clothes and continued deeper into Diglett Cave's tunnel.

Today's exploration of Diglett Cave's branches had been sufficient, and the number of battles for the Pokémon was also considerable. What they needed next was to assimilate what they had learned and experienced in today's battles.

By doing this, they wouldn't forget the lessons they had gained in the next battle.

They continued a bit further into Diglett Cave until Cain began to feel hungry.

Cain chose a small, already explored tunnel and placed a sign at the entrance, indicating that this tunnel was temporarily occupied as a camp, warning that entering without permission could result in an attack, and that the consequences would be on whoever attempted it.

These small explored tunnels were commonly used by passing trainers as temporary camps. Many tunnel entrances had signs like these.

So, very few trainers dared to enter. After all, no one knew how strong the trainer inside might be; if they could win, all good, but if not, the trouble would be on them.

Therefore, among trainers who visited Diglett Cave, there were some unwritten rules.

First: no littering, which is very important.

Second: if a tunnel is already occupied as a camp and has a sign at the entrance, you must not enter without permission, or the consequences are your own responsibility.

And there's a third: don't attack other trainers in the tunnel, among other things.

Although they aren't official rules, everyone accepts them as such.

So, after choosing a branch of the tunnel and placing a sign, Cain went in directly.

These explored tunnels that could be used as camps generally had some old light bulbs installed on the ceiling, like in Diglett Cave, so it wasn't completely dark.

Moreover, these tunnels were fairly shallow, and most wild Pokémon had already been driven out, so there was no worry about encountering unexpected Pokémon.

However, if one did dig its way in, that would be another story.

Inside the tunnel, Cain took out some fine wires and small bells from his ring, tying them to the tunnel's entrance. Anything that touched them would make the bells ring, immediately alerting Cain and his Pokémon.

After setting these small traps, Cain and Slowpoke went inside the tunnel.

Cain took out camping tools from his ring. When he released his Pokémon, they all started working on their tasks.

Slowpoke and Murkrow set up the tent, Miltank helped Cain prepare the ingredients, while Sneasel and Gastly took care of the campfire and other small details.

Only Skorupi, being in a growth stage, wasn't given any tasks.

However, he didn't sit still. He knew his companions were looking out for him, so he went to the side to train his body, aware that his rapid growth had decreased his control over his own body.

It couldn't be denied that Skorupi's progress was remarkable. In the hour of post-battle training, he leveled up twice, reaching level 11.

Since he was always fighting against stronger opponents, the experience gained was considerable, resulting in rapid growth.

Cain had already decided that if Skorupi didn't manage to fully master his body, he wouldn't let him participate in more battles for a while.

Sometimes, growing too quickly isn't a good thing, as it can cause an unstable foundation, slowing future progress or even reducing potential.

When Skorupi understood this, he trained tirelessly, making the most of advanced-level Pokéblocks and Miltank's milk for recovery. As long as he had energy, he kept training.

Seeing Skorupi's dedicated attitude, Cain couldn't help but smile.

Soon, the camp was ready, and Cain and Miltank had finished preparing the ingredients.

Knowing they would be spending some time in Diglett Cave, Cain had stocked his ring with a good amount of fresh ingredients. Since they were stored in a space where they wouldn't spoil, he didn't mind bringing plenty.

However, once the Pokémon finished their tasks, Cain didn't allow them to relax. Except for Miltank, who continued assisting him, the other Pokémon were assigned to training.

Only after completing their training tasks could they eat dinner.

Murkrow, with added weight equipment, had to fly back and forth across the tunnel; Slowpoke, on the other hand, was instructed to combine its Psychic abilities with Water-type skills, ensuring that psychic control over the water wouldn't reduce the power of its attacks, allowing it to twist and change direction while attacking.

Gastly, who had absorbed a small amount of poisonous gas but hadn't fully assimilated it, was sent to the end of the tunnel, where it had to try controlling the purple gas around its body to see if it could corrode the walls.

Sneasel was assigned to train its control over Ice-type energy. It had to form an icicle without throwing it, holding it in its hand and expanding it until it became a ball of ice.

As for Skorupi, without needing Cain to say anything, he knew what his task was: he stayed to the side doing simple but intense exercises to strengthen his body.

Soon, the aroma of grilled meat filled the cave. If not for the training tasks, the Pokémon would have run toward the grill, eagerly waiting for the meat to be fully cooked.

Cain, smiling, waved a small fan, fanning the coals to increase the heat.

The golden exterior of the roasted meat began to release drops of fat, which fell onto the coals with a sizzle, raising the temperature even more.

Soon, Murkrow, having finished its training, appeared by the grill. Although it was breathing heavily from the intense exercise, its desire for food hadn't diminished.

However, it didn't start eating immediately; instead, it restrained itself, waiting for the other Pokémon to finish their training so they could eat together.

Some training tasks were indeed challenging, like the one given to Slowpoke, which clearly couldn't be completed in just one day.

So, seeing it was enough for now, Cain called his Pokémon back. The training could continue later.

His intention was simply to ensure that, while their bodies were still warm from the battle, they wouldn't forget what they had learned from that recent fight.

(End of chapter)