Chapitre 172: Chapter 172:
As the middle-aged man led Cain deeper into the tunnel, he glanced at the ground and noticed no footprints that could have been left by Cain. The young man's intentions were now apparent.
The middle-aged man saw through the ruse but remained silent, his eyes devoid of emotion as he looked at Cain.
The pair, each harboring different thoughts, ventured further into the tunnel.
After walking for ten minutes without any intention of stopping, the middle-aged man didn't question Cain about the whereabouts of the 'stuff' he mentioned.
It was as if they had an unspoken agreement: neither would speak, and their distance from each other gradually increased.
Gradually, the two who had been walking side by side ended up near the opposite walls of the tunnel.
Another ten minutes passed, and they were nearly at the tunnel's end when the middle-aged man finally stopped. His once-amicable smile had vanished.
With a somber expression, he stared at Cain, "We're almost at the end, young man. Where's the stuff you mentioned?"
As he spoke, he removed a Pokeball from his waist, holding it in his hand, ready to summon his Pokemon at any moment.
"Heh, it's right here—the thing you're after is that stuff," Cain sneered.
In truth, Cain could have had his Slowpoke eliminate the middle-aged man at any moment during their journey, but he refrained.
He wanted to know the reason this man had killed someone—a person he might even know, perhaps a friend.
Cain didn't care about who the man had killed; he was interested in his motive.
To kill so calmly the first time was rare, even in Team Rocket. Such a person might make a good subordinate, provided Cain could maintain control over him.
"What do you know?" The man's face darkened at Cain's words. His eyes began to show a tinge of bloodshot red, signaling that he was nearing his breaking point.
Cain glanced at him and gave a mysterious smile.
"You look quite composed, but your movements are light and evasive. You try to hide it, but the bloodshot eyes betray your inner turmoil. There's a faint smell of blood on you that you failed to clean up. Your first kill, right? And it was someone you knew?"
Cain's words were like daggers, stabbing the man's heart with each sentence.
"What exactly do you know?" the man roared, tossing out his Poké Ball, and summoned his Pokémon—a Graveler.
Pokémon: Graveler (Dark Yellow)
Gender: Male
Level: 26
Type: Rock + Ground
Ability: Sturdy
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Block, Endure
Basic Moves: Tackle, Defense Curl, Mud Sport Rock Polish, Rollout, Magnitude, Rock Throw, Smack Down, Bulldoze, Self-Destruct
Taught Moves: Stealth Rock, Snore
Technical Machines (TMs): None
Cain seemed unbothered by the Graveler's appearance.
To face a Slowpoke and send out a Graveler—what a joke.
Cain continued, "It seems my guess was correct. Whatever you're looking for is in this tunnel, buried in the dirt at the very end, right?"
The man must have chosen to confront Cain deep in the tunnel for two reasons. Firstly, it was far from the entrance, so any commotion from a battle would go unnoticed. Secondly, he wanted to ensure the item wasn't taken by Cain or someone else.
Moreover, from the man's reaction, it appeared the item hadn't been taken.
He pulled another Poké Ball from his pocket, growing impatient with Cain's refusal to answer his question. He decided to use force.
Although Cain's Slowpoke was a Water and Psychic-type and appeared to be special with considerable battle power, the man believed his Pokémon, working together, would have no problem handling it.
As for whether Cain had other Pokémon, the man didn't give it a thought.
At first glance, Cain appeared to be a novice Pokemon trainer, with his youthful appearance suggesting he had not been on his journey for long. The Slowpoke seemed to be his only Pokemon.
It was only natural for his opponent to think this way. After all, people tend to judge others by their own standards.
Given the man's age, his low-level Pokemon suggested he lacked natural talent as a trainer. As such, those who accompanied him probably weren't very skilled either.
This assumption seemed reasonable, especially considering that he seemed to have defeated an acquaintance of his, bolstering his confidence.
With a flash of red light, a Beedrill appeared in the tunnel.
Its light-yellow aptitude and level 22 status made it a formidable Pokemon for an average civilian trainer, and among civilian trainers, having two Pokemon with yellow aptitudes was a rare accomplishment.
However, he didn't stop after summoning Beedrill. He took out another Pokeball and, without hesitation or further questioning, threw it with bloodshot eyes.
Another light-yellow aptitude, this time a level 21 Raticate, emerged.
Though none of these three Pokemon were particularly exceptional, Cain was wary of Graveler's Self-Destruct move. If it chose to go down the suicide bombing route, a cave-in could occur in this small tunnel.
"Is that all of them?" Cain asked, raising an eyebrow.
It seemed his earlier assumptions were mostly correct. The man in front of him was feeling the pressure of having killed someone for the first time.
The weight of taking a life, combined with Cain's relentless exposure of the man's hidden actions, pushed him to the brink of a mental breakdown.
Without hesitation, Cain summoned all his Pokemon: Murkrow, Sneasel, Gastly, Miltank, and Skorupi.
He had never been afraid of a numbers game. If necessary, he would even summon his Fearow and two Grimers.
The middle-aged man's face paled as he watched Cain's Pokemon appear one by one, sensing their unrestrained presence.
He realized he had underestimated the seemingly friendly, easygoing youngster in front of him.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone