Cain's eyes flickered as he listened to the distant chatter of the treasure-hunting trio. He knew that Team Rocket had many maps that led to real treasures, and though he had considered obtaining some for himself, he had decided that berries were of greater value. But never in his wildest dreams did he expect to come across a group of treasure hunters.
He remembered Jack and his yellow-aptitude Koffing, a Pokémon of decent talent but not particularly high level. The other two, however, left little impression on him. But regardless, they had crossed paths in the middle of the wilderness and they were in possession of something that caught Cain's interest, so why not engage in a battle?
His mind raced as he prepared for the worst. Jack's Koffing would certainly be a formidable opponent, but Cain couldn't tell if it had learned 'Self-Destruct'. He was too far away to scan its data with his system. The Zubat and Oddish, however, should pose little problem. Oddish would be particularly vulnerable to Murkrow's flying-type moves.
Fighting against three trainers and their Pokémon was a different beast than fighting wild ones, but Murkrow had been growing strong of late. With a glance, Cain summoned Murkrow's stats:
Pokemon: Murkrow (Green)
Gender: Male
Level: 12
Type: Dark + Flying
Ability: Prankster
Held items: None
Egg moves: Punishment, Feint Attack, Roost
Basic moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze
Taught moves: Snatch, Tailwind, Gust
Technical Machines (TMs): None
After two days of intense battle, Murkrow had leveled up and learned two new moves, Haze and Gust.
The dense grass in the forest provided excellent cover, and Murkrow stayed close to Cain's back, not daring to make a sound.
Cain crept forward, halting when he was less than five meters from the treasure-hunting trio. This was the limit; any closer and he would be easily detected. But even from this distance, his system was able to conduct a scan.
With a flash of light in his eyes, the information of the three Pokémon appeared before him. As he had suspected, there was a level 14 yellow-aptitude Koffing that had not yet learned Self-Destruct, a level 13 orange-aptitude Zubat, and to his surprise, the Oddish was also yellow-aptitude, but it was only level 11. This proved that the trainer wasn't very skilled.
With this new information, Cain's plan became clear. Even though Oddish's level was low and its combat power was weak, it was still a Pokémon, and battling two against one was better than three against one. And with Oddish's weakness to flying-type moves, it would be the first target.
"Murkrow, activate Tailwind and attack the Oddish directly. Start with Gust, then immediately follow up with Peck. Finish it off fast!" Cain whispered to Murkrow, who nodded firmly. After a few days of battle, Cain and Murkrow had developed a silent understanding, and with a little reminder, Murkrow knew exactly what to do.
Cain held up three fingers, signaling a countdown, and as his fingers closed one by one, a pale white stream of air appeared around Murkrow, his eyes gradually becoming sharper amidst the black and white colors.
One! The last finger fell.
"Whoosh!" Murkrow's wings fiercely flapped, and a strong wind blew through the grass, exposing Cain in the process.
Shaking his head with a wry smile, Cain slowly stood up. Murkrow approached the Oddish in an instant, and to the surprise of the trio, sharp-looking wind blades appeared from his wings, targeting none other than the Oddish who was caught in a daze.
The treasure-hunting trio reacted immediately, tumbling away to escape the range of Murkrow's attack. To Cain's surprise, Jack was the most agile of the three. As they moved, the Koffing and Zubat also reacted and rushed to dodge.
Two powerful blasts of wind arrived in front of Oddish in a flash and slammed into it as it stared dumbfounded!
"Bang! Bang!"
With two loud sounds, Oddish fell to the ground. The impact was so strong that it even caused the ground to sink slightly, a testament to the strength of Murkrow's attack.
While everyone was busy dodging, Murkrow, who had finished releasing Gust, closed in sharply and Pecked at the Oddish!
"Koffing, Tackle!"
"Zubat, use Bite!"
The two teenagers hastily ordered.
"Murkrow, dodge!" Already exposed, Cain certainly wouldn't hide anymore, and seeing the two give the order to attack, he hurriedly told Murkrow to dodge.
Murkrow quickly got up and narrowly avoided the two Pokémon's attack. Although he did not manage to kill the Oddish, it was already on the verge of death.
"Oddish!" Tim screamed, he was worried but didn't dare to approach. His weak body would not be able to block a single attack from Murkrow.
Jack glanced at the short youth who was sitting on the ground crying and sneered. Taking a clear look at who it was that had sneaked up on them, both Jack and John frowned. They recognized Cain, after all, he had gotten second place in the first test.
"It's you!" Jack spat, his expression cold.
Cain simply smiled, not deigning to respond.
"Don't think you're something special, just because you managed to cheat your way to second place. And now you resort to sneaking around and ambushing us," Jack jeered, but his subtle gestures betrayed his true intentions as he signaled for John to launch an attack.
John, quick on the uptake, shouted "Zubat, close in on him, Wing Attack!"
"Koffing, Smog!"
"Murkrow, Gust! Blow away the smog!" Cain responded calmly, his presence steady and unwavering. Under Cain's influence, Murkrow remained composed as well.
The Zubat faced Murkrow's Gust head-on and took direct damage while quickly closing in on him, its one wing emitting a faint glow as it swung towards Murkrow. The Smog was blown away by Gust, but during this time, the Koffing was also rapidly approaching.
Struck by Zubat's Wing Attack, Murkrow was sent flying backwards a few meters. Though injured, his physique was strong enough to not affect his combat abilities.
"Koffing, Tackle!" Jack shouted, sensing an opportunity.
"Murkrow, dodge!" Cain commanded, his expression unchanged.
"Go for Zubat, Feint Attack!"
With lightning speed, Murkrow dodged Koffing's attack and closed in on Zubat.
"Get out of the way, Zubat!" John shouted in alarm, as he saw Murkrow quickly approaching.
Unfortunately, Feint Attack was guaranteed to hit.
"Bang!" Murkrow's sharp beak viciously hit the Zubat.
After that one attack, Murkrow made a quick retreat.
Murkrow repeated his pattern of attack with precision and agility, deftly evading the attacks of the Koffing and focusing his assault on the Zubat. It was not long before the Zubat too fell in battle, leaving the slower Koffing as nothing more than an afterthought.
Cain, his cold smile playing at his lips, looked on with satisfaction as the Zubat was vanquished. Jack, the rotund trainer, grit his teeth in determination to fight Murkrow, but to no avail, as not a single feather was touched.
John, gazing upon his fallen Zubat, grimaced in despair, unsure of what to do next.
"Idiots!" Jack bellowed, his thick neck reddening with anger. "Can you two stop gawking over there? He's all alone, go and get him! Are you waiting to be killed?" The consequences for the three of them would be dire if the Koffing were to fall as well, and Jack's forehead was slick with sweat at the thought.
His words spurred John into action, who pulled a dagger from his storage belt and held it tightly in his hand. Even Tim, who had been sitting dazed on the ground, stood up tremblingly, his eyes red with determination.
Together, the two of them charged towards Cain.
But Cain's expression remained unchanged, his past as a member of Team Rocket having hardened him to the violence before him. Despite his current physical weakness, his training in combat techniques made quick work of the two teens before him.
"Murkrow," he commanded his companion, "let's take care of that chubby trainer first."
With a fierce caw, Murkrow raised his wings and swooped down upon Jack, his sharp claws slicing through the trainer's throat without hesitation. Jack desperately grasped at his neck, attempting to speak, but no words came out as his body went limp and crumpled to the ground.
Soon after, Koffing also succumbed to Murkrow's relentless onslaught, resulting in all three of the opposing Pokemon being defeated.
Cain was indifferent to the pleading gazes of the three before him, for he had long ago learned that the world was not a kind one. Survival was a battle, and to show mercy to one's enemies was to ensure one's own demise. In this test of strength, only the strongest would emerge victorious.
With practiced ease, Cain deftly unbuckled the storage belts of the trio and led Murkrow away from the scene. The stench of blood would soon attract the wild Pokemon of the forest, and the fallen bodies would serve as sustenance for their hunger.
After wandering for an indeterminate amount of time, Cain and Murkrow sat beneath a tree. Cain offered his companion a few Black Bolt Pokeblocks to restore his strength before emptying the contents of the three belts onto the ground. There was little of value among the items, but Cain pocketed a dagger, some food, and other necessities for surviving in the wilderness.
What caught Cain's attention, however, was a bottle of healing spray in the possession of the youth dressed in green. He could only assume it was obtained through looting, but it was a useful find nonetheless.
As he examined a tattered treasure map in his hand, Cain couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment. The map, left behind by Team Rocket as a reward for newcomers, was poorly drawn and the written instructions were barely legible.
But the trio had mentioned that the treasure was located due south of the cave, and according to the map, it lay within the Caterpie territory, beyond the Rattata and Weedle territories. The chubby teenager had claimed they had already passed through the Rattata territory, leaving only one more hurdle to overcome before reaching the treasure.
As Cain and Murkrow ventured deeper into the forest, they soon found themselves approaching the Weedle territory. Compared to the Caterpie territory where the treasure was said to be buried, the Weedle territory was far more treacherous.
"Bug-type Pokemon grow at an alarming rate," Cain muttered, "so we must be careful. There are sure to be Beedrills here, and they're a force to be reckoned with." For it was not their strength alone that made the Beedrill so feared, but their collective consciousness, which meant that if one were to cross them, the entire hive would turn against the offender. And their intolerance for outsiders was legendary, leading to swift and merciless attacks.
"Let's hope there are fewer Beedrill here, or else we'll have to take a detour," Cain said with a bitter smile, imagining the prospect of facing a swarm of vicious insects. The rough map in his possession offered little guidance, and taking a detour could lead to unknown dangers - rivers to be crossed, powerful Pokemon to be encountered. Known dangers were preferable to the unknown.
With a dagger in hand, Cain ventured deeper into the forest, cutting away thorns and branches as Murkrow silently flew overhead.
They had traveled for several kilometers since their battle with the trio.
As they entered the Weedle territory, both Cain and Murkrow kept their movements and noise to a minimum, hoping to avoid alerting the Beedrill that were known to reside there.
As they progressed, Cain was relieved to find that they had not yet encountered any Weedles, Kakunas, or Beedrills. But that relief was short-lived as they came upon a dense forest ahead of them, the trees thick with golden cocoons hanging from them. The greenery was dotted with these golden clusters, and a deep sense of unease washed over Cain.
Pausing to take in the sight, Cain observed the area carefully. It was a relief that there was no Beedrill in sight, but the Kakunas couldn't be underestimated. They could evolve into Beedrills at the slightest provocation, and the sheer number of them made Murkrow uneasy.
Moving with even greater caution, it took two hours for them to pass through the Weedle territory. But Cain knew that it wouldn't be long before this area was overrun by Beedrills, and according to their characteristics, it would soon become one of the most powerful groups in the forest.
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