Chapter 99:

Cain beckoned forth Miltank, the first and foremost support in his arsenal, and treated his team of tenacious Pokemon to the finest milk to replenish their waning strength. With the additional aid of the cutting-edge advanced Pokéblocks, his faithful companions were quickly restored to their peak physical condition.

"Alright, we've had our rest. Let's go!" Cain exclaimed with a grin as he rose from the ground and dusted off his pants.

"Caw!"

"Ya dong!"

"Jiejie!"

Murkrow and Slowpoke were raring to engage in combat, their anticipation palpable. Gastly, on the other hand, was content to be a spectator and relish in the excitement. He knew he might not be a match for the other Pokémon, but he was happy to be a part of the show.

Miltank, ever the obedient one, refrained from making any aggressive moves. Cain, of course, had no intention of allowing her to attack, and so she stood patiently and watchfully by his side, her happiness radiating from within at the sight of her joyous companions.

They made their way up the mountain, the dense forest slowly receding until the towering trees dissipated completely at the summit. The area was barren of wild Pokémon, a rare respite from the dense wilderness they had traversed.

High up in the middle of a grand tree, coiled up and basking in the warm sun, rested a massive purple figure. Arbok, its tongue leisurely lolling out of its mouth, gazed lazily out at the world around it.

Cain and his team gradually came into the serpent's view, and it slowly uncoiled itself, revealing the two large, glaring eyes on its belly.

Its tongue flicked with increasing frequency, its narrow, serpentine gaze now turned frigidly towards the incoming visitors. As it fixated its gaze upon Cain, a fiery glint ignited in its eyes.

For a while now, Arbok had ruled over this domain as the undisputed overlord, and few dared to challenge its reign. But today, a tempting opportunity had arrived at its doorstep, and it was clear that this snake wasn't one to let such an opportunity go to waste.

Before his triumphant overthrow of the previous ruling power of this domain, Arbok had dabbled in the human realm, becoming intimately acquainted with the two-legged creatures. And the reason for his fondness was all too simple: they were delicious!

This was a man-eating serpent!

As the full extent of Arbok's power was revealed, Cain's heart skipped a beat, yet he quickly composed himself. The Intimidate ability?

But Murkrow and Slowpoke were not deterred. The effect of Intimidate may have dulled their attack power, but their thirst for battle remained undiminished.

As they drew closer, Cain could hear the unmistakable sounds of Arbok's ragged breaths as its body scraped against the rough trunk of the tree, creating an unpleasant scratching sound in his ears due to the friction.

Once within range of his A.I. System's scans, a wealth of data on the monster was laid out before him.

Pokemon: Arbok (Light Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 23

Type: Poison

Ability: Intimidate

Held items: None

Egg moves: Poison Fang, Poison Tail

Basic moves: Crunch, Ice Fang, Thunder Fang, Fire Fang, Wrap, Leer, Poison Sting, Bite, Glare, Screech, Acid

Taught moves: Gastro Acid, Bind, Snatch

Technical Machines (TMs): None

Cain's eyes gleamed as he read the data. A light green aptitude Arbok?

Not that he had any intention of keeping it, for one could easily discern from the creature's intense gaze that it had tasted human flesh on multiple occasions. And while Cain wasn't averse to killing people, there was something deeply ingrained in his psyche that resisted the act of consuming one's own kind.

Furthermore, the prideful sneer on Arbok's face made it evident that it had reigned over this land for a considerable amount of time. Subduing such a beast would require a great deal of effort and would offer little in the way of reward. Cain wasn't interested in such a strenuous and thankless task.

No, his fascination stemmed from the fact that such a wild, unruly beast of great aptitude and tenacity would surely prove a fascinating acquisition for the Hunter's Guild.

"Get ready, Murkrow, Slowpoke!"

Two on one!

Murkrow and Slowpoke were unfazed by this. After all, who in their right mind would engage in one-on-one combat out in the wild? Such 'talents' were only produced by the Association.

They could take down an adversary in a single strike without sustaining so much as a scratch. But they'd have to weaken themselves to their opponent's level, enduring a brutal beatdown before finally claiming victory. That just sounded like a recipe for disaster.

This was survival of the fittest. And what could be more advantageous than having a trusty band of companions at your side? After all, the countless powerful colonies scattered throughout the land owed much of their success to their sheer numerical advantage.

Arbok was unfazed by the approaching duo, and lunged forward with ferocity.

In terms of attributes, Slowpoke's psychic-type moves granted it a considerable edge.

"Slowpoke, unleash Psyshock! Murkrow, use Tailwind and follow up with Wing Attack!" Cain commanded with unwavering resolve.

A powerful psychic wave rippled forth from Slowpoke, its invisible force causing a subtle distortion in the fabric of space as it collided with Arbok's head.

"Cha!"

Arbok was wracked with agony as the intense wave slammed into its cranium. Its forward momentum came to a sudden halt.

And in that split second, Murkrow, having been buffed by the burst of speed granted by Tailwind, pounced with a blinding flash of white light, its wings ablaze with righteous fury as it dealt a savage blow to the serpent's skull.

"Bang!"

The impact echoed across the landscape as Arbok was sent flying back several meters.

A snake's head was its toughest part, and while Murkrow's assault had inflicted some damage, it wasn't enough to incapacitate the monster. The dizziness brought on by Slowpoke's Psyshock had faded, and Arbok bared its fangs, unleashing a barrage of purple venomous needles that honed in on Murkrow.

After using Poison Sting, Arbok launched its sinewy body towards the bird with a sudden burst of speed, its intent to strike a fatal blow all too clear.

Arbok's assault was nothing to scoff at, especially at close range. Once its serpentine grip ensnared its prey, its muscles would contract with deadly force, leaving its victim no choice but to become little more than a mere ghost in its belly.

"Murkrow, evade and counter with Dark Pulse! Slowpoke, use Confusion to immobilize it, and then bolster yourself with Calm Mind," Cain barked out orders with precision.

The impact of Slowpoke's Confusion had a double effect on Arbok, causing the monstrous serpent to writhe in agony as its speed was reduced once more.

Murkrow deftly dodged the Poison Sting and quickly charged up a formidable Dark Pulse. As Arbok writhed in pain, the ominous dark energy collided with its writhing form.

"Gastly, join the fray! Use Night Shade," Cain beckoned to his eager ghostly companion.

Night Shade was a fearsome Ghost-type move, capable of dealing fixed damage to an opponent based on the user's level. While this was a game setting, it still held up relatively well in real-world scenarios where there was a significant level discrepancy between the combatants.

"Hehe!"

Gastly laughed with glee as it rushed to the aid of its Big Brother and Second Brother.

At last, Arbok regained its bearings, recognizing that its opponents were formidable and fought with seamless cooperation. In particular, the small pink Pokémon, which always employed its most despised psychic moves, was making it nigh impossible for the snake to get within striking distance.