Chapter 100:

Even if it put his life on the line, he might not be able to draw near them. And if that were to happen, half of his moves would be made null and void.

The attacks of these two formidable Pokemon were nothing short of powerful. It was a realization that hit him like a ton of bricks - his body simply couldn't take it anymore.

He quickly assessed the situation and knew what he had to do. Running away had become second nature to him, something he learned when he was at his weakest.

He didn't hesitate to run, for it was the natural thing to do in his mind. He knew that continuing to fight would mean certain death.

As Cain looked at Arbok desperately trying to escape the clutches of his opponents, he remained unmoved.

In a cold voice, he commanded Slowpoke to give it everything it had and deliver the final blow with a devastating Psyshock. After using Calm Mind, Slowpoke's special attack was boosted, and a blue light blazed in its eyes as the invisible Psyshock hurtled towards the fleeing Arbok.

Already battered and bruised, Arbok was no match for Slowpoke's assault. The powerful Psyshock hit it with twice the force of the previous attack, combined with Gastly's Night Shade, it had already been pushed to its mental and physical limits.

Suddenly, Arbok stopped in its tracks. Its eyes turned white, and it fell to the ground with a thud. Without a moment's hesitation, Cain reached for a Pokeball and threw it at the defeated Pokemon.

As the Pokeball made contact with Arbok, a red light burst forth, and it was sucked into the ball. After a brief struggle, the light on the button in the middle of the ball calmed down, indicating that the catch was successful. Slowpoke used Confusion to retrieve the Pokéball and bring it back to Cain.

Cain smiled and gave Slowpoke a pat on the head as a reward for its hard work. With a flick of his wrist, he released Arbok.

Arbok had awakened from his stupor, his gaze flitting towards Cain, who was being protected by the formidable duo of Slowpoke and Murkrow. Fear flickered in his eyes, and he unconsciously recoiled, only to be reminded of the pain coursing through his wounded body.

Cain's words cut through the air like a knife, devoid of any emotion, as he warned the defeated Arbok about the consequences of not obeying his orders. "I don't care what you're thinking. Listen to me, and you'll keep your life. If you have any other thoughts, you won't be able to open your eyes again."

Slowpoke and Murkrow loomed over Arbok, their presence alone enough to drive him to submit. He nodded in agreement, accepting his defeat. After all, what good was pride when it could cost him his life?

Cain brought out a healing spray and tended to Arbok's wounds with practiced ease, making sure to treat its injuries but not enough for full recovery. After all, Cain wasn't one to trust a cunning snake like Arbok completely. As long as it remained alive until it was sold, that would suffice.

Overall, Cain was pleased with the outcome of the battle. Slowpoke and Murkrow had worked together in perfect harmony. Slowpoke had dealt the majority of the damage, thanks to its potent psychic-type moves, while also controlling the situation. Murkrow, on the other hand, had played a crucial role in restraining Arbok, switching between long-range and close-range attacks, and keeping it in check. They had developed an unspoken understanding during their time together, a symbiotic relationship that was hard to break.

This Arbok was no pushover, with a level that was nothing to scoff at and an aptitude that was commendable. Even with Slowpoke's attribute advantage, it took three rounds of attacks to bring him down. Though Arbok had only been able to use his Poison Sting once, his worth was undeniable.

His value was so high that even if they didn't find a Nidoran this time, they would still make a profit. Cain grinned, pleased with the success of their harvest.

Gastly, the ghost-type Pokémon, was an expert at finding treasures. His ethereal form allowed him to slip through cracks and crevices, making it impossible for anything to escape his detection.

Beneath the tree where Arbok made his home, there were piles of bones, surrounded by a dense aura of death. It was enough to satiate Gastly's hunger, and the purple mist around his body condensed, becoming more potent.

Together, the trio of Pokémon scoured the area, uncovering a wealth of valuable materials worth roughly fifty thousand Pokédollars. Amongst their finds were several poisonous items that Cain planned to save for Gastly and Skorupi.

Speaking of Skorupi, the scorpion-like Pokémon lay quietly on Cain's collar, undisturbed by the recent battle. The quality of sleep in the growth stage had taken Cain by surprise, but he was grateful for the little guy's rest.

After clearing the battlefield, Cain and his Pokémon left for the next location marked on their map.

Three hours later, they arrived at the second of three potential locations for Nidoran, as provided by the information dealer. But much to Cain's dismay, they found nothing of interest.

As they journeyed onwards, they encountered nothing out of the ordinary, save for a few skirmishes with some weaker wild Pokémon. They didn't even catch a glimpse of any yellow aptitude Pokémon, rendering the trip a waste.

To break up the monotony, Cain and his Pokémon stopped to rest and deal with their hunger pangs. With plenty of time on their hands, Cain didn't resort to dry food to appease their hunger. Instead, his Pokémon set out to catch some wild rabbits and pheasants, yearning for the taste of barbecued meat.

Of all his Pokémon, it was Miltank who ate the most, relishing in the taste of Cain's barbecued meat. Her rigorous body training had significantly increased her appetite, surpassing that of all the other Pokémon combined.

During their break, Cain also took the time to feed Skorupi milk, who had slept through the morning. After a hearty meal, Skorupi burped and promptly returned to its slumber.

Cain had grown accustomed to caring for the newborn Pokémon, but his thoughts shifted to Gastly, who had reached level 16 after a morning of unrelenting battles. Meanwhile, Murkrow had also reached level 21.

In light of his progress, Murkrow asked Cain to increase his weight again. Cain was happy to oblige, knowing the real reason behind the request.

Murkrow felt that he was falling behind Slowpoke in terms of improvement. With more bug-type Pokémon in the forest, he had the advantage and a chance to level up first. But Murkrow knew it wouldn't be long before Slowpoke also leveled up, and that sense of urgency had put him on edge.

Thus, he took the initiative to ask Cain to increase his weight, determined to give it his all to keep up with Slowpoke's breakneck pace of improvement.

Gastly's rate of leveling up only heightened his sense of peril. He knew that his attribute advantage would give him the edge in a fight against Slowpoke and Gastly, but he was also aware of his inferior aptitude.

As the self-proclaimed big brother, he was eager to take on more responsibility for the team. He would train hard, grow quickly, and prove his worth to his companions, even if they eventually caught up with him.