Chapter 685: The Unlucky Larvitar

This small group of Geodudes wasn't the end; it was only the beginning of the battles Cain had planned for the Rain Team. However, it was a good start: all the Geodudes, including two evolved Gravelers, were defeated.

From this battle, it became clear that the Rain Team was already taking shape, though it still had a long way to go to be truly effective. For now, they could only shine against opponents weak to Water-type energy.

Despite the limitations, the benefits were evident: the smiling faces of the Pokémon and their confident expressions showed just how much they had enjoyed themselves.

Even Combusken, who wasn't a fan of the rain, was enthusiastic. After drying his drenched feathers with his own fire power, he went from a soggy chicken to a completely dry and renewed one.

Once Combusken evolves into Blaziken, he will be a great asset to the team, both in the Rain and Sandstorm teams. His Speed Boost ability will ensure he's always ready for battle.

The most excited of all was Poliwag. It truly didn't expect to play such a crucial role. Normally, Poliwag was the most inconspicuous member of Cain's team, always staying in the background, careful not to draw attention to itself.

Since being captured and left in a large aquarium, Poliwag had realized that the most active and visible Pokémon were the first to be sold.

So, after joining Cain's team, it continued to work hard but kept a low profile, thinking that as long as it stayed that way, everything would be fine. It had enough food, and the training wasn't too harsh.

However, over time, listening to other team members talk about how fun battling was and the challenges they faced, Poliwag began to grow more interested in fighting.

This particular battle allowed it to see a different side of itself: could it really be the core of a fight? Could it defeat so many Pokémon on its own?

Though it might not yet be the strongest, Poliwag realized it liked the feeling of being the center of attention and in control of the situation. In reality, Cain had always been watching Poliwag.

Since purchasing it, he had been attentive to its character and attitude, considering whether he should look for another Poliwag to serve as the team's core.

Although he knew it would be hard to find one with the hidden ability and high quality, he didn't want a lazy Pokémon on his team.

However, over time, Cain noticed the change in Poliwag. Surrounded by Aron and Torchic, Poliwag started working harder in training and raising its standards. That's when it began to think the training wasn't so hard anymore, because it had improved.

Earlier, Cain could see the excitement in Poliwag's eyes—the "ambition." And that's when Cain accepted Poliwag as the true tactical core of the Rain Team.

Yes, the tactical core! At this point, Poliwag barely met Cain's standards to serve as the centerpiece of his strategy.

After defeating the group of Geodudes, Cain didn't stop. The team still had energy, and they had won relatively easily. However, the upcoming battles wouldn't be so simple; finding groups of Pokémon vulnerable to their strategy wasn't easy.

They continued toward the next battlefield. Poliwag summoned the rain, Aron took position at the front to endure attacks, Combusken moved quickly around the field looking for attack opportunities, while Marshtomp launched furious strikes.

Once Poliwag stabilized the weather, it joined the fight, taking advantage of its ability to move freely in the rain and supporting Combusken with its speed to secure victory.

This was the current strategy they had developed. As Cain directed them, the Pokémon improved their coordination. Though there were still many shortcomings, they were getting used to this fighting style.

Cain knew that when everyone evolved and completed their development, they would achieve perfect coordination.

A day of training yielded excellent results. But during all this time, Cain didn't let go of his small computer—not even for a moment.

...

After three days of intense training, the results were notable. Combusken reached level 22, Poliwag level 24, Aron level 25, and Marshtomp reached level 21.

Everyone had leveled up and strengthened their abilities, but Larvitar, who had stayed home munching on diamonds, looked on enviously. It begged Cain to let it join the battles too.

Finally, Cain couldn't resist Larvitar's adorable, pitiful expression and decided to take it into a battle. But after that experience, Larvitar stopped asking Cain to bring it along.

It was too much!

The other four Pokémon had already established their battle strategy and completely left Larvitar out of the fight.

With its backpack ready, Larvitar was prepared to prove its worth but realized there was no room for it in the battle. Poliwag and the others defeated the opponent before Larvitar could do anything.

After realizing it couldn't intervene, Larvitar's appetite grew even more. If it wasn't allowed to participate in battles, then it could only eat to grow stronger, so that in the future, it could show everyone its "terrifying" strength.

Cain's diamond stash was dwindling rapidly.

Cain had no choice. The Rain Team still had room for improvement, but the Sandstorm Team was barely in its infancy. Aside from Larvitar and Aron, with the potential inclusion of Combusken, there wasn't much else to add.

It was clear that forming the Sandstorm Team would take longer, so Cain decided to focus on the Rain Team first.

In any case, in a few days, Cain would take Slowking and the others back into battle, which might help balance things out between the two teams.

Recently, Cain had changed his usual mountain route and headed in a different direction, hoping to find different opponents.

If he continued on the same path, the wild Pokémon would become stronger, and it wasn't wise to suddenly face overly powerful foes.

Cain was considering taking a trip to Hoenn's desert. There, he could find various useful items, and the types of Pokémon would be more suitable for his current team. During these reflections, Cain encountered an interesting group of Pokémon.

It was another group of Poliwags, among which were several Poliwhirls. After a very tough battle, Cain's team finally defeated the group, but it was a significant challenge.

Luckily, under Cain's direction, they managed to win, though they couldn't employ the Rain Team strategy since the other group had more Pokémon with the Swift Swim ability. After the fight, Poliwag experienced a transformation.

It wasn't just a physical change but also a psychological one.

(End of chapter)