When he woke up again, it was already morning. Cain, who had developed an internal clock during his time on the Trial Island, opened his eyes just as dawn broke.
The headache caused by the awakening of his psychic powers had finally disappeared completely after a night of restful sleep.
As he got up, Cain's movements also woke Slowpoke and Murkrow.
After ordering a hearty breakfast from the Pokémon Center staff, Cain and his three Pokémon quickly finished their meal.
Cain conducted some indoor training exercises with his Pokémon. Since they were in the Pokémon Center and Cain held the identity of a League Trainer, it was better to avoid exposing Murkrow and Gastly unnecessarily.
Cain still wanted to keep his connection to Team Rocket hidden.
While the Pokémon engaged in simple indoor exercises, Cain outlined his plan for the day.
Crafting Pokéblocks was a priority, especially since Murkrow and Slowpoke were nearly out of their intermediate-level Pokéblocks. Additionally, Gastly, who had joined the team some time ago, still hadn't received appropriate Pokéblocks due to the lack of materials.
With Skorupi's arrival in just two days, Cain also needed to prepare Pokéblocks. Although they wouldn't be necessary for Skorupi initially, its rapid growth as a Bug-type Pokémon made it essential to have them ready in advance.
Moreover, Cain had purchased a Miltank in the black market the previous day, which he hadn't yet captured or released from its Poké Ball, and it had likely gone some time without food.
Therefore, subduing Miltank was another task Cain needed to complete today.
Finally, Cain decided to spend the morning crafting some Pokéblocks and then subdue Miltank before lunch. In the afternoon, he would conduct some important indoor training and finish crafting the remaining Pokéblocks.
He took out several berries, herbs, and the special materials he had bought the previous day from his ring, laying them one by one on the table in front of him.
Then, he retrieved the mid-range Pokéblock-making equipment, which had cost 1,200,000 Pokédollars. This equipment consisted of five parts, each serving a specific function.
Lastly, Cain brought out several molds of the same size to hold the formed Pokéblocks. These molds were a quick purchase he had made at the black market the previous day and were quite inexpensive.
With everything set up, Cain began crafting the Pokéblocks.
Grinding, separating, mixing, fusing, and condensing—the steps flowed smoothly. Cain had left behind the rudimentary tools from the Trial Island, accelerating the manufacturing process at least tenfold.
The Pokémon watched the process intently, occasionally swallowing with anticipation, which made Cain smile.
The scent of advanced Pokéblocks was much stronger than that of intermediate ones. Moreover, as each Pokéblock was specifically designed to match the characteristics and growth direction of each Pokémon, their allure was even greater.
These advanced Pokéblocks weren't made using a fixed recipe; instead, they were customized for Cain's Pokémon using the system's extensive database. This ensured that his Pokémon would reap maximum benefits.
Name: Unknown Pokéblock
Ingredients: Powder containing Dark-type energy, powder containing Flying-type energy, Kuo Berry, Orange Berry...
Effect: Accelerates the Pokémon's growth. The lower the Pokémon's level, the greater the effect.
Note: Suitable for Murkrow.
Essentially, all the Pokéblocks Cain made today had similar descriptions in the system.
The Pokéblocks for Murkrow were black and white; Slowpoke's were light blue with a shiny outer layer, and Gastly's had a matte gray texture.
Although crafting advanced Pokéblocks was complicated, the new equipment allowed Cain to work faster than when making intermediate Pokéblocks.
In just three hours, Cain had produced nearly a thousand Pokéblocks of each type, enough to feed Murkrow and the others for over half a month, using up nearly half of the materials he had purchased.
During a short break, Cain also searched the system for an intermediate-level Pokéblock recipe suitable for Miltank.
Since Miltank's role in the team was to provide full support, it didn't need significant combat capabilities. These Pokéblocks were designed to boost milk production and improve its quality, with more mineral elements, as well as enhance Miltank's overall physical condition.
Cain didn't make advanced Pokéblocks for Miltank because he hadn't found suitable ingredients the previous day. If he found them in the future, he would also prepare customized Pokéblocks for her.
Cain aimed to provide the best care possible for all Pokémon that joined his team, as long as they were committed to the team 100%.
After preparing the Pokéblocks, Cain set out to subdue Miltank.
He rented a training field in a corner of the Pokémon Center and brought Slowpoke along.
The shiny Slowpoke drew some attention, but nothing more. Saffron City, as the largest metropolis in Kanto, was used to seeing rare Pokémon. Although shiny Pokémon were unusual, they didn't cause much of a stir here.
Cain was pleased with this situation, as it avoided many unnecessary issues.
He took out Miltank's Poké Ball, unlocked the safety switch, and threw it. After a red flash, Miltank appeared on the field.
Despite not having eaten in one or two days, Miltank, a robust Pokémon, still showed a lot of energy.
Miltank stared at Cain with her big cow eyes, saying nothing, but her rejection of him was clear in her gaze.
However, Cain noticed that Miltank seemed to reject humans but didn't hate them, which was a good sign, likely because she hadn't been captured for long.
"Miltank, I know you don't like humans, but right now, you're no match for me," Cain said, looking Miltank in the eyes without hiding his intentions.
Miltank had likely lived in the wild, possibly in a small group or maybe alone, but like any wild Pokémon, she respected strength.
Wild Pokémon tended to be more independent than those raised by trainers and knew that respecting the powerful was essential for survival.
Upon hearing Cain, Miltank looked puzzled and then glanced at Slowpoke, who was brimming with determination.
Since leaving the Trial Island, Slowpoke hadn't had a good battle and was eager for one.
After a moment of silence, Miltank slowly shook her head. Miltank knew she wasn't built for direct combat, and her movements reflected her lack of interest in fighting.
(End of chapter)