First, as a Dark-type Pokémon, Sneasel has the ability to be immune to Psychic-type moves, making it a relentless killer in battles against Psychic Pokémon.
Secondly, it has a two-times advantage over Ghost, Ice, and Dark-type Pokémon, giving it a considerable edge when facing these types.
Thus, Sneasel is not suitable to be the main attacker of the team, but against certain specific Pokémon, it's highly effective as a defense breaker.
For instance, Psychic-type Pokémon, as well as Dragon-type Pokémon.
Sneasel is a born assassin and hunter: high offense, high speed, low defense, and low HP—a typical assassin-type Pokémon.
Even after evolving into Weavile, its original advantages will not only be maintained but will be further enhanced. It could be said that from birth, this Pokémon's growth path is already predetermined.
Sneasel's personality is cunning and fierce; it loves to steal wild Pokémon eggs, poking a small hole in the egg with its claw to absorb the nutrients inside.
It fixed its gaze on Miltank's milk because the way Cain's Pokémon drank the milk, along with the faint aroma of fresh milk, reminded it of the taste of egg whites flowing from a broken egg.
This made Sneasel mistakenly think it was its favorite food.
The first time Cain left the milk for Sneasel, it carefully took it, and after tasting it, fell in love with the flavor. It was even better than its favorite egg white.
That's why it set its sights back on Cain and his team.
However, it didn't dare to get too close; its cautious nature, developed in the wild, taught it to hide in the shadows, watching silently and seeking weaknesses, like any good thief or assassin.
This also explains why Slowpoke's psychic perception didn't detect Sneasel's presence.
Because Sneasel is a Dark-type Pokémon, naturally immune to psychic powers.
The arrival of Cain and his team finally caught Sneasel's attention as it savored the delicious milk. Its ears perked up immediately, and it turned around.
Upon seeing Cain, Sneasel quickly hid the milk behind it, adopting a protective stance that almost made Cain laugh.
However, Cain didn't underestimate Sneasel because of its appearance or behavior.
Pokémon: Sneasel (Light Blue)
Gender: Male
Level: 25
Type: Dark + Ice
Ability: Keen Eye
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Bite, Ice Punch, Ice Shard, Icicle Crash
Basic Moves: Scratch, Leer, Taunt, Quick Attack, Feint Attack, Icy Wind, Fury Swipes, Agility, Metal Claw, Hone Claws
Learned Moves: Knock Off, Snatch, Low Kick
TM Moves: None
Seeing Sneasel's quality and moves, Cain's eyes lit up.
Light blue is the highest quality in Cain's team, only comparable to Skorupi's infant stage.
However, what impressed Cain the most were the three Ice-type inherited moves, which indicate that one of Sneasel's parents was exceptionally skilled in Ice moves, or both were.
This also suggests that Sneasel has an extremely high natural talent for Ice-type moves.
"Sneasel, let's fight! If you lose, you'll become my Pokémon," Cain said excitedly, almost like he was in a movie.
But Cain was truly thrilled by how exceptional this Sneasel was, so much so that he struggled to contain his enthusiasm.
Sneasel is a born assassin and an exceptional hunter.
If Cain could capture it, he already had a plan in mind: Sneasel would become his signature Pokémon as a Pokémon hunter. Or rather, Sneasel's evolution would be.
Because Sneasel is an ideal Pokémon for capturing other Pokémon.
Unlike in the games, where Ice-type moves are just another attack that fades after use, in real life, the effects of Ice-type moves are far more significant.
The greatest support effect of Ice-type moves is reducing speed.
Yes, reducing speed.
Ice-type energy can slow down a Pokémon's body reaction speed and nerve transmission speed. If the temperature is low enough, it can even freeze the Pokémon completely.
By slowing down the opponent while increasing its own speed, no Pokémon could escape its pursuit.
"Snee!"
Sneasel, after hearing Cain's words, cried out loudly, full of determination, though its protective stance over the milk almost made Cain laugh.
After crying out, Sneasel turned around, ready to escape.
"Miltank, block its path!" Cain had been watching Sneasel's movements carefully, and as soon as Sneasel tried to escape, he ordered Miltank to block its route.
Sneasel, about to flee, was met with the imposing figure of Miltank, who spread her arms to close off any chance of escape.
With no other option, Sneasel retreated, moving closer to the tunnel wall and hiding the milk behind it to gain a bit of comfort.
Surviving in the wild is extremely tough; for any wild Pokémon, food is always the most important thing.
Sneasel's protective gesture reminded Miltank of her own past, awakening a sense of sympathy.
Sneasel, cornered, watched without Cain taking any direct action.
If he wanted to capture it, he couldn't give it a bad impression, much less steal what, for a wild Pokémon, was as vital as life itself.
Cain pulled out two bottles full of Miltank's milk and, from a safe distance of ten steps, shook them.
Immediately, Sneasel's eyes locked onto the milk bottles Cain was holding.
If it weren't for the other strong Pokémon nearby, Sneasel would probably have rushed to steal them.
"Sneasel, let's fight! If you win, I'll give you these two bottles of milk. How about it?" Cain said with a smile.
Anyone watching at that moment might have said Cain looked like a suspicious adult trying to trick a child.
Cain's words made Sneasel pause in thought.
It wasn't an ignorant Pokémon; with its exceptional speed, it had visited the human world in search of food before and knew how tamed Pokémon lived.
However, having lived in the wild since it was young, it struggled to adapt to that lifestyle, so it returned to the place where it was born, even if it meant going hungry at times.
But the two milk bottles Cain offered were hard to refuse. It had been a long time since it had tasted something so delicious.
Besides, that milk contained a special energy that had restored some of its strength, diminished after days of food scarcity.
(End of Chapter)