In reality, when it comes to fighting this Sneasel, Cain feels a bit concerned.
Because Sneasel is a Dark and Ice type. While it has a wide range of weaknesses, after thinking it over, Cain realizes he doesn't have many Pokémon on his team that can effectively counter Sneasel.
Even type attacks that can cause normal damage are scarce.
Only Murkrow's Flying-type moves, Slowpoke's Water-type moves, and Gastly's Poison-type moves can do some damage.
And Miltank is the only one without a disadvantage against Sneasel.
The Psychic moves, in which Slowpoke excels, are completely blocked. Murkrow's Dark-type moves have reduced damage, and Gastly's Ghost type is hardly worth mentioning.
Thinking this through, Cain decides he should prioritize teaching Slowpoke the Miracle Eye move.
In the original game, Slowpoke couldn't learn Miracle Eye, but this is the real world, not a game. If the right method and technique are found, there's still a chance to learn it.
And it happens that Cain had discovered this method in his previous life.
In his past life, Cain met a high-ranking Trainer who could teach all his Psychic Pokémon the Miracle Eye move.
Cain paid a high price to learn this technique, intending to raise a powerful Psychic Pokémon. However, before he could start implementing his plan, he was killed.
So Slowpoke needs to learn Miracle Eye; otherwise, it will be very difficult to face Dark-type Pokémon.
Although he has Water-type moves for attacking, Slowpoke's real strength lies in his psychic abilities; Water type is only a support for him.
This shows that although Sneasel has many weaknesses, it still poses a great threat to Trainers whose teams aren't fully developed.
"Snee!"
In the end, Sneasel couldn't resist the temptation of Cain's two milk bottles.
But actually, he had no other choice. Cain had already blocked all of Sneasel's escape routes. Even if he didn't accept the battle, he'd still have to fight, and in this case, at least if he won, he'd get the two bottles of milk.
Carefully, Sneasel set down the milk he was drinking, closing the bottle tightly.
His instinct to protect his food was clearly shown.
"Don't worry, I won't touch your milk." Cain observed Sneasel's attitude, and, for some reason, felt an inexplicable pang in his heart.
In Sneasel, Cain saw a reflection of himself in the past.
When he first arrived in this world, Cain was an orphan without parents, and the feeling of being in an unfamiliar environment nearly drove him to collapse.
Before being captured by Team Rocket for testing, Cain scavenged through dumpsters for food.
Surviving was his only goal, and the idea of becoming a Trainer wasn't even a dream for him.
But sometimes people came out to compete for food. Back then, his protective attitude towards food must have been very similar to Sneasel's now.
It was also during that time that Cain saw the other side of the world, a dark and unknown side, and realized that the beauty of the Pokémon world was nothing more than a utopia. The darkness hidden beneath was the true essence of this world.
Cain shook his head to clear the memories. Now was not the time for doubts. If he wanted to control his own destiny, he had to become stronger.
And that meant capturing Sneasel, no matter what method he had to use, regardless of whether Sneasel would ever truly join him. Right now, Cain was determined to capture him, at any cost!
If Slowpoke alone couldn't defeat him, then he'd try with Murkrow. And if that didn't work, he'd have Miltank join the battle as well. After all, for wild Pokémon, facing multiple opponents at once was nothing unusual.
Sneasel didn't trust Cain's words much.
After all, someone who bursts into your home demanding a battle isn't exactly someone to trust easily.
"Mii~~" Although Miltank had blocked Sneasel's escape route, she tried to explain something.
"Snee!" Sneasel interrupted Miltank with a gesture.
Although he had no ill will toward Miltank, and even felt some familiarity with her scent, it was clear that Miltank was on Cain's side, so Sneasel didn't want to listen to her. If a fight was necessary, then so be it.
"Snee, Snee!" Once Sneasel decided to fight, he stopped paying attention to the milk and slowly walked toward Cain, placing his claws on his chest and staring at him with a cold, emotionless gaze, like a merciless assassin.
"Murkrow, Slowpoke, attack together!" Cain ordered seriously.
Sneasel's level and quality were superior to Murkrow and Slowpoke, and he also had the type advantage. In this situation, any single Pokémon he sent out was bound to lose. Even sending two Pokémon together, he wasn't sure if he could win.
The only advantage Murkrow and Slowpoke had was their cooperation.
Of course, after following Cain for so long and using his Pokéblocks, there were aspects that couldn't be assessed by level or quality alone.
"Snee!" Sneasel was the first to move. His claws began to glow with a white light as he rubbed them together, producing a sharp, unpleasant metallic sound.
He was using the move Hone Claws, which by sharpening his claws increased his attack and accuracy.
"Murkrow, use Snatch!"
Sneasel's original attack advantage was already significant, and if allowed to increase it further, the battle would become even more difficult for Murkrow and the others.
Fortunately, Murkrow's Prankster ability allowed status moves to have priority, and combined with the Snatch move effect, he could steal the benefits of Sneasel's Hone Claws move.
Following Cain's command, a dark light surrounded Sneasel's claws.
Just as Sneasel was beginning to enjoy the effect of Hone Claws, he felt the familiar sound disappear, as if his move hadn't succeeded.
Instead, Murkrow's claws looked much brighter after using Snatch.
"Murkrow, use Tailwind! Slowpoke, use Water Gun!"
While Sneasel was caught off guard, Cain gave the order to attack.
"Caw!" Murkrow flapped his wings, summoning Flying-type energy. This time, he didn't need to keep the Tailwind effect to himself, so Slowpoke also benefited from the speed boost.
Though Slowpoke isn't an agile Pokémon, he felt a breeze around him that made him feel a bit lighter.
Following Cain's order, Slowpoke fired a stream of water straight at Sneasel.
But Sneasel had already reacted. With a quick movement, he dodged Slowpoke's attack and rushed forward.
If Sneasel managed to get close to Slowpoke, the consequences could be disastrous.
(End of Chapter)