In this world, most trainers come from the working class.
Not everyone is lucky enough to receive a starter Pokémon with excellent potential upon turning ten, as shown in the animated series.
Only the children of key members of the Pokémon League, or those who have made significant contributions, can receive one of these Pokémon, after paying a high annual fee from the child's birth until they reach the appropriate age.
For commoners, obtaining one of these starter Pokémon is almost impossible. So, what do they do if they want to become trainers? If they have a family member who is already a trainer, they could help them catch a Pokémon.
But if they don't, and they still want to become trainers, Beedrill is an excellent choice.
Weedle is easy to catch. With a little care to avoid its poisonous attacks, you can have a Pokémon right away. Moreover, Beedrill's growth cycle is extremely short.
Without needing to invest much time or resources, you can obtain a Pokémon with decent combat ability, opening the possibility of capturing other Pokémon later.
Even those with family members who are trainers often choose Beedrill as their first Pokémon due to its rapid growth, decent potential, and reasonable combat capability.
Of course, more privileged trainers are not interested in Beedrill. Not everyone is lucky enough to encounter a high-potential Pokémon and have the resources necessary to develop it, as Giovanni did.
If they have the resources, it's better to invest in a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, which, once mature, becomes an elite fighter.
In his previous life, Cain also wanted to raise a Beedrill, but in the end, he abandoned the idea.
It was too difficult. Getting Beedrill to a standard combat level is easy and quick, but when you try to push it further, you realize the investment isn't worth it.
Moreover, Beedrill has too short a lifespan. Before you can fully develop it, its power will start to decline due to its lifespan limitation. Not everyone possesses Giovanni's Forest Power to resist the passage of time.
However, as a transitional Pokémon, Beedrill is still a good option. Besides, in this world, mega-evolution has not yet been discovered, which gives Beedrill some training value.
But all those considerations are for the future. Now, Cain and Murkrow have to face five furious Beedrill flying towards them.
When the five Beedrill approached, Cain used his system to scan them. Five almost identical data profiles appeared:
Pokémon: Beedrill (Red)
Gender: Male
Level: 14
Type: Bug, Poison
Ability: Swarm
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: None
Basic Moves: Twinneedle, Fury Attack, Rage
Learned Moves: None
TM Moves: None
The five Beedrill had identical data, as if they had been cut from the same mold. Cain sighed in relief; luckily, there were only five, and their level and quality weren't high.
"Murkrow, use Astonish." Cain gave the most suitable order to deal with the five enraged Beedrill.
Astonish could cause Pokémon to flinch, which would reduce the number of Beedrill Murkrow would have to face directly, thus easing the pressure. Even if no Beedrill flinched, the group attack from Astonish would deal considerable damage.
"Caw!" Murkrow let out a sharp, piercing cry directed straight at the five unsuspecting Beedrill.
The sharp sound penetrated the brains of several Beedrill, and two of them froze in place, trembling with fear. The other three continued flying toward Murkrow, their stingers glowing with a purple light, ready to use Twinneedle.
"Murkrow, use Gust on the three Beedrill in front. Finish them first!" Cain continued giving orders.
In an instant, Murkrow flapped its wings, gathering Flying-type energy with impressive speed. A white tornado appeared in front of the three Beedrill, enveloping them completely.
Due to the type advantage, the three Beedrill were swept up by the tornado and began spinning in the air. When the tornado dissipated, two of the Beedrill fell to the ground, losing their ability to fight, while the third barely remained standing.
With a single move, Murkrow had defeated two Beedrill and left the third barely hanging on. Only two Beedrill remained, who had just recovered from their paralysis.
Cain was satisfied with this outcome. Although part of the credit was due to the type advantage, much of it was also thanks to Murkrow's growing strength.
With a superior natural ability, Murkrow was mastering its energy better, and its Gust attack was becoming increasingly powerful.
"Use Peck to finish off the remaining one, and then use Gust again to finish off the other two."
Murkrow responded instantly, flying at high speed, its wings leaving a dark trail. Maintaining the Tailwind state, Murkrow struck the remaining Beedrill with a Peck, knocking it out.
Without wasting any time, Murkrow rushed toward the last two Beedrill, who had just recovered. The Beedrill, who initially had a clear numerical advantage, suddenly realized they were the weaker ones.
Although they were frightened, Murkrow gave them no respite. With a swift movement, another white tornado appeared and enveloped them.
The cutting wind hit them mercilessly, leaving them gravely wounded. When the tornado disappeared, both Beedrill lay on the ground, incapacitated.
With Murkrow landing in front of Cain, all the Kakuna and Beedrill in this area of the forest had been eliminated.
A buzzing sound echoed through the forest again.
Beedrill is truly a terrifying Pokémon, always acting in swarms. If one of them is attacked, the entire swarm mobilizes to defend it. Perhaps Beedrill is the most united Pokémon in the Pokémon world.
This time, the buzzing was even louder than before, with at least dozens of Beedrill approaching. Cain called Murkrow and turned to retreat. There was no need to face the entire swarm.
"A good strategist knows when to retreat."
When the Beedrill swarm arrived at the scene, they found only chaos and the bodies of Kakuna and Beedrill. Filled with fury, they began to search for the culprit.
Just when the swarm was about to panic, an even louder buzzing was heard. A Beedrill, clearly larger than the rest, appeared at the center, its face fierce and stern.
With a roar, the large Beedrill ordered the entire swarm to calm down and organized them into a disciplined formation before disappearing into the forest.
If Cain had been there, he would have known that this Beedrill was the leader of the swarm. Its larger size was due to its leadership position.
But Cain had already returned to the Metapod territory.
As he walked, he took out some Pokéblocks from his storage and gave them to Murkrow to recover its strength. Although Murkrow hadn't taken any damage, it was important for it to always be in top shape for any eventuality.
Murkrow, grateful for the Pokéblocks, devoured them eagerly. The energy began to flow within its body, mixing the Dark and Flying types.
With each battle, Murkrow absorbed the energy from the Pokéblocks more effectively, growing stronger.
The use of Pokéblocks was proving to be a great advantage. While other Pokémon might need time to recover after a battle, Murkrow, thanks to the Pokéblocks, recovered much faster and more effectively.
"Are you ready, Murkrow? Today's work won't be easy." Cain gently stroked Murkrow's shiny black feathers, asking softly.
"Craw!" Murkrow nodded eagerly, its wings flapping with determination.
Cain smiled. Everything was set to execute the day's plan.
(End of chapter)