Suddenly, Cain realized that this method for luring enemies seemed much more efficient. At the very least, after traversing the tunnel, they would probably no longer encounter Zubats and Golbats, or if they did, it would likely be a long distance before seeing them again.
Just as Cain was about to call back Sneasel and the others, a nauseating stench suddenly flooded the tunnel.
It wasn't the smell from the gas that Gastly had previously absorbed, but a distinct odor: as if something was rotting or mold was growing, filling the entire tunnel with its foulness.
The stench slowly spread throughout the tunnel, causing Cain to frown, unable to contain his disgust.
There was no other way; the smell was simply too strong, and in such a confined space, it became even more intense.
Not only did Cain notice it, but Murkrow, Slowpoke, and Sneasel also found the odor unbearable, covering their noses with their hands. Miltank even firmly covered its nose with its front hooves.
Except for Skorupi and Gastly, who seemed immune to the smell, all the other Pokémon were affected to some extent.
Soon, two purple sludge piles came into Cain and the others' view. It was evident that the stench was coming from them, as the closer they got, the stronger the odor became.
"Is it a Grimer?" Cain observed the amorphous sludge piles and remembered the name of a Pokémon.
Who would have thought that in this underground tunnel, he would encounter Grimer?
It's known that Grimers feed on garbage, and most of the time, they're found in large city dumps. While they get their food, they also help humans dispose of waste.
As the two Grimers approached, Cain's system scanned their data.
Both Grimers had fairly high levels.
Pokémon: Grimer (Dark Yellow)
Gender: Male
Level: 24
Type: Poison
Ability: Sticky Hold
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Swallow, Lick
Basic Moves: Pound, Poison Gas, Harden, Mud-Slap, Disable, Sludge, Mud Bomb, Minimize
Learned Moves: Snore
TM Moves: None
This was the higher-level and better-quality Grimer of the two, while the other Grimer had a yellow quality and level 22.
It was clear that both Grimers, being Poison-types, had been attracted by the earlier poisonous gas. Their movement speed was slower, so they arrived later than the Zubats.
As they crawled forward, they didn't forget to absorb the bodies of Zubats they found along the way.
Being Poison-type and flying, Zubats and Golbats were a feast for these Grimers, who absorbed them even if they were already dead, as Grimers can extract energy even from garbage.
Cain frowned as he watched the two Grimers. Gradually, he understood why the tunnel had no garbage but did have Pokémon like Grimer that feed on waste.
It was because these two Grimers fed on the bodies of other Pokémon in the tunnel. They hadn't stopped absorbing the Zubats' corpses, and now, they were beginning to swell due to the amount they had consumed.
They had even forgotten the poisonous gas that had originally attracted them, as the dead Zubats and Golbats were a much greater temptation for them.
Cain didn't stop them. After all, although Grimer is not the most pleasant Pokémon to see or smell, its existence is extremely useful for humans. Without them, trash heaps would be a huge problem.
Thanks to Gastly absorbing all the poisonous gas and beginning to integrate it into its body, becoming resistant to poison, Cain knew that in the future, Gastly would be able to absorb such gases more quickly, strengthening its Poison-type moves.
So, with the elimination of the poisonous gas that had attracted Poison-type Pokémon, Skorupi, who needed Cain's calm to stay still, finally returned to normal.
After the Grimers finished absorbing the Zubat and Golbat corpses, they turned to leave.
Cain decided to ignore them, partly because the Grimers no longer showed any intention of attacking, but also because they really were too smelly.
Too smelly!
Even after being there so long, the smell in the tunnel only grew stronger, and there was no way to get used to it.
It was no surprise that not even Slowpoke and the others had the slightest desire to fight.
However, just as the Grimers were slowly moving away, Cain, almost instinctively, used his system to scan their data again.
Suddenly, he realized something astonishing: the Grimer that had originally been of yellow quality, after consuming all those Zubats and Golbats, its quality had started to deepen, becoming more intense.
Cain thought he had made a mistake, but after carefully comparing with his system, he realized it was true.
The other Grimer, which had initially been of dark yellow quality, had also shown a slight improvement in quality, although not as noticeable as the first.
Can Grimers improve their quality by absorbing the corpses of other Pokémon? Or is it only possible with Poison-type Pokémon?
Is it an exclusive ability of these two Grimers, or is it something all Grimers can do?
In the Pokémon world, it's known that a Pokémon's quality isn't immutable, but improving it is extremely difficult and costly, perhaps more so than training a Pokémon to be a formidable fighter.
For example, on Test Island, Cain had sold a Weedle egg to Umbra that initially had a light green quality, but when he saw it again, it had already become a green-quality Beedrill.
So yes, Pokémon quality can change, but the cost is extremely high.
Now, these two Grimers had caught Cain's interest. If, after digesting the Zubat and Golbat corpses, the pale yellow Grimer's quality improved, it would be quite valuable.
After all, in terms of Pokémon, both Grimer and its evolution, Muk, are quite good.
But what if the ability of Grimers to improve their quality has no clear limit? Who knows if they could continue improving beyond just one level?
Suddenly, Cain began to breathe more heavily. If Grimer can improve its quality simply by absorbing the corpses of other Pokémon, could it do so indefinitely?
Even if it can't improve indefinitely, what if it can raise its quality a few more levels? That would make its value skyrocket.
After all, each time Cain had defeated the wild Pokémon that approached him, he always left the corpses behind, wasting them in the wild.
(End of chapter)