The next day, Cain took Slowpoke back to the main tunnel of Diglett's Cave.
Although traveling from Vermilion City to Saffron City takes only a few hours by bus, walking the whole way could take several days.
After all, there are many wild Pokémon along the path.
If he went through Diglett's Cave, he could save a day or half a day of travel.
However, with Cain exploring each tunnel branch, the time extended considerably.
Especially after discovering that the slight amount of toxic gas Gastly had absorbed attracted a large number of Poison-type Pokémon in the cave, Cain greatly enjoyed exploring these unexplored branches.
He let all his Pokémon out to battle the Poison-type Pokémon that were attracted, allowing Gastly to absorb more toxic gas, increasing its affinity with the Poison type.
It was a win-win situation all around!
The night before, Gastly had already learned to control the gas around it, allowing it to create a slight corrosive effect on the tunnel walls.
Although it required time, it showed that Gastly's Poison-type energy was increasing.
Meanwhile, Skorupi was in his element. As he was already getting familiar with his body, Cain allowed him to join some battles, helping him better understand his own anatomy.
After a day full of battles, Skorupi was more than happy, as with his Sniper ability, those low-level Rattata couldn't withstand a single attack from him.
As for the other Pokémon, they all improved in mastering their moves.
The Pokémon they encountered tried to extend battles as much as possible to maximize their training, avoiding defeating their opponents too quickly.
The day passed quickly, but the Pokémon's progress was very noticeable.
Murkrow once again managed to adapt to the increased weight. He could now battle at a weight of 25 kg.
Slowpoke continued refining his combination of psychic and water energy, managing to maintain 80% of his Water-type moves' power with more agile and flexible maneuvers.
He would soon reach Cain's goal of 100% power, and in the future, it's likely he'll further enhance his Water-type moves.
Gastly, on his part, absorbed two more threads of toxic gas during the day, further developing his Poison-type affinity. With a couple of Poison-type moves, his ability to sustain long battles would become the best on the team.
Miltank didn't progress as much as the others, but Cain never expected her to be a big fighter. Her role was to keep the others' energy up and occasionally use Heal Bell.
However, Miltank wasn't easily content. After receiving Cain's approval, she started training her physical condition in her spare time, preparing to learn more moves in the future.
Sneasel showed the most progress, apart from Skorupi.
Sneasel and Cain had already established an almost perfect bond. Whether it was the new Pokéblocks or competition with Skorupi, Sneasel quickly adapted to Cain's commands and battle style.
Lastly, there was Skorupi. Although he only gained one level during the day, reaching level twelve, he had become so familiar with his body that tomorrow he could likely fight at full strength.
When Cain recalled his Pokémon and was looking for a place to camp in a branch of the tunnel, he encountered an unexpected situation.
A middle-aged man, with a hiking backpack, a shovel, and a pickaxe, blocked the entrance of the tunnel Cain had chosen to rest in.
With a seemingly friendly smile, the man positioned himself in front of the tunnel entrance, preventing Cain from entering.
Initially, Cain had no problem giving up the tunnel, as he had only chosen it randomly as a camping spot.
However, Cain noticed a faint scent of blood on the man.
It was a very faint smell, barely noticeable, but Cain, in both his previous life and this one, had killed enough people to be extremely sensitive to this type of scent. It wasn't the kind of blood from a Pokémon, but from a human.
Cain always cleaned the smell of blood after dealing with someone with ill intentions toward him, to avoid being detected by people with a sharp sense of smell.
This middle-aged man, though he had tried to cover the scent with some dirt, had clearly done it hastily and hadn't concealed it well. For most people, it might have gone unnoticed, but for Cain, it was like a beacon in the dark, impossible to ignore.
"Haha, sorry, young man. This tunnel is where I've been staying. I went out during the day. Would you mind finding another tunnel? I'm really sorry," the middle-aged man said with a smile, while subtly moving his foot to block Cain's view of the tunnel's interior.
This movement seemed casual, but to Cain, who was already paying attention, it seemed even more suspicious.
Cain's dark eyes sparkled intensely. This man definitely had something to hide! Or perhaps, this tunnel branch concealed something!
With a smile, Cain replied, "So this tunnel was already occupied by you, sir. I didn't know, I'm very sorry."
Hearing Cain's words, the middle-aged man seemed to relax a bit. He scratched the back of his head and smiled in an apparently innocent way, "Haha, it's fine, it was my fault for not leaving a sign at the tunnel entrance. Sorry for the inconvenience, would you mind...?"
The man pointed to other tunnels with light in the distance, suggesting that Cain should find another place to camp.
"No problem, no problem. I'll look elsewhere."
Cain's response made the man relax even more, and his smile grew more genuine.
"But..."
Cain's words made the man's face tense slightly.
Cain gave a cold smile.
"But I left some tools inside earlier. I need to go retrieve them, is that okay?"
This phrase was a test. Cain had never entered the tunnel; he just wanted to see how the middle-aged man would react.
The man's smiling face turned serious as he observed Cain carefully. After a brief exchange of looks, the man forced a smile, though his expression was hard to read.
"Why don't we go together, then?"
"Agreed!"
(End of chapter)