Cain didn't capture a single Dustox while taking down the entire group of these Pokémon.
One reason was that the combat situation didn't allow him enough energy to capture Pokémon.
Another reason was that Dustox's growth potential isn't very high, even lower than Beedrill's.
At least Beedrill can Mega Evolve, right?
Therefore, Dustox's resale value isn't very high.
Of course, if we're talking about the Dustox leader, that's a different story.
A level 34 Dustox with green potential has combat abilities that honestly surpass all of Cain's Pokémon.
However, Cain wouldn't be so naive as to let a single Pokémon face that Dustox in a one-on-one fight.
"Slowpoke, use Calm Mind. Murkrow, use Tailwind to increase speed. Sneasel, use Hone Claws. Haunter, use Toxic." Four Pokémon against the Dustox leader. With the right strategy and coordination, they might have a chance.
Upon hearing the command, Slowpoke closed its eyes and sat on the ground, trusting its companions to prevent Dustox from disturbing it while it meditated.
Murkrow flapped its wings, and a gentle air current surrounded all the Pokémon, activating the speed-boosting effect of Tailwind on the whole team.
Sneasel stayed in position, watching Dustox closely as its claws sharpened, emitting a piercing sound.
Ready to react, Sneasel wouldn't hesitate to strike if Dustox made a move.
Haunter, laughing eerily, vanished into the shadows and appeared next to Dustox, forming a sphere filled with poisonous energy in its hands.
Any Pokémon that touched that sphere would become poisoned.
Haunter's poison had been developed and refined under Cain's direction, making its toxic effect even more devastating.
Although Dustox is a Poison type, and therefore resistant to Poison-type moves, Haunter's Toxic move has a lingering effect. The longer the battle drags on, the greater the pressure on Dustox.
When Cain and his Pokémon defeated the first Dustox level 30 or higher, it was thanks to Haunter's Toxic move, which wore down the enemy slowly.
However, the Dustox leader was clearly different from the other Dustox Cain had faced previously. Sensing Haunter's move, the Dustox leader gently flapped her green wings and dodged Haunter's Toxic.
After evading the attack, the Dustox leader mirrored the move, quickly forming a sphere of toxic energy.
Cain remained unfazed and gave orders calmly: "Murkrow, use Snatch, then Wing Attack. Sneasel, use Taunt. Slowpoke, use Psyshock. Haunter, move in and use Poison Jab."
Murkrow's Prankster ability allowed it to use status moves at an incredible speed. While it couldn't directly snatch Dustox's Toxic move, it did manage to interrupt its execution.
Then, Sneasel rushed forward, using Taunt and preventing Dustox from using support moves.
Enraged, the Dustox leader beat her wings powerfully, creating two small gusts of wind. One sent Sneasel flying, and the other headed towards Slowpoke, sensing it as the biggest threat.
At that moment, Slowpoke, having finished using Calm Mind, teleported to evade Dustox's Gust. Then, its eyes glowed with a blue flash as a powerful psychic wave struck Dustox.
Haunter also approached Dustox quickly, and along with Slowpoke's Psyshock, its hands, charged with the strongest poison it could generate, hit Dustox directly.
The Dustox leader let out a cry of pain. Her green wings began to glow with a faint purple shine: she was poisoned.
However, Dustox was also a Pokémon capable of using Psychic-type moves. Although Slowpoke's Psyshock had caused great damage, the Dustox leader quickly regained her composure.
Due to Sneasel's Taunt, Dustox couldn't use support moves.
With no other option, a powerful psychic wave emanated from her body. It was her strongest Psychic-type move, Psybeam, which directly targeted the nearby Haunter.
At such close range, Haunter couldn't dodge.
"Kekeke!" Haunter fell to the ground, injured.
The Psybeam move, with its double damage, combined with the Dustox leader's level advantage, almost finished Haunter in a single hit.
Cain's expression changed slightly. The level difference was still too great. Although his four Pokémon were attacking just one and their coordination wasn't weak, the level gap made the battle outcome highly uneven.
For example, Sneasel's Taunt only managed to interrupt two of the Dustox leader's moves before the effect wore off.
Fortunately, Murkrow arrived just in time, its wings charged with Flying-type energy as they struck the Dustox leader directly.
Boom!
The Dustox leader was sent flying by Murkrow's attack, but she used the impact to put distance between herself and Cain's Pokémon.
"Haunter, use Rest. Slowpoke, use Disable to block Dustox's Psybeam. Sneasel, use Icicle Crash to keep Dustox at bay and give Haunter space. Murkrow, keep attacking with Wing Attack," Cain commanded.
Slowpoke generated a mysterious energy wave, sending it toward Dustox with the intent to block her Psybeam move.
However, before Disable could take effect, Dustox made a peculiar movement, and a beam of sunlight fell on her, healing her wounds rapidly.
It was too late for Murkrow to use Snatch, as it was too far away.
It seemed Dustox had taken Murkrow's attack deliberately to be able to use that move.
Cain's face darkened slightly. The Dustox leader's difficulty exceeded his expectations. The level 30 Dustox he had faced before were also challenging, but not to this extent.
This Dustox leader knew each of her moves well and knew exactly when to use them.
"Is that the Fairy-type move, Moonlight?" Cain observed Dustox and quickly guessed what move it was.
Currently, the Fairy type hadn't yet been widely promoted by the League, so many trainers didn't know this type existed and couldn't explain certain moves.
But Cain knew it very well.
In his previous life, the Fairy type had become very popular.
And the emergence of the Fairy type had a major impact on Dragon-type trainers.
(End of chapter)