Cain refocused on the exchange manual, searching for the moves he needed.
"I want to exchange for these two moves," Cain said, pointing at the moves in the manual.
The manual described the following:
---
Move: Protect
Type: Normal
Category: Status
Power: 0
Description: Forms a protective shield around the body, completely blocking the opponent's attacks for a limited time. Cannot be used consecutively; the cooldown time is ten minutes.
Price: 5000 points
---
Move: Substitute
Type: Normal
Category: Status
Power: 0
Description: Sacrifices some of the user's HP to create an identical substitute that takes the hit in place of the user. If the attack's intensity doesn't exceed the substitute's endurance, it can remain on the field.
Price: 4000 points
---
The total for both moves came to 9000 points, proving that moves are extremely expensive.
Cain was quite fortunate this time, obtaining a valuable Pokémon egg with green aptitude. Otherwise, he wouldn't even know if he could exchange for Protect after leaving this trial.
Seeing Cain exchange for two such expensive moves without showing any emotion, the exchange officer couldn't help but tremble a little. "Does he have no idea how valuable his points are?" he thought.
Though he mumbled to himself internally, his hands moved without pause. He opened a safe that contained various moves and carefully took out two TM discs emitting a white glow, handing them to Cain.
This is the difference in thinking between people. To Cain, points are nothing but useless numbers if they aren't converted into effective combat power. Only by turning points into strength can their value be maximized.
If Cain's Murkrow could master the moves Protect and Substitute, its survivability would increase significantly. Coupled with its original speed, as long as it didn't face opponents with a vast power gap, it would have a decent chance of winning.
With 11,000 points remaining, Cain decided to exchange for a Dark-type move for his Murkrow.
Flipping through the pages filled with Normal-type moves, he went directly to the Dark-type section. Without much hesitation, he exchanged for Dark Pulse, which cost 3000 points.
As a Dark-type offensive move, Dark Pulse has decent power and high accuracy, with the added bonus of potentially causing the opponent to flinch.
With 8000 points left, Cain decided to save them for now. Exchanging for three moves at once, plus the Screech TM he already had, would allow Murkrow to learn four moves in one go.
Although he could exchange for more, rushing the learning process wouldn't be wise. There's a significant difference between just learning a move and mastering it.
What Murkrow needed now wasn't more moves but to focus on mastering the ones it already knew to the point of using them instinctively.
"Also exchange for a training device that allows free weight control, for Flying-type Pokémon. The weight limit should be 30 kg," Cain said after some thought.
During this time, Murkrow had been using wood as a weight tool. Though it worked, it wasn't ideal to constantly search for heavier wood as it adapted to the weight.
Luckily, Team Rocket scientists had stumbled upon research into such a device. Though they couldn't replicate it exactly, they had created one that allowed for adjustable weight control.
It had become one of the various training devices of Team Rocket, proving to be quite useful.
The weight device doesn't use much advanced technology, so its price wasn't high. The 30-kilogram limit device cost only 200 points.
"Give me ten Super Balls as well," Cain said after storing everything in his storage belt. Each Super Ball cost 50 points, totaling 500 points.
Although Cain hadn't originally intended to catch more Pokémon on the island, after speaking with the mysterious man, he decided that training other Pokémon was necessary.
The final trial wouldn't be hard for Cain; aside from Xander and two or three others who might be a challenge, the rest wouldn't pose much of a threat.
But now the situation was different. Cain not only had to face the final trial but also take care of the "small matters" the mysterious man had mentioned before the final trial began.
What seemed like a small matter to the mysterious man could be a huge challenge for Cain, so training more Pokémon was essential.
After storing the ten Super Balls, Cain handed his ID card to the exchange officer. The officer swiped it through a machine, and the remaining 7200 points were stored on the card. Cain spent a total of 12,700 points, plus an additional 100 points for the Pokémon egg appraisal.
In a corner of the exchange center stood a lone machine: a Pokémon learning machine.
This machine allowed TMs to transfer move information directly into a Pokémon's brain, making them learn the move instantly. It was one of the most advanced technologies in the Pokémon world.
Using the learning machine was free. However, before using the TMs, Cain took out a Super Ball and switched Murkrow's original Poké Ball for the new one. For the interior space of a Poké Ball, it was like moving from a small apartment to a mansion.
Although Murkrow rarely stayed inside its Poké Ball, when you have the money, it's better to give it a good place to rest, even if it doesn't use it much.
After storing Murkrow in the newly acquired Super Ball, Cain placed it in the slot of the learning machine. Then, he took the TMs from his storage space and inserted them one by one.
Luckily, it was nighttime, and there was no one else in the exchange center aside from Cain and the exchange officer. Otherwise, if someone had seen Cain use four TMs at once, they probably wouldn't have been able to resist shouting, "What a waste!"
For most Pokémon, learning too much at once could backfire. But for a green-quality Murkrow, mastering these moves was only a matter of time.
After using the discs, they turned into ordinary, worthless discs.
Each TM took one minute to use. After finishing, Cain released Murkrow from the Super Ball.
"Caw!" Murkrow immediately flew out, flapping its wings. Although the interior space of the Super Ball was vast, it never felt as comfortable as being outside.
Cain gently stroked Murkrow's feathers and asked, "How did it go? Did you learn everything?" Although he knew there wouldn't be a problem, he couldn't help but ask.
"Caw! Caw!" Murkrow quickly nodded. It felt like something magical; the moves it didn't know before had suddenly appeared in its mind as if it had known them from birth.
To demonstrate, Murkrow squinted its eyes, and a light green energy shield appeared, enveloping its body. The shield lasted for about two seconds before fading.
"Protect," Cain said with a smile. He was quite familiar with the move Protect.
When a certain level of skill is reached, nearly every Pokémon must learn Protect, as it's an invaluable survival move that can prevent damage.
Seeing the light green shield disappear so quickly, Murkrow tried to use it again but couldn't.
Cain raised his hand to stop Murkrow, who was about to try again, and said with a smile, "This move can only be used once every ten minutes. Come on, let's head back."
Cain and Murkrow then left the exchange center, disappearing into the darkness of the night.
The exchange officer watched Cain's back as he left and couldn't help but murmur, "What a lucky kid, catching that man's attention."
However, what he didn't know was that Cain was more familiar with the mysterious man and his team than he was. The only question was whether this would be a blessing or a curse.
Inside the Team Rocket base, there are always 300 rooms prepared for trial participants, which never change. Each door has a number corresponding to each person.
Walking through the base at night, barely any shadows could be seen. Only the outlines of Cain and Murkrow stretched under the moonlight.
The dormitory rooms were arranged neatly, and Cain quickly found his own.
Although he had never been there before, the room was relatively clean, with a simple single bed, a small desk, and a chair. That was all the dorm had—quite austere—but for someone like Cain, who had been sleeping outdoors, having a soft bed was enough.
Cain locked the door and collapsed onto the bed, enjoying the softness he hadn't felt in a long time.
Murkrow, being in a human room for the first time, began curiously flying around the room.
In the central room of the Team Rocket base, where the trial supervisor was, Chief Instructor Viper was in his office, with the same two people sitting across from his desk.
Viper held a Luxury Ball in his hand, gently wiping off invisible dust with a handkerchief, looking at the ball with eyes that seemed to be gazing at a lover, and said to himself, "I've heard there's a boy who caught your interest."
The mysterious man, sitting across from him, hidden in his black cloak, remained motionless like a monk in meditation, not responding to Viper's question.
(End of chapter)