It might sound strange, but Cain's two Pokémon currently have flaws in their potential and need to be adjusted through Pokéblocks.
However, as a trainer, a Pokémon's potential is not the most important thing. What matters most is their attitude towards battles and training. As they say, diligence can make up for a lack of talent, and there's some truth to that.
Of course, this doesn't mean that a Pokémon with green potential has no desire to fight, while one with red potential does, or that a Pokémon with red potential can always defeat one with green potential. Under normal conditions, that wouldn't be possible.
A famous person once said that success is 1% talent and 99% effort, but this only applies when the potential is similar. If there's a huge difference in talent, that 1% can become a chasm, the greatest enemy on the path to success.
So, when Cain discovered that Slowpoke had green quality and loved to battle, he knew he had found a treasure. Moreover, its outstanding psychic ability was so impressive that Cain wouldn't trade it even for a blue-quality Pokémon.
Murkrow's level also increased by one after the day's battle, reaching level 17, which shows rapid progress.
With a level 17 Murkrow and a level 20 Slowpoke, Cain now has the confidence to explore the entire forest. Moreover, with Slowpoke's Teleport move, they'll always be in a safe position, even when facing strong opponents.
The scent of roasted fish filled the air from the campfire. It had never smelled so delicious, and Slowpoke, amazed, stared at the roasted fish as its mouth began to water.
Although it had grown tired of fish, the touch of its trainer and a bit of seasoning made it irresistible, causing its salivary glands to work overtime.
"Caw, caw!" Murkrow, seeing Slowpoke's expression, approached and patted its head with its wings, displaying pride in its trainer.
"Yadon~ Yadon~" Slowpoke responded as if asking what that delicious thing was and when it could eat it.
"Caw?" Murkrow was puzzled by Slowpoke's question, as all it knew was how to eat and didn't know when the roasted fish would be ready.
Cain watched his two Pokémon exchange friendly words and couldn't help but smile. Though he didn't understand what they were saying, he knew the aim of their conversation.
With both of them staring hopefully, Cain took the roasted fish from the fire and placed it in a bowl, serving them three pieces each.
As soon as Murkrow saw its food, it began devouring it, completely ignoring the bones, as its strong digestive system made the bones a joke for it.
"Yadon~" Slowpoke looked at the food in front of it, swallowed its saliva, and looked at Cain, as if asking: "Is this for me?"
Cain patted Slowpoke's soft pink head and nodded with a smile. "Yes, it's for you. Enjoy!"
Since it was born, Slowpoke had never tasted anything so delicious or received such kindness. As it ate, its big eyes began to fill with tears.
Slowpoke ate so fast that it even finished before Murkrow, quickly devouring its three pieces of roasted fish.
Happy, Slowpoke let out a small burp while Murkrow finished eating at a slightly slower pace.
"Well, we've eaten and had enough to drink. Murkrow, let's start training. Slowpoke, you can rest and recover." Since Cain had decided to stay and rest during the day, he didn't want to waste time.
Murkrow's use of Dark-type moves was still in its early stages, and improving its skill required constant practice.
On the other hand, Slowpoke had just been captured, and it wasn't the right time to subject it to intense training, even if it wanted to. It needed to recover not just its body but also its potential, which would determine its future growth.
However, once its body fully recovers, it will be able to join the training, as only then will the Pokéblocks help it maximize its potential.
"Yadon~" Slowpoke looked enviously at Murkrow, who was training hard. Although it didn't care much about losing today, it knew it had been defeated. It attributed the loss to Murkrow's effort, as it had been neglecting its training.
But even though it wanted to join, Cain wouldn't allow it, and Slowpoke knew its body wasn't in the right condition; training would only make things worse.
Cain noticed Slowpoke's expression and patted its head with a smile, saying, "Don't rush. First, recover. If you have nothing else to do, use your psychic power to lift that rock." He pointed to a human-sized rock.
In the previous battle, when Slowpoke discovered that its Psychic moves didn't work against Murkrow, it stopped using them. Therefore, although it was injured, its psychic energy was still abundant, and training its telekinesis wouldn't affect it.
Hearing Cain, Slowpoke realized that even though it hadn't often trained its Psychic abilities, this was still a form of training.
Its big eyes began to glow blue, and the distant rock seemed to be wrapped in magical energy, slowly rising.
If Cain knew that a Slowpoke with such strong psychic abilities had never trained its powers, he would have been surprised.
While Murkrow and Slowpoke entered their training state, Cain was able to enjoy his lunch in peace.
A peaceful, yet busy afternoon for Cain and his Pokémon.
Murkrow and Slowpoke were absorbed in their training while Cain began preparing a new type of Pokéblock for Slowpoke, which it would use in the future.
Once the yellow berry Pokéblocks are finished, it will be time to start with Water- and Psychic-type specialized Pokéblocks.
The Illusory Blue Pokéblock is the ideal option Cain has chosen for Slowpoke, as it effectively enhances the absorption of Psychic and Water energy. It has a sweet taste and is a transparent, light-blue Pokéblock.
One can't help but mention the crafting of Pokéblocks. Why, if everything has advanced, are Pokéblock-making tools still made of wood? Is it because Team Rocket's base lacks specialized tools?
Of course not. It's because those tools are too obvious and have no other purpose besides making Pokéblocks. If Cain bought those specialized tools, it would raise suspicion. Even if no one asked him directly, it would cause unnecessary trouble.
How would an orphan who had never had contact with Pokémon explain that they knew how to make Pokéblocks?
So, even though the process is slower, as long as the quality is satisfactory, it's not that important.
Moreover, in the Team Rocket base on this test island, there are no tools for making advanced Pokéblocks.
With the help of the system, Cain cut, crushed, ground, mixed, and separated all the materials for the Pokéblocks with precision. Every step was smooth, with no pauses.
After completing each step, the system indicated what to do next, so within just two hours, Cain finished making the Pokéblocks that Slowpoke would need for the next few weeks.
Looking at the containers filled with pure energy, all that was left was to wait for them to solidify and become valuable intermediate-level Pokéblocks.
During those two hours, Murkrow and Slowpoke didn't stop training. Although Cain was busy making Pokéblocks, he dedicated part of his attention to his Pokémon, offering them guidance in their training so they wouldn't stray from the right path.
In his past life, Cain had reached the level of a quasi-elite trainer, and although he had never trained a Slowpoke, he had enough experience to identify weaknesses in Pokémon at that level, especially in Murkrow, his starter Pokémon in his past life.
Although he eventually decided not to continue with Murkrow, the effort he put into it cannot be denied.
As for Slowpoke, being a Water and Psychic-type Pokémon, Cain also had knowledge of how to train its underdeveloped Psychic abilities.
With its outstanding Psychic talent, Slowpoke wouldn't find it difficult to follow Cain's directions. Once its body fully recovers, Cain will feel more confident in his mission.
As they delve deeper into the forest, the level of the Pokémon will surely increase.
Aside from necessary battles, Cain will avoid encounters with high-level Pokémon as much as possible. And if they come across one, Slowpoke's Teleport move will allow them to escape quickly.
After two hours, Slowpoke had also gradually regained its energy. After training its Psychic abilities for an extended period, and with Cain's guidance, Slowpoke also began training its body and Water-type moves.
(End of chapter)