The slippery ground, covered in moss, made every step produce a "squeak," and one had to pay close attention to force and angle to avoid falling.
"Yadon!" Suddenly, Slowpoke let out a cry, its eyes lighting up with a blue glow, clearly preparing to attack.
Hearing Slowpoke's cry, Cain felt a slight discomfort. Everything was too quiet.
This place wasn't like Tyranitar's cave, which was cold and dry, an environment few Pokémon enjoy. This cave was cold and damp, a favorable habitat for many Pokémon.
However, as they ventured deeper into the cave, aside from a group of Zubat at the entrance, they hadn't encountered any other Pokémon.
Perhaps thanks to Slowpoke's warning, a spherical Pokémon began to slowly appear. A purple gas spread in the air, surrounding a black sphere in the center. Its eyes took up half its body, and below them was a large mouth with two prominent fangs.
The Pokémon that appeared was a Gastly, a Ghost and Poison-type Pokémon known for its mischievous nature and love of pranks.
Slowpoke had detected Gastly's presence. Being a Psychic-type Pokémon, it was naturally sensitive to ghostly energies. When Gastly appeared to scare them, Slowpoke had already warned them.
"Caw!" Murkrow flapped its wings, dispersing some of the purple gas surrounding Gastly, positioning itself in front of Cain.
As a Dark-type Pokémon, Murkrow had a natural advantage against Ghost-types, so it showed no fear, even when faced with a sudden Gastly.
"Kekeke!" Gastly smiled broadly and, with an exaggerated laugh, made a mocking face.
"Wow, this Gastly is quite cheeky," Cain remarked with a slight smile.
"Slowpoke, catch it." It was only a level 16 Gastly, and its potential wasn't high. It wouldn't be a challenge for Slowpoke.
An invisible hand appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Gastly.
Got it!
Gastly was startled. Its body, made entirely of gas, was usually untouchable by other Pokémon, except for its fellow ghosts. However, this invisible force made it feel very uncomfortable, like water meeting fire, causing a sharp pain.
"Kekeke!" Gastly let out a sharp cry.
"Kekeke, Kekeke, Kekeke!"
As Gastly's cry intensified, more and more Gastly began to appear around it, their large eyes glaring at them with hostility. However, the energy emanating from Slowpoke and Murkrow stopped them from attacking.
As the number of Gastly increased, Cain's smile widened. "Amazing, it seems we've walked into a ghost nest."
Cain wasn't worried about the number of Gastly. With Psychic-type Slowpoke and Dark-type Murkrow protecting him, plus the move Teleport, his safety was guaranteed.
"Caw!"
"Yadon!"
Faced with so many Gastly, Murkrow and Slowpoke showed no fear, and with a cry, they released their energy.
Despite its cute appearance, Slowpoke had an imposing presence when angered, especially in front of Ghost-type Pokémon, against whom it had a natural advantage.
The front rows of Gastly immediately halted, sensing a deadly threat emanating from Murkrow and Slowpoke.
Just as both sides were about to clash, an opening appeared in the midst of the Gastly crowd, and a Gastly that looked different from the others slowly floated forward.
With its arrival, the cries of the other Gastly began to calm down.
"Young human, greetings."
Suddenly, an old voice echoed in Cain's mind.
Hearing the voice in his mind, Cain was slightly surprised. Looking at the Gastly in front of him, he saw its eyes emitting a soft black glow.
Telepathy!
"Is it you who's speaking?" Cain asked, though he already suspected it.
The Gastly nodded, and the old voice echoed again in Cain's mind. "Human, your companions are very strong. If we fight, it won't benefit either of us."
The old Gastly spoke fluently, with no difficulties communicating with Cain.
Cain nodded, discreetly activating his system to scan this Gastly's data.
Pokémon: Gastly (Yellow)
Gender: Male
Level: 28
Type: Ghost + Poison
Ability: Levitate
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Scary Face, Disable
Basic Moves: Mean Look, Curse, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Sucker Punch, Payback
Learned Moves: Astonish, Psywave, Smog, Foul Play
TM Moves: None
"Level 28 and still in Gastly form. Seems like this is an old one refusing to die," Cain thought while reviewing the data.
Without showing his thoughts, Cain said, "I need to find something inside this cave. Once I have it, I'll leave."
Facing such an ancient Pokémon, Cain decided to be straightforward and express his purpose.
"If you agree to help us with a task, we can let you pass and even help you find what you're looking for. Don't worry, it's a simple task," said the old Gastly bluntly, proposing his condition.
Cain felt tempted. In such a dark place, he didn't know how large the cave was. If he searched on his own, it could take a long time.
Without showing any emotion, Cain coldly replied, "I'm going in regardless. You can't stop me."
The old Gastly was taken aback, calculating the consequences of a battle with Cain. After a moment of silence, the old voice echoed once more in Cain's mind.
"We can offer you a substantial reward."
As a Gastly who had lived for nearly a thousand years, it had dealt with humans before. It knew humans were greedy, but with the right reward, they would do anything.
"That's not enough."
But Cain wasn't playing by the rules. Just when Gastly was about to reveal his offer, Cain interrupted him, saying it wasn't enough.
The old Gastly felt a tinge of frustration.
Noticing Gastly's expression, Cain smiled and pointed at Slowpoke. "Teach it how to use telepathy."
Gastly was surprised. He thought Cain would ask for something outrageous, but instead, he made such a simple request.
Telepathy was extremely difficult for most Pokémon to learn, even for him, who had mastered it after centuries of accumulating mental power.
However, in this world, Psychic-type Pokémon had a special affinity for mental abilities. As one of the most intelligent species in the Pokémon world, they often possessed telepathic skills comparable to those of humans.
Gastly had already noticed that Cain's Slowpoke was a Psychic-type Pokémon and perceived that its psychic power was considerable, though he couldn't understand why it didn't know telepathy.
(End of chapter)