Gastly was participating in training for the first time, so Cain couldn't precisely estimate the right amount of training for him. Thus, he assigned a quantity that he deemed reasonable.
After that, Gastly went off to train on his own.
The first move Murkrow trained was Dark Pulse, focusing on concentrating Dark-type energy into a single point to maximize the attack's damage.
Then, he practiced Wing Attack, which is currently Murkrow's most powerful Flying-type move.
Part of the move's damage comes from concentrating Flying energy into the wings to increase their power, while another part relies on physical strength and the impact of the flapping.
As for Slowpoke, being a Water and Psychic-type Pokémon, although he has decent aquatic talent, his psychic talent is much greater.
That's why Cain has always focused on training his psychic power. With enough development in this aspect, and complementing it with Water-type moves, Slowpoke would become a kind of mobile cannon, capable of controlling and attacking, in addition to having good defense and endurance.
Gastly, being a Ghost and Poison-type Pokémon, although he has a high special attack value, his strategy shouldn't be based on quick battles, but rather on wars of attrition.
By using the persistence of the Ghost-type and the continuous damage of the Poison-type, the longer the battle lasts, the greater the damage he inflicts on the opponent.
Of course, he first has to survive the opponent's attacks.
Although Gastly has high special attack and speed stats, his endurance is very low. If he faces a Pokémon that counters him, he could be defeated in a single hit.
Therefore, the main thing for Gastly is to survive in battle, and then attack.
The longer he survives, the more damage he will cause.
In addition to his special attack, Gastly shouldn't waste his talent in speed. The more speed he has, the longer he will survive.
Moreover, Gastly can learn a variety of control moves and techniques that irritate the opponent, further increasing his ability to prolong the battle.
In Cain's strategy, if Gastly masters the moves Hypnosis, Dream Eater, Rest, and Sleep Talk, along with the Poison-type move Toxic, his strategy will be complete. He could even wear down higher-level Pokémon over time.
Thus, Gastly is, in fact, the main offensive Pokémon in Cain's team. Murkrow isn't built for long battles, and Slowpoke is too slow, making him easy to counter, but these problems don't apply to Gastly.
If we consider Gastly's future evolution into Gengar, and if he manages to obtain a compatible Mega Stone, then battles against higher-level or higher-quality opponents will be possible.
...
When Cain appeared once again at the entrance to Team Rocket's base, a day had passed.
From Raticate's territory to the Team Rocket base, it took a full day to arrive.
Of course, not all the time was spent traveling; most of the time was spent training the Pokémon's moves and leveling them up.
The one who progressed the most was Gastly, who originally had the lowest level. With the help of Murkrow and Slowpoke, Gastly, who fought against higher-level Pokémon, quickly increased his level. In just one day, he went from level 10 to level 14.
Thanks to the intense battles and the influence of Murkrow and Slowpoke, Gastly, who was already restless, became a fervent fighter, eager to battle any Pokémon. This passion was what allowed him to level up four times in just one day.
Slowpoke and Murkrow also leveled up, reaching levels 22 and 20 respectively. The main reason was that Gastly caused many problems; he encountered powerful Pokémon and provoked them, and when they attacked him, he sought out Murkrow and Slowpoke for revenge, which naturally resulted in their levels increasing.
After a full day of battles, they finally returned.
"Slowpoke, it's not convenient for you to be here. Rest a bit in your Poké Ball," Cain said, taking out Slowpoke's Super Ball.
Being a shiny Pokémon, even though he's pink, he's still very eye-catching. Anyone could notice him immediately, so to avoid unnecessary trouble, Cain decided to store him.
Of course, Cain wasn't worried about other trainers, but about some Team Rocket members on the island. They are the ones who have truly survived fire and blood, and if the reward is big enough, they might take the risk.
Figures like Viper and Umbra might not be interested, but their stronger subordinates could be unpredictable.
Cain handed the incubator with the Larvitar egg to Gastly, to keep it in his shadow, and then, along with Murkrow, confidently entered Team Rocket's base.
The long, familiar hallway no longer caused him the same oppression as before.
They say that when your power increases, your perspective on the world changes.
This perfectly describes Cain's situation.
He now has two level 20 Pokémon with great aptitude, in addition to Gastly, who, although he is level 14, has outstanding talent. He also possesses treasures like the Geocentric Purifying Milk and the Dusk Stone.
He has both Pokémon and resources, so he no longer sees the world from the perspective of a mere apprentice; the pressure of Team Rocket no longer weighs on him as much.
With an entirely different attitude from when he first revived, Cain exited the long hallway of the base.
Unlike his first return, when everything was desolate, this time the Team Rocket plaza was bustling with people in a hurry. Not only trainers but also Team Rocket soldiers seemed to be busy with something, going back and forth.
When Cain entered the base, several observers disappeared from the plaza. Although he didn't pay much attention, at least three or four people saw him.
"Interesting, it seems the base has gotten more complicated."
Cain smiled.
Thanks to these informants, in no time, the news of Cain's return to the base spread among the strong trainers.
A group quickly emerged from the dormitory area and, led by their captain, headed straight for the plaza. Each was accompanied by at least one Pokémon, and the leader had two.
They all displayed various emotions: nervousness, excitement, fear, but they moved as quickly as possible, afraid to miss something.
When the leader reached the plaza and saw Cain in the center, he ran even faster, followed closely by the others, whose expressions grew increasingly complex.
"Mr. Cain, you've returned."
The leader was the trainer Cain had spared in the wild, Skye, to whom he had given the Koffing that belonged to Soros.
(End of chapter)