Aoki almost laughed at Pinsir's actions. This highlighted the stark difference between wild Pokémon and those trained by humans. Without guidance, wild Pokémon relied solely on instinct and intuition, often lacking the strategic thinking of trained Pokémon.
"Keep using Snatch!" Aoki commanded.
Pinsir strained its body, attempting to use Harden again. However, it was unaware that Murkrow was waiting for just that. The familiar black energy reappeared around Pinsir, and once more, the effects of its Harden were transferred to Murkrow.
Despite its disbelief, Pinsir tried Harden again, only to watch the black energy leave its body and bolster Murkrow. It finally realized that the small black bird was responsible for nullifying its efforts, causing it to roar in frustration.
Murkrow, now reinforced by two layers of Harden, felt as though it was wearing armor. Its feathers stiffened, creating a faint metallic sound as they brushed against each other.
"Raargh!" Pinsir roared in frustration, but after another round of Gust attacks, it gave up, turning to flee. Confronted with such an annoying adversary, it had no choice but to run.
However, even with its impressive speed of 85, Pinsir couldn't outrun Murkrow, whose speed, boosted to 91 by Tailwind, was far superior. The inevitable outcome was clear.
A relentless series of attacks from Murkrow, now empowered by Focus Energy, brought Pinsir to its knees before it could escape.
Aoki chose not to finish Pinsir off. He had no interest in capturing it but saw it as an excellent opponent for Murkrow's leveling. The battle raised Murkrow to level 13, illustrating how valuable such high-level battles were for experience gain.
"Caw!" Murkrow cawed triumphantly, exhilarated by the battle. It relished the rare chance to unleash its full power without restraint.
Pinsir, now incapacitated, lay on the ground. Whether it should feel fortunate or unfortunate to have survived was a matter of perspective.
Under the towering tree, Aoki began digging into the soft earth with a dead branch. The cool shade beneath the tree provided relief from the sun's heat.
As Aoki dug, Murkrow circled the tree, admiring its size and grandeur. As a bird Pokémon, it naturally felt at home among the branches.
"Thunk!" Aoki's branch struck something hard. Setting the branch aside, he brushed away the dirt to reveal a metal box with a shiny surface.
Despite the minimal depth—barely ten centimeters—Aoki wasn't surprised. It was clear the box wasn't meant to be hidden deeply.
He carefully lifted the box from the ground, turning it over in his hands. It was light, and after dusting it off, its silvery sheen gleamed in the sunlight.
Murky curiosity piqued, Murkrow flew down to inspect the box alongside Aoki.
Sitting cross-legged, Aoki placed the box on his lap. A small lock secured the lid.
"Murkrow, peck the lock off gently," Aoki instructed.
With a precise peck, Murkrow broke the lock effortlessly.
Inside the box, Aoki found a single disc glowing with a soft white light. The spacious box contained nothing else.
Aoki couldn't help but smirk at the simplicity of the treasure. The disc was likely a TM (Technical Machine), though its exact move remained a mystery until used. The white light indicated a Normal-type move, making it potentially valuable.
Satisfied, Aoki stored the box and the TM in his storage space. He'd evaluate its usefulness later, back at the base. If Murkrow couldn't learn the move, he could always trade it for points with Team Rocket.
Team Rocket's system allowed for point accumulation through various means, not just test rankings. Points could be earned through item exchanges or completing tasks. However, earning points was no easy feat, with tasks often offering minimal rewards.
Given the scarcity of resources and the island's constraints, Aoki planned to focus solely on training Murkrow, maximizing its growth. His experience with Pinsir confirmed the island's abundance of Bug- and Grass-type Pokémon—ideal opponents for Murkrow.
The territory of Caterpie and Weedle provided a natural leveling ground for Murkrow, even if it evolved into Metapod and Kakuna. With careful strategy and the advantage of Tailwind, Aoki and Murkrow were ready for whatever the island had in store.