Pokemon Chronicles of Darkness

Chapter 16

As Cain watched Pinsir's actions, he could not help but stifle a chuckle. This was one of the key differences between wild Pokemon and those trained by a trainer. Without instruction, wild Pokemon fought with their own intelligence and instincts.

"Use Snatch again!" Cain commanded. Pinsir was tensing its body, but it was unaware that its opponent had been waiting for it to use this move. The familiar black aura reappeared around it as the effect of Murkrow's Snatch returned.

Pinsir was taken aback after using Harden. Even though it wasn't a move it commonly used, it should have had some effect. Still not convinced, it used Harden once more. This time, Pinsir finally saw the black aura flying from its side towards Murkrow, and while it didn't know what it was, it realized it was the work of that pesky black creature in the sky it had never seen before.

On the other hand, Murkrow was also feeling the effects of the two Harden moves, his feathers stiffened and made a metallic sound as they rubbed against each other, feeling as if he was clad in armor.

"Kruahh! Kruahhhh!" Pinsir could do nothing but roar. After taking another blow, it gave up, turned around, and ran. In the face of such a shameless opponent, running was the only option left. But how could its speed compare to Murkrow, who not only had a higher base speed but also received a double speed boost from Tailwind?

After a series of attacks from Murkrow with the added effect of Focus Energy, Pinsir finally fell helplessly. But this time, Cain didn't let Murkrow kill it, not out of mercy, or because he wanted to catch it, but because he believed that this Pinsir would make for a valuable leveling partner. Just by defeating it, Murkrow leveled up to 13, which showed that defeating a Pokemon across many levels would give Murkrow a lot of experience.

"Caw!" After defeating Pinsir, Murkrow cried out with great vigor, having never fought so well, no, it should be said, attacked so well. Who wouldn't want to be able to attack with abandon and not have to worry about taking any damage?

Cain paid no attention to the fallen Pinsir, its body motionless on the ground. Though selected by Cain as the perfect match for Murkrow, the fate of Pinsir was uncertain, and it was debatable whether or not it had been fortunate to have escaped with its life.

As they stood beneath the lush canopy of leaves and dense branches, the sunlight was obscured and a chill descended upon them.

Cain picked up a fallen branch and, with a nonchalant air, began to dig into the loose soil near the tree. Using only this primitive method, he found the soil to be quite pliable and the task was completed with ease.

Murkrow, meanwhile, had flown circles around the tree and was now perched atop its highest branch, nodding in approval of its robust growth.

With a resounding "Thud!", Cain brought the branch down with force, striking a hard object. Discarding the branch, he cleared the dirt with his hands to reveal a gleaming metal box.

As Cain surveyed the excavated earth, it was clear that the metal box had been buried only about 10 centimeters deep. His eyes flickered as he realized the ease of the digging - it seemed the box had not been buried with much intention of concealment, likely just for amusement.

Cain handled the box with care, noting its light weight. A silvery-white laptop-sized container was now fully exposed.

Murkrow, sensing Cain's actions, flew down from the tree and stood attentively beside him, his curiosity piqued.

Cain sat cross-legged, placing the box on his lap, and noticed a small lock that prevented it from opening.

"Murkrow," he commanded, "gently peck this lock open."

With a satisfying "Ding!", Murkrow complied and the lock was easily broken.

As Cain opened the box, his face twitched involuntarily at the sight within. A hand sized disc, shimmering white, and nothing else. He couldn't help but feel the haphazard nature of Team Rocket's operations - a poorly drawn treasure map worth a mere hundred points, a seemingly random burying spot, and a box containing only this disc.

He shook his head, banishing these disordered thoughts from his mind.

Cain was content with the disc he had found. It was a TM, a valuable item, and though the move it contained was not specified, the fact that it radiated a white light suggested it was of the normal-type.

Regardless of the move, it was worth more than a hundred points.

He carefully placed the box in his storage belt, knowing he wouldn't be able to use it now. He would have to wait until he returned to base to see if Murkrow could learn the move, and if not, he would sell the TM to Team Rocket for some points.

Cain knew that points in Team Rocket could be earned not only through ranking tests but also through the exchange of items and the completion of certain tasks. On the trial island, these tasks included cleaning or picking berries, but they were often menial and only earned one point per task.

Cain surmised that the more challenging tasks had yet to be assigned to the new batch of trialists, as Team Rocket, while not opposed to the death of the trialists, did not wish to waste resources. Furthermore, all the current trialists had tamed a Pokemon and, though not particularly strong, were still more valuable than average individuals.

Team Rocket typically offered 70% of the item's worth in exchange for points. An item valued at 100 points, for example, would be traded for 70 Team Rocket points. This system ensured that Team Rocket never lacked for funds. Despite this, many still traded rare items for points as Team Rocket possessed a vast array of items not available elsewhere.

If Cain was fortunate and the TM recorded a rare move, the value could reach tens of thousands of points.

Cain sat contemplatively, propping his head in his hands as he considered his options.

Murkrow's recovery plan had been completed and was successful, though it was uncertain if Murkrow had fully regained his strength.

With the most pressing matter resolved, Cain would now need to devise a comprehensive plan for the next two months on the island.

First, as resources and time were limited, he would not catch any additional Pokemon and instead focus on training Murkrow.

Secondly, leveling up Murkrow was of paramount importance, as it was currently at a lower level compared to most other trialists' Pokémon.

During his treasure hunting, Cain had gradually formed a plan and it was only after defeating the level 18 Pinsir that he felt confident in its feasibility.

Murkrow was a Pokémon of the dark and flying-type. These types held a natural advantage against psychic and ghost-types, which were difficult to come by on the island. However, flying-types were also effective against grass, bug, and fighting-types, all of which were abundant on the island.

The territories they had traversed before, the Weedle Territory and the Caterpie Territory, were ideal training grounds for flying-type Pokémon. Though the Weedle had evolved into Kakuna and the Caterpie into Metapod, this posed little threat. Even if a swarm of Beedrills and Butterfrees were to appear, Murkrow with Tailwind and Prankster could use guerrilla tactics and avoid danger.