168 Chapter 168:

An hour later, Cain and his team had finally reached the end of the tunnel.

It seemed that this particular tunnel was among the deepest in the Diglett's Cave network.

Cain put away all his Pokemon except for Slowpoke. He then had Slowpoke use Teleport to return to the previous entrance.

Upon arrival, they didn't draw any attention. Cain brushed the dust off his clothes and proceeded further into the depths of Diglett's Cave.

For today, they had explored enough of the cave, and the Pokemon had battled sufficiently. The next step was to consolidate their gains and learn from their experiences.

Only by doing so would they remember today's lessons and not forget them during the next battle.

With hunger setting in, Cain chose a previously explored side tunnel and placed a sign at its entrance that read: "This tunnel has been temporarily claimed as a campsite for today. Enter at your own risk, as you may be attacked. Trespassers will bear the consequences."

Many trainers passing by these side tunnels used them as temporary campsites. Most entrances had similar signs.

This deterred most trainers from entering, as no one knew the strength of the occupants. If they could defeat the occupant, it would be fine; but if not, they would suffer the consequences.

Thus, an unwritten rule among the trainers visiting Diglett's Cave was established.

"Rule No.1: Don't litter. Yes, this one is very important!

Rule No.2: If a tunnel has been claimed as a temporary campsite with a sign posted at the entrance, don't enter without permission or suffer the consequences.

And Rule No.3: Don't initiate attacks on other trainers in the tunnels, and so on.

These unwritten rules were universally accepted by everyone.

So after choosing a branch tunnel and setting up a sign, Cain went straight in.

In these explored tunnels, the lighting was similar to that of Diglett's Caves main tunnel, with old lightbulbs installed on the ceiling to provide visibility.

These tunnels were relatively shallow, and most wild Pokémon had been driven out, so there was no need to worry about unexpected encounters.

Of course, some might still pop up through holes.

Once inside, Cain took out thin wires and small bells from his ring and tied them near the entrance of the tunnel. If anyone touched them, both Cain and his Pokémon would be alerted immediately.

After setting up these little traps, Cain and Slowpoke walked to the end of the tunnel.

Taking their camping equipment out of his ring, Cain released all of his Pokémon, who then began their tasks. Slowpoke and Murkrow were in charge of setting up the tent, while Miltank helped Cain with meal prep. Sneasel and Gastly were responsible for organizing the campfire and other miscellaneous items.

Only Skorupi wasn't assigned a task. However, it didn't just stand idly by. Knowing the older Pokémon were taking care of it, Skorupi went to the side to train its body, understanding that its rapid progress had diminished its control over its body.

In the subsequent hour of battle, Skorupi had leveled up twice, reaching level 11. Since it had been battling higher-level opponents, the experience gained was quite rich, resulting in a swift growth speed.

Cain decided that unless Skorupi could fully control its body, it wouldn't participate in battles for a while. Sometimes, growing too quickly can be detrimental, leading to an unstable foundation, slower progress in the future, or even a regression in aptitude.

Realizing Cain's intentions, Skorupi trained tirelessly, fueled by high-grade Pokéblocks and Miltank's milk. As long as it had enough willpower, it could keep training.

Cain was also delighted to see Skorupi's proactive attitude.

Soon, the campsite was set up by the Pokémon, and Cain and Miltank finished preparing the food.

Knowing they'd be in Diglett's Cave for a while, Cain's ring held plenty of fresh ingredients. Since they wouldn't spoil in the storage space, there was no harm in packing extra.

However, after finishing their tasks, Cain didn't let his Pokémon rest. Aside from Miltank assisting him, the rest were assigned their training tasks. Only after completing them could they have dinner.

Murkrow, weighed down with additional load, flew back and forth in the tunnel, while Slowpoke was instructed by Cain to combine Psychic and Water-type moves. The goal was to control the water flow and make it turn corners without diminishing the power of the Water-type moves.

Gastly had just absorbed a wisp of poison gas, but he hadn't fully mastered its utilization yet. Cain had him practice deep within the tunnel, using the purple gas that surrounded him to try and cause corrosion on the walls.

Sneasel was tasked with training his control over Ice-type energy. Cain wanted him to use the Ice Shard move, but not release it. Instead, he would slowly enlarge the shards in his hands until they formed a smooth Ice Ball.

As for Skorupi, he didn't need Cain to assign a task; he already knew his current training mission and continued performing simple yet strenuous physical exercises.

Before long, the mouth-watering aroma of grilled meat filled the campsite. If it weren't for Cain's assigned training tasks, the Pokémon would likely have rushed to the meat rack and eagerly awaited the meat to be fully cooked.

Cain grinned as he fanned the charcoal beneath the grill, making the temperature rise a little higher.

Glistening juices appeared on the golden-brown surface of the grilled meat, and as Cain fanned them, they dripped onto the charcoal, sizzling and raising the temperature even more.

Soon, Murkrow became the first to complete his training goal and approached the meat rack. Even though his breathing was labored from the intense exercise, nothing could deter the desire in his eyes.

However, he didn't start eating right away. Instead, he repressed his inner cravings and waited for the other Pokémon to finish their training.

Some of the training tasks were quite challenging, like Slowpoke's, which definitely couldn't be completed in a single day.

So, Cain decided to call the Pokémon back once he thought it was enough. They could continue their training later.

His arrangement was merely to ensure that they didn't forget what they had learned in battle while their bodies were still warm.