37 Chapter 37:

For trainers of elusive creatures known as Pokémon, a Pokémon's talent was just as crucial as its attitude towards battle and training. As the wise once said, hard work can overcome even the worst of luck, and this held a grain of truth.

But let us not forget, success is not solely reliant on effort alone. It is a delicate balance between natural talent and diligence. A single percent of raw talent can make all the difference, like a chasm in the sky - the greatest obstacle to be overcome on the path to victory.

So, when Cain stumbled upon a Slowpoke with a rare green aptitude and a fierce love for battle, he knew he had found a true gem.

His Murkrow also saw a boost in power during their recent battle, now standing at a commendable level 17. A truly remarkable growth rate.

With these two powerful creatures by his side, Cain felt a renewed sense of confidence. And with Slowpoke's unique Egg move, Teleport, he had a safety net against even the strongest of opponents.

As the aroma of freshly roasted fish wafted through the air, Slowpoke's nose twitched, his eyes fixated on the meal. He had never experienced such a tantalizing scent before. The fish, seasoned with just the right amount of spices, was so succulent that Slowpoke's mouth began to water uncontrollably.

"Caw! Caw!" Murkrow called out, noticing Slowpoke's reaction, and flew over to him, patting his head gently with his wings. A hint of pride shone in his eyes, pride in his trainer.

"Ya dong ~ ya dong ~" Slowpoke responded in a friendly manner, as if asking about the fish, if it was delicious and when he could partake.

"Caw?" Murkrow was taken aback by Slowpoke's inquiries, as all he had ever known was to eat. He certainly didn't know when the fish would be ready.

Cain couldn't help but smile as he watched his two Pokémon interact. Though he couldn't understand their language, he knew the meaning behind their communication. And so, with their eager eyes upon him, he removed the fish from the fire and placed them in three bowls, for each of them.

As soon as Murkrow received his bowl, he began to devour it, not even pausing to remove the bones. With his powerful digestive system, they posed no threat to him.

"Ya dong~" Slowpoke gazed at the feast before him, swallowed, and let out a joyful cry, his eyes imploring to Cain, "Is this for me?"

Reaching out to gently stroke Slowpoke's smooth pink head, Cain smiled and nodded, "This is all for you, enjoy!"

Slowpoke had never tasted anything so delicious, and no one had shown him such kindness since his birth. Tears of gratitude streamed down his big, round eyes as he devoured his meal.

He ate with such haste, finishing his portion of three roasted fish before Murkrow had even finished his own.

Murkrow, too, soon finished his meal with a satisfied burp, though at a more leisurely pace.

"Well done, now that you've both had your fill, it's time for Murkrow to begin training. Slowpoke, you rest and recover for now." Cain decided that since they were spending the day here, he didn't want to waste any time. Murkrow had recently learned Dark Pulse and needed constant practice to master it.

On the other hand, Slowpoke needed to not push himself to train, even if he desired to. He needed time to heal, not only his physical injuries but also his talent, which could limit his growth in the future.

Only once his body had fully recovered would he be able to participate in training again, and only then would the Pokeblock be able to help him maximize his talent recovery.

"Ya dong~" Slowpoke looked on enviously as Murkrow trained hard. He yearned to join in, but he knew he couldn't. He didn't dwell on his defeat, but he blamed himself for not training harder and felt he had wasted too much time.

But even if he wanted to train, Cain wouldn't allow it, knowing that with his current condition, it would only worsen his injuries.

Noticing the forlorn expression on Slowpoke's face, Cain smiled and stroked his head, "No need to rush, first heal your body. And if you have nothing else to do, use 'Confusion' to lift that rock." He gestured towards a large rock, measuring roughly 2x1 meters in size.

Confusion is a psychic-type move that uses weak telekinetic force to inflict damage. It may also confuse the target.

In the previous battle, when Slowpoke had realized that his psychic-type moves were ineffective against Murkrow, he had refrained from using them. Despite his injuries, the psychic energy within his body was abundant and there would have been no negative repercussions if he trained only Confusion.

Upon hearing Cain's words, Slowpoke nodded in understanding. Though he had never trained his psychic-type moves before, he knew they were something that could be honed. A brilliant blue light shone from his round eyes, and the distant rock seemed to be enveloped in a divine aura as it slowly lifted into the air.

Had Cain known that Slowpoke possessed such formidable psychic-type moves and yet had never trained them, he would have been truly astounded.

As Cain watched both Murkrow and Slowpoke immerse themselves in their training, he was able to enjoy his lunch in peace.

The tranquil afternoon soon gave way to a bustling one for the trio.

Murkrow and Slowpoke were so engrossed in their training that they couldn't stop, and Cain had to begin making a new type of Pokeblock for Slowpoke. When the Sitrus Berry Pokeblock was finished, it was time to begin consuming the special water and psychic-type Pokeblocks.

The 'Magic Blue Pokeblock'; a unique Pokeblock chosen by Cain that amplified the absorption of water and psychic energy. It had a sweet taste and was a transparent cube of a light blue hue.

As for why Cain still used his handmade wooden tools to make Pokeblocks? It wasn't because the Team Rocket Exchange Center didn't have any specialized tools.

It was because these tools had no other purpose than to make Pokeblocks, and if Cain had bought those tools that specialized in making Pokeblocks, it would have been suspicious and caused unnecessary trouble. There was no way to explain how an orphan who had never been exposed to Pokémon could make Pokeblocks.

Therefore, even though his speed in making Pokeblocks was slightly slower, the quality was satisfactory, and there was no need for those specialized tools.

As for the tools required to create advanced Pokeblocks, Team Rocket did not have any in stock at the exchange center on this island.

With the precise guidance of the system, Cain meticulously cut, ground, crushed, stirred, and separated all the ingredients to create the Pokeblocks. The process was smooth, without the slightest pause. As each step was completed, the system prompted for the next. In just two hours, Cain had crafted all the Pokeblocks Slowpoke would need for the next few weeks.

Gazing inside the tall containers, Cain had to wait a bit longer for them to solidify and become valuable intermediate Pokeblocks.

During these two hours, Murkrow and Slowpoke also continued to train. Even though he was occupied with making Pokeblocks, Cain still paid attention to them, and after completing one, he would offer them a few pointers on how to train so that they would take as few detours as possible.

Though he had not trained a Slowpoke in his previous life, he had the knowledge and insight to see through the shortcomings of his Pokemon, especially Murkrow as his first Pokemon. Even though Cain eventually gave up on Murkrow, there was no denying that he had invested a considerable amount of time and resources in him.

Slowpoke, on the other hand, was a Water & Psychic-type Pokemon, and Cain had some understanding of Psychic-type Pokemon, so he knew how to train Slowpoke's undeveloped psychic-type moves.

Once Slowpoke's body was fully healed, Cain would have some confidence in completing Umbra's mission.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, the level of Pokemon would increase, and aside from the necessary battles, the trio would have to try to avoid encounters with high-level Pokemon as much as possible. Even if they couldn't, Slowpoke's Teleport would help them get out of sticky situations.

Slowpoke gradually regained his strength after a few hours, and under Cain's guidance, he added physical exercise and water-type moves to his training routine.