Chapter 53:

Cain was already content with having achieved his goal effortlessly and providing Slowpoke a chance to learn telepathy. He was now just attempting a long shot.

However, to his utter disbelief, Old Gastly appeared surprised and then brought out two pitch-black stones. "Might you be speaking of these stones?" it queried.

Cain was taken aback as he saw the gaseous hands of Old Gastly materialize in the air, each clutching a 'Dusk Stone'. He could barely muster a word, never once imagining that Old Gastly possessed such treasures.

Murkrow was the first to stir, letting out a soft squawk upon beholding the two dusk stones. He couldn't help but feel a strange tug at his heart, a longing for those mysterious stones. Some instinct deep within him whispered that they held the key to greater strength, to a transformative change.

Despite not understanding the source of this feeling, Murkrow pecked at Cain's pants, signifying his desire for the stones. "I know, Murkrow," Cain whispered, crouching down to stroke the bird's feathers. "But there's no need to be hasty. Now is not the time to make use of these stones."

Murkrow listened to Cain's words and slowly began to calm. He trusted Cain, knowing that following his guidance would bring him to greater heights, not harm. And so, he quashed the racing thoughts that threatened to consume him.

Cain understood the inner turmoil that wracked Murkrow's heart. It was a primal urge, a deep-seated instinct, for the avian to acquire the Dusk Stone and evolve into the mighty Honchkrow.

But Cain had other plans for Murkrow, as the feathered companion was not yet ready to undergo evolution. Such a hasty transformation would be a waste of his abundant talent.

"Right," Cain replied to Old Gastly, as he used his AI system to scan the two Dusk Stones.

Dusk Stone (Beginner): A mysterious stone that allows certain Pokemon to evolve.

Dusk Stone (Intermediate): A mysterious stone that allows certain Pokemon to evolve and slightly improves their talent.

"Hmm, if Murkrow were to use the Intermediate Dusk Stone, his talent would probably increase by a small order and become dark green," Cain mused quietly.

"But what if it was an Advanced Dusk Stone?" Though the likelihood of such a discovery was scarce, the possibility remained.

Cain accepted the two dusk stones, tucking them safely into his storage belt. "Thank you," he said to Old Gastly.

"This is a fair exchange. You help us, and we help you. These stones serve no purpose to us, and if not for the energy they contain, we would never have bothered to collect them," the ghostly figure explained.

Cain nodded in agreement. The dusk stone was only useful to those Pokemon who required it for evolution.

After saying that, Old Gastly released a murky gas that enveloped Slowpoke.

Murkrow let out a frightened caw, ready to defend his companion, but Cain reached out to calm him. The two kept a wary eye on Old Gastly, as the ghostly figure carried out his actions.

Cain suspected that Old Gastly was up to something involving telepathy, for Slowpoke seemed to be cooperating with ease.

As quickly as it appeared, the gas dissipated and returned to Old Gastly. Then Cain heard the ancient ghost's voice echoing in his mind, "There, I taught him telepathy."

"He's a natural, that one," Old Gastly continued. "I can sense the latent psychic power within him, but he simply lacks the guidance to fully harness it. That, young human, is where you come in."

Cain nodded, well aware of Slowpoke's untapped potential. Suddenly, a soft, childlike voice sounded in his mind, "Mas... Master~"

He looked down at the pink Pokémon in surprise, and was met with the sight of a faint blue light emanating from his eyes. "Is that you, Slowpoke?" Cain asked.

Slowpoke gave a nod, but refrained from speaking telepathically again, seeming a bit shy. "Take your time," Cain reassured, patting the Pokémon's smooth head. "You'll get the hang of it."

Murkrow, too, had heard Slowpoke's voice and was fluttering around in excitement. Although Pokémon didn't need to communicate telepathically, the addition of this new skill was thrilling. Meanwhile, Slowpoke looked on, still a bit embarrassed but undeniably pleased.

Telepathy was an incredible skill, allowing for thoughts to be transferred without the need for traditional forms of communication. It was a kind of extrasensory perception that was truly remarkable.

As Cain, Murkrow, and Slowpoke trailed behind Old Gastly through the winding, labyrinthine cave, they noticed the Gastlys they encountered no longer scowled at them, but instead regarded them with fondness.

As they reached the entrance to another cavern, Old Gastly came to a halt and cast his gaze upon the numerous Gastlys congregated inside.

Cain gave it a quizzical look. Was Old Gastly not supposed to lead them out of the cave as it promised? Though he had no reason to suspect the Gastlys would turn hostile, Cain couldn't help but feel uneasy being surrounded by them.

"As I previously stated, there shall be a reward for you if you fulfill a task for us," Old Gastly announced before Cain could even pose the question.

With that, he floated forward, gesturing for Cain to follow suit.

As Cain stepped into the cavern, the Gastlys fixated on him with fascination, gradually encircling him. Cain frowned, the unease within him growing stronger as he wondered what Old Gastly had in store.

"These are all of our clansmen who are willing to accompany you. Choose one of them to be your Pokemon," Old Gastly finally revealed the nature of the reward.

In truth, granting Cain a Gastly would prove beneficial for both parties.

In its youth, Old Gastly had ventured to the human world and formed a bond with a man. However, the conditions of that time were treacherous, plagued by disasters, and the man eventually perished in an accident. Old Gastly then returned to his birthplace.

During that time, humans and Pokemon had united to overcome the adversities of their environment.

In the world of Pokemon, it was known that those who received aid from humans grew at a pace far quicker than those who roamed wild and free. Old Gastly was fully aware that though life here in these caves would be carefree, with that ease came a lack of true strength and the struggle to reach the next stage of evolution into a Haunter, let alone a Gengar.

The prospect of a Gastly following a human was an idea that had always lingered in Old Gastly's mind, particularly after it encountered the powerful human that disrupted the area they inhabited. Then, a young trainer by the name of Cain arrived, and Old Gastly was struck by the boy's potential. It made the decision to grant Cain the privilege of choosing one of the Gastlys as his companion.

The Gastlys present were all relatively youthful and filled with excitement at the prospect of venturing into the human world. Having grown up listening to Old Gastly's tales, they were eager to see for themselves the world beyond their own. The sight of Cain only heightened their enthusiasm.

Cain was shocked and never expected Old Gastly to reward him so generously. He held a special fondness for Gastly, whether from playing Pokemon games on Earth or from his time as a member of Team Rocket in his past life. This was because, as a Ghost and Poison-type, Gastly had a versatility in battle that was unmatched. Upon evolving into its final form, Gengar, it possessed extremely high Special Attack and Speed stats and could even mega-evolve into a powerhouse of destruction.

Furthermore, Cain currently relied on Slowpoke's Teleport for safety, but outside of Purgatory Island, there could be situations or places where having a Pokemon by his side was banned. In case of an attack, he might not even have enough time to call forth his Pokemon.

But with a Gastly by his side, Cain would never have to worry. This Pokemon could hide within his shadow, providing protection and security at all times. So when Old Gastly said those words, they hit Cain straight in the feels.

When Cain first arrived at the cave, the sight of the Gastly bewitched him. He was tempted to catch one with an exceptional talent. Yet, as the Gastlys multiplied, he quashed such thoughts. To pluck one from the midst of so many and retreat unscathed seemed impossible.

And if caught, taming that Gastly would prove a herculean task, if not an insurmountable one.

So the reward of Old Gastly was exactly what Cain yearned for. Thus, he made a swift decision that if any of the Gastlys possessed the talent he sought, he would take it. And if not, he deemed it unwise to squander resources on a Pokemon of average talent. For Cain believed in quality over quantity, and each Pokemon he trained had to be a virtuoso in its own right.

With embarrassment concealed, Cain gave a nod to Old Gastly. He couldn't help but feel that he was exploiting the Gastlys.

For others, choosing one with high talent from countless Gastlys was a daunting task, but for Cain, who had his system, it was merely a question of scanning a few more times.

So, as the young Gastlys gazed at him with fawning adoration, Cain cast his eyes over them, and a table with the relevant data materialized before him.

Most of the Gastlys had a red aptitude, a few orange, and two had light yellow aptitudes.

As Cain frowned, Old Gastly inquired, "What's wrong? Can't find a suitable one?" He was astounded that Cain had not found a single Gastly to his liking. Although not all the Gastlys were present, those that were constituted almost half the clan.