96 Chapter 96:

When Cain emerged onto the streets of Goldenrod City once more, he had already donned his original Association mask, a symbol of his multiplicity of identities. This was his key to unlocking the freedom to do as he pleased in many things. As long as he could keep his identities in check, he could evade trouble to a large extent.

In fact, just a moment ago, when he dealt with those rowdy hooligans, he had donned the mask of a wooden youth. Even if someone were to investigate, they wouldn't be able to trace it back to Cain.

The city was aglow with a dazzling array of colors, like a sky full of stars. Goldenrod City at night was a mesmerizing sight to behold. Cain remained unaffected by the fact that he had just committed a slaughter. He had long since seen through this world and was already accustomed to the bloodshed that accompanied every day.

He soon found the black market in Goldenrod City and sold the Pokemon he had just obtained to a Pokemon merchant. In exchange, he received a hefty sum of eighty thousand Pokédollars.

Cain knew better than to exchange his newly acquired Pokemon for rewards at the Hunter's Guild, as they only accepted untamed Pokemon. He quickly made his way through the black market, making sure not to cause too much of a commotion. With the money he earned, he purchased a batch of resources, including enough antidotes and medicine for injuries.

When he emerged, the moon hung heavy in the sky, casting a pale glow on the few people that roamed the streets. Cain sought out a high-end hotel nearby, where he spent three thousand Pokédollars for a luxurious suite. Despite having stolen the money, he had no qualms about using it.

He easily located his room using the hotel's numbering system. The spacious suite was befitting of its reputation, offering enough room for Cain's Pokémon to engage in more complicated physical training.

Dinner had been taken care of before he went to the black market, and Cain found himself indulging in a hearty meal with Murkrow. The two were not so different in their love of food, and after dealing with the rowdy hooligans, they found themselves eating even more happily. Slowpoke, however, was left out of the fun, feeling that it was a missed opportunity to battle.

Upon entering the room, Gastly immediately took it upon itself to check for any signs of danger. Tomorrow they would be leaving Goldenrod City and heading towards Mahogany Town, via the reliable locations of the Nidoran colony that Cain had purchased from a dealer in the black market.

Though the rewards from the Hunter's Guild weren't particularly high in the early stages, as his star level increased, so too would the rewards. The key to his success was to level up as quickly as possible.

As Cain was about to settle onto the sofa and plan their journey, Gastly suddenly interrupted him. The Pokémon called out with a strange sound before slipping directly into Cain's shadow. The hairs on the back of Cain's neck stood on end as he realized what was happening.

Cain's eyes widened as Gastly emerged from his shadow once again, holding an incubator with smoke-formed hands. The contents of the incubator made his heart skip a beat, and he couldn't contain his excitement. "Skorupi!" he exclaimed.

Gastly passed the incubator with Skorupi's egg to Cain, and he checked the timer, which showed that there were less than five minutes left for the incubation process.

Slowpoke, Murkrow, and the other Pokémon sensed the excitement in the air and gathered around in anticipation. The arrival of a new companion was always a joyous occasion, and the training stopped as everyone stared closely at the egg.

Slowpoke, in particular, felt the most out of all of them. His psychic expertise allowed him to sense the surging vitality in the egg and the increasingly powerful heartbeat.

Time seemed to crawl as they all waited for the countdown to end. Finally, the five minutes came to an end, and the egg began to shake violently, causing everyone to hold their breath.

The incubator slowly opened like a flower blooming, revealing the Pokemon egg that was completely exposed to the air. A faint purple mist began to appear around the egg, and it shook even more violently as if something was struggling inside.

A cracking sound echoed through the room as the first crack appeared on the egg. The purple mist found a vent, making the crack bigger and bigger. The eggshell was on the brink of breaking as the "Ka Ka" sounds grew louder.

Then, with a loud bang, the eggshell shattered into a million pieces, revealing a little blue and purple Pokemon in front of Cain.

The little guy was as energetic as it was small, with bright blue eyes that gazed intently at Cain. Skorupi's eyes were filled with intimacy and curiosity, as if it was already fond of its new companion.

Its tail, which took up half of its body, was raised straight up. Two white pincers were raised above its head, waving gently in the air, like a child that wanted to be held.

Cain couldn't help but smile from the bottom of his heart as he welcomed Skorupi to the world. He extended his hand, holding it in front of the tiny creature.

Skorupi looked at Cain and then at his palm, stunned for a moment before jumping up happily. Cain took out a bottle of freshly squeezed milk from Miltank and inserted a small straw into it, placing it in front of Skorupi. "Try this. You'll definitely like it," he said.

Skorupi had just been born and had put in a lot of effort to break out of its shell. As it curiously sniffed the straw, it detected the unique fragrance of the milk, causing its eyes to light up. It bit on the straw and began to drink.

As Skorupi drank the milk, it found that the taste was improving with each sip. It even took the milk bottle from Cain's hand, using its two small pincers to hold the much heavier bottle. It cried out a few times when it was halfway through drinking, expressing its immense joy.

Meanwhile, Cain activated the A.I. system to scan Skorupi's information.

Pokémon: Skorupi (Light Blue)

Gender: Male

Level: 1

Type: Poison + Bug

Ability: Sniper

Held items: None

Egg moves: Screech, Agility, Poison Tail, Pursuit

Basic moves: Bite, Poison Sting, Leer,

Taught moves: Bug Bite, Knock Off

Technical Machines (TMs): None

Cain was thrilled to discover that it had the Sniper ability, which had excellent growth potential. He himself was inclined towards it, making it all the more exciting.