Chapter 166: Chapter 166:
Suddenly, Cain realized that this method of luring Pokemon seemed quite efficient. After they left the tunnel, they probably wouldn't encounter any Zubats or Golbats, and even if they did, they would have to travel quite a distance.
Just as Cain was about to call everyone back, a horrible stench filled the tunnel. It wasn't the smell of gas that Gastly had absorbed earlier; this was a putrid smell, like rotting food or mold.
The odor gradually permeated the entire tunnel, making Cain scrunch up his nose. In the cramped space, the smell was even more pronounced.
Not only Cain but also Murkrow, Slowpoke, and Sneasel found the stench unbearable, covering their noses with their hands. Miltank, on the other hand, used its front hooves to tightly plug its nostrils.
Except for Skorupi and Gastly, who seemed unaffected by the smell, all the Pokémon were more or less bothered by the odor.
Two lumps of purple sludge appeared in Cain's line of sight. It was clear that the stench was emanating from them.
As they got closer, the stench grew stronger. "Is that… Grimer?" Cain said, as the shapeless piles of sludge reminded him of a Pokémon species.
He never expected to encounter Grimers in this underground tunnel. Grimers were known to feed on garbage, usually found in heaps within large cities, where they would consume waste while helping humans dispose of it.
As the two Grimers approached, Cain's system scanned their data.
Pokémon: Grimer (Dark Yellow)
Gender: Female
Level: 24
Type: Poison
Ability: Sticky Hold
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Swallow, Lick
Basic Moves: Pound, Poison Gas, Harden, Mud Slap, Disable, Sludge, Mud Bomb, Minimize
Taught Moves: Snore
TMs: None
This was the data of the higher level and better-aptitude Grimer, while the other one had a Yellow aptitude and was at Level 22.
Clearly, the two poison-type Grimers were also attracted by the earlier whiff of poison gas. Their movement was slower, which was why they arrived later than the Zubats.
As they trudged along, they didn't hesitate to suck up the dead Zubat bodies on the ground. Zubats and Golbats, being poison and flying-type Pokémon, were a great source of nourishment for them.
Grimers, which could absorb energy from even garbage, obviously didn't care whether the Zubats were alive or not.
Cain frowned as he watched the two Grimers, finally understanding why the tunnel was devoid of garbage yet still had Grimers, which fed on waste.
These Grimers fed on the corpses of Pokémon in the tunnel. As they frenziedly absorbed the Zubat bodies into their sludge, the nearly hundred Zubats became too much for them to handle, causing their bodies to swell.
Even the poisonous gas that had lured them there was all but forgotten as the ground teemed with countless Zubats and Golbats held an even stronger allure for them.
Cain didn't stop their actions. After all, Grimers, though repulsive to both sight and smell, couldn't be denied their great help to humanity. If not for them, there would be heaps of garbage piled up every year.
By now, Gastly had completely absorbed the poisonous gas, gradually becoming accustomed to it, incorporating it into itself, and developing resistance to it. Consequently, the scent that had previously attracted the Poison-type Pokémon began to dissipate, and Skorupi, who required Cain's soothing, slowly returned to normal.
It was only after the two Grimers had absorbed all the Zubats and Golbats that they prepared to leave.
Cain chose to ignore the bloated Grimers. Part of the reason was that they had given up on attacking, but more importantly, they reeked!
Yes, they were simply too foul-smelling! Despite their short stay, the stench continued to worsen, with no signs of his nose adapting to it.
However, as the Grimers turned to leave, Cain subconsciously used the system to scan their data again.
Suddenly, he realized that the Grimer with the yellow aptitude, after devouring so many Zubat and Golbat corpses, was showing signs of its yellow aptitude darkening in color.
Cain thought he had seen it wrong, but only after his somewhat laggy system made a careful comparison did he realize it was true.
Upon scanning the other Grimer with the dark yellow aptitude, he found that, while not as obvious as the yellow aptitude Grimer, its color had also slightly darkened.
Could Grimers enhance their talent by absorbing any Pokémon corpses, or was it limited to Poison-types?
Was it just these two Grimers that could improve their talent this way, or could all Grimers do the same?
In the world of Pokémon, a Pokémon's talent wasn't unchangeable, but the cost of enhancing it was steep, likely more challenging than training a Pokémon for battle.
For example, on Trial Island, Cain sold a Weedle egg with light green aptitude to Umbra. When they met again, it had evolved into a Beedrill with green aptitude.
So, a Pokémon's talent could be altered, albeit at a high cost.
These two Grimers piqued Cain's interest. If their talent could evolve after digesting the Zubat and Golbat corpses, then a light green aptitude Grimer would have some value.
After all, for single battles, Grimer and its evolved form, Muk, were not bad at all.
But what if the talent growth limit of these two Grimers went beyond light green? Who knew if they could continue to increase their talent after reaching the next rank?
Cain's breathing grew heavier at the thought. If Grimers had enough resources from corpses, could their talent be raised indefinitely?
Even if it couldn't be raised indefinitely, as long as it could be increased by a couple of ranks, wouldn't that mean their value would skyrocket?
After all, Cain had always discarded the corpses of the Pokémon he defeated in the wild, leaving them for other creatures to scavenge.
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