Chapter 159: Chapter 159:
After Miltank came Sneasel. It could currently use four Ice-type moves, but being able to use them didn't necessarily mean mastering them. So Cain decided to hold off on adding more Ice-type moves until Sneasel had fully mastered the current four.
That meant Ice-type moves were off the table for Sneasel's TMs. Cain had initially planned to buy a Taunt TM for Sneasel as well, but suddenly remembered that Sneasel was a Pokémon that naturally learned Taunt, saving Cain some money.
In the end, Cain bought the 300,000 Pokedollar-priced Fighting-type move Low Sweep for Sneasel, considering its close-combat advantage when battling certain Pokémon.
Low Sweep directly targeted the opponent's Pokémon's legs, and if executed with enough power, it could reduce their speed.
With Sneasel's strength in speed, lowering its opponent's speed would give it an even greater advantage.
In addition to Low Sweep, Cain purchased the Dark-type move, Dark Pulse, worth 350,000 Pokédollars for Sneasel.
Sneasel, after all, had dual attributes of Dark and Ice. Although its Ice-type talent was stronger, it still needed to master some Dark-type moves.
Sneasel's previous Dark-type moves were only effective at close range, but Dark Pulse compensated for its long-range weaknesses.
Cain spent a total of 650,000 Pokédollars on two TMs for Sneasel.
This left only 650,000 Pokédollars for Skorupi.
Skorupi was a dual-type Poison and Bug Pokémon, but once it evolved into Drapion, its attributes would change to Poison and Dark.
Moreover, Skorupi's sensitivity to other attributes was incredibly strong, as evidenced by its automatic learning of the Elemental Fangs (Thunder Fang, Fire Fang, and Ice Fang) after evolution.
Skorupi had the highest aptitude among Cain's current Pokémon, even slightly surpassing Sneasel, which had joined Cain mid-journey, unlike Skorupi, who had hatched from an egg and enjoyed the best resources from the start.
With its Sniper ability, Cain had high expectations for Skorupi.
To fully develop Skorupi's Poison-type attribute, Cain spared no expense, purchasing a Poison Sac from a deceased Elite-level Arbok.
This influenced Cain's choice of TMs to buy.
He spent 350,000 Pokédollars on the physical Poison-type move, Poison Jab, a close-range move that would allow Skorupi to utilize its strengths in close combat.
Then after purchasing another Taunt TM for 250,000 Pokédollars for Skorupi, the Pokémon TM shopping spree concluded successfully.
With that, Cain returned to a nearly penniless state, having only 50,000 Pokédollars left.
This was only a rough supplement for his Pokémon's move sets, and apart from the mandatory Protect and Hidden Power, each Pokémon had only learned about two new moves.
It was far from Cain's ideal target.
Thus, under the envious gaze of the Pokémon TM store's staff, Cain paid with his card, put the numerous TMs in his ring, pulled on his wide hood, and vanished into the crowd.
Naturally, Cain's spending spree at the Pokémon store caught the attention of many onlookers.
So as Cain left, some individuals began to tail him.
Cain had no patience for those who wanted to take advantage of him. After leading them on a chase through the winding streets of the black market, he shook off most of his pursuers.
As for the few who were persistent, Cain lured them into secluded corners and dealt with them accordingly.
These people weren't particularly skilled, but they were persistent trackers. They thought no one could discover them.
If it were the old Cain, he probably wouldn't have dealt with them. But after spending a considerable sum, Cain found himself rather broke.
The unsuspecting pursuers practically handed over their money.
After dispatching three relentless pursuers, Cain gained 100,000 Pokedollars in cash and various other miscellaneous items, which he later sold for another 100,000 Pokedollars.
His wallet was replenished, bringing his total balance back to 250,000 Pokedollars.
No wonder they say crime pays.
To avoid further trouble, Cain had dealt with these people in the shadows, quickly and decisively.
Then with all the pursuers dealt with, Cain confidently left the black market.
He changed back into his Association attire and took a cab to the Pokemon Center.
By now it was already evening and time to prepare for dinner.
Fortunately, he stayed at the Pokemon Center, which had a dedicated dining hall. Cain splurged and reserved a private room at the dining hall.
He ordered a lavish spread for his Pokemon, satisfying their cravings.
During dinner, Skorupi woke up again. Seeing Cain's other Pokemon feasting, Skorupi couldn't help but join in, trying food other than Miltank's milk for the first time and finding the taste unexpectedly delightful.
Though Skorupi didn't eat much before drinking a bottle of milk and contentedly returning to Cain's shoulder. It was evident that Skorupi was on the verge of a growth spurt as Cain could feel the increasing weight on his shoulder.
According to the data gathered by the AI system, Skorupi's stats were stabilizing. By tomorrow, or the day after at the latest, Skorupi would officially enter its growth period.
And that would mark the end of Skorupi's leisurely life.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone