Upon hearing Cain's command, Skorupi, though slightly puzzled, didn't hesitate to act.
Skorupi used the stinger on its tail to extract the poison from Pangoro. It didn't keep the poison in its body but expelled it directly onto the ground, where it began to corrode the surface with a hissing sound.
The Pangoro, who had lost its ability to fight, finally showed signs of recovery. Without Skorupi's intervention, the lingering poison in its body might have overwhelmed even Pangoro's physical endurance.
This is how Poison-type Pokémon assert themselves in nature.
Once the poison was removed, Pangoro displayed its Fighting-type resilience and soon regained consciousness. The leader of the Pangoro group, the one with a scar over its eye, seemed to relax slightly as well.
Cain had Skorupi perform this act because he had learned some information about this leader Pangoro, who turned out to be of near-elite level. This revelation made Cain grow more serious.
He had anticipated high levels among the wild Pokémon on this island but hadn't imagined that the very first group he encountered would include a near-elite-level Pokémon.
This made him wonder just how dangerous the island's deeper regions could be.
With the leader Pangoro's gaze fixed on him, Cain and his Pokémon slowly retreated from the bamboo forest. The Pangoro group didn't pursue them.
Cain had shown enough respect by removing the poison from the fallen Pangoro. Moreover, the Pangoro, who value strength, saw no reason for revenge since their companion had accepted its defeat.
So the entire group simply watched as Cain and his Pokémon gradually moved away.
Once Cain was at a safe distance, he let out a deep sigh of relief. He had barely set foot on the island and had already faced a significant trial; the pressure was immense.
However, he now had a clearer idea of how the Pokémon levels were distributed on the island. A large group might have a near-elite or high-advanced-level leader, while the other members averaged around level 35 or 36.
The island was teeming with incredibly powerful Pokémon.
It wasn't surprising, after all, that years of living in an environment without external threats had allowed the island's Pokémon to reach such power levels.
The only limitations these wild Pokémon faced were the lack of systematic training and organized combat methods, as well as their genetic constraints. Otherwise, Cain suspected the island would be crawling with near-elite-level Pokémon.
Cain decided not to reenter the Pangoro's territory and carefully circled around the bamboo forest. While the forest's outer edges were still part of their territory, the Pangoro preferred staying close to their beloved bamboo and rarely ventured out.
This made the path relatively safe.
During the journey, Slowking left psychic markers at several points to remember the way. In this jungle, Cain felt as cautious as when he first arrived on the Island of Trials, as there were too many Pokémon stronger than him.
It took Cain half a day to bypass the bamboo forest, encountering other Pokémon attempting to attack them along the way.
From the Pokémon Cain encountered, it seemed that this island could house Pokémon from every region.
The island was a true melting pot of species.
Without worrying too much about direction, Cain headed toward the gigantic Tree of Life at the center of the island.
After passing through a small section of forest, he found himself in a vast meadow filled with a variety of flowers, home to carefree Pokémon.
Cain's arrival in this area didn't cause much disturbance among the Pokémon. He found a sparse patch of flowers, sat cross-legged, and took out medicines and Pokéblocks from his storage to heal his Pokémon and restore their energy.
Even though he hadn't encountered another large group of Pokémon, those strong enough to hunt in the forest weren't weak.
Cain had to call on Weavile and Gengar to join the battles as well, and as a result, all his Pokémon had suffered some damage.
Slowking knew Heal Pulse but wasn't proficient enough to heal more than minor injuries.
Cain felt fortunate to have purchased a large-capacity backpack and stocked up on sufficient medicines and Pokéblocks before arriving.
If other Team Rocket members had landed in the middle of a large territory without proper preparation, they'd likely have been torn apart immediately.
Those who didn't bring enough supplies would probably last only two or three days before their exhausted and injured Pokémon fell.
Indeed, this island was fraught with danger.
Fortunately, Cain and his team weren't powerful enough to attract the attention of elite-level Pokémon. If an elite-level trainer recklessly entered, the Pokémon of that level and their allies would likely destroy them.
After a brief rest, Cain and his Pokémon regained some energy and were ready to move again. The island was proving far more dangerous than he had imagined, so he would need a more cautious strategy to proceed.
The best option would be to find a safe place to establish a base and then use Slowking's Teleport to gradually explore the surroundings and gather more information about the island before venturing deeper.
As he watched the Tauros, Rhyhorn, and Skiddo grazing peacefully in the meadow, Cain noticed how perfectly balanced the island's ecosystem was. Pokémon from all regions had managed to coexist here for years.
The impact of Team Rocket's invasion on this environment would undoubtedly be irreversible.
While scanning the meadow, Cain's gaze fell upon a Pokémon hidden among the flowers. What he saw pleasantly surprised him.
This Pokémon was so well camouflaged among the flowers that, had it not been for his system's scan while surveying nearby Pokémon, Cain wouldn't have noticed it.
(End of Chapter)