Chapter 119 - 119: The Pokémon at the Peak
The morning sun had barely risen when a young man of ordinary appearance, dressed in the standard League trainer uniform, appeared in the northern outskirts of Goldenrod City.
Beside him walked a light pink Slowpoke, and on his shoulder perched a small, violet-blue Pokémon. If one didn't look closely, it would be difficult to confirm it was a Pokémon.
Cain had woken up before dawn and left Goldenrod City, venturing into the forests surrounding the city in search of a Nidoran. In his hands, he held a map with several small circles drawn on it, marking areas where Nidoran might likely be found.
He had purchased this information the day before from an informant in the black market. Though it wasn't completely reliable, at least it saved Cain from searching blindly.
Comparing the nearby hill with the map, Cain confirmed he was at the first possible marked location and headed directly there, following the map's directions.
Although the hill seemed close, it took him almost an hour to reach it. Fortunately, Cain was already accustomed to the harsh conditions of Judgment Island, so the forest on the outskirts of Goldenrod City felt like a small grove to him.
As he ventured deeper into nature, signs of human activity became less frequent, while the levels of wild Pokémon began to rise. However, all were within Slowpoke's skill range.
"It should be around here. I don't know if there will be any, but come out now, Murkrow, and look for traces of Nidoran." Cain released Murkrow's Poké Ball. As a Flying-type Pokémon, Murkrow could use his wide field of vision to help with the search.
Additionally, in this remote place, there was no need to worry about being seen with his Pokémon.
"Caw!" Murkrow flew out and, with a slight flap, became a black shadow disappearing into the sky.
As he watched Murkrow disappear into the distance, Cain fell into deep thought.