With this, Sneasel was finally captured by Cain. Although it's still not very obedient, Cain believes that over time, Sneasel will integrate into the team.
Of all Cain's Pokémon, the one with the best relationship with Sneasel is Miltank. It's unclear if this is due to the good impression Miltank left or simply because of the milk Miltank provides.
Sneasel always maintains a certain wariness towards Cain. Though it listens to him, it's clear that deep down, it still holds some resistance.
On the other hand, Murkrow and Slowpoke have no reservations and approach Sneasel, despite having been the ones who defeated it before. Initially, Sneasel couldn't tolerate them, but over time and with their persistence, it began to accept them.
Cain doesn't give much importance to Sneasel's resistance. After all, he defeated it in battle and even threatened it, so the mere fact that Sneasel has yielded and agreed to join the team is already a significant achievement.
Cain doesn't consider himself someone who can command immediate respect; everything requires a gradual process.
After spending the entire day chasing Sneasel, the outcome was positive, despite how difficult it had been.
Inside the cave, it wasn't possible to see the sun, but upon checking his watch, Cain realized it was already seven in the evening and his Pokémon hadn't eaten yet.
In the cold cave, Cain began stacking stones to prepare the meal.
He took out a large pot, sliced all the meat, and added various ingredients and seasonings.
Cain prepared a simple hot pot, accompanied by the intense aroma of meat and vegetables mixed with the seasonings he'd brought.
Noticing the food was ready, all the Pokémon gathered around the hot pot. At first, Sneasel didn't want to join, but Miltank forced it to sit by the fire.
Eating hot pot in an ice cave seemed like an appropriate choice.
Moreover, the group meal helped strengthen bonds among the Pokémon. Even Sneasel, who initially didn't want to socialize, began to enjoy the food and interact more with the others.
After a while, Cain joined the meal.
The cave, once cold and silent, was filled with warmth thanks to Cain and his Pokémon.
After the meal, Cain gave each Pokémon a bottle of milk. They all sat in a row against the cave wall, chatting. Meanwhile, Cain woke up Skorupi to give it some milk.
Skorupi was very curious about the new team member, Sneasel, and approached to greet it, which left Sneasel feeling a bit awkward, unsure how to react.
That night, Cain set up a tent inside the cave, spending the first night since Sneasel joined the team.
"Sneasel, you've lived here for a long time; have you seen any Swinub?" Cain asked Sneasel, who was trying to maintain a distant attitude.
After resting in Sneasel's cave, the next day, Cain resumed his search for Swinub.
The main goal of coming here was to find a Swinub with good qualities and level to complete the hunter guild's mission.
Encountering Sneasel had been pure luck and, in part, thanks to Cain's determination.
"Snee~" Hearing Cain's question, Sneasel thought for a moment and then nodded.
It couldn't remember exactly how long it had lived there, but if asked where to find delicious food, it remembered perfectly.
Sneasel had a clear impression of Swinub, not only because there were many in the area.
Swineub are quite lazy and like to hoard food in one place so they don't have to move for a long time.
Sneasel discovered the existence of Swinub while foraging for food and found them to be a reliable food source. Every time it found a Swinub, it knew it had also found a food stash.
It didn't understand how Swinub managed to amass so much food.
Swinub aren't pack Pokémon, so Sneasel only encountered them by chance.
Some Swinub are quite strong. If you merely pass through their territory without disturbing them, it's fine, but if you try to steal their food, an angry Swinub can be very dangerous, especially in the ice cave, which is their territory.
Since Sneasel knew where to find Swinub, Cain didn't have to search blindly, saving a lot of time.
Guided by Sneasel, they began the search for Swinub.
Inside the ice cave, there were many Swinub, but due to the complexity and size of the place, they weren't easily found, especially those that Sneasel had already visited once or twice.
After two hours, they hadn't found many, and the few they did find didn't meet the quality or level requirements, so Cain didn't act.
Cain didn't complain about not finding a suitable Swinub with Sneasel's help.
The caves were so complex that even Cain could get lost, but Sneasel knew the place perfectly.
Once Sneasel understood Cain's requirements, it stopped leading them to places where weaker Swinub lived.
Finally, after another hour of searching, in an unknown part of the cave, Cain found the first Swinub that met his requirements.
Pokémon: Swinub (Dark Yellow)
Egg Moves: Icicle Spear, Mud Shot
Basic Moves: Tackle, Mud Sport, Powder Snow, Mud-Slap, Endure, Mud Bomb, Icy Wind
Learned Moves: Stealth Rock
With a dark yellow aptitude and a level of 22, this Swinub was perfect to complete Cain's mission.
Once he found her, Cain didn't hesitate and decided to capture her.
"Slowpoke, use Water Gun."
For a common Swinub, it wasn't necessary for all the Pokémon to join the fight, especially considering that her Ice type countered Murkrow's Flying type.
Slowpoke shot a stream of water from its mouth, aimed at Swinub's nest.
The Swinub, who was lazily resting, due to her oblivious nature, didn't pay much attention to the humans and Pokémon in front of her, thinking they wouldn't harm her.
But she didn't expect them to come straight for her.
The water stream entered her nest before she could react, flooding it instantly.