Ding, ding, ding!
However, the result was that the stingers of those little Combee could barely harm Aggron.
Aggron's type was a total counter to Vespiquen and the Combee.
Sharp shards of rock emerged around him, dispersing the attack as they scattered in all directions.
Aggron's Stone Edge move bore a striking resemblance to the same move when used by Tyranitar.
The two Combee accompanying the queen were at a disadvantage in terms of level and power.
But that didn't mean they had no chance of winning.
Aggron was in charge of drawing the attacks, occasionally counterattacking with Rock-type moves.
Swampert, not having a type advantage, could only stay on the sidelines launching ranged attacks. Only when a clear opportunity presented itself would he charge forward with powerful punches.
Both sides exchanged blows in a fairly even fight.
If Aggron could Mega Evolve, he might be able to defeat that Vespiquen on his own. However, among Cain's Pokémon, a particular custom had taken root.
It was as if defeating an Elite-level Pokémon without relying on Mega Evolution or special states made their power grow even more.
That's why both Aggron and Swampert had been waiting a long time for their turn to face this Vespiquen.
Today, at last, their wish came true.
Even though two against one doesn't sound very honorable, they knew that on their own they couldn't defeat her; only together did they have a real chance.
Besides, Vespiquen is a rather special Pokémon: her individual combat capacity isn't outstanding. Only when fighting alongside her swarm of Combee can she unleash her true power.
The battle was long. At first, Vespiquen dominated the fight, pressuring Aggron and Swampert.
But over time, they learned her moves and patterns.
Combined with Cain's tactical command, they began to counterattack.
Then, some of the Combee watching could no longer stay still.
However, Gengar stopped them before they could act.
For him, those little ones were no problem. With a single use of Hypnosis, he put them all to sleep.
Thus, Vespiquen finally fell before the joint offensive of Aggron and Swampert.
Swampert, feeling more threatened, fought with some caution. But Aggron, on the other hand, completely gave up on active defense. Relying on his formidable physical defense, he ignored Vespiquen's attacks. He grabbed her and simply pounded her.
Although he ended up covered in wounds himself, Vespiquen fell defeated at his feet.
"GRAHHH!"
"SWAMP!"
Aggron and Swampert celebrated their victory enthusiastically.
This demonstrated their growth in battle and the potential they could reach.
Both leveled up: Aggron to level 57 and Swampert to level 58.
Cain then threw a Poké Ball and captured Vespiquen, as well as the two Combee that accompanied her.
Those three were enough. Once they were transferred to the island, they could soon spawn a new swarm, and with a little development, establish a sizeable colony.
That was the main reason Cain had set his sights on Vespiquen.
Before leaving, he didn't forget his initial goal either.
He packed up all the honey from every hive in the area and took it with him.
Not only did he take the leader of the swarm, he also kept all the fruit of these Pokémon's hard work.
Cain really left nothing behind.
He didn't plan to use Vespiquen personally. As long as she was tamed, that would be enough. She wouldn't be as troublesome as Vigoroth had been.
Upon returning to camp, he simply used Kommo-o's intimidating presence to make Vespiquen submit without resistance.
Thus, he completed his first objective in this settlement.
Next, Cain planned to attack the Exeggutor Forest.
Unlike the Combee, the Exeggutor were much stronger in battle.
Moreover, they followed a more elitist strategy: they didn't have many individuals to use as cannon fodder.
And since Cain had already invaded that forest before with his Blaziken, the Exeggutor had strengthened their vigilance and territorial defenses even more.
That's why Cain decided to take it slow and start first with smaller or more scattered groups of wild Pokémon.
After all, Tyranitar had run into three Quasi-Elite level Skuntank, so it wouldn't be surprising to find more strong Pokémon in the area.
That's how Cain settled in the region, exploring with his Pokémon.
They went around battling wild Pokémon throughout the territory. They didn't eliminate them, just defeated them in combat.
And if for some reason their attacks were too overwhelming, Cain would apply basic treatment to them.
He wouldn't let them die so easily.
At first, those wild Pokémon were grateful. After all, battles are common in nature. But being incapacitated in combat, in the wild, almost always equals a death sentence.
Cain, however, spared their lives and even healed them a bit.
But over time, the forest Pokémon began to notice something strange.
"Doesn't he come looking for battles too often?"
On average, every three days, just when their wounds were healing, Cain and his Pokémon would find them by smell and challenge them immediately.
The weaker Pokémon didn't have much of a problem; if they lost once, they weren't bothered again. But the stronger ones suffered.
Almost every day they were injured, and when they went out to look for food, they moved very cautiously to avoid being attacked by their rivals.
Then they realized their enemies were the same: always injured, looking exhausted.
Thus, unexpectedly, the forest became safer.
Of course, the Pokémon were suffering...
Later on, the Pokémon who were constantly challenged learned a new strategy. They no longer waited passively in their territories, but came to Cain's camp with fruits or valuable materials as offerings.
They presented tribute, asked for a battle voluntarily, and when they saw they were going to lose, surrendered before taking more damage. That way, Cain wouldn't get too rough.
Incredibly, this dynamic stabilized.
Every morning, in front of Cain's camp, fruits, food, or materials would appear, carefully arranged.
And beside them, a line of wild Pokémon patiently waiting for their turn to battle.
After the battle, they would leave, knowing they'd get three days of peace, without fear of surprise attacks — a sort of silent, mutual pact.
The whole forest, as if it now had a ruler, miraculously stabilized.
A full month passed like this.
Neither Cain nor his Pokémon knew what to say about such a situation.
But if the battles came on their own, what more could they ask for?
In a 20-kilometer radius, they were already widely recognized.
Except for the groups of Slaking and Exeggutor, who felt strong and didn't need to follow the trend, all wild Quasi-Elite Pokémon participated in battles every three days.
In fact, this also strengthened the battle experience of all the forest Pokémon.
Although, without a doubt, the ones who benefited the most were Cain's Pokémon.
(End of Chapter)