"I still have one last question. Are you part of the Alliance?" Cain asked.
"The Alliance... you could say so. At one time, I was part of it, but my wife and I have lived here for nearly forty years. We no longer belong anywhere. We're just two old folks taking care of what's left to us," the elder replied with a smile.
Cain nodded thoughtfully.
He vaguely recalled a similar story: a pair of elders on Mt. Pyre who possessed two extremely valuable orbs.
A crimson orb and an indigo orb!
These orbs had the power to awaken Groudon and Kyogre from their slumber.
Both Team Magma and Team Aqua had been searching for these orbs, but so far, they had not uncovered their whereabouts, nor were they even sure of their existence.
Cain couldn't be certain if those orbs were in the possession of these elders.
Once his question was answered, Cain no longer hesitated.
"Haunter, head to the platform and take in the Ghost-type energy," Cain instructed his Haunter.
"Kekeke~~" Haunter let out an eager laugh, nodded decisively, and floated slowly toward the platform.
"Let my old companions assist. Come out, Gengar, Dusknoir, Banette," the elder said, tossing three Poké Balls.
Three powerful Ghost-type Pokémon appeared in the cavern.
Ghost-types tend to have long lifespans, allowing them to retain their strength once they reach their peak potential.
These three Pokémon had likely been with the elder for a very long time. Though the elder's hair was now white, his Pokémon showed no signs of weakness or aging.
Trainers specializing in Ghost-types often see their Pokémon maintain their strength throughout their lifetimes, only fading after their trainer passes on.
Agatha, the Elite Four Ghost specialist from the Kanto region, was a prime example.
Cain used his system to scan the data of the three Ghost-types.
While he was impressed, he also found it logical.
Pokémon: Dusknoir (Blue)
Gender: Male
Level: 69
Type: Ghost
Ability: Pressure
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Imprison, Destiny Bond, Pain Split, Memento
Base Moves: Shadow Punch, Future Sight, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Gravity, Bind, Leer, Night Shade, Disable, Astonish, Foresight, Shadow Sneak, Pursuit, Will-O-Wisp, Confuse Ray, Curse, Hex, Shadow Ball, Mean Look, Payback
Learned Moves: Snatch, Icy Wind, Telekinesis, Focus Punch
TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Water), Ice Beam, Earthquake, Double Team, Will-O-Wisp
Three elite-level Pokémon—though not as powerful as those of Cain's master, Matsuda Takashi—were formidable foes for Cain.
In an enclosed space like this, with few opponents or adversaries, reaching this level of power was already astonishing to Cain.
While the Ghost-type energy here was abundant, progress for the Pokémon wasn't merely about absorbing energy.
Dusknoir remaining at level 69 and not ascending to 70 was likely due to the lack of strong opponents to challenge.
Haunter had floated onto the platform, and the Ghost-type energy that drifted through the air began rushing toward it as if finding an outlet.
Cain's expression shifted slightly. The rate at which the energy was being infused was too rapid—Haunter couldn't endure it.
However, the elder, aware of the situation, had his three Pokémon form a triangle around Haunter, creating a barrier that blocked much of the Ghost energy.
After staving off the strongest impact, small currents of visible black energy began flowing into Haunter's body through the gaps between the three Pokémon.
It was almost identical to the process on the Trial Island, where the black pillar had a similar purpose.
Haunter closed its eyes and began absorbing the fine threads of black energy.
One after another, without pause.
"This place was where that legendary Pokémon trained. Haunter cannot handle all of this energy alone, so my three Pokémon are filtering and purifying it," the elder explained to Cain.
"Thank you, sir!" Cain bowed respectfully.
The elder waved a hand dismissively, downplaying the gesture.
Haunter continued absorbing the energy. Clearly, it was not a quick process.
"Young man, I need to ask a favor," the elder said as they waited.
Cain was surprised but responded, "Sir, please tell me."
"My wife and I have lived on Mt. Pyre for nearly forty years, but seventeen years ago, our son, who was traveling, brought us a baby—Phoebe."
"Now Phoebe is 17 years old, and she cannot stay here with us forever. We have our responsibilities, but she shouldn't bear them."
"Do you want me to take Phoebe? And your son...?"
"After he brought us Phoebe, we never saw him again, and I don't know if he's still alive," the elder said with sadness.
The elder continued, "Don't worry, I have old friends I can trust. I'm not asking you to take Phoebe yourself—just that when you leave, deliver a message to someone."
"He must be one of the current leaders in the Alliance. I'll give you his contact information, and you should be able to find him. Just tell him that an old friend awaits him at Mt. Pyre."
Cain nodded; it wasn't a difficult task.
In truth, he was relieved that the elder didn't ask him to take Phoebe along. That talkative girl made him a little uneasy.
As they conversed, Haunter had absorbed enough Ghost-type energy.
Its body had expanded to twice its original size, and the gas surrounding it, once dispersed, had nearly condensed into a solid state.
The system data showed that Haunter's stats had reached a critical point. It just needed one final push to evolve.
However, that push wasn't simple. One wrong move, and Haunter could end up shattering instead of evolving.
Seeing that Haunter had reached its limit, the elder pulled a black crystal from his pocket.
Cain saw the elder's motion and focused on what he was holding.
Item Name: Strange Black Crystal (Unnamed)
Description: Appears to be a highly concentrated Ghost-type energy crystal condensed by a Pokémon, containing a small amount of that Pokémon's essence.
Effect: Can aid Ghost-type Pokémon in growth, and the essence within the crystal can facilitate gradual transformation in Ghost-type Pokémon.
"What is that?" Cain asked.
"It's something left behind by that legendary Pokémon. It will help Haunter refine the energy in its body. This will be highly beneficial for its evolution," the elder explained.
Then he tossed the crystal toward Haunter, who quickly absorbed it.
A flash of white light enveloped Haunter.
(End of Chapter)