The wasteland, a desolate place where not even a blade of grass grows, is filled with vast stretches of barren, rocky terrain. Yet in the midst of that solitude, a towering structure rises among piles of stone.
Beneath this structure extends a vast wall enclosing the area: the Kalos Power Plant, capable of supplying all of Lumiose City with power.
However, the current power plant is still of an outdated design, lacking the future improvements Clemont would later implement, making it less efficient. It must operate nonstop every day to meet the energy demands of such a large city.
Due to the existence of this plant, the entire wasteland is permeated by a special magnetic field.
This phenomenon allows certain Pokémon to evolve in the presence of such a field.
For example, Magneton can evolve into Magnezone, Nosepass into Probopass, and Charjabug, later discovered in the Alola region, can evolve into Vikavolt.
These Pokémon require the presence of this special magnetic field and a certain level to evolve.
From a distance, Cain observed the power plant but decided not to approach it.
The facility had not yet been optimized and would not suffice to power the ultimate weapon. At this point, Lysandre likely hadn't even considered it a target.
After leaving the power plant behind, Cain and his Pokémon continued their journey toward Coumarine City.
Along the way, they encountered numerous wild Pokémon. Some attacked spontaneously, while others became hostile upon sensing Cain invading their territory.
The Pokémon that managed to survive in this environment were considerably strong.
The wasteland was the perfect place to train Combusken and the rest of Cain's Pokémon.
Pupitar and Lairon, for their part, seemed to be in their element, as if they had returned home.
Cain and his team spent a full five days crossing the wasteland.
Originally, the journey shouldn't have taken that long, but Cain intentionally detoured into areas with a higher presence of wild Pokémon to train his team.
Sometimes extremely powerful Pokémon would appear suddenly, resulting in significant damage to Combusken and Pupitar.
However, the injuries were nothing compared to the gains in experience.
When they finally emerged from the wasteland, Cain's Pokémon had reached new levels.
Pupitar gained three levels, going from 34 to 37.
Combusken and Lairon also showed significant progress, both reaching level 35.
For Lairon, reaching level 35 wasn't anything special, but for Combusken, that level represented the threshold for evolution.
Combusken had reached level 35 after defeating the Tyrunt, but the subsequent battles had not pushed his level any further.
It was as if an invisible obstacle blocked his progress.
Combusken felt anxious, but Cain reassured him.
Evolution is a process that requires patience. Forcing it could bring adverse results.
For this reason, Combusken didn't participate in the final day's battles; Lairon and Pupitar took on the wild Pokémon.
Combusken simply observed, standing beside Cain while the others fought.
Little by little, his impatience began to fade.
He started watching his companions' battles calmly, without the urgency that had consumed him before.
In the distance, mountains dotted with green patches could be seen.
It was Coumarine City, a place that perfectly blended mountains and coast—a quintessential vacation and tourist destination in the Kalos region.
Although the city seemed close, it would still take them half a day on foot to reach it.
After defeating their opponents, Lairon and Pupitar rejoined the group as Cain looked for a spot sheltered from the dust to rest and have lunch.
After the meal, Combusken sat next to Cain and let out a soft, "Bussk!"
Cain patted his head with a smile, feeling the warmth radiating from his body.
"Combusken, there's a saying: 'Haste is the enemy of success.' The more you crave something, the harder it becomes to obtain it. Once you adjust your mindset, I believe that will be the moment of your evolution."
Combusken slumped to the ground, visibly disappointed. It was clear he longed to evolve and become stronger.
However, the more critical the moment, the less he should rush it.
Cain decided to change the subject to avoid putting more pressure on him.
"You've trained hard. As a fighting-type Pokémon, it's not all about brute strength; sometimes, technique is key," Cain said.
Combusken tilted his head, intrigued.
Wasn't it assumed that fighting-type battles were close combat, direct, and full of intensity?
Cain smiled and picked up a stone from the ground, along with a leaf he found nearby.
"Look at this stone and this leaf. The stone is much heavier than the leaf, but if you throw both with all your strength, the stone will go farther, while the leaf will fall sooner," Cain explained as he threw both objects to demonstrate his point.
Combusken watched the flight of the stone and the leaf and quickly understood the difference.
"Also, if you hit this stone with all your strength, it might break, but if you do the same to this strip of fabric, what will happen? Won't it feel like your strength has nowhere to go?" Cain added while holding a strip of white cloth.
Although Cain's strength wasn't comparable to Combusken's, the demonstration was enough to convey the concept.
Combusken fell into deep thought.
"Sometimes, changing your perspective can be the key. It's not always about charging head-on. Even a soft strip of cloth can wrap around and subdue steel that can't be broken by a direct blow," said Cain.
Combusken remained silent, but his eyes gleamed with newfound understanding.
"The same goes for evolution. It's there, but you can't force it. Maybe seeing things from another angle will help," Cain concluded.
Combusken looked at his hands, clenching them as he felt his inner power.
Change perspective...
It was as if something had ignited within him.
Suddenly, flames began to erupt from his body.
Cain leapt back just in time to avoid being burned by the intense heat.
"Bussk?" Combusken looked at the flames on his arms and hands in surprise, not understanding what was happening.
"See? Sometimes, taking a different path makes it easier to reach the goal."
Cain smiled and said:
"Evolve, Combusken!"
(End of chapter)