The majestic appearance of Flygon continued to attract the attention of many onlookers. Cain paid no mind to the curious stares around him.
With a gentle pat on Flygon's neck, he signaled it to descend over the surface of the sea, not far from the Sea Spirit's Den. He jumped nimbly from its back, stroked its scales gratefully, and offered a few Pokéblocks before returning it to its Poké Ball.
The Sea Spirit's Den lived up to its reputation. Even just on the beach near the entrance, numerous people were gathered. Most were trainers accompanied by their Pokémon. Some played happily in the sand, while others engaged in friendly battles within marked-off areas.
The appearance of Flygon caused quite a stir among the trainers. This Pokémon was widely known, and its imposing presence inspired admiration. However, Cain ignored them and, holding Ralts in his arms, headed straight for the cave.
Before entering, he instructed Ralts to leave a psychic coordinate marker at the entrance. As a student of Slowking, a Pokémon naturally gifted in the use of the move Teleport, Ralts had inherited its technique and demonstrated a great understanding of the move.
Though its psychic power wasn't as strong as Slowking's, it could teleport without difficulty as long as the distance was within its range.
This ability allowed Cain to manage his movements more independently without constantly relying on Slowking, who needed time to focus and reach elite level performance.
The interior of the cave was quite crowded. The entrance wasn't restricted, so many people were exploring the area. Cain, accompanied by Ralts and later by Swampert, proceeded through the damp terrain.
The rocky walls couldn't completely prevent seawater from seeping in, so droplets fell unpredictably from the ceiling to the ground—or onto passing visitors.
The floor was slippery and perpetually wet, an ideal environment for many Pokémon that preferred cool, dark places. There were also many Water-type Pokémon.
However, the large presence of trainers caused most of these Pokémon to keep their distance.
Many visitors came to the cave hoping to catch a glimpse of the legendary Pokémon: Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos. Others sought adventure, and some simply wanted to catch Pokémon.
Cain had no particular goal beyond exploring the site. He walked for less than half an hour before reaching the heart of the cave, where a large chamber contained a rock formation resembling a stone tree.
"This must be the place where the three legendary Pokémon rest!" Cain thought.
The tranquility that had once attracted those legendary Pokémon had been disrupted by the constant influx of people. Cain suspected that their return would become increasingly rare.
Slightly disappointed at not finding anything truly special, he instructed Ralts to activate Teleport. They vanished from the spot instantly.
Back outside, Cain summoned Flygon again and soared away over the sea. He didn't want to be watched while training his Pokémon, so he sought out a remote island covered in thick vegetation—a place clearly seldom visited.
Upon landing, he called out all his Pokémon: Pupitar, Lairon, Blaziken, Swampert, Politoed, and of course, Ralts. Additionally, Flygon remained in its Poké Ball along with the ever-present Mismagius, hidden in the shadows with the Riolu egg.
Although the egg had shown signs of damage, neither Cain nor his system had found a definitive solution. For now, it was kept in a special incubation device powered by a customized nutrient mix created by Cain.
He was confident that, if it managed to hatch, Riolu would become an exceptional Pokémon.
Blaziken, though still not fully recovered from the side effects of the quality-enhancing potion, insisted on training even in his weakened state. Upon being summoned, he immediately began a friendly battle with Politoed in the grassy field.
Swampert, the highest-level Pokémon among them, trained independently. Lairon and Pupitar sparred with each other to improve their skills, while Ralts practiced psychic exercises near Cain.
Despite being low level, Ralts's psychic power had advanced remarkably. In psychic strength tests with Cain—who was also a user of psychic powers—Ralts had even managed to defeat him on a few occasions, although Cain hadn't used his full strength.
If Cain fought at full power, he would be on par with a mid-tier Psychic-type Pokémon. This showed just how formidable Ralts's potential truly was.
From the very beginning, Ralts had been the Pokémon with the greatest potential Cain had ever captured, displaying a Light Purple color quality in its initial form.
Even Pupitar, who had achieved a Purple quality thanks to Groudon's energy and the quality-enhancing potion, had only been Dark Blue in its initial state.
This made Ralts the Pokémon with the greatest potential and the most promising future in Cain's team.
The island, deserted and peaceful, allowed Cain and his Pokémon to train without interruption. Blaziken continued recovering at an impressive rate, adapting more and more to his new state.
Cain was also eagerly looking forward to the moment when Blaziken could attempt his first Mega Evolution. He had both the Mega Stone and the Key Stone, so all that remained was to reach the necessary bond.
Blaziken was a Pokémon Cain had personally trained since its initial stage, unlike Altaria, who had a different origin. That's why Cain was confident that this time the Mega Evolution would be a smooth and successful process.
(End of Chapter)