The result didn't surprise Cain.
Halfway through, Koler was instantly decapitated.
He had probably never faced a psychic capable of using spatial fissures before.
Usually, the ones he encountered were basic-level psychics, and moving objects with their minds was their limit.
Even against those psychics, Koler, as a martial artist, usually held the advantage.
That's why he underestimated Cain, thinking he was of that same basic level.
But he never imagined Cain would be able to use a technique that not even many advanced-level psychics could master: Spatial Rend.
A technique reserved only for those with exceptional spatial talent.
There is no way to block it.
It's not something a physical body can withstand.
Perhaps if he had tried to dodge from the very beginning of the move, he might have avoided it.
But he didn't.
He blindly trusted his own body—a common flaw among martial artists.
Koler fell to the ground.
This battle wasn't about ideals or pride: it was a simple dispute of interests.
Cain wanted the clan's Key Stones and Mega Stones, while Koler wanted to protect them.
A straightforward confrontation, without embellishments.
If Cain had lost, that clan would not have spared him.
A conflict like this could only end with one of the two dead.
Initially, Cain only intended to defeat him and leave quickly, but upon realizing the enemy's intention to stall for time, everything changed.
And so the outcome unfolded.
Without Koler's command, his Pokémon began to fall one by one.
It had to be acknowledged that he had trained his Pokémon well.
Probably because he was a martial artist, he thoroughly understood how to develop Fighting-type Pokémon.
If he had inherited Lucario's Mega Evolution, his strength would have been even greater.
After defeating all his Pokémon, both Honchkrow and Gengar leveled up.
They both reached level 57.
They had been training long enough and had accumulated plenty of experience; they just needed a tough battle to continue growing.
Weavile, although it didn't level up after defeating Machoke, did learn a valuable lesson: how hard it was to face a Fighting-type Pokémon.
Had Koler not died, the first Pokémon to fall probably would've been him.
After all, he has a quadruple type disadvantage, and that became very clear.
Cain once again used the power of the Unown to open an alternate space inside a large tree.
He tossed Koler and all his Pokémon inside. Although they were valuable, selling them now would cause problems. And Cain didn't need the money.
Cain stood observing the remains of the battle in the forest. Cleaning it all up would be a problem. Better to destroy everything.
He called Blaziken.
"Blaziken, Flamethrower! Burn this forest!" Cain ordered.
Upon command, Blaziken spat a snake of fire that swept from left to right, engulfing the entire forest in increasingly intense flames.
Cain, protected by his Pokémon, was unharmed.
When the fire had consumed most of the forest, Cain had Blaziken withdraw the flames.
Then he called Ralts and disappeared from the scene using Ralts's Teleport move.
After several consecutive jumps, he appeared in a room at the Pokémon Center in Geosenge Town.
That location had been previously marked by Ralts as the return point before beginning the operation.
Back in the room, Cain didn't go to sleep. Instead, he left the room.
To reduce suspicion, the best thing was to establish a solid alibi.
No one knew the exact time he infiltrated the Tower of Mastery, nor when Koler disappeared, nor when the forest burned.
As long as he made sure to be seen by Nurse Joy during that time window, no one would suspect him.
Of course, all this was just a precaution; it was unlikely anyone would accuse him.
He went to see Joy, who was on night shift, walked around, and said he was hungry and looking for something to eat.
Then he returned to his room.
There, he brought out the spoils: all the Key Stones and two Mega Stones.
He didn't yet know which Pokémon those Mega Stones belonged to, but he doubted either was for Lucario.
He only hoped at least one would be useful for him.
What excited him the most were the Key Stones.
Although they're more common than Mega Stones, they are still valuable. It's just that since Mega Evolution isn't public knowledge yet, their existence remains unknown.
He calmly counted them: twenty Key Stones.
The day he needs resources and Mega Evolution becomes known, these Key Stones will be worth a fortune.
A true hidden treasure.
That clan tried to keep Mega Evolution a secret, not realizing that if they had revealed it to the world, the value of their items—those Key Stones and Mega Stones—would have restored their glory, possibly even leading them to a new golden age.
But that's how powerful clans in the Pokémon world behave.
Selfish.
Like the Drako Clan, who control Dragonite and guard their methods of enhancing Dragon-type Pokémon. Or the Stone Clan, who dominate Steel-types and their improvement methods.
Don't they understand that sharing their knowledge would bring them even greater benefits?
But they don't.
Why?
Because if they did, they would lose their advantage over other clans.
And over time, they would be diluted among the masses.
That's the reality of the Pokémon world. That's how it's structured.
Koler's clan was no different. Even in decline, they were unwilling to give up the Key Stones.
With these twenty Key Stones, Cain no longer had to worry about having Mega Stones without Key Stones—an awkward situation until now.
These Key Stones and the two Mega Stones were the greatest gain from this operation.
As well as the specialized Lucario training manual, which was of great value on its own.
Raising Pokémon isn't just about training them: you have to find the right method and the most suitable resources.
And now, Cain had the resources and the manual. All that was left was for the Riolu egg to hatch.
When that happens, he'll have nothing to worry about in raising it.
After all, it's the legacy of a clan that has specialized in Lucario for centuries. Without a doubt, their accumulated experience is worth a great deal.
(End of chapter)