The more Solrock that were cleared away, the faster the clearing process became.
Beedrill's Insect-type Techniques, Togetic's Magic Leaf and Water Fluctuation, Yujira's Shadow Ball and Superpower restraint.
These were all effective weapons against Solrock.
Soon.
A total of thirty-four Solrock, all lying like stones on the ground.
Aside from still emitting a dim yellowish aura and having a peculiar appearance, they were as quiet as ordinary stones.
However.
This put Natsuhiko in a difficult position.
Thirty-four Solrock was just too many, and although he had prepared a number of empty Pokeballs in advance, it was not enough for this many.
After all, he thought there would never be so many Wild Pokémon to capture; even when encountering a group, only the most important, strongest, and most valuable ones needed to be captured.
Unfortunately, he encountered this group of Solrock.
The value of Solrock is not in their strength, but in their existence, having ornamental and collectible value for the wealthy.
In other words, whether a Senior Level Solrock or an Excellence Level Solrock, the value difference is not significant.
Natsuhiko rummaged through his backpack and took out a total of twelve empty Pokeballs.
"I need to keep two as a backup, in case I encounter a more valuable Pokémon later. Two is not enough, need to keep four. Even among all Senior Level Pokémon, a Senior Level Solrock is not particularly valuable."
"I have to leave some behind. Capturing them all wouldn't be right, taking eight relieves some survival pressure on this group of Solrock, allowing them to grow better."
He said this, perhaps trying to comfort himself.
So, Natsuhiko put away four empty Pokeballs and used eight to capture the Solrock.
"But before capturing them, there is one more thing to do..."
There might be Star Sand on the Solrock, and the more there is, the more valuable it becomes.
Thus.
Half an hour later.
Natsuhiko put away eight Pokeballs, containing six Senior Level Solrock, two Excellence Level Solrock, a full bag of Star Sand, and...
Just like from the defeated Solrock before, a crystal the size of a pinky fingernail was extracted.
For now, it was unclear what these crystals were, only that they seemed to help Yujira's superpower.
"Let's go, we need to change locations, these Solrock will wake up soon."
Leaving behind Solrock that have lost their Star Sand polish, noticeably dimmer than before.
"Yongji."
But Yujira called out, leading Natsuhiko to a dark, narrow corner of the cave.
"What's this..."
Natsuhiko saw four small depressions in the damp moss on the ground.
Judging by the depth of the depressions and their recovery speed, something had been here before, likely while they were busy dealing with the Solrock.
"Togetic!"
Togetic carefully picked a few silver-white strands of hair from the sharp rocks beside them and presented them to Natsuhiko.
"White hair, not very long, likely left by the Pokémon that lingered here."
As Natsuhiko spoke, he picked up one strand.
"Quadrupedal, silver-white hair; this narrows it down quite a bit. Unfortunately, Professor Oak's Pokedex hasn't been invented yet, otherwise the Pokedex should be able to identify which Pokémon it is."
Although he was well-versed in Pokémon types and characteristics, it was not easy to determine the Pokémon from just this.
Clenching his hand.
"It seems our presence caught the attention of some people or some Pokémon."
Temporarily unable to confirm what Pokémon it is, but they should leave regardless.
"Let's go!"
...
...
"Yujira, how do you feel? Any discomfort or anomalies?"
Finding a quieter cave this time, Natsuhiko didn't plan to spend the night inside, but instead had Togetic find a solid rock wall, using Secret Power to create a hidden space on it.
He then immediately sought out the newly evolved Yujira to inquire about any changes.
Although the inherited condition from its mother was temporarily ruled out, Natsuhiko still needed to confirm.
"Yongji."
Yujira didn't evade Natsuhiko's inquiry, but after carefully sensing, it shook its head confidently.
Moreover, not only did it not feel anything strange, it felt exceptionally well.
Better than ever before.
In its Abra stage, it always felt brain fog, even after sufficient sleep, occasionally its mind would remain muddled.
It was as if... it knew its brain was intelligent but had many parts that could not be used.
It even felt if it forcefully tried to use those uncontrolled thoughts and brain, something bad or harmful might happen.
But now.
Things were different.
It felt its mind was very clear, the confusion was gone, and it could control all areas of the brain, unleashing consciousness and thoughts.
Precisely because of this change, Yujira realized how powerful its superpower had become.
"Yongji..."
Yujira also mentioned seeing three vague figures in the hazy region it entered during evolution.
Upon hearing this, Natsuhiko fell into contemplation.
He had some speculations about two of the figures, given that Abra possessed Buddha Beads made from wood burned by Ho-Oh's Holy Fire, and the first half of "Phoenix King's Words".
The pink fragment given by Agatha might indeed have come from a Superpower Stone Plate.
But what about the last figure?
Thinking slightly beyond these speculations didn't yield accurate results either.
"This likely isn't something negative, Yujira, show beyond the Curved Spoon and Spirit Blade—what new Techniques have been Acquired."
The further development of the brain area allowed Yujira to learn Techniques previously hidden within.
That's how Pokémon evolution works.
Some awaken their innate talent captured in their genes during evolution, most noticeably in Dragon-type Pokémon.
Others, like Yujira, develop their brain areas further, allowing them to Acquires new Techniques, Curved Spoon and Spirit Blade being two of them.
"Yongji."
Yujira nodded.
Then, it demonstrated completely from start to finish.
"Telekinesis, Freezing Technique, Self-Regeneration, Exchange Arena. Along with the previous Curved Spoon and Spirit Blade, that's six new Techniques in total."
Moreover, after Yujira lightly waved the Spoon in its hand, an invisible Gravity pressed onto Natsuhiko, making his movements slow.
"It also mastered the Gravity Technique, which had been a hurdle for a while."
Seven new Techniques!
Learning new Techniques is certainly delightful.
However, having so many at once means Yujira will face an exceptionally tough training period ahead.
"Yongji."
The perceptive Yujira noticed Natsuhiko's thoughts.
It didn't feel pressured; instead, it felt invigorated.
Nothing makes it happier than seeing daily progress.
As for training.
It felt so energized that it couldn't wait to start new training.
"No, random training isn't beneficial. You need a reasonable training plan, which I'll arrange once we finish our trip to Meteor Falls," Natsuhiko comforted, placing a hand on Yujira's shoulder.
"Yongji." Yujira nodded.
Suddenly, it had a bold idea.
Perhaps.... it could give Natsuhiko a surprise.
That night, after Natsuhiko and all Pokémon fell asleep, Yujira opened its eyes...