After entering the room, Cain locked the door and directly opened an alternate space in the wall.
Then, he stepped in, accompanied by Slowking.
Training Pokémon inside a room was always tricky.
He threw out several Poké Balls one after another.
Gengar, Florges, Honchkrow, Drapion, and Weavile appeared in front of Cain.
Including Slowking, these were all of his main-line Pokémon.
Currently, Slowking was the first to advance to Elite level; Gengar and Florges followed closely behind, and it was expected that the others wouldn't take long.
He immediately began adjusting their training.
"Slowking, you need to try condensing your psychic powers even more. You have enough quantity, but the quality is still lacking. You're missing that decisive strike—that final explosion. So, for a while, I want you to try compressing your psychic energy to double its density," Cain told Slowking.
Although Gengar and Florges had already reached Elite level, Cain still considered Slowking his strongest Pokémon.
However, Slowking still had some flaws. His sustained attack ability was very high, but he lacked explosive power—the ability to decide a battle with a single blow. That's what he needed to master.
"Gengar, Florges, you two have just advanced to Elite level. I need you to familiarize yourselves with the changes in your bodies and power. We'll start with basic physical training every day."
Saying this, Cain took out another Poké Ball and released Carbink.
On Carbink's head, a faint pink hue could already be seen in its diamond core.
"Carbink will use Gravity to help you all adapt to your new bodies. All of you, including Drapion and Honchkrow, will train under Carbink's gravity," Cain instructed.
At the same time, using the Gravity move would help Carbink better control the energy inside it and complete its mutation.
"Drapion, your attitude is a problem. If you can't fix it, I can tell you right now—it's going to be very hard for you to advance to Elite level," Cain warned.
Drapion was a battle fanatic, but also reckless. The more important the situation, the more agitated it got—an extremely serious flaw.
In the past, Blaziken had also gotten stuck in its evolution because of the same issue.
Now Drapion had already absorbed a large amount of Poison-type energy, and had also been repeatedly exposed to the Toxic Orb. It had all the conditions needed to break through the limit. Even without a favorable battle, it should be able to advance to Elite level on its own.
That was its advantage—shared with Gengar.
But while Gengar had already done it, it was now Drapion's turn.
"Honchkrow, Weavile, you two also need to stay calm. I know seeing your teammates grow stronger can make you anxious, but don't worry. If you follow the plan I laid out, you'll soon advance as well," Cain said to them.
Honchkrow and Weavile had had few opportunities recently, since Cain had spent a lot of time under the sun—where they didn't perform well.
Their days had been limited to basic training and move practice.
This had slowly widened the gap between them and Slowking and the others.
But Cain knew they weren't wasting time. With such solid foundations, they were the most stable Pokémon in his team.
With the right opportunities, they could naturally break through their limits. That's why Cain wasn't worried about them.
In comparison, of the three, Drapion was the one he worried about most.
Of course, future adjustments would require both him and his Pokémon to work together.
With Carbink's help, the training difficulty rose significantly.
A Pokémon with the Gravity move was basically a sacred tool for training. If a Fighting-type trainer had a Pokémon like this, their Pokémon would improve at an incredible pace.
Once the Pokémon began training, Cain quietly withdrew to a corner and pulled out another Poké Ball.
But this time, he didn't throw it.
Through the translucent glass of the Poké Ball, the Pokémon inside was visible: Dragalge!
After being captured by Cain, its physical condition had improved a lot. However, recovering the power it had lost was practically impossible.
Even so, its imposing presence was still there, and its power remained considerable.
Perhaps due to its old age, or because Cain had saved it, Dragalge showed no signs of hostility toward him.
During the seven days at the Battle Chateau, Cain had brought him out daily and communicated with him via telepathy. If he wanted to execute the next part of his plan, Dragalge was essential.
He opened the Poké Ball, and after a red flash, Dragalge appeared before him.
Its expression was blank, and it didn't do much upon release. It just manipulated a stream of water to float about five or six centimeters above the ground.
Dragalge resembled Kingdra quite a bit—only one looked like seaweed, and the other like coral.
"Dragalge, have you thought it through? I know your body is weak right now, but I'll do everything I can to stabilize you. These days we've spent together—I think you've seen what I'm capable of," Cain conveyed via telepathy.
Dragalge kept looking at Cain, but this time, there was a subtle shift in its gaze.
As a Pokémon who had surpassed Elite level—and being a Dragon-type—it had its pride.
But all of that had worn down after years of imprisonment in the Prison Dragon Pillar.
Dragalge's presence began to rise, becoming as intimidating as a wild beast stalking its prey. Even though its power hadn't fully returned, its aura was overwhelming.
The Pokémon in the alternate space felt the pressure. They all stopped what they were doing and looked toward Cain with concern.
But then, Dragalge gave a slight nod, and its aura vanished. It returned to looking like the old creature from before.
Seeing the nod, the corner of Cain's mouth lifted slightly.
The deal was made!
With that, everything was in place. The rest would depend on improvisation when the time came.
He let Dragalge rest in the alternate space while he pulled out a bunch of items and spread them on the floor.
It was impossible for Dragalge to fully recover its vision or potential.
All Cain could do was help it slowly adapt to its current body and prolong its life as much as possible.
They had made a deal, and to uphold it, Cain needed to help Dragalge regain part of its strength. It was a mutually beneficial agreement.
And honestly, Cain didn't fear Dragalge in its current state. Apart from its intimidating aura, it posed no real threat.
Besides, while crafting tools to help Dragalge's body recover, Cain could also add a few extra elements... just in case.
(End of chapter)