Upon seeing the message, both Cain and Drake's expressions turned serious.
If it weren't something of utmost importance, Juan would never have used a special device to send a message across space—much less summon two of the Elite Four at the same time.
"Master, we must return immediately," Cain said gravely.
Drake nodded, recalled the Pokémon that were playing nearby, and after hesitating for a moment, sought out the leader of the Salamence—the old partner who had been with him for years.
After discussing it, the Salamence leader agreed to depart alongside Drake, leaving the tribe and the rest of the affairs of the space in order.
The leader of the Salamence would join the expedition!
A pseudo-legendary Pokémon at level 89... its power spoke for itself. With it, even a regional Champion would think twice before engaging.
"Cain, let's go!" Drake called out, already mounted on his alpha Salamence.
"Yes!" Cain replied firmly.
But just as he was about to recall his Shelgon—who still had its eyes closed in the midst of absorbing—the Pokémon's body began to emit intense beams of white light, bursting through the cracks in its shell.
Both Cain and Drake, as experienced trainers, immediately understood what that meant. Their eyes lit up in surprise.
After ten days of waiting with no result, Shelgon had chosen this critical moment to evolve!
And from the brilliance of its light, it was clear this would be a major transformation—one that might take some time.
"Master, go ahead first. I'll catch up once Shelgon's evolution is complete," Cain said seriously.
Drake hesitated, but seeing that the evolution had only just begun—and aware of the urgency of the League's call—he couldn't suppress his anxiety.
"Alright. I'll go first. Once it's done, someone will guide you to the exit."
"Understood," Cain nodded, conveying confidence through his gaze.
Drake patted Salamence's neck. The dragon let out a thunderous roar, beating its wings and summoning a fierce wind. In an instant, it soared into the sky with its rider, vanishing toward the horizon.
Cain watched him depart, his face solemn, before turning his attention back to Shelgon.
The Pokémon, eyes still closed, was focused on digesting the "dragon's blood." In Cain's eyes, its potential fluctuated constantly—Purple, Deep Purple, then back to Purple again...
Cain flipped his palm, materializing three objects:
Two Sky Plate fragments, and a Mega Stone obtained from the Dragon's Tomb.
He placed the Mega Stone next to Shelgon. The Pokémon slowly opened its eyes, gazing at it curiously. Deep within, it sensed a mysterious connection, as though that stone could grant it immense power, though the feeling was still faint.
"Just as I suspected!" Cain thought with a spark of excitement. "That Mega Stone belongs to Salamence. Its evolution will be even more promising!"
He gently patted Shelgon's smooth back and reassured it: "Don't worry. Focus on evolving."
Then he retrieved from his storage a quality-enhancing potion, one he had painstakingly refined through countless trials.
He had improved it multiple times using data from the system, hoping it would help Shelgon fully unleash its potential.
There was no other way—Cain knew that for Shelgon to become a Salamence of a higher caliber, he needed this potion's support.
He poured the potion into Shelgon's mouth. The Pokémon drank it and redoubled its focus on evolving.
Meanwhile, Cain examined the two Sky Plate fragments. One was slightly larger than the other, though their system analysis showed identical readings. If their sizes differed, their effects likely did too.
"If Shelgon evolves into Salamence, then reaches Mega Evolution, and also bears this Plate... it will surely become one of the kings of the sky!" he thought with anticipation.
When he brought the two fragments together, something unexpected happened: they began to attract one another, fitting together perfectly. After a blue flash, they fused into a larger fragment.
"Definitely the Sky Plate. What luck!" Cain murmured with satisfaction.
He placed the fused piece onto Shelgon's shell, hoping it would further amplify its affinity with Flying-type energy once it evolved.
The white radiance grew even more intense, enveloping the Pokémon entirely.
It was the longest evolution Cain had ever witnessed. The process was slow because Shelgon's draconic blood was being transformed at a deep, fundamental level. Drake had known this might happen—that was why he had departed first.
Sitting on the ground, Cain began to ponder: what kind of urgency had led Juan to send such a message?
The Hunter Guild's invasion had already been contained; they were surely under strict surveillance.
That left only one possibility.
"Could it be... that the remnants of Team Magma and Team Aqua have been found? Or perhaps they've revealed themselves to the League?"
If that were the case... it meant Groudon and Kyogre were on the verge of awakening.
And if both ancient gods resurfaced at the same time, their inevitable clash would bring about a true catastrophe.
Only something of that magnitude could justify such haste.
While Cain was deep in thought, the light surrounding Shelgon grew even stronger. Through the blinding glow, he could see its body beginning to change...
(End of chapter)