Three days later, by Lake Verity, a spatial crack opened in the air, as if someone were pulling an invisible zipper.
A man, wearing somewhat torn clothes, stepped out of it with a firm stride. His feet didn't touch the ground; a thin layer of psychic energy allowed him to walk through the air.
Slowly, he moved from the surface of the lake to the shore. Though his clothes were worn, he wore a confident expression on his face, and his eyes shone with determination and energy.
By his side was an imposing Pokémon, two meters tall with a body of pinkish hues, accompanying him without straying.
This man was none other than Cain, who had spent three days on the mysterious island. By his side was his inseparable Slowking, who had been with him throughout the dangerous journey.
During those three days, Cain had survived on the island without access to his storage team, forced to live primitively. His clothes had been worn down after facing numerous challenges and wild Pokémon of exceptional strength.
Many times he had to defend himself and flee, leaving marks of his experience on his attire. Despite the difficulties, the benefits he gained from this trial were invaluable.
One of the most important aspects was that, upon stepping out of the crack, the Unown on his wrist communicated to him that next time, he would also be able to open access to the island, as long as he did so from Lake Verity.
This news meant that the mysterious island, unexplored and full of high-level Pokémon, had essentially become Cain and his team's exclusive training ground.
Though the limitations were considerable, the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks.
Once his feet touched solid ground, Slowking used Teleport to take Cain far away from Lake Verity.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Cain summoned Flygon, who had been unused for a while, and immediately headed toward Hearthome City. His plan was to establish landmarks with Slowking along the way, to facilitate future trips to the island.
When Cain returned to his mansion in Hearthome City, he found no sign of Steven or the others. Fortunately, no one saw him in his current state, so he took the opportunity to shower and change into fresh clothes. With a new appearance, feeling more comfortable and revitalized, he felt ready to face what was next.
When Steven and the others finally returned, their expressions showed surprise upon seeing Cain. After a brief conversation, Cain found out that they had gone out to seek battles simply due to a lack of excitement during their training.
Apparently, their opponents were other top trainers from various regions. These battles allowed them to exchange information and measure their strengths, so they all accepted the challenge without hesitation.
This reflected a problem with the pace of the Sinnoh Tournament: the progression of the tournament was absurdly slow, especially for quasi-elite level trainers.
In light of this, they had filed a complaint with regional officials, who had then passed the message along to the League organizers. However, this bureaucratic process took almost a week to reach those responsible.
Fortunately, the League took their concerns seriously and decided to accelerate the tournament's development. With this change, the 500 battles of the third round would take place in just two days, using multiple stadiums simultaneously.
Three days after concluding this round, the fourth round would begin, and after three more days, the fifth round would take place to decide the 128 finalists.
Although this change benefited most, for Cain, who now had access to an excellent training spot, it was an inconvenience.
The tournament's acceleration reduced the time Cain could dedicate to training on the island, which might make it harder for his Pokémon to fully adapt to the environment before it ended.
That night, Cain released his entire team for an evaluation. His Pokémon had experienced uneven growth due to the different opportunities and challenges on the island.
The highest level was Slowking, who, after three days of intense battles, had reached level 56. This remarkable improvement, considering its previous level, was proof of the tough training on the island.
At the quasi-elite level were Drapion and Gengar, who also participated in the Sinnoh Tournament. Both had reached level 51 and firmly established themselves at the quasi-elite level.
On the island, where Psychic-type Pokémon predominated, they had been crucial due to their moves and type advantages.
Below them were Honchkrow and Weavile. Although both had performed excellently, they did not participate in the tournament, so their battles had been less frequent. Even so, they reached level 49, just one step away from the quasi-elite level.
On the other hand, Florges, being the team's only support Pokémon, played a crucial role on the mysterious island. Due to her importance in the group, her level increased rapidly, matching that of Honchkrow and Weavile, also reaching level 49.
Swampert and Politoed, however, faced difficulties due to their lower levels compared to the wild Pokémon on the island.
Still, Swampert made a significant advancement, rising from level 38 to 42. Politoed, on the other hand, had only recovered from the effects of the potion on the last day, limiting its progress. Nevertheless, it gained two levels, reaching level 41 and officially entering the advanced level.
Finally, there were the team's youngest Pokémon: Combusken, Aron, Larvitar, Bagon, and Horsea. Though their progress was limited due to the island's dynamics, Cain promised them special attention after the tournament.
Larvitar and Aron, in particular, were eager to prove their worth, impatient to join the battles. Cain had to calm them down, assuring them their time would come soon.
Despite the complaints and challenges, Cain felt satisfaction as he observed his team's growth.
With a clear plan in mind, he was determined to fulfill the promise he made to his younger Pokémon: as soon as the Sinnoh Tournament was over, their training would become his absolute priority.
(End of chapter)