Cain knew from Logan that there were quite a few infiltrators.
Now, as the researcher appointed by Juan to deal with those infiltrators, Cain would sooner or later have to expose them all.
Not only to help the League eradicate them, but more importantly, to protect himself.
Although they say "if the water is too clear, there are no fish," right now the pond was so murky that even the innocent fish were in danger.
So Cain, as one of those fish, had to become a bigger one, and first clean out the small shrimps to restore a reasonable balance to the pond.
After capturing Gordon, all members of the Hunter Guild, Team Magma, and Team Aqua on the island were arrested.
Cain, along with Drake and the others, boarded another ship headed for Slateport City in the Hoenn region.
They had come in a hurry, and after spending so long in Celebi's space, they were exhausted. It was time to rest.
The island, once Celebi fell into slumber, began to slowly sink.
Once Cain and the others departed, it wouldn't take long to vanish completely.
Cain was now lying on the bed in his cabin.
Every time he returned from a mission and could lie down on a bed like this, it felt especially comfortable and soft—almost tempting enough to completely let go.
But Cain clenched his teeth and sat up.
Moments of enjoyment could wait.
There were still many things that needed to be organized.
After so long in Celebi's space, the Porygon2 on his island had lost connection with the system for quite some time.
He didn't know if the island's development had been affected.
"System, connect to Porygon2's view," ordered Cain.
Immediately, a screen appeared in front of him showing Porygon2's perspective.
The Clamperl farm, the Qwilfish hatchery, the Gogoat ranch... everything seemed in order.
Even the many Pokémon Cain had left there, like Cyndaquil, Tyrunt, and Bulbasaur, were living peacefully.
Clearly, they had already gotten used to life on the island and saw it as their new home.
Confirming that there were no problems, Cain took out his portable transport device and sent his Poké Balls to the island one by one.
That way, his Pokémon could live and train there. However, the most valuable thing Cain had obtained this time was the group of wild Venusaur he had captured in Celebi's space.
He integrated the Bulbasaur he already had with that group of Venusaur.
With two Elite-level Venusaur on the island, even without the other Pokémon, there was enough deterrent power.
The island, though small compared to others, was enough for that number of Pokémon.
Furthermore, being connected to the Sea Temple meant there was a constant energy flow, ensuring the Pokémon's basic needs.
Interestingly, due to genetics, most of the Venusaur, Ivysaur, and Bulbasaur in that group had inherited the move Grassy Terrain.
With a bit of training, and combined with the Gogoat who also knew the move, the island could soon be transformed into a fully natural habitat.
With Cain's intervention and management, the future Pokémon born there would have increasingly higher quality.
The island was already in full development.
As for the Shiny Bulbasaur, Cain didn't keep it with him.
He left it on the island with the Venusaur.
Sooner or later, he would have to train it.
But for now, it was better to let it enjoy some time with its parents, since it might never have such a peaceful life again in the future.
After transferring several Pokémon to the island and letting them move freely, Cain finally wrapped up his management tasks for the island.
"System, gather information on this," Cain requested.
During this process, Cain also assigned another task to the system.
Then, he took out a large quantity of materials from his storage space.
He placed them on the floor, one by one.
All of these materials shared a common trait: they emitted a subtle, unknown energy.
Cain already knew, thanks to his research, that this energy was aura.
He had gathered all the materials necessary to repair the Riolu egg, but had not done it in Celebi's space for safety and practicality reasons.
Now that he had returned, it was the perfect time.
He prepared the materials, checking their quality and the order in which they had to be used.
Then, he took out his specialized tools from storage.
These tools, essential for his work, he always carried with him.
He had updated them so many times that they were already considered advanced technology.
They were similar to those used by Advanced-level breeders, perhaps just a little less sophisticated than those of people like old Matsuda.
But those were custom-made, impossible to replicate.
For old Matsuda, they were the best, but for Cain, his own tools were still more appropriate.
Cain delegated the crafting process to the system.
With materials this complex, even an expert like old Matsuda would face a high failure rate.
But with the system's calculations and precise micro-control, the margin of error was nearly nonexistent.
Watching how his hands, guided by the system's microcurrents, performed complex gestures and advanced techniques, Cain didn't just sit back.
He kept his eyes fixed, determined to learn those techniques himself.
After all, Cain didn't want to rely on the system 100%.
Since the Sinnoh tournament ended, he had started consciously developing his practical skills.
And he wasn't doing badly: thanks to the system and his own dedication, he could now make intermediate-level Pokéblocks without help.
A real step forward.
Cain was slowly learning how to manage without the system.
What comforted him was that, although he relied heavily on the system, in battle he was always the one making decisions.
...
The sea journey was quite peaceful.
Three hours later, the materials were fully integrated.
Although they were initially green, red, and yellow, the final result was a bright blue paste.
Aura probably played a role in that.
He asked Gengar to bring out the Riolu egg from its shadow.
According to the system, it was still in a "cannot be incubated" state.
Then, Cain began applying the blue paste to the egg's shell.
He covered it completely, paying special attention to the damaged areas.
Once fully coated, the incubation timer finally changed.
He had succeeded!
(End of Chapter)