Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
During those ten days, the Pokémon basically met all of Cain's training requirements.
This couldn't be separated from the huge amount of resources invested: whenever the Pokémon showed even a bit of energy or physical fatigue, there were special Pokéblocks ready to replenish them.
Only when their mental state could no longer endure did Cain order them to stop.
In this regard, as a Psychic, Cain was very clear about where to draw the line.
Moreover, when it came to recovering mental strength, Cain also had his own experience: usually, after a good night's sleep, he could return to his full state.
Precisely thanks to these conditions, the Pokémon's growth was visible to the naked eye.
Among them, Tyranitar successfully broke through his limit and entered the Elite Four level—an obvious sign of how effective their training had been.
The other Pokémon also showed improvements, though to varying degrees.
However, as soon as those ten days passed, Cain decided to make a temporary change. High-intensity training isn't necessarily better the longer it continues.
That day, Cain took his Pokémon and headed toward Rustboro City.
Indeed, Cain was going to meet Steven in Rustboro City—or rather, seeing Steven was only part of it; the main purpose was to seek a collaboration with the Stone family.
Negotiating with the Stone family under his own name, and having them agree to the meeting, already showed how far Cain's influence had reached.
Of course, his relationship with Steven also played a role in that.
And perhaps... there were also some secrets the Stone family preferred not to reveal.
In short, accompanied by a now fully grown Riolu and a Kirlia floating beside him, Cain was received by a grand escort from the Stone family and led to their residence.
It wasn't Cain's first time there, but the reception this time was vastly different from the previous one.
Guided by the family's butler, Cain arrived at the training field that Steven had been using these past days.
Steven was commanding his Pokémon in a battle against another person; upon closer look, it turned out to be his second uncle—the same man who had fought alongside Sidney on the battlefield against the Hunter Guild, the younger brother of Joseph Stone.
That uncle's talent as a Trainer wasn't particularly outstanding, but even so, thanks to the heavy investment from the Stone family, he had reached a considerable battle level.
Cain stood silently to the side, watching the fight between Steven and his second uncle.
When it ended, Steven immediately walked over to Cain with a teasing grin. "Come on, tell me! Don't tell me you came to spy for information?"
Cain also smiled and replied, "That's right, it was a great battle. Aren't you afraid of revealing too much and letting me figure out your hidden cards?"
Both of them burst into laughter and, as usual, bumped fists.
At that moment, as Steven got closer, he got a clear look at Cain's face—and froze.
"Eh... Cain, did you get plastic surgery? Lately your face looks a bit different. Although I can't quite tell what exactly changed... you just seem less plain somehow." Steven stared in surprise, even reaching out to pinch Cain's cheek to check if it was real.
Smack!
Cain slapped Steven's hand away. "No major change, but I've noticed some differences lately. Every morning I wake up dazzled by how handsome I am, hahaha!"
"Ugh, shameless!" Steven shot back, annoyed. "But I'll admit it—you really do look better, even though nothing much seems to have changed."
Even so, there was now a slight difference between Steven's and Cain's appearances.
That was exactly why Cain had asked Giovanni to find someone capable of crafting specially designed human-skin masks for him.
Cain had prepared several, each one gradually transforming an ordinary face to resemble his true one. With that gradual pace of change, even if people noticed something, it wouldn't seem too strange.
Just like now—Steven clearly noticed Cain looked better, but couldn't pinpoint what had changed.
With a few more adjustments, Cain would be able to reveal his true face to everyone.
Although that carried some risk, for an Elite Four member it wasn't too dangerous anymore.
Besides, Cain could easily justify it with his special Psychic abilities and the fact that his body was still developing. The changes could be attributed to those factors.
People often say girls change a lot as they grow up... who's to say a boy can't change the same way? As long as he controlled the pace of transformation well—and considering he hadn't even turned eighteen yet—anything was possible.
The masks were crafted based on his real features, so they couldn't differ too much.
After all, the eyes, nose, and mouth were in the same positions; with just a few subtle adjustments, a new face was created.
Now, with Cain's bearing, attire, and overall appearance combined, he looked more than ever like a strong and elegant young man.
Steven's second uncle also approached. When he saw Cain's appearance, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes—but mostly satisfaction.
He nodded repeatedly.
Cain noticed something odd about that man's gaze.
Was that... the look of a father-in-law toward his son-in-law?
"Cain, is it fine if I call you that?" the second uncle asked with a smile.
Cain nodded, concealing his puzzlement behind a polite smile. "No problem. Steven and I are good friends, and you're an elder—call me however you like."
The uncle nodded firmly. "Then just call me Uncle, like Steven does. No need to be so formal—consider this your own home. If you need anything, just tell the butler directly."
Cain nodded again.
It was a bit overly enthusiastic, but he still replied, "Alright, thank you for the hospitality, Uncle."
"Uncle, let's stop the training for today. Didn't Cain have something to discuss with my father?" Steven interjected.
The man nodded, giving Steven a knowing glance that only the two of them understood. "Right, let's not keep my older brother waiting. Steven, take Cain with you—I'll have lunch prepared. Cain, stay and eat with us later."
"Uh... sure." The second uncle's glance hadn't escaped Cain's notice—ever observant as always.
He could already guess a few things.
However... since the other party didn't say it out loud, he had no reason to refuse. When an elder invites you to a meal, you accept.
Steven led Cain deeper into the Stone family residence. Along the way, they encountered many family members.
All of them greeted Cain warmly.
Though in families with such deep traditions, manners were always impeccable, this friendliness seemed a bit excessive.
Steven's aunts, cousins, and female relatives nearly swarmed Cain as if they wanted to interrogate him or run a "background check."
Fortunately, Cain had appeared on TV quite a bit recently, and most of them already knew who he was—otherwise, introducing himself to each one would have been quite a hassle.
Finally, after passing through the labyrinthine castle of the Stone family, they reached the patriarch's office deep within the residence.
(End of Chapter)