This time, the journey to Mt. Pyre was much smoother than Cain had imagined.
Now, Haunter had successfully evolved into Gengar and even reached the advanced level.
Although Gengar still couldn't fully control his body, it was something only time and practice could resolve.
However, Gengar had a long talk with the elder's Gengar throughout the night, which proved to be highly beneficial.
At the very least, Gengar learned to use the moves Ice Punch and Thunder Punch. Combined with the Fire Punch he already knew, he now mastered the three elemental punches.
Cain felt that Phoebe's family had hidden something from him, but since he didn't sense any ill intent, he decided not to dig deeper.
Soon, Phoebe would probably leave Mt. Pyre, and with her affinity for Ghost-type Pokémon, it wouldn't take long for her to become the Ghost-type Leader of the Hoenn region.
Why was Cain so sure about this?
Because on the contact card the elder had given him, the name written was Juan!
Perhaps others wouldn't know, but Cain, who had recently become the Leader of Leafy Town Gym, understood clearly: Juan was none other than the President of the Hoenn Region League Division.
A true powerhouse!
It turned out that the "old friend from the League" the elder spoke of was Juan!
No wonder Phoebe eventually became one of Hoenn's Elite Four.
This was clearly a case of connections!
Cain couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated.
Everyone he knew seemed to be in the same situation—surrounded by connections!
Steven, the eldest son of the Devon family, heir to Devon Corporation, and future Champion of Hoenn.
Phoebe, granddaughter of the two elders from Mt. Pyre, practically a half-grandchild of the President of the Hoenn League, and the future Ghost-type Elite Four of Hoenn.
Was it true that to become a Champion or an Elite Four, you not only needed skills but also connections?
Cain couldn't help but feel a mix of humor and disbelief.
The exterior of Mt. Pyre hadn't changed much, but now, with Gengar by his side, passersby looked at him curiously.
Having a Gengar was something all Ghost-type Pokémon trainers dreamed of, but it was incredibly rare to achieve.
It was well known that while Gastly and Haunter were relatively common, Gengar was extremely rare due to the special conditions required for its evolution.
In fact, most people didn't even know how Gengar evolved.
Even Cain, with all his resources, had only discovered the process after obtaining classified information from Team Rocket.
Through them, Cain learned the details about Gengar's evolution and how to train it.
This knowledge was, in fact, the most valuable thing Cain had right now.
Gengar had already evolved, but now the important task was maximizing his potential.
Gengar walked alongside Cain because he still wasn't fully accustomed to his new physical form. Cain kept him out of his Poké Ball so he could adjust to his new state.
As for the curious stares, Cain ignored them.
He descended the Mt. Pyre stairs and entered the forest along Route 122.
Mt. Pyre was surrounded by water, with only a small part connected to the mainland.
When Cain arrived from Route 123, he had to cross a small body of water.
Now in the forest, Cain sought strong wild Pokémon for Gengar to train with.
The physical changes Gengar had undergone during evolution required him to readjust to all his moves. Gengar wasn't like Sneasel, whose evolution to Weavile only involved a size increase without major changes.
But for Gengar, who transitioned from a gaseous form to a solid body, the adjustment was much more complex.
Fortunately, with the elder's Gengar as a guide, his adaptation process was relatively swift.
Additionally, with the moves he already mastered, he only needed to familiarize himself with his new body to perfect them again.
After defeating another wild Pokémon, Gengar showed significant progress in controlling his new body.
While Gengar continued training, Cain took out a multicolored stone from his storage.
Mega Stone!
Cain wanted to confirm whether this Mega Stone was suitable for Gengar. If Gengar could use it, then with his Mega Evolution, Cain would feel confident facing higher-level advanced trainers.
Now, Cain already had four Pokémon that had reached the advanced level.
Holding the stone in his palm, Cain slowly brought it closer to Gengar.
As he observed, the stone showed no reaction, and his scanner system didn't detect any changes in the stone.
It wasn't Gengar's Mega Stone.
After trying for a minute, Cain came to that conclusion.
Although he was slightly disappointed, he had only hoped it might work.
He had placed too many expectations on this Mega Stone, especially since Gengar would be his first Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution.
"I'm pushing things too much. I should let it happen naturally," Cain thought, putting the Mega Stone back into storage.
Looking at Gengar training, Cain remembered something.
"Has that Pokémon been born yet? Being the most crucial for reaching the quasi-elite level in my past life, that Pokémon should have been born by now."
Cain recalled his former Pokémon and felt a strong desire.
In his previous life, although Honchkrow always accompanied him, it was that Pokémon who helped him defeat his opponents.
Although, in his past life, he had to use extreme methods to obtain it, which affected their trust and bond, that Pokémon ultimately tried to help him.
According to his calculations, that Pokémon should have been born recently.
A unique Pokémon from the Hoenn region!
"The place where it should be isn't far, right? If my calculations are correct, that Pokémon should have been born."
This time, Cain was much further ahead compared to his previous life. Back then, he was merely a low-ranking member of Team Rocket, struggling to survive.
Cain summoned his Tropius and mounted it, calling Gengar back to his shadow after a solid training session.
Just as he was about to leave, the communicator on his clothing vibrated again.
Cain frowned as he took it out.
Was Umbra contacting him so frequently?
He pressed the answer button.
"Cain, there's an opportunity right now. It's very dangerous, but the rewards are immense. Are you interested in giving it a shot?" Umbra's voice sounded like that of a wolf disguised as a grandmother.
(End of Chapter)