Cain remained in the quiet Leafy Town for another half month, waiting for Team Heaven to gather the materials needed for his plans.
Although this amount of time would have been insufficient for the old Team Heaven, now, as one of the main factions in Mauville City, the situation had changed.
While it would still take time to fully assimilate the city's resources, the items required by Cain had been prioritized from the beginning. Additionally, some contacts within the League were helping gather materials, significantly speeding up the process.
During this period, Cain had already completed the quality-boosting potions for his second team. Despite the ingredients being complex, the wide reach of his network made the work easier.
The key item for Aron was acquired directly from Steven Stone; Horsea's came thanks to Wallace and the rich aquatic history of the Sootopolis City gym; while the ingredients for Bagon, even rarer, were obtained through Drake.
The more common materials were efficiently collected by Team Heaven. However, crucial components for Larvitar and Combusken were still missing, complicating the creation of their potions.
For Larvitar, a material known as the "Earth's Membrane" was required, and for Combusken, the rare "Crimson Rock." Both elements were extremely rare, to the point that many people had never even heard of them.
Cain remembered how, on previous occasions, the extravagant names of ingredients made them difficult to locate.
Luckily, his system had already been upgraded, and he now had the help of Porygon2, who constantly gathered information from the network, expanding the system's database.
The system's analysis indicated that the highest probability of finding these materials was on Mt. Chimney, the tallest and most iconic mountain in the Hoenn region.
Previously, Cain had only explored a small part of the mountain with Steven before the appearance of Team Magma interrupted their progress. This time, he planned to reach the summit and dedicate the necessary time to finding what he was looking for.
Additionally, the expedition to Mt. Chimney would serve as a training and strengthening opportunity for his team. As long as he carefully managed his Pokémon's level, he could even use Larvitar in battle without issues.
After final preparations and completing Bagon's potion in just three hours, Cain decided to depart without further delay. He had spent enough time in Leafy Town, and now it was time to move forward with his mission.
He called Flygon, climbed onto its back, and set off toward Mt. Chimney, bringing all his Pokémon with him. His plan was to continue on to the mysterious island in the sea once he had gathered the necessary materials, eventually establishing his secret training base.
Instead of taking the usual route through Verdanturf Town, Cain decided to avoid crowded paths. He didn't want to be disturbed, even if the upper part of the mountain offered greater solitude.
Moreover, he planned to begin his ascent from the mid-slope of the mountain, where the level of wild Pokémon was more suitable for his team.
Flygon, now at quasi-elite level, flew faster than ever. The journey from Leafy Town to Mt. Chimney's slope took only a few hours.
Upon landing, his presence commanded respect among the wild Pokémon, who quickly scattered, aware of Flygon's power.
Flygon had fully regained its confidence after reaching this level, leaving behind its image as a mistreated dragon. Even Altaria, who had recently reached elite level, now looked at it with respect instead of mockery.
Altaria, after its breakthrough, hadn't shown arrogance. Instead, it had become more cooperative and willing to follow Cain's commands in battle, which was a major step forward.
Mismagius, on the other hand, had also shown remarkable progress after several months of training under Cain's strict guidance.
Though it wasn't a Pokémon raised from the beginning, its simple nature and dedication to Cain had made it a valuable and obedient team member.
Mismagius carried a Soothe Bell, which had greatly strengthened its bond with Cain. Although its upbringing hadn't started from scratch, its lack of previous combat experience allowed Cain to shape it to his battle style from the outset.
Now, Mismagius was an elite-level Pokémon, fully synchronized with Cain on the battlefield. Along with Altaria, Cain now had two elite-level Pokémon on his team.
Though they weren't among the strongest of their rank, Cain felt he could now face other elite-level trainers without fear of being easily defeated.
As Cain advanced through Mt. Chimney, his mind focused on the mission. Finding the Earth's Membrane and the Crimson Rock wouldn't be easy, but the reward was worth the effort.
He knew that, with his current team and the support of his network, he was closer than ever to reaching his goals.
In the days to come, Mt. Chimney would witness his determination, and the mysterious island in the sea awaited him as the next step in his ambitious plan.
(End of chapter)