Cain was still thinking about the initial reason for his arrival: Quilava. From the beginning, his goal had been to capture a few Quilava or Cyndaquil and see if he could breed higher-quality Pokémon. However, stumbling upon this mysterious space was completely unexpected.
Cain decided to follow the trail left by the tunnel Quilava had made, slowly walking deeper into the desert. As he moved, he asked Larvitar to carefully erase his tracks, so as not to leave any evidence of his presence.
After all, if someone had already made the mistake of being discovered, Cain wasn't about to repeat it.
As he continued, he realized that this place was much larger than he had imagined. Despite being in an arid environment, it wasn't devoid of life.
Along the way, he saw traces of Pokémon adapted to desert life: Hippopotas resting beneath the sand to avoid the heat, and footprints of Sandshrew and Drilbur that had passed by recently.
It was clear that the local Pokémon had already adapted to surviving under these conditions.
As for water, although scarce, there had to be a hidden source, as it would be impossible for these Pokémon to continue living here without it.
Cain followed the Quilava tracks to a pile of black rocks that, from afar, looked small. But as he approached, he discovered that the real size of these rock formations was considerably larger than expected.
Although the environment was mostly arid, Cain noticed that the shaded side of the rocks had damp patches—signs of water presence. Additionally, the ground beneath the rocks wasn't dry sand but a mix of moist soil.
It was likely that this soil contained the necessary sustenance for the local Pokémon, though it would take instinct to locate it. The Quilava tracks vanished at this point.
Cain looked at Larvitar and Combusken, who were accompanying him, and noticed that both seemed energetic. Despite walking through the desert, they showed no signs of fatigue. He even noticed something curious about Larvitar—it seemed excited, as if the environment felt familiar.
"Larvitar, can you sense if there are Pokémon inside these rocks?" Cain asked with a smile, wanting to test his partner.
Larvitar was a little surprised by the question but closed his eyes and concentrated. From his feet, a thin snake of sand began to form, slithering toward a small opening in the rocks that was far too narrow for a human to pass through.
Cain had asked jokingly, but seeing Larvitar act this way left him impressed. He hadn't expected him to be able to control the desert sand like that. Was this the innate ability of a future Tyranitar?
As this happened, a faint red glow began to emanate from the Fragment of Groudon's armor that Cain had stored in Larvitar's backpack. Though barely visible, a tiny line of energy flowed from the piece into Larvitar, who didn't seem to notice.
After a moment, Larvitar opened his eyes and nodded: he could sense the presence of Pokémon inside. Additionally, he felt a strange and familiar connection to this place, as if the desert welcomed him.
"Then, can you try to bring them out?" Cain asked.
Larvitar nodded again and closed his eyes. Moments later, a column of fire burst out from within the hole.
"Bussk!"
Combusken reacted instantly, running forward and punching directly into the fire. Although the flames were intense, Combusken didn't flinch, dispelling them with ease. Thanks to its training and improved resistance, the fire's heat caused no significant damage.
Cain stepped back as he waited for the Pokémon inside to emerge. He didn't have to wait long. After moving a bit farther away, he saw a group of Pokémon emerging from the hole.
Among them was the Quilava Cain had been following, but it clearly wasn't the leader. At the front of the group stood a Typhlosion, who seemed to be the protector of the others.
Pokémon: Typhlosion (Green)
Gender: Female
Level: 39
Type: Fire
Ability: Blaze
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Flare Blitz, Flame Burst
Basic Moves: Eruption, Double-Edge, Gyro Ball, Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Ember, Quick Attack, Flame Wheel, Defense Curl, Swift, Flame Charge
Learned Moves: Fire Pledge, Throat Chop, Fire Punch
TM Moves: None
Cain noticed that this Typhlosion wasn't particularly outstanding in terms of talent, but her gender caught his attention. Female Typhlosion were rare, as this species typically had a higher percentage of males.
Watching the group dynamic, it was clear that the male Quilava he had been following was probably her mate, and behind them were three small Cyndaquil—likely their offspring.
Cain quickly scanned all the Pokémon but found no exceptional talents. The best among the Cyndaquil had a decent Dark Green potential. Even so, Cain wasn't disappointed. From the beginning, his goal had been to capture these Pokémon for breeding.
"It seems like they're not doing well here. Otherwise, that Quilava wouldn't have gone out looking for food. He probably found the exit while searching for supplies. Why don't you come with me? I can promise you unlimited food," Cain said with a kind smile, as if talking to himself or the Pokémon.
But instead of gratitude, he was met with another burst of fire from Typhlosion.
"Overreacting..." Cain muttered as he stepped back again. Then he threw another Poké Ball, calling out Politoed.
Politoed appeared just in time to meet the incoming flames. Without hesitation, it countered with a powerful stream of water, completely extinguishing the fire.
The moment water and fire collided marked the start of the battle. Cain ordered Combusken and Larvitar to attack Typhlosion and Quilava.
Did he feel guilty about attacking in front of their young?
No. Cain was convinced that by capturing them, he was offering them a better life.
"In the future, they'll understand," Cain thought with a faint smile.
"They'll thank me."
(End of chapter)