After resolving the treatment issue, the confidence on everyone's faces increased a bit, and even many smiles began to appear.
With Drake as the most powerful combat force present, and Cain as the great logistical support, the fear surrounding this space had diminished considerably.
"How are you holding up? Worn out?" asked Drake.
Cain pulled out some Pokéblocks to feed his two Venusaur, then took out a special Pokéblock made for Florges and gave it to her as well.
He shook his head. "No problem."
After that, he took some treatment potions and special pills from his storage space and handed them to Drake, Steven, and Phoebe.
"These are high-efficiency recovery medicines I've prepared. If a Pokémon gets injured, it'll recover quickly after taking these."
"Although this space is mysterious and dangerous, it also holds many treasures. I gathered the ingredients for these medicines here," Cain explained.
Steven and Phoebe gladly accepted the items.
For them, there was no need to be formal with Cain.
In their opinion, although Cain still held the title of Intermediate-level Breeder, he was clearly hiding his true skill.
Who would believe Cain wasn't at the level of an Advanced Breeder? Neither Steven nor Phoebe.
Were they being treated like fools?
An Intermediate Breeder capable of producing high-level special Pokéblocks?
No one said it out loud, but it was obvious.
From their point of view, Cain had already achieved notable accomplishments as a trainer. If he were also outstanding as a breeder, the first to go crazy wouldn't be any other organization—it would be the League itself!
The real question was which path Cain should follow: trainer or breeder?
Cain had chosen the path of a trainer, which is why he kept his breeding abilities hidden.
In reality, they were misjudging Cain.
Was it that he didn't want to take the Advanced Breeder exam?
No!
He just didn't have the time!
Not a single damn minute!
Drake didn't reject the help either, accepting it gladly and without ceremony.
With the treatments ready and all preparations complete, the four of them sat down to wait for nightfall.
...
In the mysterious space.
The sky was chaotic.
Even so, there was a distinction between day and night.
There was even moonlight at night.
Taking advantage of the darkness, Cain and the others led the League group out of the camp, moving toward the edge of the space.
"Slowking has already left psychic coordinates on my two Venusaur. As long as you stay close to them, we'll be able to find you. At the same time, the Venusaur will also protect your safety temporarily," Cain said to the group.
After the collective healing earlier that day, Cain had become the most respected figure right after Drake.
Additionally, his strength was now recognized, so no one doubted his words.
"You two, as League Researchers, will take command of these two Venusaur. Make sure to protect everyone," Cain said to the two people in front of him.
"Yes!" they responded firmly and enthusiastically.
After all, a Chief-level Researcher was their top superior.
"Let's go," Cain said to Drake, Steven, and Phoebe after finishing his instructions.
Drake nodded.
The four of them disappeared from the group, thanks to Slowking's Teleport move.
Once they vanished, the two researchers led the rest further away.
They didn't want to be a burden to Drake and the others, so the farther they got, the better.
Cain and the other three returned to the previous camp.
"Before the final action, I have a warning. If we run into a situation we can't handle, don't force it. If you encounter a powerful enemy, the first option should always be to escape!"
"If you can't escape, then hold on however you can until I get there," Drake warned with a serious expression.
Cain, Steven, and Phoebe also adopted a serious demeanor.
They nodded firmly.
The danger level of this operation was clear.
"Let's go!" shouted Drake, releasing his Salamence and taking the lead.
Steven followed with his Aerodactyl.
Phoebe, who didn't have a flying mount, rode on Drake's Salamence.
Finally, Cain brought up the rear, riding on his Flygon.
Without a point of comparison, there would be no complaints—but Cain, who usually thought of his Flygon as a great transport partner, now clearly noticed the difference.
The problem was that Flygon didn't have a high enough level.
For normal travel it was fine, but when it came to speed or urgency, it wasn't ideal.
The three flying Pokémon soared through the sky, already beneath the canopy of the Tree of Life.
Thanks to the branches and leaves of the massive tree, they could move in concealment, making them nearly impossible to detect.
In reality, they could already follow the branches toward the central trunk of the Tree of Life.
But flying was still a bit faster and less conspicuous. No one knew if there were traps set along the branches.
Steven had Aerodactyl descend slightly and approached Cain's side.
When Cain saw Steven's Aerodactyl, his eyes lit up for a moment.
During the Sinnoh Tournament, Steven's Aerodactyl had already shown some strange transformations. Black rocks were starting to emerge on its wings and body.
Though it still looked like a regular Aerodactyl, Cain knew it was actually in an intermediate state between a regular and a Mega-Evolved Aerodactyl.
It was hard to understand why this transformation occurred.
Pokémon: Aerodactyl (Light Purple)
Gender: Male
Level: 63
Types: Rock + Flying
Ability: Rock Head
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Steel Wing, Dragon Breath, Roost, Tailwind
Basic Moves: Iron Head, Ice Fang, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Wing Attack, Supersonic, Bite, Scary Face, Roar, Agility, Ancient Power, Crunch, Take Down, Sky Drop
Learned Moves: Heat Wave, Earth Power, Dragon Pulse, Stealth Rock, Sky Attack
TM Moves: Protect, Dragon Claw, Hyper Beam, Earthquake, Flamethrower, Rest, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Sleep Talk, Substitute
Even the system couldn't analyze this transformation.
Perhaps only when Aerodactyl fully completed its Mega Evolution would the truth be revealed.
"What's wrong?" asked Steven, noticing Cain staring at him intently.
Cain snapped out of it and shook his head. "Nothing, just that your Aerodactyl is developing really well."
Steven smiled and patted his Aerodactyl on the back. He didn't say anything else.
"Cain, what do you think of this space? How did this Tree of Life emerge? When Phoebe and I arrived here, it didn't exist yet. It appeared completely in a single day," Steven commented.
Cain didn't know either. He answered honestly: "I'm not sure, but I have a feeling the enemy's goals are tied to this Tree of Life. Maybe we'll learn something from what they say."
"I think so too. Be careful," said Steven, returning to his central position.
Cain nodded, staring at the enormous trunk that he could almost reach with his hand.
Apart from its enormous size, it didn't look much different from an ordinary tree.
(End of chapter)