When Cain opened his eyes again...
He was surprised by the scene in front of him.
Pupitar, who had previously been quietly sitting and listening to the class, had now stepped forward.
Pupitar was passionately explaining something.
Beside him was Aggron, who had originally stayed with Cain to train. Both Pokémon were cooperating, enthusiastically describing certain things.
It seemed they were explaining battle techniques and strategies.
The Tyranitar who had been teaching the class was now sitting behind all the Larvitar and Pupitar, listening to Pupitar and Aggron attentively, nodding now and then as if having revelations.
And it wasn't just him; the other Tyranitar were also sitting with him, paying close attention to Pupitar's class.
Even the Tyranitar leader, although maintaining a serious pose with his arms crossed while standing to the side, not looking directly, was giving himself away through the involuntary movements of his foot and tail.
All the Pokémon—whether Larvitar, Pupitar, or even Tyranitar—were listening closely.
Professor Pupitar was giving a live lecture.
Whoever wanted to attend had to register first, limited seats available. For more information, contact Aggron at number XXXXXXXXXX...
Ahem.
Anyway, Pupitar was giving classes to the Tyranitar.
After all, Pupitar had been personally trained by Cain. His understanding of battle was very different from that of the Tyranitar, who relied solely on instinct in combat.
It's not that the Tyranitar weren't good fighters...
They just had different strengths.
That's why what Pupitar was teaching were brand-new ideas the Tyranitar had never heard of or tried before.
A new battle style had opened their eyes.
Seeing that Pupitar was doing fine and even enjoying himself teaching alongside Aggron, Cain felt at ease.
Meanwhile, Carbink remained quietly next to Cain.
Looking at that Pokémon—who had already changed quite a bit compared to a normal Carbink—Cain felt a warm sense of satisfaction.
"Why don't you go play with them?" Cain asked.
"Cark?" the little Pokémon looked at him in surprise.
It was the first time Cain had suggested he go play.
Cain gently patted his head while smiling:
"It's okay. You can do whatever you want. No one's going to stop you. You don't have to stay by my side all the time."
Carbink looked at him hesitantly, as if asking: "Really?"
Cain nodded without hesitation.
Maybe he had been neglecting Carbink a bit.
He wasn't a cold, inert diamond, but a living Pokémon with his own thoughts.
Even if his combat abilities weren't especially outstanding, and even though Cain placed many expectations on his future evolution, that didn't change the fact that he was a Pokémon with consciousness and will.
Upon receiving Cain's approval, Carbink smiled happily.
He jumped and ran toward where Pupitar and Aggron were.
Aggron, seeing him approach, didn't reject him; on the contrary, he lifted him up and placed him on his shoulder.
The three Pokémon together didn't seem out of place at all.
Cain and Slowking watched them from a short distance, enjoying a rare moment of rest.
Everything that needed to be prepared was already done. Now they just had to let things take their course.
...
Nearly two more hours passed.
The class was over.
But this time, unlike previous occasions, everyone—from the Tyranitar to the youngest Larvitar—had learned something useful.
The reputation of Pupitar, Cain's Pokémon, was growing rapidly among them.
Except for the three most powerful Tyranitar, who still saw him as a young learner, the others already considered him their equal.
Even some of the little Larvitar saw him as an idol, hoping to reach his level when they evolved.
What they didn't know was just how many resources Cain had invested for Pupitar to reach that level.
If it weren't for the fact that Tyranitar could survive on rocks alone, this resource-scarce place would never have produced Elite-level Pokémon.
That there were three such strong Tyranitar already surprised Cain.
This valley must be hiding some secret, though he hadn't discovered it yet.
Just as the Pokémon were preparing for dinner...
The Tyranitar leader suddenly raised his head.
He stared intently in a direction outside the valley and dropped what he was holding.
"Tyran!" he roared loudly.
The other Pokémon, upon hearing the roar, also stopped what they were doing.
"Tyran!"
"Tyran!"
One by one, all the Tyranitar roared.
Led by their leader, they all moved toward that direction.
Only the Larvitar and Pupitar remained, led by a Pupitar on the verge of evolution, who guided them to hide in a corner of the valley.
Cain watched the departing Tyranitar with curiosity.
What was going on?
Pupitar was also confused.
But soon, Cain understood: distant roars and heavy footsteps could be heard.
"Let's go! Let's see what's happening," Cain said, his face serious.
He ran in that direction with his Pokémon.
The Pupitar who remained tried to stop him, but before he could do anything, Cain and his group were already far away.
At the edge of the valley, the Tyranitar, led by their chief, were watching into the distance, where a cloud of dust was approaching.
Cain also managed to see the scene.
It looked like a group of Pokémon was coming... and not a small one.
With an intimidating energy.
The face of the Tyranitar leader was solemn.
Looks like I wasn't wrong... Here, even if the Tyranitar group is at the top of the food chain, there are still forces that can challenge them, Cain thought silently.
In terms of individual power, the Tyranitar were clearly the strongest at their level.
But sometimes, individual heroism wasn't enough.
Especially when that "hero" had loved ones to protect.
That was now the situation for the Tyranitar.
With a clan to protect behind them, their power had limits.
Very soon, the Pokémon raising the dust appeared before Cain.
He recognized them instantly.
Tyrantrum!
And not just a few—around thirty or forty Tyrantrum.
No wonder even the Tyranitar feared them.
Cain suspected that what they wanted to dispute... was that small pool of water in the valley.
In this place, water was the most valuable resource.
All powerful clans wished to control a water source.
(End of chapter)