As if to confirm Cain's suspicions...
The two Tyrantrum that had been brought back were soon processed by the Tyranitar.
In the wild, especially in environments as extreme as this one, the law of the survival of the fittest is even more evident.
One of the Tyranitar held two earth-brown hearts that looked like simple stones.
If not for the faint traces of blood on the surface, there would have been almost no way to distinguish them from real rocks.
Cain observed as the hearts were handed to the group's leader, who reburied them in the same pile of rocks and dirt as before.
That place was probably the area in the valley where the Rock-type energy was most concentrated, which would explain such a particular transformation.
At that moment, the two stones in front of Cain looked like ordinary rocks: aside from their slight warmth to the touch, they were as hard as any other.
"By the size... these two are larger than the ones they themselves retrieved," Cain thought.
It should be noted that the two Tyrantrum they defeated were Elite-level Pokémon. Could these be the hearts of even stronger Tyrantrum, perhaps Four-Elite level?
"Looks like this really is a major gift..."
Using his psychic powers, Cain lifted the two stones.
Despite being human, even he could feel the Rock-type energy—so thick it was almost visible to the naked eye.
Around him, Pupitar, Aggron, and Carbink showed expressions of pure ecstasy.
This showed just how strongly the stones attracted them.
Even the little Carbink, with his more limited power, began showing signs akin to intoxication.
Cain recalled the system's warning: without sufficient strength, these stones needed to be absorbed with caution.
Thus, the leader Tyranitar's message was clear: he had noticed that Pupitar was already on the verge of evolution. If he absorbed this energy, he might be able to take the next step.
That was how his own kind had evolved: upon reaching the threshold, they used this method to advance.
But Cain's Pupitar was different.
If it had only been a matter of absorbing energy, he would've already evolved in the energy pool earlier.
But he hadn't.
And there was a reason for that.
The Pupitar here, ever since they were Larvitar, accumulated energy gradually, developing very slowly.
Evolving into Pupitar could take years—even decades.
And going from the freshly evolved state to being on the verge of the next evolution took even more time.
Spending over ten years in that process wasn't unusual.
That meant their mindset was already mature enough to take that step when the proper external conditions appeared.
But Cain's Pupitar was different.
Since birth, barely a year had passed to reach this point.
That time frame had been drastically shortened.
Of course, that didn't mean one was required to accumulate energy for years in order to evolve.
But Pupitar still lacked something.
He lacked a true reason to grow and evolve.
He lacked genuine and sincere motivation.
He probably didn't even realize it. In his mind, since all the other teammates had already evolved, he too should do the same.
Evolving would make him stronger, allow him to keep fighting, and thus contribute more to Cain.
That simple.
But all of that was externally inherited thinking—not something he had personally experienced or understood.
Of course, not every Pokémon needs inner realization to evolve.
But Pupitar is a pseudo-legendary, and that makes him special.
Accelerated growth also requires certain conditions.
Today, upon seeing how the Tyranitar fought—how they sacrificed themselves for their companions—Pupitar must've felt something within.
And Cain was about to deliver the final push.
"Pupitar, come with me," Cain said.
Only then did Pupitar turn his attention away from the two stones brimming with energy.
"Aggron, Carbink, stay here for now. Don't worry, there's something for you too," Cain told them.
Both Pokémon nodded without hesitation.
They trusted Cain completely.
Even if they didn't receive anything now, they knew he wouldn't forget them.
Then, Cain led Pupitar to a corner of the valley.
Along with them were Slowking and Gengar.
When they reached the edge of the valley, Cain's expression turned somewhat complex.
"Pupitar, there are things I think it's time for you to know," he said.
As he spoke, Mismagius emerged from Cain's shadow.
With Mismagius, Gengar, Slowking, and Cain all gathered, Pupitar looked confused, unsure of what was about to happen.
Cain gave a signal to the three Pokémon.
"Let's begin. Pupitar, don't resist."
"Miiis~~" Mismagius murmured softly, her eyes glowing red.
"Kekeke~!"
"Yadon~!"
When Mismagius started, Gengar and Slowking acted as well.
All of this had already been planned with Cain ahead of time.
Pupitar obeyed without resistance, trusting Cain's words.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an unfamiliar place.
Cain was beside him.
"I'm going to show you something," Cain said quietly.
The scenery beneath their feet quickly changed.
This was a dream world created by Cain and Slowking during the lessons they had given Pupitar.
Very soon, they arrived at a small desert.
In the center stood a towering Tyranitar.
The energy it emitted expanded the desert around it.
Pupitar looked at it with a doubtful expression beside Cain.
He didn't know why, but he felt something familiar in that Tyranitar.
Time accelerated.
When the desert finished expanding, the Tyranitar sat in the center and remained motionless for an entire month.
Just as Pupitar began to feel curious, something unexpected happened.
A pack of Houndoom appeared in the desert, and their target was clear: the Tyranitar.
Upon seeing the Houndoom, Pupitar showed a look of disdain.
After all, he had already witnessed the power of the Tyranitar. These Houndoom were no match.
But the unexpected happened.
The Tyranitar did not counterattack—she merely assumed a defensive posture, sitting on the ground.
"Puppp?" Pupitar looked at Cain, puzzled.
"Keep watching," Cain said in a grave voice.
Pupitar suppressed his growing unease.
He didn't know why, but seeing the Tyranitar being attacked made him feel an inexplicable pain.
After a while, the Tyranitar began to show wounds, but her expression was one of relief.
Finally, she stood up.
Pupitar smiled: finally, she was going to counterattack!
But immediately, something else caught his attention.
A Pokémon egg.
(End of Chapter)