Tyranitar was enjoying the fight.
Throughout the entire battle, Cain didn't intervene at all; he simply let Tyranitar fight on his own.
As for Gardevoir, she stood beside Cain, looking down disdainfully at that kind of close-quarters brawling between Tyranitar and the others.
If it weren't for the fact that Tyranitar was her teammate, and because he ended up winning, Gardevoir wouldn't have shown even the slightest sign of approval.
After that, they didn't actually encounter many more battles.
Cain, along with Tyranitar and Gardevoir, reached the end of Dragon Mountain — the place where the Dragon's Tomb was located.
The closer they got, the fewer dragon-type Pokémon there were in the area.
That was where the non-dragon Pokémon gathered; only in that place could they appear in groups without being attacked.
However, their overall levels weren't very high, so they posed no real threat to Cain.
Standing before a cliff, when he looked down, he saw a terrain full of rocks, without a single trace of vegetation, covered by thick white mists. That was the Dragon's Tomb.
Standing there, both Cain — being a psychic — and Gardevoir — a psychic and fairy type — felt uneasy.
The air was saturated with ghost-type energy and an aura of death.
In contrast to the vitality of other places, there was no trace of life here — no Pokémon, not even an insect.
After countless years of accumulation, this tomb had taken that form. It was said that even if a living Pokémon entered it and stayed for a long time, by unconsciously absorbing so much ghost-type energy, it would eventually turn into a ghost-type Pokémon itself.
Which was the same as dying.
From Cain's shadow, Gengar silently emerged.
Unlike Cain and Gardevoir, he felt extremely comfortable in this place.
Cain smiled slightly. Entering for a short time wouldn't be a problem — with the help of his psychic powers and Gengar absorbing the ghost energy, they wouldn't suffer too much.
As for Drake's warning not to enter the Dragon's Tomb, Cain didn't pay much attention to it.
The danger lay in the fact that the energy there was harmful to life — and also because the remains of the ancestors of the Pokémon from this space rested there, so entering was considered disrespectful.
But precisely for that reason, Cain wanted to explore the place.
This space had existed for countless years, as had the Dragon's Tomb. How many treasures could have accumulated within it?
Cain respected the site, but that didn't mean he feared it.
He recalled Tyranitar and Gardevoir.
Then he jumped off the cliff. His clothes fluttered in the wind as he fell, and the air grew colder and colder.
The ghost-type energy also became denser.
Thud!
His feet landed with a dry sound.
The surroundings were steeped in absolute silence, filled with death.
It was clear that there must have been many ghost-type Pokémon there, but thanks to Gengar's presence, the more common ones didn't dare approach. And those that did wouldn't be weak.
As Cain advanced toward the center of the Dragon's Tomb, he saw numerous bones and intact skeletons.
Along the way, he found some plants growing between the cracks of the rocks.
They were species that could only grow in special environments — key ingredients for crafting ghost-type items and materials used in making Pokéblocks for ghost-type Pokémon.
Cain carefully collected them all.
It was a true treasure trove for ghosts. He wouldn't have to worry about food for Gengar or Mismagius in the future.
Before even reaching the center, Cain had already gathered a small fortune.
"Kekeke!"
But when one grows too content, the unexpected always happens.
That's exactly what occurred at that moment. While Cain was feeling like a collector in paradise, Gengar suddenly let out a warning cry.
Cain's expression changed; he raised his head instantly.
His psychic perception hadn't detected anything — but Gengar had.
That could only mean two things: either the enemy was still outside his range, or it had the ability to block his perception.
Seeing Gengar's serious expression, Cain figured it was the latter.
Suddenly, the ghost-type energy intensified, accompanied by a much denser aura of death.
A chill ran through Cain, as if a sharp dagger were grazing his arm, ready to slice it open.
Boom!
Boom!
From within the white mist, a silhouette slowly appeared.
When he saw it, Cain's pupils shrank sharply.
What was that!?
A Bone Dragon?
Did such a Pokémon even exist in the world?
Its appearance and skeletal structure were just like those of a Salamence.
Was it the skeleton of a Salamence?
And was there a Pokémon clinging to that body?
"Kekeke!" growled Gengar, stepping in front of Cain and shouting at the skeleton in warning — come any closer, and he'd attack.
He already had two dark spheres in his hands, ready to be launched.
Seeing them, the Bone Dragon halted.
Cain fixed his gaze on the skull of the skeleton.
Embedded in one of its cracks was a Mega Stone.
Although he didn't know which Pokémon it belonged to, he was certain it was one he didn't yet possess — and it could definitely be useful for one of his partners.
Cain had several Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution, but not enough Mega Stones.
Swampert, Gardevoir, Shelgon after evolving, Riolu after evolving... The difference in power from Mega Evolution was immense.
The Bone Dragon's empty eye sockets glowed red, locking onto Cain and Gengar.
Cain twisted his wrist, and several Poké Balls appeared in his hand.
His initial plan had been to avoid battle.
But now that he had seen that Mega Stone, he had to fight.
He threw the Poké Balls, releasing Honchkrow, Slowking, Weavile, Drapion, and Florges.
Together with Gengar, the six members of his first squad stood assembled, ready to face this unknown enemy.
No matter what kind of Pokémon was hiding behind that appearance, it was obvious it possessed the ghost type.
Which made it weak to dark types.
Honchkrow and Weavile wouldn't have to worry about being exposed in this place.
(End of Chapter)