A 3D anatomical diagram of the human muscular system appeared on the computer screen. With Lulu stimulating his cells using her psychic power to increase cellular activity, the resulting calculations would be more precise.
Cellular activity: 1.13
Muscle strength: 3.12
Compared to three hours earlier, cellular activity had increased by 0.01, and muscle strength by 0.02.
In the past, that level of improvement would have required roughly two months of high-intensity training for Kael to achieve.
And now, in just three hours, he had quietly gained the equivalent of two months of brutal conditioning.
"Incredible… absolutely incredible…"
Kael cradled the rainbow orb in his hands, unable to stop praising it. At first, he had assumed it was simply a previously undiscovered magical item. He hadn't expected it to have a direct impact on the human body.
The energy radiation emitted by the rainbow orb was tremendously beneficial to humans as well. If he kept it by his side long-term, Kael felt that waking up one day with superhuman abilities might not be impossible.
He could now draw a conclusion:
The reason that black Rhydon had grown so enormous without suffering physical deformities was almost certainly inseparable from the orb's energy radiation.
And its effect on Pokémon was likely even greater than on humans.
His curiosity had been completely ignited. Never before had Kael felt such urgency. He desperately wanted to know everything about this rainbow orb. Had anyone else in human society ever been lucky enough to obtain one? Why had he never heard of it? Why was there no mention of anything similar in the Wiki of Pokémon Items?
With that restless curiosity burning inside him, Kael let out a soft sigh and lay back on the cushion. Hands folded behind his head, he gazed up at the vast star-filled sky.
Humanity was so small.
This world—this universe—how many incomprehensible things did it still conceal?
One day, he would walk the entire world.
He would explore ancient ruins buried for ten thousand years… witness primordial oceans from millions of years ago… and seek out legendary meteor continents spoken of only in myth.
...
Rhydon's cries echoed through the depths of the forest for almost the entire night.
From furious roars at first to mournful wails by dawn, even Kael—the culprit responsible—began to feel a trace of awkward guilt.
Still no way he was giving it back.
Standing atop the cliff, Kael raised his binoculars to observe Rhydon's movements.
By early morning, Rhydon had returned to the beach.
Its treasure was gone. The cave it had grown up in was no longer home. It had no family, no companions. Aside from a few Pidgey, no other Pokémon lived on the island.
A round sun slowly rose from the far edge of the horizon. Warm sea breezes brushed across the beach and coconut trees.
At that moment, Rhydon felt boundless loneliness.
It had always lived alone.
It didn't know who its parents were. From the moment it hatched from its egg, it had eaten alone. Slept alone.
And now, even the treasure that had accompanied it all its life was gone.
"Gone…"
The more it thought about it, the sadder it became. Soon, tears the size of beans rolled from its eyes, dripping onto the sand.
"It's… crying."
Kael lowered his binoculars in shock. He wasn't mistaken—a gigantic Rhydon over four meters tall was crying on the beach. The contrast was so jarring it made his scalp tingle.
Pokémon were undeniably intelligent beings, with emotional depth rivaling that of humans.
Yet yesterday afternoon this same giant Rhydon had looked ready to tear the world apart in rage. Now, at dawn, it resembled a pitiful child who had lost its favorite toy.
"It looks so miserable," Lulu said softly. She floated over with telekinesis and settled on Kael's shoulder, speaking through telepathy. "We took its treasure… Was that really the right thing to do?"
"Ahem—"
Kael awkwardly lowered the binoculars and lifted Lulu off his shoulder, holding her in front of him.
"That's not stealing," he said seriously. "It's the same as what we did in Viridian Forest. We discovered a treasure, and we went in and retrieved it. That's all. Understand?"
"…Lulu understands."
She said so aloud, but inwardly she rolled her eyes. She wasn't a child. Kael really thought she'd fall for that excuse?
...
After crying for a while, Rhydon's stomach began to growl loudly.
It was hungry again.
Yesterday, after discovering its treasure missing, it had flown into a blind rage and unleashed its skills in a destructive frenzy, expending enormous energy and stamina.
The treasure was gone. It couldn't find it.
But hunger was immediate.
Better to fill its stomach first.
With that, the simple, childlike mind of Rhydon pushed its sorrow aside. It stood up from the beach and trudged heavily toward the sea.
It used the same fishing method as yesterday—slamming its massive tail against the ocean surface, then reinforcing it with Iron Tail to generate powerful shockwaves that stunned fish beneath the water.
Unfortunately, after yesterday's feeding spree, the fish and shrimp in this stretch of sea were either dead or had fled. It hadn't even been long, and this big fellow was back again.
Worse yet, it was stubbornly fixated on the same exact spot.
Honestly, this was partly Kael's fault.
In the past, after eating its fill here once, Rhydon would sleep for four or five days. That buffer period allowed marine life to return and repopulate the waters before its next hunt.
For years, the cycle had continued peacefully—until Kael, the unexpected intruder, disrupted the balance.
But Rhydon didn't understand any of that.
It continued swinging its tail relentlessly, pounding the sea until it was gasping for breath. Yet only a handful of fish floated to the surface.
It swallowed the few remaining fish and shrimp one by one.
And instead of feeling satisfied—
It felt even hungrier.
The violent fishing had drained more of its stamina, yet the meager catch wasn't nearly enough to replenish what it had lost.