Chapter 175:

Nonetheless, this unexpected encounter left him feeling somber.

The world here was far from the utopian paradise portrayed in the animated series. The cannibalistic backstabbing he had just witnessed was merely one dark aspect beneath the beautiful facade, and certainly not the darkest.

Cain soon found another side tunnel to set up camp in. He made sure it was safe, set up traps, and built a campsite inside.

Starting a fire, cooking, training - these tasks played out like scenes on a loop.

"Beep! Task analysis complete! Detailed information displayed!"

As the Pokemon were training and Cain was studying the Psychic Handbook, the AI system spoke up again.

Yesterday, Cain asked the AI system to reanalyze the previous three tasks using the newly reassembled database. The first task was to search for a faster way to improve his psychic talent, the second was to find a hatching method for the Larvitar Pokemon egg, and the third was to analyze the Elixir of Evolution.

Cain was now a psychic trainer himself, albeit probably the weakest one. Regardless, he wasn't satisfied with remaining at the bottom and wanted to improve.

At the very least, he didn't want to be the worst, right?

However, just like the AI system's previous analysis, the result this time was similarly not very helpful.

There were a bunch of unrecognizable items, and Cain couldn't tell whether they were fabricated or simply too precious that he had never heard of them.

Anyway, Cain didn't really have any expectations for this task since Team Rocket's Lake of Rage research base primarily focused on studying Pokemon.

Then came the Larvitar egg that Cain had held onto for quite some time. It had been carefully stored and protected by Gastly, and despite multiple examinations, there seemed to be no significant changes.

All of the data indicated that the egg was in perfect condition, but it was impossible to hatch.

Cain had high hopes that the recent expansion of his system database might provide a solution.

And to his surprise, the system suggested a way to hatch the egg. Cain's heart raced as he read on, but soon his excitement gradually faded.

Indeed, there was a way to hatch the Larvitar egg, and part of the solution was already in Cain's possession - the half-empty vial of Elixir of Evolution he had acquired from Team Rocket's research facility.

According to the system, approximately three full vials of Elixir of Evolution could potentially hatch the Larvitar egg. However, the success rate was not guaranteed, standing at a mere fifty percent. Moreover, the hatched Larvitar might exhibit some unforeseeable flaws.

Of course, this was all based on the system's calculations, so the accuracy of the results couldn't be determined just yet. Nevertheless, the calculations were well-founded.

The system suggested two main reasons why the Larvitar egg couldn't hatch.

First, the egg had been slightly cracked due to the aftermath of a battle shortly after it was laid. This crack caused the life force within the egg to rapidly dissipate. Although mother Tyranitar eventually sealed the crack using Earth Essence Milk, the life force that had already been lost caused irreversible damage to Larvitar, resulting in its innate deficiency.

The second reason was the Earth Essence Milk itself.

Earth Essence, a rare, milk-like liquid formed from the aggregation of trace elements in the earth's terrain, was known for its ability to prolong life.

Sealing the crack with Earth Essence Milk not only stopped the Larvitar's life force from leaking out but also, to a certain extent, replenished it. However, some things that are lost can never be recovered.

Furthermore, due to its long-term storage, the Earth Essence Milk formed a mineral energy membrane on the egg's surface that merged with the eggshell's elements, making the shell more than twice as hard.

An innately deficient Larvitar and a reinforced eggshell were the reasons the Larvitar couldn't hatch normally.

If it weren't for the Earth Essence Milk greatly enhancing the Larvitar's life force, it would have suffocated within the egg long ago.

Regarding the system's analysis, the Elixir of Evolution's capacity to hatch the Larvitar egg had a solid basis to some extent.

The Elixir could accelerate a Pokemon's growth rate. So if Larvitar were to use it, it could grow more rapidly and emerge into the world beyond the eggshell as more than just a fragile hatchling - meaning it might even be able to break free from it.

It was also plausible that after using the Elixir, Larvitar would undergo rapid development within the egg. So even if the eggshell were to be destroyed by external forces, the now fully-formed Larvitar wouldn't be too affected, merely weakened for a short period after birth.

Of course, there was only a fifty percent chance of hatching. Another possibility was that the unstable Elixir of Evolution would cause Larvitar to suddenly die inside the egg, losing its chance to hatch forever.

However, the main issue was that Cain didn't have enough Elixirs of Evolution.

He had heard from Umbra about how he had traded half his fortune for merely six vials of Elixirs of Evolution. An amount that was difficult to estimate.

Thus, Cain couldn't gamble even if he wanted to.

Three whole Elixirs of Evolution – how could he possibly get them?!

Hmm, he might as well try using his half-vial Elixir of Evolution and see what happens. After all, letting it sit idle would be wasteful, so why not give it a try?

"System, calculate the potential effects of using my half-vial of Elixir. Is there any chance it could damage the Pokemon egg?"

Two minutes later, the AI system finished its calculations and presented Cain with the results.

The gist was that the half-vial wouldn't have a significant effect and wouldn't damage the Pokemon egg. If Cain wanted to try, he could go ahead.

Relieved, Cain sighed. As long as the egg wasn't damaged, it was okay.

Even if Larvitar couldn't hatch, the egg could still be exchanged for a wealth of resources. After all, a pseudo-legendary Pokemon egg, even if unhatchable, remained pseudo-legendary and far more valuable than ordinary Pokemon. Of course, this was the worst-case scenario.