Strength Determines Status

Yan once again looked through Cain's information.

Cain, 7 years old, Round Ecruteak, parents...

"Seven years old, is this child really only seven years old?"

Yan couldn't quite believe it. Such a level of combat prowess was hardly achievable by a seven-year-old child. Was he truly a prodigy?

Left with no other option, Yan could only attribute it to "talent". Indeed, some people were born for battle.

Having won the battle, Cain stood next to Raikou, who couldn't help but step back.

At this moment, Raikou felt as if he was standing next to a terrifying killer. The battle just now had left him in awe of Cain. With such strength, Raikou was afraid he could only submit to him for the rest of his life.

The other two advancing participants and the little girl were the same; they didn't understand Cain's battle at all, so fear was not an issue.

Looking at the four children in front of him, the oldest was Raikou, ten years old, but his hairstyle made him look more mature.

"You are the last four, and two more will be eliminated. However, even if you are eliminated, you won't go away empty-handed. I will inform your schools to give you extra credit. You're all tired today, go back and rest. Tomorrow you must stay in Bell Tower for the whole day, and you must also catch a Ghost-type Pokémon. It's not an easy task."

After finishing, Yan went to the inner hall with Morty.

Yan looked at his son, who also had the title of "child prodigy", and said, "Morty, you and Cain are the same age. You just watched Cain's battle. How confident do you think you would be if you were to battle him?"

Morty recalled Cain's battle just now and said, "Cain is indeed very strong. His control over the battle is quite on point. If I were to use Ghost-type Pokémon, I think I would have a 50% chance of winning."

Yan patted Morty's head and said, "That means you only understood half of the battle."

"Half?" Morty looked at his father with some surprise.

"Because I think you don't even have a one percent chance of winning. Morty, you still have to work hard. You can't let your current achievements blind you. The road ahead is still long." Yan said earnestly.

"I will follow my father's teachings."

Cain and the others left one after another.

"Cain, let's team up tomorrow at the Bell Tower and eliminate those two people as well. Then, there will only be the two of us left. What do you think?"

At this point, Raikou had already begun to actively attach himself to Cain. This was the deterrence of strength. Therefore, no matter which world one was in, having power granted the right to speak.

Hearing Raikou's suggestion, Cain gave him a sidelong glance, "Fool."

"You!" Raikou was displeased at being treated this way when he was just trying to help.

"Put away your clever tricks and behave yourself in front of Yan. Those two people's strength is not in the same league as yours. Elimination is just a matter of time. You want to do something so dangerous and meaningless right under Yan's watch. Calling you a fool is a compliment."

Cain scolded, and Raikou couldn't help but blush with embarrassment. He couldn't match Cain's sharp insight.

After dinner, Cain and Ditto returned home.

Tomorrow, they will enter the Bell Tower, which was filled with Ghost-type Pokémon skilled in illusions. Going in like this would certainly put him at a disadvantage.

Machop! Cain had a sudden idea.

"Ditto, can you still transform into a Machop?"

Currently, Ditto hadn't transformed into many Pokémon yet. Moreover, it had only been a couple of days, so it shouldn't have forgotten so quickly. If that didn't work, he would have to ask Raikou to bring out Machop before entering the Bell Tower tomorrow.

Ditto didn't disappoint Cain, successfully transforming into Machop, looking almost identical to Raikou's.

Cain nodded, it seemed his judgment was correct. This Ditto had a high talent for transformation.

"Machop can use the move Foresight. Give it a try."

Ditto focused its energy, its eyes glowing intensely, and suddenly two beams of light, like powerful flashlights, shone out.

"That's enough."

After Cain spoke, Ditto returned to its original form.

It seemed that Raikou was well-prepared as well. Cain had previously doubted why someone with Raikou's personality would choose a Machop as a partner; it must be because of "Foresight."

Another three hours of "Flying Dagger Technique" training ensued.

Progress came from cumulative efforts, and after today's training, Cain increased his throwing distance to six meters.

The next day at 8 a.m., the four advancing trainers gathered at the base of the Bell Tower.

Yan handed each of them a specially marked Poké Ball.

Cheating had to be guarded against at all times!

"It's 8:30 in the morning now, and you must stay inside until 5 in the afternoon. I'll ring a bell outside when the time is up. Even if you catch a Ghost-type Pokémon, you'll be disqualified if you come out early. Do you understand?" Yan emphasized the rules again.

"Understood."

The four trainers stood up straight and replied.

"Alright, since everyone is clear on the rules, each of you will enter from the east, south, west, and north gates."

After Yan finished speaking, his disciple Leo pointed out the respective gates to the four trainers.

Cain entered the Bell Tower from the east gate.

As soon as he entered the tower, he was greeted by an old, musty smell. The interior was in disrepair, with the stairs burnt and broken, making it difficult to climb. The aging floor creaked underfoot, giving a sense of insecurity.

Cain gripped the stair railing and climbed up slowly.

The staircase could hardly withstand the test of time, and just as Cain reached the middle of the stairs, he lost his footing and began to fall.

Cain reacted quickly, grabbing the staircase railing with one hand, preparing to climb back up.

Above him, dark clouds gathered, and thunder rumbled as a Rayquaza rushed towards Cain, ready to devour him.

Cain shook his head.

"So realistic. Ditto, transform into Machop and use Foresight."

A Machop holding Cain's shoulder, its eyes emitting two beams of white light that swept around the area.

Several Gastly were immediately revealed, and the illusion from before vanished.

Cain and Ditto took the opportunity to regain their balance.

The Gastly looked at each other in shock, realizing their bodies had been materialized and frightened, they fled.

Cain narrowly avoided being devoured.

Having learned his lesson, Cain had Ditto transform into Machop and use Foresight as soon as they reached the second floor. As expected, several hidden Gastly were waiting to cause trouble, but they fled once they were discovered.

It was said that 700 years ago, a nine-story Bell Tower and Brass Tower were built in Ecruteak City. The two towers symbolized the friendship and hope of living together between Pokémon and humans. The Brass Tower to the west was for awakening Pokémon, while the tower to the east was a resting place for them. At that time, it was said that a massive silver Pokémon resided at the top of the Brass Tower, while a rainbow-colored Ho-Oh lived in the Bell Tower.

Cain had no hope of living with Pokémon, so he didn't expect to see Ho-Oh. Even if he did, his only goal would be to subdue it, although it seemed like a pipe dream, the thought still flashed through his mind.

Climbing to the ninth floor of the 700-year-old Bell Tower took most of the day, but the encounters on each floor were the same - after using Foresight, the Gastly all fled.