Cain watched as Drake appeared on the deck. Drake observed the newcomer, Cain, along with his Flygon and Slowking.
Cain quickly spoke up:
"Uh... sorry for showing up like this. I mean no harm. I was just training on the cliff up there, and as night fell, I wanted to find a place to camp."
"And then I saw the ship at sea. But if it's a bother, I'll leave right away."
Hearing his words, Drake took a puff from his cigar and gestured for the sailors to carry on with their work.
Drake approached Cain, towering over him, much taller than Cain had imagined.
"Don't worry. Since you're here, stay the night. There are plenty of spare rooms in the cabin," Drake said calmly before turning his gaze to Flygon.
"This is Flygon. Mister, are you a strong trainer too?" Cain noticed Drake's gaze and decided to ask the question.
Drake's imposing figure—aside from a somewhat lean face—exuded the aura of a man shaped by the sea. His white beard covered his face entirely.
Perhaps this was someone who had been born into the wrong world...
"Ha, ha! Strong, you say? I suppose you could say that. But Flygon... I know this species well. Young man, your Flygon isn't fully developed, and you haven't unlocked its true potential," Drake said with a smile.
Drake's words sparked something in Cain.
Drake was the Dragon-type Elite Four member of the Hoenn region, an expert in Dragon-type Pokémon. While some of his Pokémon also had Flying-type traits, they all fell under the Dragon category. Undoubtedly, he knew far more than most.
Cain currently had Flygon and Bagon, and in the future, he might even acquire an Altaria. But even if he couldn't catch Altaria, just having Bagon was reason enough to invest significant time and effort.
If anyone knew how to train a Salamence to its maximum potential, it was Drake, Hoenn's Dragon-type Elite Four member. His ace Pokémon was precisely a Salamence.
It was said that this Salamence had once saved Drake's life, and because of that, Drake had dedicated himself to training it. However, raising a pseudo-legendary Pokémon like Salamence was no easy feat.
When Drake was a young sailor, he barely had any income.
He spent years training Salamence until he finally developed it fully. This is why, when Drake became one of Hoenn's Elite Four, he was the oldest among them.
But a pseudo-legendary is always powerful, and becoming a Dragon-type Elite Four member granted Drake formidable strength.
Besides Salamence, Drake had also trained other Dragon-type Pokémon over the years, including Flygon and Altaria.
If Cain could gain advice from Drake, he could save significant time and effort in training his Dragon-type Pokémon in the future, especially in unlocking Bagon's full potential.
Although Cain had experience training Bagon in his past life, the methods he used back then were no longer as effective. Additionally, the Bagon he had now had much greater potential than the one before, so his old techniques wouldn't suffice.
Drake's appearance at this moment, pointing out flaws in Flygon's training, was a golden opportunity for Cain. If he could gain some insight from Drake, it would be incredibly beneficial.
But first, Cain needed to earn Drake's trust.
For now, Drake likely saw Cain as just a regular trainer passing by, looking for a place to stay the night. Perhaps Cain was stronger than the average trainer, but to Drake, it wasn't anything remarkable.
The only thing that had caught Drake's attention was Cain's possession of a Dragon-type Pokémon like Flygon.
"Yes, Flygon hasn't been with me for long. To be honest, I'm not very skilled at training Dragon-types. But if we're talking about my Slowking, I have more experience," Cain said with a shy smile, scratching his head.
Flygon, under its previous trainer Ren, had never been fully trained. Despite its great potential as a Dragon-type Pokémon with a blue-tier quality, its development wasn't optimal.
Even though its level had reached 49, it struggled against Cain's Honchkrow, which also had a blue-tier rating but was only level 46.
Flygon, at its current advanced level, was no match.
Flygon had relied too much on orders from its former trainer, Ren, who lacked much strategy in battle and often resorted to direct tactics.
Brute strength only works if the Pokémon has enough power. Intelligence remains a key component of success.
"I see. Your Slowking is very well-trained. If I only saw Flygon or only Slowking, I'd think they belonged to two different trainers—the difference is noticeable," Drake observed, studying Slowking closely before letting out a sigh.
Cain couldn't help but think:
"If Flygon had just arrived under my care, I'm sure Drake would tear Ren apart for wasting its potential. What a lost gem!"
"Yeah, it's a shame. I don't have any friends who are experts in training dragons, and as a Gym Leader, I can't spend much time away from my gym. This time, I ventured out to handle some business and train a bit," Cain said, revealing his identity as a Gym Leader with a hint of resignation.
As expected, Drake's eyes lit up upon hearing those words.
"You're a Gym Leader?" Drake asked with a smile of intrigue. "Which gym are we talking about?"
"A small town, nothing significant. I'm the Leader of the Leafy Town Gym. My name is Cain," Cain replied modestly.
Hearing this, Drake's eyes gleamed even brighter.
"Cain? The Gym Leader the League has been promoting as one of the two young prospects of the Hoenn region? The one compared to that kid from the Stone family?"
"Uh... if by Stone kid, you mean Steven Stone, then yes, I think that's me," Cain replied with a sheepish smile.
Cain thought maybe he should try his luck in acting someday. Who knows, perhaps he could share the screen with Diantha, the future Champion of Kalos, in a movie one day.
"And... you are?" Cain asked curiously.
"Ha, ha, ha! My name's Drake! You can call me Uncle Drake," Drake said with a hearty laugh, clearly pleased.
(End of chapter)