Seeing Magearna nod, Cain felt immense joy within, though outwardly he remained calm.
He took out a Friend Ball.
This had been prepared especially for Magearna and Volcanion.
At first, Cain had planned to keep both, but the instant the idea of capturing Volcanion was born in his heart, a premonition of danger coursed through him.
It was as if catching him would bring great trouble.
The subconscious of a psychic was not something Cain could ignore, and later events proved that Xerneas had indeed been watching this area all along.
So that iron-headed stubborn one would have to stay here for now.
He asked Slowking to leave a psychic marker on Volcanion so that he could locate him anytime later.
Then, with the Friend Ball in hand, he gently tapped it against Magearna.
The sphere absorbed her instantly.
There was no resistance at all, and with a resonant dong, the Friend Ball sealed and locked.
Magearna was captured!
Cain's arm swung hard involuntarily.
He had managed to keep Magearna!
And along with her, Diancie as well!
Two pokémon that, though not exactly considered legendary, had power comparable to them, were now in his hands.
That said, they didn't seem like the type to be used directly in battle. Diancie might adapt better, but if the gentle Magearna were taken into combat, most likely she would be frightened and flee at the first moment.
Magearna, compared to Florges, seemed even more of a support pokémon, both in temperament and in her moves.
Still, her base stats were undeniably impressive.
The most important thing, without a doubt, was the existence of her Soul-Heart.
Cain threw the Friend Ball again and called out Magearna.
She appeared with her arms transformed into two beams of flowers, happily celebrating that, after such a long time, she once again had a home at a trainer's side.
Cain's pokémon gave her a warm welcome, especially Diancie, who stayed close to her.
Their bond had deepened considerably.
Smiling, Cain said to her: "Magearna, welcome to our team!"
"Magarr!" Magearna nodded repeatedly.
Feeling the sincere reception from the pokémon, she too was happy. For the moment, Nikola's words were relegated to a corner of her mind.
Cain looked at Magearna, as real as any other pokémon, and couldn't help but feel deep respect for Nikola.
With his own strength alone, he had created a pokémon comparable to a legendary.
One had to consider that even Team Rocket, after countless resources, time, and scientists working day and night, had barely managed to achieve similar results.
Cain gestured with his hand to call her over.
Magearna approached with dancing steps, obviously delighted.
"Don't worry, it won't be much. I may just need to study you a little," he said with a smile.
She nodded without any suspicion.
Cain placed his hand on Magearna's back, right where the Soul-Heart was embedded.
"System, collect the data. Analyze the causes of its functioning and its mode of operation," Cain ordered.
"Task established!" the system's voice rang in his mind.
At once, tiny currents of energy flowed from his hand into the Soul-Heart.
Magearna felt nothing unusual, but Cain perceived a subtle current of energy flowing along his arm and entering his body.
His mind cleared, as though he had rested deeply.
Did the Soul-Heart also have that effect?
Shortly after, Cain withdrew his hand.
The system had already finished collecting the information, and now only simulation and analysis remained.
Immediately, Cain prepared to leave with his pokémon.
As for Volcanion...
That was already arranged.
That stubborn one who only listened to Magearna would now, in his dream, receive the message that she needed to be away for a time, and thus he would be left free for now.
...
He found a place to spend the night.
The next morning, he gathered Diancie, Magearna, and the rest of the pokémon into their Poké Balls.
The expedition to the Nebel Plateau had not only achieved its goals but had far exceeded them.
The possessor of the Soul-Heart was the pinnacle of arcane technology. If he could decipher it, both he and his pokémon would reap enormous benefits.
The next step was clear: focus on the Azoth Kingdom.
His Carbink had successfully evolved into Diancie, and moreover, Xerneas—who had been watching from some unknown place—had granted him the Mega Stone necessary for Diancie's Mega Evolution.
Therefore, gathering diamonds would not be difficult either.
He now held in his hands the key piece for the future Kingdom of the Carbink.
An excellent outcome from this expedition.
Although... wasn't he forgetting something?
While flying on Flygon, Cain mentally reviewed what he had accomplished, until his thoughts hit a snag.
It seemed he had left something important aside...
At that moment, inside a Poké Ball, Goodra could only feel sad.
Perhaps he had become the first pseudo-legendary abandoned by his trainer; and worse, even after being captured, when tallying the expedition's results, Cain had forgotten him!
He was a pseudo-legendary, by Arceus!
Where was his dignity?
...
Elsewhere.
Following Cain's instructions, Lysandre immediately sent his people to locate the Azoth Kingdom and infiltrate it.
He trusted they would soon find the person Cain sought.
Alva.
Not butler Alva, though perhaps in the future he might also assume that role in Azoth.
Cain, riding on Flygon, was now heading toward that distant kingdom: Azoth.
It was not far from the Nebel Plateau.
Team Flare had already found it and infiltrated the kingdom.
Thus, Cain now knew its location.
At first, he had thought to let Team Flare settle for a time before seeking out that man called Alva.
But it turned out Alva already enjoyed considerable renown in Azoth.
When Cain departed from the Nebel Plateau, Lysandre had already sent him the coordinates of the place.
Although Azoth was unknown to most, that didn't mean it was isolated.
In fact, the League had always maintained contact with these distant kingdoms, guardians of traditional cultures and long histories.
The Azoth Kingdom was one of them.
It was enough to follow the League's threads to track it down.
And Lysandre, being a League-certified researcher with his own laboratory and contacts among the high ranks in Kalos, had no difficulty in locating it.
The Kalos League still didn't know of the rise of Team Flare and still held one last shred of trust in him.
However, Lysandre had long since stopped trusting the League.
Now he trusted only in himself... and in Cain, who shared his ideals.
...
Half a day later, Cain arrived at the ancient Azoth Kingdom.
From afar, what could be seen was a huge citadel.
Tall walls surrounded it completely.
And in every corner, in every street, enormous gears turned endlessly.
Azoth was also called the Mechanical City.
(End of Chapter)