Island Seven lay to the north of Island Four and east of Island Six, hemmed in on all sides by rocky terrain that naturally kept its population small.
Even so, the Sevault Canyon on Island Seven remained one of the Sevii Islands' most celebrated attractions, drawing visitors from far and wide.
The island's unusual topography also meant that many areas were visible but entirely inaccessible, lending the place an air of mystery that never quite faded.
Out on the open sea, Caster rode atop his Gyarados, cutting steadily through the waves.
Challenging the Trainer Tower had been Lorelei's suggestion, though Lorelei herself had not come along. She was a quietly composed person by nature, and outside of work she had little interest in drawing public attention. So Caster set off on his own.
"If I'm remembering correctly, the Tanoby Ruins should be somewhere on Island Seven."
He gazed toward the island, his eyes thoughtful.
The Tanoby Ruins were a collective name for a cluster of ancient remains on Island Seven. Supposedly undiscovered for over fifteen hundred years before someone finally stumbled upon them, the ruins still held many secrets. No one knew for certain what lay within.
According to the game's plot, Unown were known to appear inside the Tanoby Ruins. Unown were arguably the most enigmatic existences in the entire world of Pokémon, possessed of all manner of inexplicable powers. Their mystery, by some reckonings, surpassed even that of the creator god Arceus itself.
"I might explore the ruins someday," Caster murmured, then shook his head. "But not now."
He was still young. He had no desire to go poking around anything that unsettling, not with his whole life still ahead of him.
Before long, he reached Island Seven and came ashore without incident.
Rather than heading straight for the Trainer Tower, he found a quiet, out-of-the-way corner and released a few of his Pokémon.
"Come here, Shellder. I've got some moves to teach you."
He beckoned, and Shellder waddled up in front of him.
"Shlurp~"
Shellder stuck out its tongue and looked up at him with an endearingly eager expression.
Energy Orbs had left an impression that rivaled even the sweet taste of Slowpoke Tail, and after trying one, Shellder had been hooked. More importantly, Energy Orbs actually strengthened its body and sharpened its control over energy, something a Slowpoke Tail could never do.
As a result, Shellder now hung on Caster's every word. When it came to who deserved the most affection, Caster had claimed the top spot.
"This time it isn't an Energy Orb. It's a TM. Just pay attention and you'll understand."
Caster smiled and left it at that, offering no further explanation.
Shellder was no Slowpoke. Given its level of intelligence, a lengthy explanation would likely accomplish nothing, so he went straight to the practical approach.
"Here we go."
With a focused thought, he activated the Toxic TM. A sphere of light condensed from the move's essence and poured directly into Shellder's body.
"Shlurp~"
Shellder's tongue lolled out as a look of pure bewilderment crossed its face. Something was tickling the inside of its head.
A strange, completely unfamiliar way of channeling energy surfaced in its mind, etching itself there with perfect clarity, every step vivid and unmistakable. No matter how hard it might try later, it would never be able to forget.
At the same time, something shifted in the poison glands inside Shellder's mouth. They swelled noticeably, the venom they could produce surging in both volume and potency.
"Splurt!"
The pink tongue turned a deep black-violet. A moment later, a puddle of foul-smelling liquid sprayed across the grass nearby.
Sizzle. Sizzle. Sizzle.
Thick purple smoke rose from where the venom landed, accompanied by a harsh, wet hissing. Within moments, every blade of grass it touched had dissolved into a pool of purple liquid.
"Shlurp~?"
Shellder stared, eyes wide.
Did I do that?
What did my Trainer do to me?
I'm poisonous.
Am I... dirty now?
"That's a new move called Toxic," Caster explained. "Use it in battle and your opponent will be inflicted with a bad poison condition. The longer the fight goes on, the faster their stamina drains, until they can't battle anymore."
Shellder listened with a vaguely dazed expression, understanding somewhere between half and none.
Once it had a moment to absorb that much, Caster moved on.
What followed left Shellder's mind a buzzing blank — thought dissolved entirely, and it drifted in a state of complete incomprehension.
Shell Smash. Ice Shard. Spikes. Toxic Spikes. Aqua Ring. Rapid Spin. Explosion.
Caster loaded them in one after another until Shellder's moveset was completely full.
Looking at his Pokémon, still thoroughly dazed, Caster couldn't help but grin with the easy confidence of someone who had never needed to hold back. "Whatever anyone else has, you'll have too. I won't let you envy a single one of them."
Thanks to the hundreds of Shellder he had reeled in over time, he had gathered nearly every move the species could ever learn. That was the source of his confidence.
With so many moves absorbed at once, Shellder's stat panel had undergone a dramatic transformation, its move list now impressively deep.
Pokémon: Shellder
Type: Water
Ability: Skill Link (When using multi-strike moves, always lands the maximum number of hits.)
Moves: Toxic (Mastered), Water Gun (Mastered), Water Pulse (Mastered), Supersonic (Mastered), Ice Shard (Transcendent), Icicle Spear (Expert), Icy Wind (Expert), Rock Blast (Expert), Shell Smash (Expert), Ice Spinner (Expert), Aqua Ring (Expert)...
The list continued well beyond that. Some of the later moves sat at lower tiers — but even Learned or Proficient was nothing to dismiss in a real fight.
"Absolutely unstoppable."
Staring at that dense wall of moves, Caster felt a swell of genuine pride rise in his chest.
Every single one of those had come from his own effort, rod cast after rod cast, through sheer persistence.
It hadn't been easy.
"Shlurp~"
At that exact moment, Shellder finally shook free of its stupor. It straightened up, and a sudden surge of presence radiated off its small body.
It felt terrifyingly powerful.
I want to fight.
I can take on ten at once!
"That's the spirit. I love the enthusiasm."
Caster was more than satisfied.
A Pokémon should love battling. That was exactly how it ought to be.
"Shellder, you want a fight right now? Perfect. I'm taking you to the Trainer Tower. There are plenty of Trainers and Pokémon waiting there. You'll get to battle until you can't ask for more."
He grinned and set off toward the Trainer Tower with Shellder at his side; the eight-story structure was visible from a considerable distance off.
Along the way, he passed a steady stream of Trainers. Some looked about as new as Kiyo had once been — still finding their footing.
Others carried themselves with the quiet authority that came only from real experience, and Caster could tell at a glance that they were no weaker than the veterans he had faced back at the battle club in Blackthorn City. These were clearly elite-level competitors.
Soon enough, he arrived at the Trainer Tower, registered at the front desk, and paid the entry fee.
The fee was modest: ₽1,000 per challenge. Shellder's tongue had been practically twitching with anticipation the whole way over, so Caster paid without a second thought.
"Mr. Caster, since this is your first time challenging the Trainer Tower, you'll need to begin on the first floor. Once you succeed, our system will register your result and issue you the corresponding badge as proof of your rank."
The receptionist was a cheerful young woman. As she spoke, she gestured to a display of badges beside her, each one bearing between one and seven stars, clearly corresponding to a Trainer's tier of strength.
The Trainer Tower had eight floors, but there were only seven badges. Caster found himself curious.
"What happens if I clear all eight floors?"
The receptionist smiled. "If you conquer the entire Trainer Tower, your name will be enshrined at the summit for every Trainer who visits to see. And we'll present you with a special mystery prize."
"Good to know."
Caster nodded, and followed her directions toward the center of the building, where a large set of doors waited.
Creak.
He pushed them open and stepped inside. Several regulation battle arenas stretched out before him, each one brightly lit. A few of them were already mid-battle, drawing small crowds of onlookers who cheered from the sidelines.
"So you're the new challenger?"
At the far end of the room, a boy in shorts tossed a Poké Ball idly between his hands and rose to his feet.
"I'm Kenji, one of the Floor One gatekeepers. Beat me, and you move on to the second floor."
"Let's do it."
Caster crossed the room to Kenji's arena without hesitation.
Kenji laid out the rules first. "Two-on-two. Last Pokémon standing wins. Your first opponent is this one."
He hurled a Poké Ball in a wide arc.
Red light burst outward and resolved into a massive rat with thick tawny fur. Three rows of cream-colored whiskers fanned out from either side of its face, and its enormous front teeth were enough to give anyone pause.