Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom-Chapter 628 - 627: Summary of Methods to Improve Quality

Three days after Cynthia settled in Leafy Town, Cain's system was fully operational again.

All functions were restored, and the database nearly doubled in size.

Thanks to this expansion, the system's analysis and calculation capabilities improved significantly.

The greatest benefit was the enhanced information on Pokémon breeding.

The main topics included Pokéblock creation, analysis of various recipes, Pokémon breeding techniques, and specialized methods breeders could learn for different situations.

After all, much of the information came from Cain's master, a veteran breeder from the League, so it was no surprise that it proved so useful to him.

The most important and surprising aspect for Cain was discovering methods to improve the quality of Pokémon, based on data obtained from Old Matsuda.

This was completely unexpected.

Upon reviewing this information, Cain realized that many of these methods were obscure or had low success rates.

Most of them involved what trainers could do during the evolution of certain Pokémon to enhance their quality at that critical moment.

In reality, the League already knew about the methods Cain had obtained from Team Rocket to improve the quality of Bug-type Pokémon.

The problem was that these methods were so cruel that the League, as a representative of justice, couldn't condone them, so they were stored as classified files deep within their databases. Without a special password, no one could access them.

Old Matsuda knew his computer contained this information, but he had it well-protected. Without his permission, no one could access those files.

But Cain had an exceptional system.

He was able to decrypt Old Matsuda's computer and copy all the information, even the most hidden data.

After a period of inactivity and classification, that information was now available to Cain.

The quality improvement methods obtained from Team Rocket were nearly identical to the dark methods found in the recent data.

One of these was the "Toxin Nutrition" method used to enhance Drapion.

Some methods were even crueler. Cain had finally been exposed to the darkest aspects of this world.

As for how the League came to know these methods, it wasn't hard to guess.

Apart from the extreme methods, there were also safer and more common ways to improve Pokémon quality.

The most common and effective method involved Pokémon that required evolutionary items.

For example, Murkrow needs a Dusk Stone to evolve, Slowpoke uses a King's Rock and a Shellder to become Slowking, and Sneasel uses a Razor Claw.

Although these Pokémon have a more complex evolutionary process than others, these complications also represent opportunities to enhance their quality.

Cain had managed Slowpoke's evolution well, and as a result, after evolving, Slowpoke reached a dark blue quality level.

Using evolutionary stones is one of the most common enhancement methods.

While basic evolutionary stones meet the minimum requirements for evolution and don't provide much energy to optimize quality, Intermediate, Superior, or even Supreme-level stones can do so.

The difference lies in the degree of improvement the different stones can offer.

Murkrow, for instance, used a Supreme-level stone, allowing its quality to increase by one level after evolving into Honchkrow.

Cain has another Pokémon that requires an evolutionary stone to evolve: Floette, which he caught on Mythical Island.

Floette needs a Shiny Stone to evolve into Florges. Cain has high hopes for Floette, and if she masters the move Camouflage to change her type, she will no longer be just a support member of his team.

For this reason, Cain will ensure that Floette receives the best possible Shiny Stone for her evolution.

In the new system data, aside from the cruel methods and those involving evolutionary items, there were also safer methods, though with milder effects.

These focused primarily on what trainers could do during a Pokémon's evolution.

Since Pokémon undergo physical and form changes when evolving, that is the best time to improve their quality.

Most of the Pokémon in Cain's main team had already reached their final forms, so this method could only be applied to those in his second team.

Fortunately, none of the Pokémon in his second team had evolved yet, giving him plenty of room to apply these methods.

Although this method is safe, it has a variable success rate. It depends on both the Pokémon and the trainer's expectations.

If the goal is a minor quality improvement, the success rate will be high. But if aiming for significant improvement, one must be prepared for failure.

Failure not only means the Pokémon won't improve, but it could also lose some of its innate talent, resulting in a decrease in quality.

Trainers seeking these kinds of enhancements must be ready to take these risks.

The last enhancement method, the most common among breeders, is a long-term, safe but slow approach.

This involves gradually improving Pokémon quality through consistent use of food like Pokéblocks over an extended period.

Although the results are slow, the Pokémon's quality improves gradually.

An example is Aerodactyl, Old Matsuda's Pokémon, whose quality improved significantly thanks to this method.

Of course, this method requires both skill and resources, with skill being the biggest limiting factor.

This is why advanced breeders are so highly valued, and custom Pokéblock recipes are so expensive.

For Cain, this method is perfect.

Thanks to his system, he has no technical limitations, especially after copying Old Matsuda's data and some information from the Breeder Guild.

Moreover, Cain no longer lacks resources. The minerals and diamonds provided by the Carbink colony on Mythical Island have eased the pressure on resources needed to train Larvitar and Aron.

Although these resources aren't enough to maximize their potential, Cain knows that their growth will bring more income sources in the future.

Additionally, Cain ensured that he brought the entire Carbink colony with him.

All of this feels like a blessing for Cain. Both his first and second teams will greatly benefit from the system's database enhancements.

(End of Chapter)