The next morning, taking advantage of the quiet hour, Cain took Slowpoke to the bus station in Ecruteak City, where he bought a ticket for the first bus heading to Mahogany Town.
Since Mahogany Town is in a rather remote location, deep in the mountains, there aren't many buses from Ecruteak City that go there.
Fortunately, the previous night, Cain had asked the hotel staff about the schedule for the first bus; otherwise, he would have had to wait another day.
He bought a seat at the back of the bus using his Alliance ID card, and after hearing the announcent, he boarded.
He noticed there really weren't many passengers, perhaps because of the early hour or simply because not many people were interested in going to Mahogany Town.
Mahogany Town is a small, remote town in the northern Johto region, without much fa. However, Cain was very familiar with it.
The reason is that Mahogany Town houses a major Team Rocket base, the largest in the Johto region after the main headquarters, making it the strongest Team Rocket presence in the region.
In his past life, Cain spent three years at the Team Rocket base in Mahogany Town, right after leaving the Trial Island, during the first three years of his life as a Team Rocket mber.
It wasn't until he gained the ability to complete high-difficulty missions independently that he managed to fully detach himself from the jurisdiction of the Team Rocket base in Mahogany Town.
As he watched the scenery recede through the window, a familiar feeling began to surface. The bus had already been on the road for three hours and had reached the outskirts of Mahogany Town. Cain was sure they'd be arriving at the village station soon.
"I can't believe I once swore I'd never return here, and yet in this life, I've co back," Cain said with a hint of nostalgia.
Only he knew what he'd gone through at the Team Rocket base in Mahogany Town in his past life.
They say that Trial Island is a hellish place, but in reality, the three years Cain struggled to survive at that Team Rocket base were the mories he least wanted to relive.
Though Trial Island is known as an extre testing ground, the three years Cain spent fighting at the Team Rocket base in Mahogany Town were much tougher and harder to bear.
Team Rocket's hierarchy system is extrely strict. Cain didn't achieve great results when he finished at Trial Island, and his talent didn't seem particularly remarkable. As a result, he started at the lowest level as a grunt at that base, where he was subject to ridicule and discrimination.
When he joined, the Team Rocket grunts were already organized in groups, making it impossible for Cain to integrate. Also, lacking any backing within Team Rocket, he often faced difficulties and disdain from his superiors.
He didn't understand the subtleties of social life, nor did he know how to flatter people, which made him even more excluded by mbers of the Team Rocket base.
In his past life, Cain endured an extrely difficult period at that base.
However, in this life, returning to that place, Cain had a completely different perspective. After all, he had reached the level of a quasi-elite trainer. So of the things that once seed important to him now didn't matter as much.
On a general level, he was now receiving orders from the Deputy Chief of the Shadow Unit within Team Rocket, a powerful Elite-level trainer nad Umbra. In that base, there weren't many who would dare show him disrespect.
On a more specific level, Cain was no longer the inexperienced young man he once was. With the strength of his current Pokémon, he could easily defeat his past self, no doubt. Faced with Team Rocket grunts, he no longer had much to worry about.
The bus stopped at Mahogany Town's station, and as Cain got off, he noticed that the air here was noticeably colder than in Ecruteak City.
Additionally, compared to Ecruteak City, Mahogany Town's streets were much emptier, and there weren't many people strolling around. The interactions between people were cold and rushed; everyone seed to be in a hurry.
Cain shook his head; Team Rocket's influence on this place was indeed strong.
Umbra's mission was to send Cain to the Lake of Rage, north of Mahogany Town, to a secret Team Rocket research base, where he had to find a person using a password and bring back an item.
However, Cain wasn't in a rush to do that, as he first wanted to head to the mountains east of Mahogany Town to search for the Pokémon in his hunter missions, Swinub and Onix.
Cain wore a baseball cap, lowered his head, and walked quietly toward the Mahogany Town Pokémon Center.
Although Mahogany Town is Team Rocket's largest base in the Johto region, the influence of the Pokémon League here is also considerable. The fact that a strong figure like Pryce is in charge of the gym in such a small town speaks volus.
With Pryce's strength, even champions might find him a challenge. He's a true elite-level trainer and one of the League's veteran figures.
If not for his extrely strict character and difficult temperant, he would definitely have a place among the current Elite Four.
Though he isn't part of the Elite Four, his strength is undeniable. The League stationed him in Mahogany Town, a small town, to keep Team Rocket in check and prevent them from doing anything too severe.
Therefore, Cain didn't dare act openly under his Team Rocket identity. After all, officially, the Johto region is under the Pokémon League's control.
Using his Alliance ID card, Cain entered the Pokémon Center without issue and went to the free video phone section, where he took out a communication device and dialed a number.
When answered, a lively, adorable young woman with pink hair tied in two pigtails appeared on the screen. It was none other than Whitney from Goldenrod City.
"Cain, where have you been? I left you ssages days ago, and you didn't reply," Whitney said, pretending to be angry.
"..." For so reason, Cain felt a slight headache.
"It's okay; I was just kidding. Look, the thing is, the supply of Pokéblocks you left for the family's Miltank is running low. If you have ti, could you make so more?" Whitney said this while sticking out her tongue, but then her expression grew more serious.
Cain had underestimated the appetite of Whitney's Miltank, but he still didn't expect them to consu the Pokéblocks so quickly.
"I don't have much ti, but I made a bit more recently. I'll send it to you now," Cain replied after thinking for a mont.
In the days to co, Cain would be quite busy and wasn't sure if he'd have ti to continue making the Pokéblocks Whitney needed.
"Alright, thanks so much. I'll have Sebastian transfer the paynt later." Whitney didn't think too much about it. She knew Cain was busy; otherwise, he wouldn't have taken so long to return her call.
"Alright."
"....."
They didn't talk much more, as with Cain's personality, Whitney led most of the conversation, which made it not flow as naturally.
After hanging up the video phone, Cain let out a slight sigh of relief, though he didn't know why.
In the Pokémon Center, there was a special device for transferring items. Besides transferring Pokémon, items could also be sent.
Cain sent the pre-packaged Pokéblocks to the coordinates Whitney had left in the ssage.
Shortly after leaving the Pokémon Center, his ssaging device showed a ssage: "Item received, paynt transferred." Those few words appeared on the screen.
No doubt Sebastian had already received the items and transferred the money.
If it had been Whitney, the tone would surely have been very different.
(End of Chapter)
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