"It seems the plan to search for that Pokémon will have to be postponed for now," Cain thought as he hung up the communicator.
"That’s fine. I’ll give it more ti to grow and experience the true essence of this world."
Sitting on the back of his Tropius, Cain changed course, heading toward Mauville City.
With only three days to reach Vermilion City in the Kanto region, the only option was to fly to Mauville City and take a plane.
Tropius would have to fly through the night, as ti was pressing for Cain.
Cain pulled out another communicator and called Miyamoto, asking him to use Team Rocket’s internal contacts to gather more information about the event. Although lower-ranking mbers couldn’t participate directly, that didn’t stop them from investigating.
Team Rocket couldn’t maintain total secrecy, which was why they wanted to explore the island before the League discovered it and interfered.
The exploration was scheduled to begin in three days, leaving barely any ti to prepare. Team Rocket mbers in Kanto and Johto would have it easier, but Cain, being in Hoenn, would struggle to arrive on ti.
Sensing Cain’s urgency, Tropius sped up its flight. Fortunately, the weather was clear, and the sunlight allowed Tropius to fly faster and with greater endurance.
Although Tropius had gained so weight lately, its flying ability was still acceptable to Cain.
When they arrived in Mauville City, it was already midnight.
Wasting no ti, Cain picked up the plane ticket he had requested from the Devon Corporation, the earliest available, and headed straight to the city’s outskirts airport.
He managed to catch the last flight of the day to Saffron City in the Kanto region, finally allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.
One of the three days had already passed. He had two days left to get from Saffron City to Vermilion City and have ti to prepare and investigate.
Cain still didn’t know who would be participating in the mission, but he would have to investigate once he reached Vermilion City.
Closing his eyes, he entered a ditative state, adjusting his body and mind to be in the best possible condition.
The event presented a great opportunity but also significant danger. At his current level, Cain would likely rank near the bottom of the group of explorers.
Fortunately, Gengar had completed its evolution and reached the advanced level, giving Cain more confidence.
With four advanced-level Pokémon, Cain felt sowhat more secure. He hoped Skorupi might evolve after this mission as well.
...
When the plane landed in the Kanto region, the eastern sky was already starting to light up.
Cain disembarked without delay and took the car that the Devon Corporation had prepared in advance, heading south from Saffron City.
Although he could have used Slowking’s Teleport, Cain decided against it. Sabrina, the Saffron City Gym Leader, was highly unpredictable, and Cain preferred to avoid any encounter with her.
After a three-hour car ride, he arrived at the southern outskirts of Saffron City, where he summoned Tropius, who had rested through the night.
Thanks to the Pokéblocks he had prepared, Tropius wasn’t too tired, and with the clear sky, it could fly at high speed again.
When Cain arrived in Vermilion City, it was already past noon.
Dressed in his League trainer uniform, Cain didn’t head directly to Team Rocket’s base. Instead, he checked into the Pokémon Center. As a League mber and Gym Leader of Leafy Town in the Hoenn region, Cain didn’t have to pay any fees.
Rather than announce his arrival, Cain chose to remain discreet.
Upon entering Vermilion City, Cain clearly noticed a change in the atmosphere. The number of people on the streets had significantly decreased, and there was a palpable tension in the air. Likely, the common citizens could also sense this dangerous atmosphere.
Vermilion City was full of Team Rocket mbers, but thanks to Lieutenant Surge’s authority and strength, order was maintained.
Just as Cain was about to head out to investigate, his communicator rang again. It was an unknown number.
Cain hesitated for a mont before answering.
"Cain! Long ti no see, haha! I heard you’ll be participating in this mission too," said a cheerful voice on the other end.
Cain frowned as he recognized the voice. He knew who it was.
"Regi?"
Regi was a trusted subordinate of Lieutenant Surge, whom Cain had t on Trial Island. Back then, Regi had tried to recruit him, but after that, Cain hadn’t heard from him again.
They had exchanged contact numbers, but the number Regi was using now wasn’t the one he had given before.
"Haha, that’s right, it’s ! When I saw your na on the participant list, I knew I had to call you imdiately," Regi replied with a laugh.
"Participant list?" Cain asked, intrigued.
"Yeah, the list of those joining the mission. If you want, I can send it to you later, along with detailed information I’ve gathered on each of them. What do you say? Shall we et up and chat?" Regi suggested in a friendly tone.
Cain wasn’t surprised that Regi was also participating, but it seed suspicious that he knew of Cain’s arrival so quickly.
Had it been a coincidence, or was Regi keeping tabs on him?
"Alright. Where should we et?" Cain asked after considering for a mont.
"In half an hour, at the local market’s black-market restaurant. I’ll wait for you in the VIP lounge," Regi replied before hanging up.
Cain sat still, staring at the floor as his thoughts wandered.
Five minutes later, Cain took out the special uniform of a Team Rocket Officer and removed the human-skin mask he had been wearing.
He put on a black cloak and, with Slowking’s help, teleported to the landmark he had set in Vermilion City’s black market.
He entered the bustling market.
(End of Chapter)
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