Pokémon: Ralts (Light Purple)
Gender: Female
Level: 1
Type: Psychic + Fairy
Ability: Trace
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Memento, Destiny Bond, Misty Terrain, Ally Switch
Basic Moves: Growl
Learned Moves: None
TM Moves: None
A Pokémon whose quality reached the Light Purple color, and whose ability was Trace. Based on the egg moves, one could deduce that its parents were also from the Ralts line, possibly Gardevoir or Gallade.
In any case, this Ralts had a talent that Cain fully approved of.
Although initially the Togepi with the Serene Grace ability was Cain's first choice, that didn't mean this Ralts was inferior. Cain simply considered that the final result of that Togepi—Togekiss—had slightly greater appeal.
However, Ralts's final form, Gardevoir, was also an extremely outstanding Pokémon. And to be honest, a Gardevoir with the Trace ability fit better into Cain's teams.
Compared to a Togekiss with Serene Grace, Gardevoir was more suitable.
Togekiss was formidable in single battles, but Cain already had many outstanding Pokémon for that purpose.
With this egg in his possession, Cain felt no regret. He was completely satisfied.
On the other hand, Lorelei, who chose at the same time as Cain, obtained the last of the four eggs with Light Purple quality, precisely selecting the one she needed most.
An... Alolan Sandshrew.
Or, as it should be called, an Ice-type Sandshrew.
Upon seeing this egg, Cain was a bit surprised.
Did the appearance of this Sandshrew indicate that the League had already begun exploring new regions?
Were they approaching the Alola region?
The Kalos region had only just been incorporated into the League's map, Team Rocket had just retreated, and it already seemed like the League was eager to expand.
In Alola, many Pokémon have changed their forms due to environmental differences, and this Ice-type Sandshrew is just one example.
Cain knew there was also an Ice-type Vulpix in that region.
If that egg had been of an Ice-type Vulpix instead of a Sandshrew, Cain might have hesitated.
An Ice-type Ninetales, the final form of Ice-type Vulpix, was an Ice and Fairy Pokémon. A terrifying combination. Lance would cry if he found out.
But since it was an Ice-type Sandshrew, Cain had no doubts.
Alolan Sandshrew had a complete type change. If not for the visual resemblance to the original, it could be considered an entirely new Pokémon.
Alolan Sandshrew is Ice and Steel type, while the original Sandshrew is Ground type. They're completely different.
Even its ability, basic moves, egg moves, and everything else, were different.
Lorelei surely obtained this Ice-type Sandshrew due to her natural affinity with Ice-type Pokémon.
However, getting an unknown Pokémon isn't always an advantage.
No one had experience raising these species, and everything would have to start from scratch. This would be a challenge for Lorelei.
Even so, a Pokémon with Light Purple quality, even with imperfect training, would still be outstanding in terms of potential.
Lorelei had just added another ace to her team to face Lance.
Cain couldn't help but feel sorry for Lance in his mind.
"Buddy, maybe you should wait until the League splits Kanto and Johto into two separate regions before trying to be champion."
Cain had the feeling that the eggs awarded at this event had been carefully selected based on the advancing participants. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a coincidence that everyone found an egg that suited them.
Moreover, three of those eggs were Fairy-type Pokémon.
The League had truly put in great effort, trying to give the impression of fairness, when there had clearly been manipulation behind the scenes.
But this time, Cain had also benefited from it.
After Cain and Lorelei chose, it was Diantha, Wallace, Will, and Caitlin's turn.
Wallace, guided by his intuition, ultimately chose a Lotad, a Pokémon with Dark Blue quality and the Swift Swim ability.
When Cain saw Wallace pick this Pokémon, he knew Wallace would have an even more powerful team in full battles with Water-type Pokémon in the future.
If Wallace managed to capture a Pokémon with the Drizzle ability, his team would be perfectly formed.
After the first eight selections, it was the turn of participants ranked ninth to sixteenth.
There were no individual ceremonies for these selections, but the cameras focused on the participants as they received their prizes, all showing satisfied expressions.
The prizes had been carefully prepared by League experts, based on each trainer's characteristics.
The League had truly put in a tremendous effort.
It wouldn't be surprising if, in a short time, these trainers fully developed their potential. Eventually, they would become the core or even the elite of the League.
Cain felt the League was carrying out an enormous plan—so vast he couldn't see the end of it. At this moment, he was just a piece on the board.
However, at least he had managed to enter the game.
With stable development, in the future, he could jump off the board and become a player.
With that, the Sinnoh Tournament came to an end.
Many felt they still wanted more.
Who knows how long it will be until the League organizes another tournament of this scale? And what if they include more regions next time?
Cain, Steven, Wallace, and Phoebe left the stadium together, returning to the mansion on the outskirts of Hearthome City.
They knew this would be their last time together. Even if they met again, they wouldn't share this much time.
It had been a unique experience.
There was a certain melancholy in everyone.
"Don't worry so much. There will be many chances to see each other again. Whenever you can, come to Leafy Town. It'll be a pleasure to host you there," said Cain with a smile.
His words lifted the group's spirits.
After all, they were all in the Hoenn region. A trip of a few days wasn't a big deal if they wanted to meet again.
For now, the priority was to absorb the tournament's lessons and focus on improvement. The most attentive had already noticed the changes and trends within the League.
And there was something crucial on the horizon: the official introduction of the Fairy type.
Especially for Steven and Wallace, who represented major forces in the region. This change would bring major implications, and they needed to prepare.
The League would likely make the announcement in no more than two weeks.
After all, Cain had already publicly used Fairy-type Pokémon and moves.
(End of chapter)