Then, Cain moved his hand again, expanding the rift in space and throwing the woman entirely into it.
Only Robert and Kainan remained.
At that moment, both Robert and Kainan summoned their Pokémon.
However, upon witnessing how the woman had vanished into the spatial rift without the slightest resistance, their expressions turned extremely grim.
They had already lost someone in a single clash.
Although their relationship was usually strained—constantly competing and disagreeing—facing a powerful and unknown enemy now made every extra member a significant asset.
Cain, for his part, simply brushed off his hands indifferently, as if nothing had happened.
That spatial slash was far more practical than using a dagger.
At least there was no blood.
Sensing Cain's thoughts, the five letters on his wrist briefly glowed: Using a knife to kill a chicken.
Now, in the entire Void Team building, only Cain, Kainan, and Robert remained. If he could get rid of them here, everything would be resolved.
Afterward, it would be a matter of how the Heaven Team would absorb whatever was left of the Void Team.
Cain no longer bothered to conceal his strength. He pulled out two additional Poké Balls and summoned Slowking and Drapion.
Although the enemy had the numerical advantage, Slowking and the others also needed to join the fray.
When Slowking appeared, Kainan's expression changed drastically.
In his mind, he already had certain suspicions, but they were too shocking to accept outright.
As someone who had closely followed the events in Leafy Town, Kainan knew very well what Slowking's presence meant.
On the other hand, Robert only appeared momentarily puzzled upon seeing Slowking and didn't think much of it. For him, Leafy Town was just another unknown backwater, incomparable to Mauville City. Its development had been so rapid that he was still stuck with an outdated impression of the place.
Only recently, after Kainan suggested retreating to Leafy Town, had Robert done a bit of research, but he didn't know what Slowking represented there.
Seeing Kainan's expression, the killing intent in Cain's heart intensified even more.
Currently, the two most representative figures of Cain's Alliance were Slowking, his strongest Pokémon, and Florges.
However, identifying Cain through Florges would require either personal knowledge or very specific attention.
Therefore, Slowking was the most obvious symbol.
Without exchanging words, Honchkrow and the others, under Cain's command, began attacking immediately.
Drapion led the charge.
Kainan, once a fearsome adversary for Cain, now had no choice but to resist together with Robert. Against Cain, they couldn't even fight back.
Although their Pokémon were much stronger than Gibson's, Cain had deployed all his most powerful Pokémon—except for Florges. Slowking was at level 58.
In the two months since, while Slowking's level hadn't increased, his power had continued to grow steadily. That difference couldn't be measured by level alone.
The rest of Cain's Pokémon had progressed similarly.
Cain was deliberately strengthening his Pokémon's foundations, ensuring they were prepared to advance to Elite level in the future.
This was something Kainan and Robert simply couldn't understand.
Slowking and Honchkrow hadn't fought together in a long time, but their past coordination and synchronization remained intact. They trained together regularly, knew each other deeply, and could cooperate seamlessly under Cain's orders.
Five of Cain's Pokémon faced off against the enemy's eight Quasi-Elite-level Pokémon without much difficulty.
In fact, they probably faced more pressure in the wild.
Wild Pokémon at the Quasi-Elite level had a savagery that these Pokémon—long removed from battle—couldn't match. Wild ones fought with tactics forged in life-or-death situations, often trading blows even if they were injured.
In contrast, the Pokémon of these two trainers, who lived comfortably, had become equally complacent.
This shows that having a trainer can be both a blessing and a curse for a Pokémon.
If the trainer is ambitious and keeps striving for improvement, their Pokémon will grow stronger over time.
On the other hand, if the trainer is content with their status and seeks comfort, their Pokémon—long out of battle—will lose their edge.
They may have a reputation for being strong but lack the real power to back it up.
Take, for example, Professor Oak, who retired early but never stopped training his Pokémon. Even if they didn't battle, he ensured they kept to a training regime or went out to fight on their own.
That's why his Dragonite was always in top shape.
Kainan and Robert, however, had spent too much time fighting for power. How much time could they really devote to their Pokémon's training?
If they had a team of breeders like Giovanni, it would be different—but how many could afford such a luxury?
Just like in Cain's battle against Gibson, where he scoffed at his Pokémon, those of Kainan and Robert—although stronger—were also in decline.
Eight Pokémon: two Swalot, two Breloom, one Manectric, one Hariyama, one Exploud, and one Slaking.
Among them, the only one Cain worried about was Robert's Slaking.
Slaking are naturally lazy and don't need much training. Their lethargy allows them to store energy for devastating bursts of power.
A Slaking that had been storing energy for this long could be terrifying.
However, this Slaking was of mediocre green quality and level 51. Even if it exploded, it wouldn't surpass what Cain could handle.
Though Kainan and Robert had eight Pokémon, they had never trained to fight together, so they couldn't combine their strength effectively.
"Slowking, use your psychic powers to restrain them. Unlimited Psychic attacks!"
"Drapion, find their weak points. Triple Attack!"
"Honchkrow, Sky Attack!"
"Gengar, continuous Shadow Punch!"
"Weavile, Ice Punch!"
Since the enemy was clearly inferior in strength, there was no need for elaborate tactics. He would simply crush them with brute force.
Although some of their Pokémon had reached levels 55 or 56, their lack of will to fight was evident. Their combat spirit had long since died.
They were no longer fit for battle.
(End of chapter)