After hearing Cain's arrangements, the leaders of the other factions showed no reaction.
Since Cain had demonstrated sufficient strength, he could now take over what Team Void had left behind.
As one of the parties responsible for the battle arena in Mauville City, Team Void had now been replaced by Team Heaven, and it was logical that someone would need to handle the daily operations.
Assigning one person to that task was the most natural choice.
It didn't matter whether it was a man or a woman. In the world of underground forces, gender didn't matter—only strength did.
Cain represented that strength within Team Heaven. How strong his subordinates were was irrelevant; what mattered was him.
In the presence of the five leaders and their subordinates, Cain introduced Karen as the appointed person in charge. This was not a decision made out of preference, but necessity.
There were only four key figures in Team Heaven: Skye, who managed the Leafy Town gym; Miyamoto and Alec, who oversaw the overall structure of the team; and Karen, who led the hunting group.
However, during this period, the hunting group wouldn't be very active. The priority would be to absorb and digest everything Team Void had left behind.
Once Team Heaven solidified its position in Mauville City, Cain would find someone to replace Karen, allowing her to return to her preferred activities.
For now, she would only need to manage the battle arena for a while, observing how the other five factions handled their respective responsibilities.
As for Leafy Town, Cain had decided to change his initial plans.
The town's development was going smoothly, and with old Matsuda maintaining order, Cain no longer saw the need to maintain underground forces in that area.
Team Heaven's presence in Leafy Town could increase the risk of Cain being discovered. Moreover, without a black market, the team lacked a major source of income.
Establishing a black market in the town wasn't viable, since the Devon Corporation had built a large shopping center near the gym, with prospects for continuous expansion.
This commercial area was already a considerable source of revenue for Cain, and he didn't want to disrupt that stable flow.
Therefore, Leafy Town would become a clean town, entirely under the control of the Pokémon League.
If the League realized the potential of Leafy Town as a model of a clean and prosperous town, it would likely double its support efforts.
Even in Rustboro City, the largest city in the Hoenn region, underground groups were deeply rooted. So, having a future city free of negative influences would be a significant achievement for the League.
Naturally, Cain would remain responsible for Leafy Town, but underground forces would no longer be necessary.
With Team Heaven integrating into Mauville City as one of the six major factions, its expansion was moving to a new level.
The team's ability to assimilate Team Void's operations would be decisive. Although it was a challenge, in the short term, it was enough to fuel the team's growth.
Cain also obtained substantial gains.
With income from participation in the battle arena's operations, Team Heaven would have a steady revenue stream, easing Cain's financial pressure for training his Pokémon.
After introducing Karen, Cain gathered Skye, the other three leaders, and the key team members in the meeting room of Team Void's former base.
The main goal was to outline the steps for taking full control of operations and define the team's development strategies.
The Pokémon Cain had confiscated from former Team Void members were distributed among Skye and the other leaders. The strongest ones were assigned to them, while weaker ones were given to other members with potential, allowing them to quickly raise their combat level.
However, to continue improving, they would have to rely on their own effort in training their Pokémon.
For now, the acquisitions were enough to strengthen the team's ranks and face immediate challenges.
Additionally, Cain formally promoted Skye and the other three leaders to Executive rank within Team Heaven. Other members also received promotions, such as moving from Captain to Officer.
Although some lacked the necessary strength, the integration of Team Void's resources would make up for that gap in no time.
On another front, the resources obtained during the fairy-type incident had also elevated the team's capabilities. It wasn't hard to imagine that the team would soon reach—and even surpass—Team Void's original scale.
The most important thing was external perception: Cain was now seen as an elite-level trainer.
The presence of such a Pokémon in Team Heaven far exceeded the threat posed by Team Void, which had no Pokémon of that level.
Finally, Cain authorized the recruitment of new members into the team, delegating the details to Skye and the other officers.
Looking at the leaders in the room, Cain reflected that he would soon need to identify and promote more people to take on key roles. If the team continued to expand, the current human resources would not be enough.
After finalizing the arrangements, Cain left the rest in the hands of his subordinates and withdrew. He opened a window on the upper floor of the building and jumped into the void.
On the back of Flygon, Cain vanished into the night.
Once away from the city, he summoned Slowking, who used the move Teleport to take him back to the backyard of his house in Leafy Town.
That night, Cain praised Altaria and Mismagius for their excellent performance, promising them a special reward. Honchkrow, Weavile, and Gengar also enjoyed an intense battle, something they hadn't experienced in a while.
After releasing his Pokémon to rest, Cain went to sleep.
With everything settled in Mauville City, he could now focus on his next goal: a mysterious island located between the Hoenn and Kanto regions—an island he had visited before but hadn't been able to fully explore.
With Team Heaven taking control in Mauville City, Cain knew the time was right to venture to that island, where he planned to establish a secret base.
(End of chapter)