The smile on Cain's face turned a little awkward.
He had originally raised his hand intending to high-five Phoebe, but it was left hanging in the air, with nowhere to land.
However, that wasn't a problem for him.
Smack!
He gave Phoebe a pat on the head and ruffled her hair while he was at it.
It felt nice to the touch.
Just as Phoebe was about to get angry, Drake intervened in time to divert attention.
"Cain, did you encounter anyone along the way?" Drake asked.
Upon hearing this, Cain's expression shifted slightly.
He returned Venusaur to its Poké Ball and, with a serious look, replied:
"Yes, I ran into a few people, and they weren't ordinary. I even captured some and interrogated them."
Upon hearing his words, Steven and Phoebe exchanged glances, recognizing the gravity of the situation in each other's eyes.
After all, they had been in this space long enough to understand some of its peculiarities.
"Let's talk inside," Drake finally said.
He led the three of them into a house built from freshly cut logs. It was clearly Drake's temporary office.
Once inside, they resumed the previous topic.
Cain shared all the information he had extracted from the "fishermen" he had captured.
Both Drake and Steven already knew part of that information, though in a more superficial way. They hadn't been as direct as Cain, who had simply captured and tortured.
They had reached similar conclusions through their own deductions and observations, but Cain confirmed everything definitively.
"This space definitely holds some kind of secret," Drake said as he sat down. "But it's not something we can uncover right away."
"And it seems those three groups haven't found it yet either," he added seriously.
Steven and Phoebe also took a seat.
"It's quite frustrating," Steven said. "No one knows why this space exists or what exactly those three factions are looking for."
"And the worst part is that we can't leave. That's what makes us feel so powerless."
After a brief pause, he continued, "On top of that, their forces are very strong. They've taken over the Tree of Life. I suspect the secret of this space is closely tied to it."
Cain turned his head to Drake and asked, "Have you had any direct confrontations with them, Master Drake?"
Drake was a bit surprised by the question. He narrowed his eyes and then answered, "Yes, we've fought. There are three very powerful individuals. One-on-one, it's not a problem."
"But the number of Pokémon they have is quite high. I can hold them off, but if they decide to unleash several Pokémon at once..."
He didn't finish the sentence. But the meaning was clear: if that group sent out multiple Pokémon at once, the League members probably wouldn't survive.
Moreover, it wasn't just those three trainers. There were others like Logan who, though slightly weaker, were also at the Elite level.
The League couldn't face them at this moment.
Perhaps only Steven, Phoebe, and Cain could hold their ground.
So it could be said that aside from the three of them, the rest of the League members were merely a burden.
"What do you think about sending those people far from the Tree of Life for now? That way, you won't have any distractions, Master Drake," Cain proposed.
"We've considered it," said Steven. "But if everyone scatters now, those who arrive later won't know where to find us."
That was the reason they were still stationed there.
At least while they stayed in that spot, the scattered League members had a chance to regroup and survive.
"That's not a solution either," Cain insisted. "When I was on my way here, I was heading straight for the Tree of Life and fell into a trap. We don't know how many people have been captured that way. There are too many possible routes in this space, and the odds of falling into their nets are extremely high."
"That's why we must take over the Tree of Life."
"Whether it's to sabotage their plans, gather the League members, or even find the exit... the Tree is the key. There may already be many of ours in captivity."
"And I suspect the exit is located there."
"If they find it first and destroy the portal... or worse, if they send someone outside to report, more reinforcements could come in."
Although the League had sealed the area from the outside, the list of infiltrators Cain had obtained from Logan made him lose all confidence in that supposed blockade.
"If only the four of us act, it would be much more manageable."
Let's not forget that not everyone inside the League is trustworthy anymore.
As he said this, Cain's expression turned stern.
Steven and Phoebe were also aware of the situation. They themselves had witnessed the attack on Wattson.
Drake fell silent, deeply contemplating.
What Cain said made a lot of sense, but making such a decision meant risking many lives. He couldn't take it lightly.
"On the way, I captured two Elite-level Venusaur. They're already fully obedient. They may not be useful in combat, but for escorting and protecting others during the retreat, they're more than enough," Cain added.
Those words were like a shot of energy for Drake.
Smack!
He slammed the table hard.
His expression showed determination.
"Then it's decided! We can't continue like this. Tonight, we'll send all the League members far from the Tree of Life and confront those people once and for all."
"When the time comes, whether we live or die, or manage to escape or not, it will be up to fate."
If it weren't for the burden the others represented, Drake would have taken the initiative long ago. None of those enemies could stop him.
If he wanted, he could take them down one by one.
He then looked at the three of them with some hesitation and said:
"Steven, Phoebe... you two will take the others. Leave the rest to Cain and me."
He said it gently, but the meaning was clear: they would flee with the rest.
Steven and Phoebe looked displeased upon hearing this.
Since when had they become a burden?
Even if not literally, Drake considered their identities far too important.
If he and Cain failed to make it out and were lost within this space, the League would surely send reinforcements. With enough people, they'd eventually eliminate the enemies.
After all, three of the four most promising young talents of their generation were trapped here. As a veteran, Drake felt responsible for safeguarding the League's future.
It wasn't that he doubted their strength, but he feared the enemy might choose a suicidal fight and drag several down with them.
He had more confidence in Cain. After all, he had been chosen by Juan as a Chief-level Researcher.
And besides, Cain had been training in the field for years, living between life and death. He was surely used to it by now.
Steven and Phoebe, on the other hand, still needed to grow a bit more.
In a critical moment, they might not have the cool head to make the right decisions.
(End of chapter)