According to what Cain understood—
The members of Team Aqua didn't really know Archie's true goal.
They simply worshipped the ocean, adored the sea god Kyogre, and followed Archie in his eternal quest to find Kyogre.
Or rather, it was Archie who had "led" them to worship Kyogre.
In any case, there was no conflict in that.
But Archie's true personal goal was for the ocean to swallow the entire world and submerge it beneath the sea.
For all of humanity, that meant absolute disaster.
Including the very members of Team Aqua themselves.
Just because they lived on the sea didn't mean they would never have to return to land.
Shelly was the only one in Team Aqua who, when Archie finally awakened Kyogre and released it in its primal form, dared to stop him with words and question his actions.
Unfortunately, Archie didn't listen to her warnings and forced Kyogre's awakening, reviving it in its original form. The first place to be flooded by the sea was precisely where they stood.
Primal Kyogre was not something that could be controlled by the Blue Orb.
In fact, the Blue Orb was merely a medium to summon and communicate with Kyogre. Combined with certain special items, it could force its return to the primal state—but by itself, it granted no control.
Because both the Blue Orb and the Red Orb were fragments split from Kyogre and Groudon—objects capable of awakening them, but never tools that could restrain them.
"Archie's purpose is to replace all the land with oceans. Does Team Aqua also act according to that goal?" Cain asked with a smile.
"Replace the land with oceans?" Shelly was startled when she heard that.
Then she let out a cold laugh. "How could that be? Our leader's goal is to awaken the sea god Kyogre and make Team Aqua the master of the seas."
Cain shook his head and said no more.
Just as he suspected.
Archie wasn't a fool.
He knew his true ideology went against what most of his followers believed, so he never revealed his real purpose openly.
Either way, Cain had no intention of insisting on convincing Shelly.
Right now, they were still enemies—how could she change her mind just because of a few words from him?
All he could do was plant a seed before everything happened; with luck, that seed might one day sprout.
In the end, what truly spoke was strength.
From Cain's shadow emerged Gengar.
Although Shelly only had three Pokémon, her strength surpassed his in some aspects.
But Cain didn't care about those League rules that limited trainers to six Pokémon.
What did the number matter? The only thing that mattered was victory.
Quantity was also a kind of advantage.
In that sense, Cain greatly appreciated the mindset and attitude of both Maxie and Archie: everything must be judged by victory—no matter the method.
Because whoever lost... would have nothing left.
Slowking, Gengar, Drapion, Florges, Tyranitar, Aggron, Blaziken, Swampert.
Eight full Pokémon stood lined up in front of Cain.
When Shelly saw them, her expression grew stern.
"I really underestimated you. All this time you've been hiding your true power... and it turns out you were saving it to face me."
"I didn't hide anything. It's just that my previous opponents weren't worth the effort."
As he spoke, Cain placed his hand on Slowking's back.
His psychic power completely merged with Slowking's.
The aura emanating from the Pokémon grew denser and more solid—it was a technique passed down by the Sacred Church.
Slowking's eyes shone with a sapphire-blue light. Slowly, it began to float in midair.
Using its psychic power, it enveloped all of Cain's Pokémon, helping them evade moves that would otherwise be unavoidable.
In this state, Slowking's greatest strength didn't lie in one-on-one combat, but in total control of the battlefield.
It not only managed its allies but also restrained the enemy.
Dense waves of psychic energy spread around it like rippling circles in the air.
Wherever its mind reached, every particle of that energy fell under its control.
Absolute field control!
Gengar, emerging from Cain's shadow, immediately slipped back into the darkness of the tunnel.
With a gleam in its eyes, it copied Drapion's ability and then, using Skill Swap, passed it one by one to Slowking, Florges, Tyranitar, and Swampert.
This was not the time to rely on the Sandstorm or Rain teams.
After all, neither was yet developed to its full potential, unable to show their true strength.
Instead, a team built around Slowking and Gengar was far more effective at the moment.
Then, from beneath Florges' feet, green flowering meadows spread outward—the best it could produce right now with Grassy Terrain.
Seeing Cain organize his Pokémon with such precision, Shelly's face grew even darker.
"This Cain has done a lot of research on full-team battles..." thought Shelly.
Unfortunately, with only three Pokémon, there was a lot she couldn't do.
So her only option was, while Cain deployed his formation, to order her Pokémon to generate as much water as possible across the field.
Even if they weren't full ponds, as long as puddles filled the cracks and holes in the tunnel, that would be enough.
Pokémon like Tyranitar or Blaziken would clearly be at a disadvantage from the water-type energy.
"Blaaazk!"
Blaziken was wreathed in flames, its legs striking the ground alternately as it raised an arm and performed a dance with a distinct rhythm.
Not just him—Tyranitar, Aggron, and the other Pokémon were also activating their own boosting moves.
"Triple Surf!" Shelly shouted loudly.
She knew she couldn't keep waiting. Cain's Pokémon were more numerous, his formation was already solid, and if he kept powering them up, her disadvantage would become insurmountable.
Instantly, from beneath Sharpedo, Crawdaunt, and Walrein surged torrents of water. The three Surf attacks merged in a single instant, forming a massive wave that roared violently forward.
"TYRAAANNN!"
Tyranitar roared fiercely, slamming its palms into the ground and raising a huge boulder with a single strike.
Beside it, Aggron and Swampert did the same.
In moments, a wall of rock rose before them.
And it didn't stop there—by channeling their energy into the stones, the wall thickened even further, forming a rocky triangle like the prow of a locomotive.
That way, the surface receiving the water's force was minimized.
With a flash in its eyes, Slowking projected psychic energy into the water current, immediately reducing the power of the surging wave.
Florges waved its arms, and from the waters emerged thick vines that lashed the three Pokémon using Surf.
Grass Knot!
Meanwhile, Drapion drove its pincers into the ground and burrowed beneath the surface.
Gengar let out a sinister laugh before vanishing once again into the shadows.
(End of chapter)