🎆 Happy New Year! 🎆
Thank you all for the amazing support throughout this year. 💙To celebrate the arrival of the new year, here is a special New Year code:
🎁 Code:NewYear: F3B16
📅 Code validity:
Start: December 30, 2025 at 11:55 p.m.
End: January 2, 2026 at 11:00 p.m.
Enjoy it and let's start this new year strong. 🚀✨Here's to an amazing 2026! 🎉
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Just as Cain was interrogating that middle-aged man in the alternate space, somewhere in the Kanto region, a woman in white who was slowly drinking coffee in a café stopped the cup she had just raised.
In front of her, a young man dressed in a black tuxedo, wearing glasses and with extremely elegant manners, also paused his cup.
The two looked at each other.
With just a glance, they understood they had both felt the same thing.
"Looks like he's been caught," the woman in white said slowly.
Her voice sounded somewhat soft and sluggish, as if she hadn't slept well, carrying a lazy air.
The young man in the black tuxedo took a sip of coffee, smacked his lips at the bitterness, and commented: "I really don't understand how you can enjoy this stuff... it's bitter, not tasty at all."
Though he said that, in truth he drank it with great relish.
The woman in white didn't call him out.
"They're short one person in the group, make sure to replace them," she said, then calmly savored her coffee.
The flavor was even better than the coffee on Mt. Silver.
"It's not about the taste, it's the atmosphere. In a quiet place like this, it's much better than those chaotic places you love to go to," she also explained why she liked drinking coffee.
The young man in the tuxedo set down his now-empty cup.
"I'll replace the person, but this time it was your mission. Remember to inform those above," he replied as he stood up.
"Ah, right. Since he was caught, it means some of our things may have been exposed. Whatever needs to be abandoned, abandon it. It's still not the time for us to appear." With that, he headed for the door.
Outside it was pouring rain. The young man walked casually through the storm, but the water didn't touch him at all.
Or rather, it didn't even come close: a thin invisible membrane covered him, repelling every drop.
As soon as he left the café, he flipped his hand and a bottle of liquor of unknown brand appeared. He drank straight from the neck.
In his other hand, he spun a black card.
He tossed it casually behind him.
"Hic... this does taste better. Once you complete this mission, you'll rise in rank," he murmured before vanishing into the downpour.
Before the card touched the ground, a hand reached out from the shadows.
A man dressed in black emerged from a corner, caught the card, and with eyes glowing with excitement, said reverently: "Yes, Lord Black Messenger!"
...
After dealing with the middle-aged man in black, Cain returned to the stadium deep in thought.
The battle between Lance and Lorelei had already ended.
Even Koga's match with his opponent was nearly over.
Although Koga wasn't skilled in head-on clashes, that didn't mean he was weak.
Of course, he was somewhat older than Lance.
But when it came to age, Flint was without a doubt the most senior of all the tournament participants.
At that moment, Lance was already with Steven and the others.
Several girls, with Phoebe in the lead, accompanied by Cynthia, Diantha, and Drasna, were reproaching him for the ruthless treatment he had given Lorelei.
Although most of the words came from Phoebe's mouth, the looks from Cynthia and the other two toward Lance weren't exactly favorable either.
How to put it...?
It was as if they saw him... as some kind of hopeless bachelor?
The kind destined to be alone forever?
But soon the scolding was interrupted by Cain's arrival.
Phoebe, who had been speaking passionately, saw him and her eyes lit up.
"Cain! Why did you take so long? Didn't you see what happened at the end? Lorelei was in such a bad state! I'd never seen her with that expression... in the end... in the end she almost started crying. Tears this big were about to fall!" she said, exaggerating the size of the tears with her hands.
Lance showed a bitter smile.
At last he understood what it meant to be considered "the enemy of the girls."
It was only after winning against Lorelei and seeing her expression that it hit him.
Yes, he had gone a bit too far.
For a woman, maybe it really was excessive.
But in the middle of battle he had gotten carried away, and by then there was no turning back.
He had wanted to take advantage of the final handshake to apologize, but Lorelei, after finishing, collected her Pokémon and left just like that.
Lance couldn't do anything.
And to make matters worse, when he got there, Phoebe dragged him along with the other three to lecture him.
They painted him almost like a villain out to destroy the world.
Desperate, Lance looked to Cain for help.
Cain could only sigh.
Brother, you brought this on yourself...
Do you think this will pass quickly? Your dark future is already calling you.
"Ahem, Phoebe, that's enough," Cain said, coughing.
Phoebe shot an angry glare at Lance.
She could ignore anyone else, but not Cain.
Ever since they left Mt. Pyre, she only listened to two and a half people: one was Juan, another was Cain... and half was Steven.
"Well then..." Cain continued. "Lance, you really did go a bit too far. Even I couldn't watch it. You'd better go find Lorelei and apologize. After all, you're from the same region; sooner or later you'll run into each other again."
He spoke with a faint tone of mockery.
Lance nodded.
He thought so himself.
With Lorelei's potential, it wouldn't be hard for her to become part of Kanto's Elite Four. And then...
Yes, he understood the seriousness of the matter.
Steven and Wallace, sitting to the side, kept the usual "this has nothing to do with us" attitude.
Better not to get involved in these things.
Lest the fire reach them too.
Steven remembered well Phoebe's "strength" in these situations.
That's why both of them simply kept their eyes fixed on the battlefield.
Wow, Koga was really strong!
Those moves were... yes, very impressive.
...
Koga claimed victory.
Then, during Flint's turn, the result was no surprise either.
In this tournament, Lance, Koga, and Flint were all at a very similar level.
Finally, Kagen once again showed his "dark horse" status and won his battle.
But this time, Cain watched him with particular attention.
He noticed something strange in his Pokémon.
After the battle, they seemed drained, without energy.
The same had happened the previous time, though by the next day they recovered as if nothing had happened.
That confirmed that Kagen had surely received something from that Sacred Church.
Cain thought that, if the opportunity arose, he should get a bit closer.
For now, however, he needed to focus on examining the items recovered from the man in black's storage space: a white card and an unopened book.
(End of chapter)