Shelly's vision suddenly darkened.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back at the previous scene.
Cain was still standing before her; everything was just as it had been, and Walrein lay off to the side.
Sharpedo and Crawdaunt had also lost the ability to fight.
Dazed, Shelly finally understood what had happened — it seemed that, unintentionally, she had just experienced a dream.
Or rather...
"Was that dream just now something you showed me?" asked Shelly cautiously, fixing her gaze on Cain, unsure of his intentions.
Cain shrugged and replied, "That wasn't simply a dream."
Shelly was stunned.
Not just a dream?
Cain revealed an enigmatic expression.
"This is a prophecy."
"A prophecy?" Shelly murmured.
It sounded absurd, but the sensation had been far too real — not just the surroundings within the dream, but also Archie's appearance, personality, and habits.
The most realistic part of all, however, had been Kyogre.
Kyogre's appearance... As a member of Team Aqua, even Shelly herself had never seen it in person. Only through ancient ruins and old records had she caught glimpses of depictions of its form.
But in that dream, she had felt firsthand the overwhelming pressure of Kyogre.
Especially after it devoured the special crystal Archie had taken out, along with the Blue Orb, transforming into a new form.
She felt that that form of Kyogre was the one truly worthy of being called the God of the Sea.
Suddenly, Shelly realized the crucial detail.
The Blue Orb!
How could Cain have known what the Blue Orb looked like — down to such precise detail — as to recreate it perfectly in that dream?
That orb — not even Archie could describe it clearly, much less claim to have seen its true form.
And how could Cain know that the Blue Orb was capable of transforming Kyogre?
There were far too many things that Shelly, with her muddled mind, simply couldn't comprehend.
But deep inside, she felt a profound unease, fearing that what she had just witnessed might actually come true.
Cain watched Shelly, who had fallen into thought, smiling silently.
At that moment, saying too much would only be counterproductive — better to let her process it on her own.
A long time passed.
Shelly came back to herself. She looked at Cain, her eyes filled with mixed emotions, far less suspicious than before.
As realistic as that dream had been, there was no way for her to confirm any of it for now.
"What's your purpose in showing me this... prophecy?" Shelly asked.
Cain observed her for quite a while. When she began to grow uneasy under his gaze, he smiled and said, "Haven't you realized that you played a crucial role?"
"A crucial role... me?" Shelly asked, surprised.
But after thinking about it, she felt that what he said did make sense.
"I don't want to force you to do anything. We're both people who understand things clearly; you'll have the chance to verify the truth of that prophecy for yourself."
"But... to prevent you from doing anything reckless, I need to leave something on your body."
Before she could react, Cain lightly tapped her forehead.
Threads of psychic energy, mixed with a trace of spatial energy, slipped silently into Shelly's mind.
"W-What did you just do to me!?" she exclaimed, taking two steps back, her voice sharp.
"Nothing serious. Just a safety measure. I won't arrest you today — you'll have time to verify that prophecy for yourself," Cain replied, shrugging.
"You're... not going to capture me?"
Naturally, that was the part that caught Shelly's attention the most — not the supposed "safety measure."
After all, what harm could a simple tap possibly do?
However, Cain's face appeared slightly pale.
Although Shelly hadn't resisted, she hadn't fully let her guard down either. Forcing the implantation of psychic energy into another person's mind was something he had tried for the first time.
He had learned that special psychic control technique through the Sacred Church's training methods and had only just managed to master it to a usable degree.
"That's right — I'm not going to arrest you. After all, you can't cause any more major trouble today. Besides, you'll need to confirm for yourself whether that prophecy is true, won't you?" Cain said with a smile as the color returned to his face.
Without saying another word, he turned and began walking toward the exit.
"Who are you, really? Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the League?" Shelly shouted after him, staring at his back.
Without stopping or turning around, Cain lifted one hand in a casual gesture.
"I'm not exactly a newcomer within the League," he replied with a faint smile on his lips.
Report him?
Report what, exactly?
That he had spared her?
That wasn't it — she had already completely lost the ability to fight. Wasn't that enough?
He had just defeated one of Team Aqua's highest-ranking officers in a direct battle. It might not have been a perfectly fair victory, but a win was a win.
And with Cain's current prestige within the League, not just anyone could discredit him.
After all, everyone had witnessed his contributions during this war with their own eyes.
Once the conflict ended, they would all become his loyal followers — especially those whose lives he had personally saved.
And if Shelly were to accuse Drake, the Dragon-type Elite Four member, of being a spy — who would believe her?
Although Cain hadn't yet reached Drake's level, after this battle, to the average League member, the difference would hardly matter.
He recalled his Pokémon, letting Mismagius and Gengar fade back into the shadows.
The battle against Shelly had been a high-level confrontation for all his Pokémon. The benefits of that experience wouldn't be immediate, but once digested over time, the results would be even greater.
Accompanied by Slowking, Tyranitar, Aggron, Blaziken, Florges, and Drapion, he exited the tunnel concealed within the alternate dimension.
Upon returning to the great cavern, he discovered that the League's army was already locked in full-scale combat against the forces of Team Aqua and Team Magma.
Moves were flying everywhere; chaos engulfed the entire cavern.
Cain scanned the battlefield and saw that Drake was still fighting Archie. However, Archie was already at a disadvantage, barely managing to keep Drake occupied and prevent him from assisting elsewhere.
Norman and Maxie continued their fierce battle, the fight having entered a critical stage.
Glacia, who had arrived with reinforcements, was now simultaneously battling both Courtney from Team Magma and Matt from Team Aqua.
Even while outnumbered, she refused to fall — truly worthy of her title as the Ice-type Elite Four.
The battle between Steven and Tabitha had also reached its climax; the outcome would be decided in just a few more exchanges.
The greatest pressure now rested upon Phoebe and Wallace, along with the remaining Elite-level trainers of the League.
Although Team Magma and Team Aqua lacked many trainers of that caliber, their numbers were far greater.
Phoebe and Wallace each had to face two Elite-level opponents, while another League member barely managed to hold off one from Team Magma.
But there were still many more newly promoted Elites among the enemy, who could only be contained by three quasi-Elite trainers from the League.
Even then, the difference was clear.
The situation was already extremely dangerous.
The League couldn't deploy all its top-tier forces to this location, and that shortage was starting to show.
Beyond the battlefield, Cain also noticed a man dressed like an archaeologist — Professor Cozmo. He was under the supervision of two officers from Team Magma and Team Aqua, examining the cavern with various instruments in hand.
It seemed that the battle raging around them had nothing to do with him.
(End of chapter)