"Dead?!" Brad was stunned.
For a moment, he didn't know how to describe the thoughts racing through his mind at that instant.
"Yes! If the Alex you're talking about is the person I showed you, then although he didn't die directly by my hand, it can be said that he died because of me," Cain said calmly.
"What do you mean?"
Cain then explained in simple terms Alex's identity, as well as the fact that after going to look for him, he had defeated him.
Brad's expression once again became extremely complicated. If everything was as Cain said, then to him, Cain could even be considered a benefactor.
"How do you prove it?" Brad asked.
"Do you think that being in this state, I'd still have any need to deceive you? And besides..." Cain hesitated a little, took a Poké Ball from his pocket, and threw it into the air.
The Black Messenger's Hydreigon was summoned.
However, after Alexandra's training, Hydreigon had become very docile, so when it appeared it did not show the imposing presence or authority of a pseudo-legendary Dragon-type; on the contrary, it seemed somewhat shy.
"This Hydreigon is the Pokémon I obtained from that person. I don't know if you recognize it, but it's the only thing I have to prove it. If you don't believe me, I also—" Cain stopped mid-sentence when he noticed that both Brad and Hydreigon were in a strange state.
Or rather, Brad and Hydreigon, a human and a Pokémon, were standing there staring fixedly at each other.
Suddenly, Brad's eyes filled with tears. At first, Hydreigon seemed not entirely sure, but upon seeing the tears in Brad's eyes, it also seemed to recognize him.
"Hydreigon... this... this is my Hydreigon!" Brad kept repeating.
Cain watched the scene in surprise. This melodramatic reunion between trainer and Pokémon?
It turned out that the Black Messenger's Hydreigon wasn't his either, but belonged to this Brad standing before him.
The emotion that surged forth at that moment was impossible to fake, and not just on Brad's part: the feelings Hydreigon displayed upon seeing him couldn't be false either.
Simply put, Cain hadn't expected something so excessively dramatic.
But soon he thought of the key point of the matter. That the Black Messenger belonged to the previous group that had entered here didn't surprise Cain; the identity of commander of the League army's Second Legion was not inferior to that of a regional Elite Four.
The Black Messenger belonged to the Sacred Church. Including the League, all the major forces of the Pokémon world were searching for the location of the Sacred Church and the secrets it concealed.
In Cain's eyes, the person who occupied this continent from the shadows was very likely someone from the Sacred Church, and that ambitious individual Brad spoke of was probably the true founder of the Sacred Church.
Someone who had come out of the League and already possessed a very high status within it; for someone like that, it wasn't difficult to know numerous secrets of the League.
Added to the existence of this continent and the rival's covert operations, it became possible to infiltrate many of their own into the League, including high-ranking figures like the Black Messenger.
The ambition of the Sacred Church was enormous! Moreover, they had begun accumulating power a very long time ago. The abundant resources of the Continent of Time and Space, together with the different flow of time, allowed them to have sufficient resources to train new members and the time needed for those members to grow.
Even the secrets of the Temple of Time and Space discovered on this continent might be the reason why members of the Sacred Church could open alternate spaces.
The more Cain thought about it, the more terrifying it became. He felt a deep chill at this Sacred Church that had emerged from nowhere.
Truly, the more he knew, the more he realized how insignificant he was. And for a long time now, he had already been trapped in this muddy whirlpool; wanting to stay out of it was simply impossible.
He looked again at the emotional Brad, and to be honest, Cain had never imagined things would take this turn.
In fact, just as Brad had initially predicted, Cain had planned to deal with him once he finished asking his questions and obtained the information he wanted.
Not only to conceal his identity, Mega Evolution, and so on, but also because his first impression of Brad hadn't been good.
But little by little, he realized that this person wasn't as despicable as he had imagined.
Suddenly, a thought arose in his mind and spread without end.
"How about working with me?" Cain said abruptly.
Hearing this, Brad, who was still immersed in the joy of reuniting with Hydreigon, looked at Cain in surprise.
To be honest, today he felt that the ups and downs of life had been far too abrupt, to the point that it was difficult for him to process them.
At first came the joy of encountering Cain, thinking he could obtain a Spatial Stone from him and return to the Pokémon world—that was the rise.
But the cruel reality showed him that he wasn't even a match for Cain; twenty-five years of growth shattered like a bubble—that was the fall.
However, upon learning that his enemy Alex had already died at another's hands, and upon reuniting with Hydreigon, his Pokémon lost for twenty-five years, it was a rise once more.
And this rise came in waves, gradually reaching its climax.
Cain's proposal that he work with him wasn't a momentary impulse or a simple act of compassion.
Of course, that played a small role, but what truly interested him was Brad's strength and capability.
Someone with three Champion-level Pokémon, two of which had already surpassed the first barrier of the Champion level; with just three more Pokémon at Advanced Elite Four level or Quasi-Champion level, he would easily possess the strength of a regional Elite Four.
And moreover, one of the most outstanding among them.
Letting someone like that be lost here would be a pity. If he could be used, no matter the task, he would be an excellent piece.
Coupled with the sincere emotion shown in the reunion with Hydreigon, Cain judged that Brad was someone who truly invested feelings in his Pokémon.
Even when Yanmega was defeated so easily by Blaziken, Brad didn't lose control.
Having feelings and limits meant he was someone controllable, and moreover, not too difficult to control.
Most importantly, Cain was beginning to touch the deepest secrets of the Sacred Church, which placed enormous pressure on him. Having several subordinates of such a level would greatly relieve that burden.
(End of chapter)