"You've lived here for so many years; you should know the surroundings well. First we'll go to one place, and along the way I'll explain a few things to you," Cain said.
With that, he jumped back onto Salamence's back and flew toward the other meeting point agreed upon with Steven and the others.
They didn't fly at a great height, but traveled close to the ground.
...
They had only been in this place for a week. Everyone could have been sent to different locations, and Cain himself had taken a full week just to find the first point of reference, so there was no need to even mention Steven and the others.
That was why, even though the situation was urgent, Cain couldn't lose his composure. The priority was to gather as many forces as possible.
If his assumption was correct and this place was already being secretly infiltrated by the Sacred Church, then the situation was truly dangerous.
Perhaps the Sacred Church had a method to descend to this continent; if so, wiping out this future generation of the League in one fell swoop would leave it without successors, which very well could be one of their objectives.
After all, after developing in secret for so long, over the past year they had begun to emerge one after another like shoots after the rain.
The fact that they had stopped hiding indicated that the Sacred Church was probably already prepared to confront the League directly.
And the Continent of Time and Space could very well be the beginning of everything.
Gathering people would at least increase the chances of survival.
But no matter how urgent it was, everyone still needed enough time to adapt. If someone overturned the cart at that moment, it could only be attributed to bad luck.
Cain returned to his routine of traveling while training Pokémon and collecting resources.
During that time, Brad devoted himself carefully to tending to Hydreigon.
After so many years without fighting alongside it, if they wanted to display true strength in battle, Brad at least needed to thoroughly understand Hydreigon's current capabilities.
...
At that moment, in some unknown corner of the Pokémon world.
A group of people dressed in white robes that completely concealed their appearance were seated inside an extremely hidden cave.
Not all the seats were occupied; several spaces were empty among them.
The location of the cave was very special: at the entrance, it seemed as if some kind of extremely low-quality adhesive had been used to forcibly stick it to the Pokémon world.
"This matter is crucial to us. I hope everyone is prepared and does not fail me at the critical moment," said the person seated in the main position in an indifferent tone. Although his face was not visible, his gaze could be felt sweeping over everyone present. No one dared to look at him directly; all lowered their heads toward a white envelope in front of them.
The leader was quite satisfied with the reaction and continued, "The envelopes in front of you contain your respective missions. You may only open them when the operation begins, and the contents of each envelope may only be known by yourselves."
Those present nodded one after another. This was how their organization operated: each person handled their own part, and aside from the leader, no one knew what the others were doing. In this way, both security and true anonymity were ensured.
"The items will be delivered to you directly. This meeting is adjourned!"
The leader raised his hand and then slowly lowered it. An astonishing scene occurred: the envelopes lying on the table began to disappear one by one until they vanished completely.
That gesture was a clear display of power. His ability had reached an inhuman level.
When the words "the meeting is adjourned" were spoken, everyone present began to fade away. Only then was it revealed that they were actually projections.
However, not everyone disappeared; some people remained seated.
"Does the director have anything else to say?" the leader asked those who stayed behind, his tone noticeably more cordial and balanced.
"Nothing in particular. I only hope that after completing this matter, you will fulfill what we agreed upon. After all, you were once the famous dragon..." said a female voice that echoed through the cave with an ethereal resonance. The innate nobility in her tone was impossible to hide, though she didn't seem to be trying to.
But before she could finish, she was interrupted: "That is no longer the case! Don't worry, Director. As long as you help me complete this matter, I will fulfill what I promised."
Satisfied with the response, the director of that unknown company or organization nodded and, along with the others, slowly disappeared.
When everyone had left, the leader slowly removed his white hood, revealing the face of a middle-aged man, though his hair was already streaked with gray, creating an unsettling impression. He was the person in charge of the Sacred Church, wanted by both the League and the major underground forces: the Bishop!
His expression, however, was not good; the director's words had clearly affected his mood.
When he stood up, something like a black hole appeared behind him. The Bishop slowly walked into it and disappeared.
Along with him, that strange cave that seemed to have been forcibly stuck onto the Pokémon world also vanished.
...
Elsewhere.
At the summit of Mt. Silver, the old man who had witnessed the battle between Cain and Moltres was still sitting on the snow.
But this time, he was not observing the interior of the mountain.
Both of his eyes had turned completely white, iris and sclera alike, as if he were communicating with someone.
The man, who normally seemed calm and carefree, now frowned, as if he had sensed something unsettling.
(End of chapter)