"Karen!" Cain and Steven nodded at the same time toward Karen.
This good-looking girl with a fondness for a rather alternative style of clothing had already been known to Cain and Steven since the Sinnoh Tournament.
Although they hadn't interacted much, they had spoken a few times, so upon meeting again they didn't feel particularly strange or awkward.
"Finding you here was really unexpected. At first I thought it was some extremely powerful wild Pokémon fighting in this area," Karen said, patting her chest as she let out a relieved sigh.
Cain and Steven looked at each other.
With the rapport they shared, a single glance was enough for them to understand each other.
Steven's idea was very simple: within their small group, he was the captain. Neither he nor Phoebe or the others had any objections. Even without Wallace's instructions, Cain was already tacitly regarded as the leader. When the four of them were together, it was generally Cain who made the decisions.
And that was also because, every time Cain made a decision, he always took into account the opinions of Steven and the other two.
From the time they had known each other until now, Cain had never let them down, and every decision he made ended up benefiting them.
"So? Have you gained anything during this time?" Cain asked with a smile.
Hearing this, Karen's fair cheeks flushed slightly. A bit embarrassed, she scratched her head and said, "You both know my real level. Becoming one of the Elite Four was basically the League pushing me into it. The level of the wild Pokémon here is far too high, so I didn't dare move around carelessly. That's why I spent almost two weeks in the place where I settled."
"Only after becoming somewhat familiar with the area did I dare to go out and explore. Earlier I heard the sounds of battle and came to take a look... I didn't expect it to be you two."
There is a saying that goes, "In a foreign land, meeting an old acquaintance." In such a dangerous environment, being able to meet Cain and Steven was an unexpected and pleasant surprise for her.
Cain nodded. Among the current Johto Elite Four, Karen was probably the weakest. However, she had a very clear understanding of her own position: in an environment full of danger, without at least one Champion-level Pokémon, wandering around aimlessly was extremely risky.
"Don't belittle yourself so much. Your potential is obvious to everyone. Among our generation, your talent is undoubtedly among the best. You simply haven't had the right opportunity yet," Cain comforted her.
Who among those who become Elite Four is an ordinary person?
Although Karen was temporarily in last place among the Johto Elite Four, that was also due to the appearance of Irene, whose strength was unknown.
Moreover, Will, who had previously been at a similar level to her, had encountered some special opportunity and managed to surpass her in one leap. Even with the natural advantage of the Dark type against the Psychic type, Karen was no match for Will.
On top of that, there was Koga, a high-ranking member of Team Rocket, who had long been planning to seize a position in the Elite Four.
It could only be said that the Johto League had selected a truly outstanding group, with all kinds of talents among them.
Faced with Cain's words of comfort, Karen merely smiled politely.
She knew very well what her own level was. If during the Sinnoh Tournament she had still had some confidence to exchange a few blows with Cain, now she only felt powerless.
Even the strongest Elite Four member of Johto at present, Koga, needed Cain to hold back in order not to lose too humiliatingly—and that was without Cain even sending out his signature Pokémon.
Just how far Cain's strength had reached... Karen had no idea at all.
"By the way, that Irene from your Johto region—what exactly is her identity? I've never heard of her before," Cain asked.
Regarding Irene, Cain felt a genuine sense of apprehension. Sometimes, unknown enemies were the most unsettling.
Cain had always wanted everything to be under his control. Even if it wasn't complete control, at least he needed to know the situation well enough. Whether it was Team Rocket, Team Magma, or Team Aqua, he had always had a certain understanding. But now a Sacred Church had appeared, many envoys of tremendous power had emerged, and on top of that there was this Irene... it was hard not to connect everything together.
Not only was Cain curious about Irene's identity; even Steven, who was beside him, had great interest.
If they were in the Pokémon world, with Cain and Steven's current identities, it would only take a little time to investigate Irene's background. But here, they didn't have that leeway, and obtaining useful information within this place was extremely difficult.
Karen showed a thoughtful expression.
"Actually, I don't know her identity very well either. But it's said that even before the Johto League was established, she had already been discovered. Apparently she was from Ecruteak City, a singer from a dance company... or maybe she was one in the past and is now in charge. Who knows?"
Ecruteak City? A singer?
Cain's heart gave a small jump. It seemed that Karen didn't know much either. But for a singer to become one of the Johto Elite Four...
Honestly, he found it difficult to understand the logic of the Johto League.
However, the higher-ups of Johto had once also been high-ranking members of the Kanto League; they weren't fools. If they could set aside prejudices about Irene's background and allow her to become an Elite Four member of a region, she must have had something extraordinary.
The most likely possibility for Cain was that Irene was extremely powerful—so powerful that her origin no longer mattered.
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Otherwise, among the other three selected by the League, all met the Elite Four standard, but none possessed an overwhelming strength like Agatha or Drake to become the unquestioned first.
Perhaps they had indeed chosen such a person, and that person was Irene. It was just that during the exhibition match that day, she didn't act, so almost no one knew anything about her.
And precisely because of that, Cain's suspicions toward Irene continued to grow.
(End of chapter)