Did Cain see that correctly? The Electric-type Elite Four, Wattson, was going to resign?
Upon seeing the message, a surge of thoughts flooded his mind.
Currently, in the Hoenn region, the only Elite Four member who might step down was the elderly Wattson.
His strength certainly no longer matched the standard of an Elite Four member.
On the other hand, the veteran Drake, despite his age, seemed to grow stronger with each passing year.
This highlighted the importance of choosing the right Pokémon.
Aside from Wattson and Drake, the other two members of the Elite Four were Sidney, a Dark-type specialist, and Glacia, who specialized in Ice-types.
Both were relatively new to the position. Although not as strong as Drake, they had a different profile: besides their roles as Hoenn's Elite Four, they were also involved in the administrative management of the League.
Their strength was solid, though not dazzling, which seemed like a move forced by Juan, who pushed them into the spotlight prematurely.
However, in retrospect, the result wasn't bad.
Wattson's resignation from the Elite Four position would undoubtedly stir major upheaval within the Hoenn League.
But what puzzled Cain was that when Juan had spoken to him previously, his words clearly conveyed that he wanted Wattson to hold on for a few more years—at least until the new generation was ready to take over.
This situation had clearly taken him by surprise.
According to the original plan, Phoebe was to eventually replace Wattson as an Elite Four, but the timeline had clearly been accelerated by several years.
Not even Steven or Cain himself were currently in a position to assume that role.
Precisely due to the lack of a clear successor, Hoenn was beginning to tremble.
Anyone with power and backing would now try to compete for the Elite Four position.
Cain directly called his master, Matsuda Takashi, who was the one who had sent him the message.
The call connected quickly.
"Cain? Hold on a second," old Matsuda's voice sounded tired, and there were many voices in the background, as if something was being heatedly discussed or urgent reports were being given.
After a while, old Matsuda moved to a quieter place, and his voice became clearer.
"Master, what's going on? Why is Elite Four Wattson resigning so suddenly?" Cain asked urgently.
Although he already had the strength of an Elite-level trainer, he had no direct connection to the role yet.
Still, it was part of his future plans. Such an abrupt change had caught him off guard.
Upon hearing the question, old Matsuda remained silent.
Cain frowned at his master's unusual behavior.
This was more serious than it appeared.
"Old Wattson didn't resign of his own will," sighed old Matsuda with regret. "In fact, he had agreed to Juan's request to remain in the position for a couple more years... but now he had no other choice."
"A forced resignation? Did something happen to him? What exactly happened?" Cain fired three questions in quick succession.
Finally, old Matsuda began to explain: "As you know, Wattson, although still officially an Elite Four member, no longer participated actively due to his age. But recently, a League patrol discovered a secret location. There wasn't enough staff, so they asked Wattson to lead the expedition..."
Old Matsuda suddenly stopped.
"Was he injured? Was it an ambush?" Cain felt he could hardly believe what he was hearing.
"Seriously injured. He's still unconscious. He also lost more than half of his Pokémon," old Matsuda said gravely. "That's why his resignation had to be announced that same night. Not many people know yet, but it's only a matter of time."
For an Elite Four member from any region to suffer such a devastating attack and lose multiple Pokémon was a tragedy that directly affected the League's credibility.
If even an Elite Four couldn't guarantee his own safety, what hope was there for ordinary citizens?
Events like this could lead to social chaos.
That's why, even if Wattson resigned, it couldn't look like a forced resignation.
The League must now be debating how to handle the situation.
"Gravely injured..." Cain fell silent.
Even though Wattson's role in recent years had been mostly symbolic, the fact that he remained a member of the Elite Four meant there was still no one better suited for the role.
"Who did it?" Cain asked after a few seconds.
"We don't know. But based on the wounds, it was clearly an ambush. When Wattson barely managed to return to the city, he said one sentence before falling unconscious. He hasn't woken up since," old Matsuda explained.
"And what did he say?"
"There's a spy in the League," said old Matsuda, his voice strained.
That sentence hit Cain like a hammer.
A spy in the League? The deal is canceled?
Tsk...
A spy? Collaborating with outside forces to trap Elite Four Wattson, leaving him nearly dead?
Then who benefited most from Wattson stepping down?
Looking at it from that angle, some clues began to appear—though it could also be a deliberate distraction from the enemy.
An Elite Four member wounded, forced to resign, plus the revelation of a traitor within the League... No wonder old Matsuda's surroundings were so turbulent.
But for Cain, the revelation of a spy was terrible news.
If internal investigations began, he would inevitably be examined as well.
Cain knew exactly who he was. And although his connection with Team Rocket was confidential, would that information survive a serious probe?
There was only one way out.
"Master, where are you now? I'll come right away," said Cain with determination.
"We're in Slateport City. If you can come, that would be good. All the League's top brass are gathering. Maybe you can contribute something," replied old Matsuda.
"I'm heading there immediately," Cain said, ending the call.
He quickly gathered all the materials on the ground and also called back his Pokémon who were training.
Even though he didn't yet know who had injured Wattson or how important that "secret location" was, none of that mattered now. The only thing that mattered was that the internal investigation hadn't begun yet.
Though it was unlikely to start so soon. The first priority would be stabilizing the situation. Otherwise, the entire Hoenn region would panic: both the population and the League leadership.
Whether he was guilty or not, the normal functioning of the region would be compromised.
After returning all his Pokémon, Cain took out Flygon's Poké Ball, but after a brief hesitation, he returned it as well.
Using his portable teleportation system, he swapped out one of his Poké Balls.
"Altaria... I'll be counting on you this time."
(End of Chapter)