Cain could understand why Team Aqua was on the move; after all, Archie's orb was still in his possession.
However, the fact that Team Magma had also begun to act took him by surprise, since the orb that once belonged to Maxie had already fallen into his hands quite some time ago.
Cain had originally planned to use the orb with Tyranitar, but a series of events made him abandon the idea. On top of that, since he couldn't determine what kind of effect it might have on Tyranitar, he decided to store the orb deep within his personal storage space, waiting until everything stabilized before testing it.
Logically speaking, Maxie shouldn't yet know how to act concretely.
"Unless... the Red Orb and the Blue Orb have already begun to corrupt their consciousness." That was the first thought that came to Cain's mind.
The Red Orb and Blue Orb were treasures that Groudon and Kyogre had left behind in the Hoenn region when they fell into slumber. Cain suspected that within those prisms were fragments of the consciousness of the two ancient Pokémon, capable of subtly influencing the minds of their holders.
Perhaps, at first, when Groudon and Kyogre had just awakened and their power had not yet fully recovered—with their consciousness still disordered—the orbs could be used to control them.
But as time passed, inevitably, the situation would reverse: the holders would end up being consumed by the orbs themselves.
Although Team Magma and Team Aqua had mobilized almost simultaneously, this time they were not acting together.
Team Aqua had appeared on a small sea island, while Team Magma had gone deep into the mountains of Hoenn.
Upon receiving the information, Juan immediately dispatched Sidney and Glacia, who had been preparing for a new operation, to track down Team Magma.
At that time, both Drake and Cain were inside the Dragon Space and could not be contacted, which was why Juan had been so anxious.
Now, Drake had already departed toward the island where Team Aqua had been sighted, while Cain, after leaving the Dragon Space, immediately notified both the League and Drake.
Finally, under Juan's coordination, Drake and Cain were assigned to the island, tasked with containing Team Aqua.
As for Team Magma, it was left to Sidney, Glacia, the head of the Jenny family, and Steven's second uncle, who would depart shortly after.
From Drake and Cain's side, Juan had also sent reinforcements that were already on their way.
Fortunately, the Dragon Space was located above the sea, and with the speed of Drake's most powerful Salamence, they quickly arrived at the small island where Team Aqua had appeared, calming the local inhabitants.
Although it was very likely that Team Aqua had already left the island, their presence had left the villagers terrified.
Without an exact location of the enemy group, and fearing that his absence might cause unrest among the people, Drake decided not to leave and instead wait for Cain's arrival.
The only good news was that Team Aqua had not shown themselves again, meaning their objective had not yet been achieved.
On the other hand, the weather seemed to sense what was coming—the sky was already beginning to change.
As Cain approached the island where Drake was stationed, he deactivated his Salamence's Mega Evolution and began a steep dive toward the location.
After receiving Cain's message, Drake ordered everyone to wait for him in an open area of the island.
In the central plaza, in front of the League's local police station, Officer Jenny and several investigators in raincoats waved their flashlights, signaling where he should land.
Pah!
Salamence glided gracefully and descended rapidly, coming to a firm stop on the ground.
The wind unleashed by its wings sent the investigators' raincoats fluttering.
Cain leapt from its back, landing directly in front of Officer Jenny.
"Mr. Cain!" she greeted him with firm respect, saluting sharply. The professionalism of the Jenny family was evident.
The investigators accompanying her, however, could not hide their excitement.
"Mr. Cain!"
"Mr. Cain!"
Though not perfectly in sync, the fervor in their voices was unmistakable.
On such a remote Hoenn island, to see two members of the League's Elite Four in one day was like meeting their heroes. And even more so in Cain's case—a man of humble origins who had climbed all the way to the top, a symbol and hope for the weak.
Cain nodded and, with a simple motion of his hand, created a psychic barrier that enveloped everyone, shielding them from the rain.
He then recalled his Salamence and followed Officer Jenny toward the place where Drake was waiting.
"Mr. Cain really is as powerful a psychic as they say..."
"Not only that, you can tell he hasn't forgotten his roots."
"Someday I want to be as strong and kind as him!"
"..."
A simple gesture was enough to earn everyone's admiration.
Though they whispered quietly, Cain—a high-level psychic—could hear them clearly. Fortunately, his composure was strong, and he accepted their words naturally.
Following Jenny, they entered the Pokémon Center on the island.
"Master," Cain greeted respectfully upon seeing Drake, who was assigning tasks to several subordinates.
Drake looked up and nodded, finishing his orders: "The situation is urgent, and we're far from League headquarters. We must move before the rain washes away all traces of Team Aqua. Investigate everything!"
"Yes, sir!" the four investigators responded in unison.
After receiving their instructions, they quickly left, saluting Cain as they went.
"You arrived quickly," Drake said as Cain approached. "I didn't expect you to be that fast."
"My Shelgon evolved," Cain replied with a faint smile. "Its flight speed has increased as well."
Then, with a more serious expression, he asked, "What's the situation, Master?"
Drake shook his head. "Juan said that Team Magma and Team Aqua appeared at the same time. We know their intentions, so we must stop them before they awaken Groudon and Kyogre. But their sudden reappearance might mean they've already found what they were looking for."
"Were they discovered by the islanders?" Cain asked.
"Exactly," Drake nodded. "Some fishermen saw several strangely dressed individuals preparing to leave the island in a submarine. They reported it to Officer Jenny, who then informed the League. But we still don't know what they were searching for here... or what they might have found."
(End of chapter)