When the young police officer began checking Cain's League identity card, Cain remained quite calm. Umbra had done an excellent job securing his identity, to the point where even Whitney's grandfather in Goldenrod City couldn't uncover who he really was.
In front of him stood only an ordinary League officer, making it even less likely for Cain's true identity to be discovered.
The young officer placed Cain's ID card into a slot of an identity verification device. After a "beep," Cain's League identity information appeared on the officer's device.
After carefully reviewing Cain's information from start to finish, the young officer handed the card back and said, "Everything's fine, thank you for your cooperation."
Cain nodded, took back the ID card, and walked away without saying a word.
Since the police had confirmed Cain's identity was legitimate, the surrounding crowd began to disperse and no longer followed him.
In fact, Cain's appearance, clearly showing he was returning from a journey, made people regard him as a skilled trainer, which gradually led to them looking at him with respect.
The young officer watched Cain's back as he walked away, along with his Slowpoke that stayed right beside him, nodding thoughtfully.
This man is a bit strange, though I can't pinpoint exactly why, but in all my years on the job, this was the first time someone gave me such an odd feeling. It was like... like a dormant volcano.
Cain, walking away, did not dwell on the matter. He was just passing through and had no hidden plans, so he could face the League police with complete peace of mind.
However, he couldn't help but let the system scan the data of the Growlithe accompanying the young officer.
Pokémon: Growlithe (Dark Green)
Gender: Male
Level: 20
Type: Fire
Ability: Flash Fire
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Crunch, Double Kick, Fire Spin
Basic Moves: Bite, Roar, Ember, Leer, Odor Sleuth, Helping Hand, Flame Wheel, Reversal
Learned Moves: Iron Tail, Snore
TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Grass), Double Team, Flamethrower
The data was so impressive that Cain couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
With such great traits and an array of excellent moves, although it was only level 20, Cain wasn't confident that his Murkrow could defeat it in a direct battle.
To become a League police officer, it was likely that the young officer had the support of the Jenny family.
The Jenny family controls nearly 70% of the League's police forces. Joining this family or becoming a vassal of theirs is a good choice for anyone wishing to be a League police officer.
The resources brought by a great family are truly impressive. After all, this was just an ordinary police officer, yet he already had such an outstanding Pokémon.
In his previous life, before Cain reached the quasi-elite level, he once battled a true city leader from the Jenny family. The power of his opponent's Pokémon was so great that it forced Cain to retreat. If he hadn't been that strong, he might have been defeated.
The Jenny family is very different from the Joy family. This clan has reached its current position solely through strength.
As defenders of the cities, it's essential that they possess considerable power.
...
Cain couldn't wait any longer to reach the Pokémon Center. Although it hadn't bothered him initially, as soon as he returned to civilization, he noticed how sticky and uncomfortable his clothes felt.
What he wanted most now was to take a good bath and change into clean clothes.
He didn't care about others' looks, but drawing so much attention wasn't ideal either.
While he had experienced harsh living conditions, he didn't mind living a bit more comfortably when the opportunity arose.
However, having learned from the mistakes of his past life, Cain dared not indulge as he once did.
Perhaps he had already experienced it in his past life, so in this life, he wasn't as interested in it.
Enjoying it occasionally was fine, but the priority must always be having enough strength.
In Ecruteak City, Cain found a hotel that seemed quite luxurious. Under the somewhat hesitant gaze of the reception staff, he paid 3,000 Pokédollars for a luxury suite.
As the most famous city known for its ancient culture in the Johto region, and with the spectacular performances at the Dance Theater, Ecruteak City attracts many tourists each year.
Therefore, the tourism industry in Ecruteak City is thriving, which also leads to high demand for hotels in the city.
With the room card in hand, Cain went straight to the bathroom.
Although Cain always carried several changes of clothes in his ring, with outfits for different identities, changing clothes in the wild didn't make sense. His body would still feel sticky and dirty, and changing would only soil clean clothes without making him feel any better.
Moreover, in the wild, survival was the top priority, and no one cared about comfort.
Anyone newly returning from Challenge Island likely resembled a caveman.
He scrubbed himself with water and soap as if his life depended on it, feeling like he was shedding a layer of skin.
During the week he spent on Challenge Island, living in the wild, he never felt this way, but since returning to civilization, Cain made sure to stay clean whenever conditions allowed.
Sometimes, Cain might not want to admit it, but he was actually a person with high standards for both mental and physical cleanliness.
When he finally emerged from the bath, he had regained his usual fresh appearance. Although he was still wearing the human-skin mask used for his League identity, overall, he looked much better than before. Now, if he walked down the street, he wouldn't attract as many stares.
He called room service and ordered a cart full of food.
That was dinner for Cain and his Pokémon.
After spending several days in the wild, although roasted meat was fine, hotel food tasted different.
His Pokémon enjoyed a big meal, and Skorupi, who had been asleep on his shoulder, woke up to drink one and a half bottles of milk.
Over time, Skorupi's appetite had gradually increased.
Although its body didn't seem to have grown, it was evident that its armor had become shinier, and its shell, which used to be a bit rough, was now very smooth to the touch and had a refreshing feel.
This is the great effect of Miltank's milk. Since Pokémon in the breeding stage cannot consume overly nutritious foods, as this could lead to premature development and waste potential, Miltank's milk does not cause such problems and, in fact, improves Skorupi's physical condition.
Not only Skorupi but also Murkrow and the other Pokémon that had been drinking Miltank's milk regularly had shown physical improvements.
The most notable change was their increased stamina. After long training sessions, a cup of milk to regain energy had gradually made their bodies better adapted to fatigue.
(End of chapter)