It was barely noon when Cain finished his lunch at the Pokémon Center and headed toward Route 44, the only road east of Mahogany Town.
To the east of Mahogany Town, an imposing mountain could be seen, rising up into the clouds. The peak of the mountain was completely hidden among the clouds, and from halfway up, it was covered in snow.
Cain's destination was that mountain. It was said that many interconnected caves lay within it, where the temperature remained constantly cold—a paradise for Ice-type Pokémon. Cain hoped to find a Swinub there, and if luck was on his side, maybe even an Onix.
However, before reaching the snowy mountain, he would still have to pass through a large forest.
Although the mountain seemed close, as he walked toward it, Cain found that after an hour's journey, it still looked just as distant.
Now he was at the edge of the forest. Although the number of people dwindled, he still encountered a few along the way.
However, compared to the forests near Goldenrod City, Mahogany Town had fewer residents, but the traces of human presence in the forest were much more numerous.
Cain crossed paths with several groups along the way, all in a hurry.
Observing them, Cain noticed that many of them were Team Rocket members.
Not surprisingly, Mahogany Town housed Team Rocket's largest base in the Johto region. This forest had practically become a free training ground for them.
Although Cain wore the ordinary attire of a League trainer, his outfit looked somewhat out of place in this area.
The Team Rocket members passing by, although not wearing their team uniforms, didn't give him friendly looks.
Those who weren't from Team Rocket also kept a slight distance when they saw Cain's clothing.
After all, Mahogany Town was an important Team Rocket base—something that wasn't a secret among trainers.
However, despite the abundance of resources in the area, Team Rocket hadn't gone as far as to expel everyone who wasn't a member. As long as people didn't provoke them openly and disguised their identities, Team Rocket wouldn't interfere.
But Cain's attire was quite conspicuous.
While the League held considerable power in Mahogany Town, that influence only extended within the town itself. Once in the wilderness, the territory belonged to Team Rocket.
Many League members, upon leaving the town, didn't dare reveal their identity openly, fearing they would attract the attention of those in Team Rocket who hated the League.
It wasn't that Cain didn't want to change clothes; he had simply forgotten how things worked in Mahogany Town after being away for so long.
Only when he left town and noticed the stares directed at him did he remember how things were here.
In his past life, as a Team Rocket grunt in Mahogany Town, he hadn't needed to worry much about these things. But now, as a League member, he found it a bit difficult to adjust.
However, since he had attracted others' attention, he had no choice but to show a bit of his strength in the hopes of avoiding unnecessary trouble.
"Come out, Slowpoke!" Cain said, releasing his Slowpoke.
The people watching him discreetly lost interest upon seeing Slowpoke. All of them were experienced field trainers, and with just one look at Cain's Slowpoke, they could tell he wasn't an ordinary trainer.
In this situation, it would be unwise to provoke someone like him, as they might end up losing more than they'd gain.
Once Slowpoke was out and the gazes on him faded, Cain continued on his way deeper into the forest.
Even so, while most people stopped watching him, one or two glances still fell on him discreetly.
Not even the presence of Slowpoke had deterred them.
...
After walking for another two hours, Cain found himself in an area where no one was in sight and wild Pokémon began to appear more frequently.
Suddenly, Cain stopped and spoke coldly:
"Come out!"
After a few seconds of silence, there was no response.
Cain smirked and spoke again:
"Since when has Team Rocket become so cowardly?"
Upon hearing this, two people slowly emerged from behind the trees. One was a tall young man, about six feet, wearing a gray jacket. The other had a more ordinary appearance and wore a black jacket. Both looked at Cain with a mix of surprise and mockery.
"Kid, how did you know we were there?" asked the tall young man in a sharp voice.
Cain chuckled and didn't answer. Should he tell them that their clumsy tracking and camouflage skills were so poor that he had already mastered them in his past life?
"Kevin, don't waste time talking. Maybe he just got lucky. Let's finish this quickly and complete the mission," said the other young man with disdain and arrogance.
The one called Kevin stared at Cain for a moment. He felt a vague sense of danger emanating from the young man before him.
"Kevin, don't wait any longer. If someone else shows up, they might take this from us," said the impatient young man.
Kevin raised his hand to stop the young man who wanted to act immediately, and after hesitating a bit, he spoke:
"That Slowpoke of yours isn't bad. If you hand it over, we'll let you go."
"Kevin..."
"Shut up!" Kevin interrupted in a tone that brooked no argument. The young man shrank back, showing fear, but there was a mixture of hatred and anger in his eyes, though he hid it well.
So they were after Slowpoke.
Although Slowpoke didn't have a weak presence, it was clear that its unique appearance as a shiny Pokémon had caught these two's attention.
Under the gaze of the two, Cain hesitated for a moment before reaching for a Poké Ball on his belt.
Seeing his movement, both young men smirked in satisfaction, surprised that just a little intimidation was enough to make him hand over his prized Slowpoke.
Kevin, feeling this satisfaction, also reflected coldness in his gaze. It seemed he had overestimated this League trainer. After all, he was just a hothouse flower. The sense of danger he had felt earlier must have been an illusion.
At the same time, Kevin pondered whether it was worth eliminating his companion, who had always harbored ill intentions toward him, to keep Slowpoke for himself.
Meanwhile, the young man behind Kevin also glanced at him sideways while reaching toward his belt, ready to strike at any moment.
But to their surprise, Cain didn't do what they expected. Instead of recalling Slowpoke and handing it over, he smirked and said:
"Here it is. Why don't you come get it?"
(End of chapter)