Cain smiled innocently and nodded to show his understanding.
"Would you like something to eat? I was just about to start a barbecue," Cain offered as he took out an assortment of materials and tools.
He looked like a trainer in the middle of a survival training exercise, which, along with his League ID card, dispelled 90% of the two men's suspicions. After all, Cain looked quite young, and if they put themselves in his shoes, they wouldn't be so calm in these situations at his age.
"Haha, now that you mention it, I actually am a bit hungry," one of the men said, touching his stomach and laughing.
They had been fighting Team Rocket all day with barely any time to eat.
The other man nodded as well, though he was a bit more cautious, knowing it was wise to stay alert in the wild.
Cain didn't mind their attitude and began roasting the meat. His Pokémon also showed signs of impatience, making everything seem perfectly natural.
The men hadn't called out their own Pokémon but kept their Poké Balls within reach so they could react quickly if something happened.
They also positioned themselves strategically so that if Cain's Pokémon exhibited any unusual behavior, they would have enough time to respond and summon their own Pokémon for defense.
It wasn't that they felt invincible, but Cain's Pokémon, although not weak, didn't worry them too much. That's why they weren't paying close attention.
One reason they hadn't brought out their Pokémon was that they had already fed them after a long day of battling, preferring to let them rest in their Poké Balls.
Not all trainers enjoy eating with their Pokémon; for many, they're just pets, and feeding them well is already a great act of care. Some even treat them as mere tools, discarding them after use.
...
It wasn't long before the meat was ready. Cain's skill in roasting meat surprised the two men, and the aroma intensified with a variety of seasonings that soon filled the air.
"All done, everything should be just right."
Cain cut a small piece from a large roast, tasted it, then popped it into his mouth.
One of the men, the one who had mentioned being hungry, couldn't help but swallow as he watched Cain enjoy the golden, crispy meat.
Although the other man still had some reservations, his concerns gradually faded as he saw everything being prepared in front of him, with seemingly normal ingredients.
The aroma was truly irresistible.
Under the watchful eyes of the two men, Cain tasted each piece of meat to ensure it was well-cooked.
Finally, realizing he had been a bit impolite, Cain smiled shyly. "Oh, sorry! When I start roasting, I forget everything else. I don't have many hobbies, but I love cooking. Would you like to try my barbecue? It should be pretty good."
The men shook their heads to indicate there was no problem.
However, the large pieces of meat on the grill made them hesitate, as they didn't have their own utensils on hand.
Cain, noticing their discomfort, slapped his forehead and pulled out two sets of tools from his ring, offering them to the men.
Then he cut a golden piece from the juiciest part of the meat and handed it to the man who had said he was hungry.
"Thank you, thank you so much," the man repeated as he took the meat onto his plate.
Unable to hold back any longer, he began eating eagerly.
Cain, for his part, cut another large piece of meat and, noticing the eager look of the other man, offered it to him with his knife.
But for some reason, the meat seemed to be stuck to the knife and wouldn't fall easily.
Growing impatient, the man raised his fork and plate, helping Cain dislodge the meat from the knife.
What he didn't know was that as he did this, a cruel and ruthless smile formed on Cain's face, revealing a cold, murderous determination in his dark eyes.
Finally, the meat came off the knife, but Cain didn't stop his hand's movement, which was already calculated. The knife's blade gleamed under the light, cutting cleanly into the man's artery with deadly precision.
The man's eyes widened, unable to believe that after being alert all this time, just as he relaxed, the knife had turned against him.
Cain thought to himself: One down!
The other man, still chewing his meat, was momentarily paralyzed with surprise. He couldn't believe that the boy, who had seemed so innocent, had attacked his partner like that.
Now, even a fool would realize that the boy before him was the target they had been searching for.
But the surprise lasted only an instant. With incredible speed, the man threw his fork toward Cain, trying to take him down before he could make another move.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. Even the Pokémon didn't have time to react, and since the man hadn't released his own Pokémon, the quickest option was to end Cain directly.
The fork gleamed with a cold glint as it flew straight toward Cain's neck.
The space where the three were was tight, so the fork was about to reach its mark.
As if he had anticipated the move, Cain didn't retreat. Retreating now would only mean throwing himself straight onto the fork.
Using the momentum from his previous movement, Cain leaned forward just a few centimeters, but enough to avoid the fork reaching his neck, hitting his shoulder instead.
Before his brain could register the pain, Cain continued with the movement of his knife.
The other man tried to pull out the fork, but it was too late. Cain's knife had reached his back.
"Smack!"
The six-inch blade sank completely into his back, severing his spine.
"Smack! Smack!"
Both bodies fell to the ground, one after the other.
Thus, the two men who had come looking for Cain lay dead.
Everything had happened in just one or two seconds, so quickly that even Cain's Pokémon hadn't had time to react.
Although they knew these men had come to cause trouble, and were prepared to act as soon as Cain ordered, he had decided to handle the situation himself.
Luckily, the outcome was a success.
(End of chapter)