Cain observed the young man in front of him, named Takuya Imamura, for a moment before smiling and saying, "Alright, but first I want to see your TM for the move Flamethrower."
At the same time, a cold spark flashed in his eyes. If they weren't on a ship, Cain might have lost his composure upon seeing someone coveting his Pokémon.
Hearing Cain's acceptance, Takuya Imamura immediately felt delighted, not considering at all whether he had a one hundred percent chance of defeating Cain. He was just an ordinary trainer; how many resources could he possibly have to train his Pokémon?
Besides, his jacket was that of a beginner-level trainer, which indicated that, at best, his level was also that of a beginner trainer.
He himself had already defeated several beginner-level trainers, and, moreover, this time he had a new Pokémon with a certain type advantage. He was determined to take the risk.
In the Trainer League, attire is an important symbol. If you're at a beginner trainer level, you wouldn't wear a regular trainer's clothes, and if you're at an intermediate trainer level, you wouldn't wear beginner attire.
It's a matter of prestige; the stronger you are, the more respect you get according to the level of your clothing. The opposite is also true: a beginner trainer wouldn't wear intermediate-level attire, as if they did and challenged someone, they'd end up being ridiculed for their arrogance if they lost.
Therefore, a trainer's clothing generally reflects their level. In Cain's case, although he hasn't reached the intermediate trainer level, he's much stronger than the average beginner trainer.
At the very least, if Cain fought ten beginner-level trainers from the League in the wild, he could beat them all. If the battle were indoors, he could defeat at least three, without taking any damage.
Cain wore the League's beginner trainer attire simply for convenience. At the very least, with that clothing, the chances of a police officer stopping him on the street were nearly zero, as long as he didn't look too suspicious.
Takuya Imamura, realizing he didn't have the TM for Flamethrower, felt distressed. He knew this was an opportunity to obtain a shiny Pokémon; if he missed it, he would surely regret it later.
He immediately started searching for his two friends, finally finding them in a corner of the crowd. "Wait a moment, I'll be right back," he said quickly as he went to fetch them, leading them to a secluded corner.
At that moment, an elderly man dressed in simple, even somewhat worn clothes, with completely white hair and thick bottle-bottom glasses, approached Cain and spoke to him in a low voice: "Young man, this isn't right for you. Even if the other guy has the TM for Flamethrower, it's not worth what your Pokémon is worth."
"Besides, they're kids from wealthy families; you should leave before they come back. Go back to your room and hide. You just have to wait until the ship reaches port."
Although his voice was low, Cain sensed that the old man had a lot of energy, but he was intentionally speaking in a low tone so no one else would hear.
"I see your Slowpoke is well trained. It must have been eating at least advanced-level Pokéblocks, with many other nutritional supplements. You're not lacking in money, so it would be better to avoid trouble and leave. Listen to this old man," the elder added before Cain could respond.
Cain was surprised, as the elder had accurately identified that Slowpoke was consuming advanced-level Pokéblocks. For someone who appeared to be a civilian, using intermediate-level Pokéblocks would already be a luxury.
The elder even noted that Slowpoke had been consuming other supplements, which was true; Cain had given it Miltank milk, nothing more.
An elder with this kind of knowledge could only be a Slowpoke researcher, knowing so much about them that he could determine its diet just by observing it.
However, Cain was more inclined to believe that this elder was at least an advanced breeder, and not only that, but one with a lot of experience. Otherwise, he wouldn't have such a sharp eye.
But an advanced breeder dressed so poorly? Aren't breeders supposed to be wealthy?
As these thoughts crossed Cain's mind in an instant, he set aside his curiosity and smiled, saying, "Don't worry, sir. He's no match for me. I need that TM."
Cain had already planned to buy a Flamethrower TM for Slowpoke, but he couldn't do it before due to a lack of money. Now, a fool had come to offer it.
Why was he so sure Takuya Imamura wouldn't be a match for him? Because when he passed by Takuya earlier, Cain used his system to scan the data of the Pokémon in Takuya's Pokéball and confirm its level.
It was an Electric-type Pokémon, so Takuya thought that with it, he'd have a sure win against Slowpoke. However, Cain knew that while Slowpoke is a Water-type, it's also a Psychic-type, and he had a strategy prepared against Electric-type Pokémon.
In general, type advantages often determine victory, but it also depends on the trainer's skill. If both trainers are at the same level and their Pokémon are equally trained, then yes, the type advantage could be decisive. But that doesn't apply when facing a spoiled young man who only relies on resources.
"Ah..." The elder sighed upon hearing Cain's response. He knew he wouldn't be able to persuade him.
He looked at Cain once more, and seeing the confidence in his eyes, he seemed to remember someone he knew. He was stunned for a few seconds, and when Cain looked back at him, the elder shook his head slightly and walked away from the crowd.
He was no longer interested in watching the battle. He had advised Cain out of professional habit.
Cain watched the elder walk away, frowning, with dark thoughts crossing his eyes. Just as the elder turned around, Cain instinctively used his system to scan the data of the three Pokémon in the elder's Pokéballs.
That elder was definitely an advanced breeder! And one with extraordinary strength!
This he knew from the Pokémon the elder carried with him.
(End of Chapter)