"Skye, when you return, start recruiting people. You can use my name, but we don't need those who act one way and then do something else behind our backs." Cain had only this requirement for the people they would recruit in the future.
As for people with a good nature, forget it; once they become trial trainers, people with that kind of personality don't survive long, much less when they enter Team Rocket.
Cain isn't a saint; his subordinates may have their flaws, but the only ones he can't stand are hypocrites, like that miserable worm Soros.
"Understood, Sir Cain." Skye gladly accepted Cain's demand.
Now that he had Soros's Pokémon, he just needed to tame it a bit to gain considerable strength. Plus, with Cain's power, he could confidently recruit those loners.
He felt slightly excited. He hadn't expected that, after this disaster, he wouldn't lose his life and would also obtain a high-quality Pokémon. Over time, he was sure he could surpass Soros.
He gripped Koffing's Poké Ball tightly in his hand, controlling his trembling. Cain seemed to be a leader who didn't fuss over details, so the task of building the organization would fall to him. This would be far more powerful than being Soros's assistant.
However, for now, he didn't dare to entertain any traitorous thoughts. Cain not only had outstanding strength but also immense potential. If he stayed close to him, his position in Team Rocket would rise significantly.
Cain thought for a moment, then tossed Soros's Team Rocket belt to Skye. "Here are all the resources that originally belonged to you. You'll be in charge of keeping them."
Cain wasn't particularly interested in Soros's points, but even small amounts add up. He gave them to Skye as initial funding, to be used efficiently.
Skye looked at Soros's Team Rocket belt with a complicated gaze.
He and Soros had played together since childhood, in a relationship of both friends and rivals. However, luck had always favored Soros, and he had always been one step ahead.
Perhaps due to so much good luck, it only took one stroke of bad luck for him to fall into an abyss from which he couldn't escape. Now he would no longer have anyone to compete against, and his heart was filled with conflicting emotions.
"Well, if you can't complete the mission this time, leave it for now. Your main task now is to tame Koffing. Try to achieve good results in the next trial," Cain said calmly as he looked at Skye.
"I'm going to continue with my mission." With that, Cain headed into the depths of the forest. He wasn't interested in worrying about how Skye and Fox would return, or whether they would do so safely.
If they didn't even have the ability to survive in the wild, then Cain would have misjudged them.
As Cain walked away, Murkrow and Slowpoke followed closely. They didn't question why he hadn't eliminated the two people who had originally planned to attack him. That was Cain's decision, and as his Pokémon, they didn't question such things.
Fox, seeing Cain's figure disappear into the forest, exhaled a long sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground, not caring that there was a corpse nearby.
Although Cain seemed easy to deal with, he generated immense pressure. Especially with the two corpses still on the ground, reminding him of what had just happened.
Cain didn't have high expectations for Skye and Fox. This act was merely an experiment. If it worked, it would be a gain, and if it failed, it didn't matter much, as it was only a dark yellow-quality Pokémon. After all, this was only on the Trial Island.
"It's really annoying; we've veered off the path again," Cain murmured with a wry smile.
Earlier, to confront Soros and the others, he had strayed from his original route, leading them through this grassy field and using the terrain to defeat them one by one, as well as recruiting two new subordinates.
"I have no other choice. Slowpoke, use Teleport to get back on the path," Cain said, realizing the situation.
Fortunately, he had Slowpoke, which meant that even if he veered off, he could use Teleport to return to the correct path.
"Sloooow~~" Slowpoke didn't react much. After all, it was just another use of the Teleport move.
Its eyes shone with a blue light, enveloping Cain and Murkrow, and in an instant, they vanished from the spot.
Upon opening his eyes again, they were back on the original path.
"It's a really useful move. Well done, Slowpoke!" Slowpoke's Teleport was an invaluable move for survival in the wild, useful for both advancing and escaping.
However, the Teleport move has its limitations. The first is that it can't cover too long a distance; the range depends on the Pokémon's psychic strength. The stronger the Pokémon, the further it can travel.
The second limitation is that it can't teleport to unknown places. It can only move to locations it has visited and has a clear memory of.
The third limitation is that during the use of Teleport, there should be no psychic interference; otherwise, it could cause spatial distortion, making it end up in an unexpected place.
In fact, there's a fourth limitation: the greater the distance, the longer it takes to prepare the move.
This makes sense, as selecting the correct point among various coordinates containing psychic energy takes time.
Observing the familiar path and known surroundings, Cain couldn't help but laugh. It seemed he would have to walk it again.
Fortunately, he hadn't gone back to the place where he first met Slowpoke, but to the point he had just left.
Since he had traveled this path before and knew what awaited him, Cain quickened his pace. According to the map, there was still a long way to the mission's destination.
According to the map's directions, Cain had to pass through several Pokémon territories before reaching the mission site.
Continuing on his path, the first territory he would reach was that of the Scyther.
Cain had always had a certain fascination with Scyther. If he had the chance and found one of good quality, he'd consider capturing it.
Although Scyther doesn't have a direct evolution but only a branching evolution into Scizor, which gains metal armor, it doesn't improve in terms of overall stats. It simply transforms its speed into physical defense, shifting from an assassin to an excellent warrior.
However, according to Cain's memories, Scizor can Mega Evolve, which would mean a big boost in its power.
As he neared the Scyther territory, Cain couldn't help but feel a slight anticipation.
(End of Chapter)