Just as Steven and the others were still reflecting on what Cain had said, the battle between Lance and Lorelei had already begun.
Ice-type moves counter Dragon-type Pokémon. Before the appearance of the Fairy type, this was practically the only way to deal with Dragon-type Pokémon. Therefore, as an Ice-type Elite Four, Lorelei had a certain advantage in terms of attributes.
But in reality, this advantage was far greater than many imagined, because Lance's Pokémon were either Dragon-type or Flying-type, and he even had Dragonite, which was both Dragon-type and Flying-type. Precisely because of this, although Lorelei was inferior to Lance in raw strength, she always managed to cause him enormous trouble.
Since this battle had a slightly exhibition-like nature, the practical 6v6 battle format was not used. Instead, a full 1v1 team battle mode was adopted.
Each side could use up to six Pokémon, and the side whose six Pokémon lost the ability to fight would be declared the loser.
This format was, to date, the most widely accepted and also the most appreciated. Although it did not allow one to display their full strength, it was more than sufficient.
The Leagues of each region organized competitions of various sizes almost every year, and according to the trainers' strength, they were divided into different categories.
But regardless of the level, something like today had never been seen: a battle between trainers with Elite Four–level strength.
Precisely because the Kanto region had been divided into Kanto and Johto, an event of such magnitude made it possible to witness so many battles at this level.
This was also one of the main reasons why so many spectators had traveled from different regions.
The battle between Lance and Lorelei was spectacular, clearly demonstrating the strength an Elite Four–level trainer should possess.
Both of them knew each other extremely well, so the battle flowed without pauses or hesitation, countering every move of the opponent with another, causing the audience to shout in excitement.
Just as Cain had said, when Lorelei fought against Lance, she would not hold back, and neither would Lance. If Lance were to lose on purpose, their relationship would never be repaired, and moreover, under everyone's gaze, he would not allow such a thing to happen.
Therefore, although the battle was thrilling, the result did not hold too many surprises.
In the end, Lance emerged victorious, though it was a very narrow victory. He lost five Pokémon and only managed to turn the tide thanks to Dragonite.
Lorelei showed no particular reaction to the defeat. After recalling her Pokémon, she headed straight to the Pokémon Center.
The spectators, on the other hand, were thoroughly satisfied. For many of them, this kind of battle was something they were probably seeing for the first time in their lives.
Although Lance won, the audience gained a much deeper understanding of the strength of both, and no one criticized Lorelei for losing.
On the contrary, their battle became the benchmark for this round of challenges: only with such strength could one be called an Elite Four and bear that title.
Since Lorelei had taken her Pokémon to the Pokémon Center and had already fought once, the host skipped her directly.
Next came the turn of the members from the Johto region.
The first was the Poison-type Elite Four, Koga, who held the first position. A former Gym Leader of Fuchsia City and also a ninja, he enjoyed considerable fame.
Koga took the microphone from the host and swept his gaze across the various VIP rooms.
He would not choose to challenge Agatha or Bruno, as his chances of victory were not high, and to a certain extent, he would not be able to properly showcase his own strength.
Winning or losing was not the most important thing, so he also would not choose someone with no fame at all.
In the end, his gaze settled on the VIP room representing the Hoenn region, where Cain was watching the ceremony.
"Although I am a ninja, I also spend a lot of time on the internet. I must admit that I am a great admirer of the famous Sandstorm Elite Four, so I hope to be able to challenge the Hoenn Elite Four, Cain, here, as a good beginning to my tenure as an Elite Four," Koga said, holding the microphone.
It was hard to imagine that the usually taciturn and serious Koga would say such flattering words on such an occasion.
But this ceremony allowed anyone in the stands to be chosen as the challenged party.
Of course, the challenged person also had the right to refuse.
Upon hearing Cain's name, the crowd erupted into cheers and shouts, chanting his name incessantly.
As the Sandstorm Elite Four of Hoenn, Cain was different from Lance and Lorelei: he had a truly famous battle, the confrontation against the Black Messenger on a small island outside Hoenn.
Red sand covering the sky, the island shattered—these were all his achievements.
Unfortunately, due to the enormous destruction caused by the battle, no one was able to observe it up close, which gave internet haters something to cling to as they criticized him endlessly.
Koga's challenge to Cain meant that, at last, they would be able to see a Cain battle in person, at close range.
Cain was not particularly surprised to hear the challenge.
After all, he and Koga had a verbal cooperation agreement, and even if Koga had not challenged him, Cain estimated that one of the other three would eventually do so.
Inside Mt. Silver, Alexandra had told him that the Black Messenger of the Sacred Church had already been chosen again, and that he would see him at this ceremony.
Although there were a great many people present, by eliminating possibilities, Cain was able to narrow the range almost certainly down to the four new Elite Four members of Johto.
Koga, who held the identity of a high-ranking member of Team Rocket, was not outside his suspicions; that is, there was also the possibility that he had been tempted by the Sacred Church.
Even so, Koga was the least likely one. What worried Cain far more was the last one, the woman dressed in white whom he had never heard of: Irene.
Amid the encouragement of Steven and the others, Cain appeared in the stadium and took his place in front of the already prepared Koga.
The cheers of the crowd did not stop for even a second after Cain's appearance, though both combatants deliberately ignored them.
Cain's impression of Koga's strength dated back to the battle Koga had fought against Lance during the challenge for the Elite Four title.
However, Cain knew that had not been Koga's true strength; it remained to be seen how much he would reveal today.
They looked into each other's eyes, and both sensed a meaning difficult to describe.
Two high-ranking members of Team Rocket, fighting in a ceremony organized by the League, under the identity of Elite Four—without a doubt, it was a very strange scene.
"Elite Four Cain, I ask that you be merciful."
In terms of age, Koga was older than Cain, but when speaking of time as an Elite Four, Cain was the veteran.
(End of chapter)