The last one remaining was the woman dressed in white named Irene. Among all the people present, she was the one Cain paid the most attention to.
A woman who specialized in using Steel-type Pokémon; to be honest, from the moment she appeared, Cain had not stopped reviewing in his mind whether there was anyone similar to her.
But, unfortunately, in the end he had no impression at all. Neither in the League, nor in Team Rocket, nor in any other force was there someone like her.
Originally, he had planned to take advantage of her challenge to observe what her true strength really was, but, against all expectations, she gave up this round of challenges.
Under the regret-filled gazes of the audience, this division ceremony came to an imperfect closing.
Even so, no one doubted the strength of the Johto region's Elite Four anymore. After all, whether it was Koga, Will, or Karen, they had all demonstrated strength sufficient to occupy that position, so by mental inertia, people also assumed that Irene was likewise qualified to be an Elite Four member.
She simply had not displayed her strength; in the future, there would always be opportunities to see it.
As the spectators slowly left the venue, the people who had arrived from various regions gathered inside Mt. Silver, in a special hall.
At this moment, it was the Elite Four member Agatha who was explaining to everyone the place they would be heading to this time and the various points they needed to pay attention to.
"Before you arrived, the presidents or champions of your respective regions should already have given you a basic introduction and warned you about the necessary precautions, so this old woman won't beat around the bush. I'll go straight to what concerns you the most and what you must take most seriously."
"First: As soon as midnight passes today, the spatial energy will be at its weakest point. This phenomenon will last an entire month. So, from now until midnight, this is your last chance to recover. Trainers who have just fought have the support of Miss Joy and specialized teams; if you want to recover, do it as soon as possible."
"Second: Don't think that just because the spatial energy weakens for a month, you'll be able to enter and leave at will. That's impossible. Each activation and deactivation of this device consumes enormous resources, so no one will be able to open or close it. Once inside, you must remain for a full five months before you can leave."
"Third: This is a special stone linked to the teleporter. If you wish to return alive, take good care of it. Because it emits strong spatial energy fluctuations, it cannot be stored in a warehouse; you must protect it carefully."
"Lastly, as final advice from a veteran: once inside, in addition to being careful of wild Pokémon, you must also be careful of the... people around you."
"Don't think I'm trying to sow discord; I'm simply giving you this final warning as someone older."
After saying that, the Elite Four Agatha closed her eyes and sat back in her seat, as if the rest had little to do with her anymore.
Cain said nothing and, together with Steven, Wallace, and Phoebe, headed toward the rear, where the Miss Joys were prepared to help them treat their Pokémon.
Their Pokémon had only suffered stamina loss and had no serious injuries. In fact, after recovering, Blaziken would soon be able to complete its breakthrough and enter the Champion level.
While Miss Joy was attending to Cain's Pokémon, he also had a few things he wanted to say to the other three.
"It's no longer just a veteran warning us to be careful of the trainers around us. That means there must be enormous benefits inside—big enough for some people to abandon their humanity."
"Don't think I'm exaggerating. For example, your Shiny Metagross, Steven, is an irresistible prize in the eyes of many. Don't forget that among those entering this time, you're not the only one who's good at using Steel-type Pokémon."
Cain was giving them his final warning.
Hearing this, Steven frowned unconsciously. By nature, he didn't like to maliciously speculate about others' intentions or morality. But he also couldn't deny that Cain was right; reality was exactly as he said.
"We've come this far, and we're no longer the naïve kids we used to be. During this time, the missions I've completed are far more than you imagine," Steven replied, implying that there wasn't too much to worry about.
Cain nodded.
Whether it was Steven, Wallace, or Phoebe, in the future they all had the potential to become champions or members of the Hoenn Elite Four. Although their mindset was not yet as mature as it would be then, they were no longer children who could be easily deceived.
"There's another point to consider," Cain added. "I suspect that among the people entering this time, there is at least one member of the Sacred Church, and perhaps even more. That's why I suggest that before all of us gather together, you don't make contact lightly with others, especially people we don't know."
"The Sacred Church has already infiltrated to this extent?" Even Wallace's usually flirtatious face turned serious.
In just one year, this Sacred Church organization, which had suddenly appeared, seemed to be everywhere.
Only when its members came to light did people realize that around them, one person after another had been hiding—people who had been brainwashed by the church.
Whether it was the former Kanto League, the Hoenn League, or those of other regions like Sinnoh or Unova, all the Leagues, even if they didn't say it openly, were secretly investigating whether there were Sacred Church members infiltrated within their ranks.
For a time, this caused internal panic in all the Leagues, to the point that many people couldn't work with peace of mind.
"My father has also asked me to pay special attention to this sudden church. If they stayed hidden until now and have chosen to appear, their objective is certainly not simple," Steven said, nodding.
Cain nodded as well. Regarding such an organization, he himself had no clear information either.
"One last point," Cain continued. "Although the probability is low, we can't rule it out: we must guard against the possibility that there are still people inside who participated in the same event in the past. Five years outside is equivalent to twenty-five years inside. It's not that those inside have no chance of surviving."
"And after such a long time, if they really are still alive, their strength might be beyond what we can imagine. Those people are the ones we truly need to fear."
"They might not kill just for the sake of killing, but in order to return to the Pokémon world, they will certainly try to seize the spatial stones we carry. So... if you encounter them, one word: run!"
"Run without hesitation—the faster, the better!"
"Otherwise, the best-case scenario would be ending up like them: living twenty-five years inside, and upon returning to the Pokémon world, discovering that only five years have passed outside, but you are twenty years older than your companions. I'm sure none of us could accept something like that."
At this point, both Cain and the other three wore grave expressions, as if they were already seeing that scene materialize before their eyes.
(End of chapter)