"Boss!" Brad exclaimed respectfully.
A sincere reverence could be heard in his voice and seen in his expression, along with a joy that was impossible to hide.
The psychic seed caused its bearer, to a certain extent, to develop an even greater reverence toward its owner. After all, as long as that seed existed, it was impossible to harbor ill intentions toward Cain.
The reason Brad managed to stop himself in time was not only because he recognized Cain's voice, but also because he felt a sudden pressure in his head.
A belated fear arose in his heart. If he really had attacked Cain just now, he probably would have suffered the inhuman punishment of the psychic seed, or even exploded and died on the spot.
Cain was very satisfied with Brad's attitude. After all, he had even handed over a Hydreigon, something that had pained him to lose. He had no intention of accepting as a subordinate an idiot who did not know his limits.
However, at that moment Cain's attention was not on Brad, but on a middle-aged woman who was still watching him with extreme caution.
She still retained a certain charm. It was easy to imagine that in her youth she must have been a beauty, though unfortunately the best years of her life had been wasted in such a monotonous and danger-filled place.
In a sense... she could still be considered a "maiden," just with a few more years on her.
She was not as disheveled as Brad had been when Cain first found him. At the very least, her clothing was normal. Although somewhat faded from washing, it showed no major differences, indicating that she was someone who took fairly good care of her daily life.
Surely her spatial storage equipment had not been looted, and as a woman, she usually carried quite a lot of clothing with her.
According to what Cain knew about Phoebe, Cynthia, and Diantha, it was said that at least half of the space in their storage equipment was reserved exclusively for clothing.
Sometimes, even for someone like Cain, who had lived three lives, the thoughts of these women were still impossible to understand.
It was a pity that this woman's clothing could only be appreciated by the wild Pokémon of the area.
Cain's appearance and Brad's words did not make her lower her guard. Although she stopped adopting an offensive stance, the Pokémon at her side remained on high alert.
Her gaze swept over Cain's body for a moment, before fixing firmly on Darkrai, who was standing behind him.
Since he had come to recruit subordinates, Cain had no objection to giving them a display of power from the very beginning. And Darkrai was undoubtedly the most intimidating Pokémon he had on hand at the moment.
Beside the woman stood a Bellossom. Although delicate in appearance, it did not seem weak at all; its gaze was even sharp.
If anyone underestimated it based solely on its looks, they would surely pay a heavy price.
At that moment, Bellossom was observing Darkrai with extreme caution. From it, she perceived an intense threat, one that could not be measured simply by aura or level.
Bellossom felt that if she made even the slightest reckless move, what awaited her would be a storm of attacks impossible to withstand.
The woman, who had been with Bellossom for so long, clearly perceived the fear hidden beneath its stubborn facade. It was exactly the same fear she herself felt at that moment.
Someone capable of commanding a Darkrai that had already surpassed the first threshold of the champion level was definitely not an ordinary person.
Moreover, the woman had a strong feeling that if she did not give a satisfactory answer that day, that place could become her grave.
Involuntarily, she began to regret having accepted Brad's proposal to come and meet this so-called "Boss."
However, the temptation to return to the Pokémon world was too great. So great that she was willing to risk her life just to meet this "Boss" Brad spoke of.
The facts showed that this Boss's strength was terrifying. Perhaps he truly could take them out of that damned continent.
"Bo... Boss..." After a long silence, the woman finally spoke in a soft voice.
Those words symbolized her surrender, her resolve, and the danger she perceived in Cain.
Upon hearing the word "Boss," Cain's expression immediately changed. He revealed an apparently kind smile, and the woman felt as if she had gone from a frigid winter into a warm spring.
The pressure she had felt earlier, coming from both Cain and Darkrai, had been completely real. At that moment, her clearest thought had been that if she did not yield, Darkrai really would attack.
"Boss, she is Catherine, formerly..." Brad tried to introduce the woman, but Cain interrupted him by raising his hand.
Cain observed Brad's stiffness and somewhat forced respect, then looked at the Bellossom beside him.
The data of Bellossom had already appeared before Cain's eyes.
Pokémon: Bellossom (Light Purple)
Gender: Female
Level: 83
Type: Grass
Ability: Chlorophyll
Held Item: Miracle Seed
Egg Moves: Synthesis, Ingrain, Teeter Dance, Nature Power
Basic Moves: Absorb, Growth, Sweet Scent, Acid, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Mega Drain, Lucky Chant, Moonlight, Giga Drain, Toxic, Natural Gift, Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Razor Leaf, Leaf Blade, Sunny Day, Quiver Dance, Petal Blizzard, Petal Dance, Leaf Storm
Learned Moves: Snore, Laser Focus, Gastro Acid, After You, Uproar, Drain Punch, Seed Bomb, Worry Seed
TM Moves: Protect, Safeguard, Solar Beam, Attract, Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Substitute
Overall, the data of this Bellossom was quite good, both in terms of training and from any other angle.
The reason Cain interrupted Brad was simple: he had no interest in that woman's past. After having left the Pokémon world for so long, her former identity no longer had any value to Cain... and probably not to her either.
The only thing that mattered was how much help she could offer Cain.
"There's no need to tell me her past. Compared to that, I'm much more interested in knowing her current strength, her goals, or her aspirations. Those are what truly matter to her now," Cain said with a smile.
Brad, respectful, said nothing more. He had already done his part. From there on, everything depended on Cain's decision... or on how Catherine performed.
Seeing Brad's extremely respectful attitude toward Cain, Catherine's wariness grew even stronger.
However, the temptation to return to the Pokémon world was something she could not evade.
"Boss... can you... really take us back to the Pokémon world?" she asked slowly.
Before arriving on the continent, Catherine and her companions had racked their brains just to get in. But after spending twenty-five years inside, Catherine felt she was on the verge of collapse.
Now she had only one thought: return to the Pokémon world... or die. She was not willing to keep waiting.
"Yes," Cain replied with absolute firmness, looking straight into her eyes.
In Catherine's gaze, small sparks of hope began to shine because of those words.
(End of chapter)