Chapter 691: League Traitors and the Sinnoh Tournament

"Do you remember the Team Magma member we captured last time at Mt. Chimney?" Steven didn't say anything directly; instead, he posed a question to Cain.

"Yes," Cain nodded.

The name of the person they had captured was Butler, a Team Magma member holding a rank equivalent to that of a Senior Officer.

Although his mind didn't seem entirely stable.

"Then you surely don't know that shortly after Butler was imprisoned by the League, he was killed in prison, do you?" Steven commented as if he were certain Cain hadn't known.

Cain's eyes narrowed slightly before he smiled and said, "No, I didn't know, but I suspected as much."

Without waiting for Steven to ask, Cain continued, "Team Magma is clearly not ready to reveal itself publicly yet, so if one of their members, someone who knows too much, is captured, the upper ranks of Team Magma wouldn't allow them to remain alive."

"From the moment Butler left our hands, if he wasn't interrogated immediately, it was inevitable he'd be killed in prison."

Hearing Cain's analysis, Steven, who had originally intended to refute him, remained silent.

He hadn't thought as deeply as Cain. The day they handed Butler over to Lance, he had thought the matter was resolved.

But of course, Steven was still young and lacked experience, so his perspective wasn't as complete as Cain's.

After all, Cain had lived several lifetimes, and if his age were added up, it would probably rival Steven's father's.

Moreover, having survived the complicated environment of Team Rocket, he'd learned that being cunning was a matter of survival. Otherwise, he'd have died quickly.

"But what does that have to do with me? I suppose that happened quite some time ago, didn't it?" Cain asked.

The League's higher-ups hadn't given much importance to Butler. They considered him merely someone caught by two young trainers, assuming his position in Team Magma wasn't particularly relevant, so they hadn't been in a rush to interrogate him.

However, Team Magma valued him far more. Butler was killed the day after his imprisonment.

"True, that matter is far behind us now. But the fact that someone could silently infiltrate a League prison—no matter how powerful they are—they shouldn't have been able to pull something like that off without internal help," Steven said.

Before he could continue, Cain interjected, "Then there are definitely infiltrators within the League."

"Without their help, even if the intruder had power equivalent to that of an elite-level trainer, they wouldn't have entered the League unnoticed. Unless they forced their way in, which doesn't seem to be the case, because no one would dare do that."

"And given how much time has passed and that you're bringing this up now, it can only mean they've discovered the infiltrators in the League."

"We just became advanced researchers, so I guess this is an exclusive mission given to the two of us, right?"

"To capture the League traitors who escaped?"

Steven listened to Cain's step-by-step deduction, culminating in the mission's main objective, and couldn't help but raise his thumb in admiration. "I expected no less from you, Cain!"

Cain was the only peer of his generation whom Steven respected, and his admiration for him continued to grow.

"So, did you rush me to join you because you've already found leads on these people—or rather, one of them?" Cain continued asking.

"Yes, all the other minor accomplices were captured shortly after the betrayal was uncovered. But one of them, who is quite strong, had prepared in advance and managed to escape. However, their whereabouts were discovered yesterday."

"Where?" Cain pondered for a moment.

"In the Hoenn Desert," Steven replied with a bitter smile, mentioning a location.

Why that expression?

Simply because the Hoenn Desert was vast, and searching for someone there was like finding a needle in a haystack.

That's why Steven had been so eager to bring Cain along, hoping they could capture the fugitive before they got too far.

"Well, they've certainly picked their hiding spot wisely," Cain remarked, showing none of Steven's concern.

Cain had already planned to head to the Hoenn Desert for training, so having this person hiding there didn't change his plans much. Even if it took time to find them, for Cain, it would simply be another form of practice.

"And what's the second matter? It sounds like both are important," Cain asked.

"The first matter is more urgent, but the other one also involves us quite a bit," Steven said as he adjusted his position on the back of his Skarmory. He looked enviously at Cain, who seemed much more comfortable riding his Flygon.

Whether it was Tropius or Flygon, both were much more comfortable than riding a Skarmory.

Why was he stuck riding a Skarmory?

Steven thought he should have someone make a seat or cushion for his Skarmory's back. That would be much more comfortable.

Returning to the topic, Steven saw Cain still looking at him, so he cleared his throat before continuing: "Ahem, well, it's about a tournament being held in the Sinnoh region. They're inviting young trainers from various regions to participate. The two of us will represent the Hoenn region, and apparently, this decision came from the top."

"A tournament in Sinnoh?" Cain looked surprised.

Why was Sinnoh suddenly organizing a tournament for young trainers? Did they want other regions to know about their recent developments, or was there another reason behind it?

"Yes, the Sinnoh Tournament. They say it's to evaluate the next generation of trainers from each region."

"It seems that a few days ago, the League's overall attitude suddenly shifted from a relaxed stance to a much more aggressive one. Many strange orders have been issued in various regions," Steven explained.

Hearing this, Cain raised an eyebrow. He already knew the reason behind it.

Team Rocket had just begun to retreat, but was the League already getting impatient?

This Sinnoh tournament seemed to be a prelude to showing off their power and potential to underground forces and other groups, demonstrating the strength of the League's next generation.

However, if the League had received the information so quickly, it meant Team Rocket wasn't completely secure from within either. Surely, some had already infiltrated key positions.

"When is it?" Cain asked.

"In a month or two. The Sinnoh League is already making preparations, and the other regions are mobilizing as well," Steven replied.

"It seems this mission is also meant to make us progress faster. That person who escaped must be quite strong, right?" Cain speculated.

"They say they're at the level of a maximum advanced trainer, but they've likely hidden some of their strength, so we need to be careful."

After finishing their conversation, the two sat atop their flying Pokémon, heading toward the Hoenn Desert.

Cain still held the small laptop in his hand.

(End of chapter)