In the third round of the tournament, although the opponents were slightly stronger than in the previous two rounds, Cain had made significant progress.
Once again, he used Swampert as his main Pokémon in battle. His opponent had evidently researched Cain thoroughly, knowing that Cain was a Gym Leader specializing in Water-type Pokémon.
Based on previous battles, they also assumed that Cain would use Water-type Pokémon again, as he had previously sent out Swampert and Poliwhirl. Therefore, the rival prepared two Grass-type Pokémon for the battle.
However, no matter how much they planned their strategy, they hadn't anticipated that in just a week, Cain would have managed to get Swampert to reach the advanced level. Additionally, Cain had trained Swampert to face opponents with higher levels than his own, overcoming them with advanced techniques and refined strategies.
Despite the type disadvantage, Swampert's skills and experience made defeating those two Pokémon relatively easy.
Swampert's combined moves were now more fluid and effective, demonstrating absolute control in battle. Thus, the third round concluded quickly with Cain's victory.
After this battle, instead of returning to the rented mansion on the outskirts of Hearthome City with Steven and the others, Cain decided to continue exploring the mysterious island in Lake Verity.
Using Slowking's Teleport move, Cain returned to the island. There, the strength of the wild Pokémon forced him to proceed slowly.
Sometimes, a single encounter with a powerful Pokémon could extend for hours, significantly limiting the area he could explore in one day. Occasionally, it wasn't even a lone Pokémon; facing a small group would make retreat the only viable option.
Learning from his previous experience, Cain decided to be better prepared for this expedition. He brought with him a large backpack with spare clothes, medicines, and compressed food.
Using Slowking's Teleport move, he left these supplies in a safe hiding spot inside a tree hollow they had found earlier. This allowed him to ensure at least basic necessities and a safe refuge while continuing his exploration.
From that starting point, Cain began to map the island in detail, exploring in various directions. Fortunately, there were no large colonies of extremely strong Pokémon; most seemed to act alone.
Even when they appeared in groups, they rarely exceeded three Pokémon together. It seemed that the island itself imposed a natural limit on the size of Pokémon groups.
Cain moved forward with patience and caution, establishing a steady pace.
This mysterious island had no time limits or interference from other trainers, allowing him to train and explore at his own pace. However, it also presented a constant challenge, as the Pokémon on the island were incredibly strong, keeping him on high alert at all times.
The progress in his Pokémon's moves and levels was noticeable, but time was running out. Cain knew he could only take advantage of this training opportunity until the 128 finalists of the tournament were decided.
Once the more advanced elimination rounds began, he would have to focus exclusively on the tournament.
A week later, Cain briefly left the island to participate in the fourth and fifth rounds of the tournament, returning to the island immediately afterward.
During this time, he had barely managed to explore a quarter of the island's territory, despite increasing his pace with the improvements in Slowking's and the other Pokémon's abilities.
Despite the progress, Cain still hadn't discovered what the Unown's final objective on the island was or what they expected him to do. However, when the tournament reached the stage of the top 128, Cain had no choice but to temporarily leave the island to concentrate on the competition.
In the preliminary rounds, almost all of the trainers selected as "seeds" managed to advance, except for a few unlucky ones who faced each other too soon.
In addition to these selected trainers, there was also a considerable number of trainers who, although they did not have the official backing of their regions, had stood out because of their talent and determination.
However, Cain knew that among these participants, there was always the possibility that some were undercover members of underground organizations.
These infiltrators, usually from small or medium-sized groups, tried to stand out in the tournament to gain recognition from the regional leagues and establish themselves in the elite.
Despite these attempts, Cain was confident that the alliances of the main regions, now more determined than ever to maintain stability, would eventually identify and eliminate these infiltrators.
Finally, Cain left the island and returned to Hearthome City with a flawless appearance, wearing a new League Investigator uniform. With the help of Slowking, he arrived just in time for the opening of the final eliminations.
When Cain entered the room reserved for the Hoenn League representatives, everyone else was already present.
The ten trainers selected as Hoenn representatives had all managed to advance without exception, which proved that the "random assignments" of the matchups weren't so random after all.
Among those present was Cain's mentor, Matsuda Takashi, who was also the team leader.
Cain knew how much his mentor had supported him, even getting involved in the political and strategic matters of the League, something he himself usually avoided. Cain's gratitude and respect for his mentor were profound.
"You arrived just in time. If you had been late, you would've been disqualified, even though you're one of the selected," said the elderly Matsuda, with a mix of reproach and affection.
Cain, relieved but slightly uncomfortable, replied: "There was a small delay on the way. By the way, Master, what brings you here? Weren't you busy with your research?"
The elderly Matsuda, without hiding his pride, looked at his student with a stern but warm gaze.
Cain knew that everything he had achieved so far was, in large part, thanks to the unconditional support of his mentor. That's why he was determined not to disappoint him, neither in the tournament nor in his future as a trainer and leader.
(End of chapter)