"Fairy? Fairy type?" Sycamore's voice trembled slightly.
"A new type?" After a moment, Sycamore's voice began to calm down.
"Yes, the Fairy type. I discovered that among the moves Florges can learn, many aren't registered or correspond to any known type. After conducting my tests, I confirmed that this constitutes a completely new type, because it meets all the necessary characteristics to be considered its own type," explained Cain with a confident expression.
That confidence was understandable. This type would eventually be discovered; Cain had simply accelerated the process by a few years.
"Could you talk about the characteristics of this type?" asked Sycamore.
This touched on a crucial point in anyone's research. Sycamore, realizing what he had just said, quickly reacted: "Sorry, I was being hasty."
Sycamore then turned his gaze to the old Matsuda.
At that moment, old Matsuda had just recovered from the shock. He immediately tried to appear calm, adopting an attitude that seemed to say, "He's my apprentice, I know him well, and it's all thanks to my excellent teaching."
The people around him couldn't help but sweat at his reaction.
No one was blind; everyone had clearly seen how old Matsuda had behaved a moment ago. However, since he held the highest rank among them, no one dared say anything.
"Um, in that case, let's call an emergency meeting. Cain, explain this later. This matter has far-reaching implications," said the old Matsuda, clearing his throat to hide his discomfort and adopting a serious tone.
Discovering a new type would be a monumental event for the entire Pokémon League.
Talking about something so important in a place like this didn't do justice to the topic.
However, the old Matsuda and Sycamore knew what they were doing. They understood that something of this magnitude needed to be presented to a broader group, at least with the presence of recognized experts as witnesses.
Soon, both of their communication devices began to ring non-stop. Meanwhile, Steven and the others finally had the chance to speak with Cain.
The trainers sitting in front of them, like Diantha and her group, were equally surprised. Although they had already suspected something, they hadn't taken any action because the implications of all this were simply too vast.
"Cain, is what you're saying true? Does a new type really exist?" asked Phoebe, sitting next to Cain, her large eyes filled with curiosity.
Cain nodded with a smile.
It wasn't that they doubted Cain, but the concept was truly mind-blowing.
"Incredible, Cain, simply incredible!" Steven, unsure of what else to say, gave a thumbs-up in approval.
He remembered the first time he met Cain. They were in a magnetic train car in Johto. Back then, Steven had just thought Cain was a young man with potential, someone you could converse with, but clearly less talented than himself.
However, as they got to know each other better, Steven's opinion of Cain changed again and again, until he admitted that Cain was a genius even surpassing himself.
If it weren't for the support of the Stone family and Devon Corporation, Steven probably wouldn't have been able to surpass Cain.
"It's so frustrating. Besides money, I'm worth nothing," Steven thought to himself.
Cain was certainly a great challenge for his generation's peers.
It was like everyone had been quietly studying in elementary school, competing for the best grades, and suddenly someone announced, "I've already finished learning everything from university on my own, and now I'm preparing for graduate studies."
What an impact!
Meanwhile, the battles continued, and some trainers went out to compete. However, most had stopped paying attention.
After all, it was only the top 16 stage. For the trainers sitting next to Cain, reaching that stage wasn't a challenge.
After overcoming the initial discomfort, Diantha and her group began to interact more with Cain and his friends.
Both groups quickly found common ground. However, none of them asked again about the Fairy type; they knew the information would be officially revealed later.
Suddenly, Cain felt a cold and penetrating gaze directed at him from behind.
While conversing, he slightly turned his head, enough to notice, out of the corner of his eye, a figure dressed in red leaning against a nearby wall.
It was Malva, who would later become the Elite Four of Fire-type Pokémon from the Kalos region.
Although at this moment Malva was a promising competitor from Kalos, she wasn't among the most prominent trainers like Diantha and the others. Her talent was slightly inferior.
She had been eliminated in the top 32.
Cain wasn't sure if she had already made contact with Team Flare. If she had, he had to admit that including her in the list of competitors probably cost them quite a bit of effort.
However, for now, Cain decided not to worry about her. His priority was securing recognition for his discovery of the Fairy type.
With his current level of strength, and considering that neither Team Aqua nor Team Magma had emerged in Hoenn yet, Cain had some capacity for self-protection.
Being the discoverer of the Fairy type could bring him significant benefits.
After a while, the old Matsuda and Sycamore returned hurriedly. It seemed they had finished making calls and notifying key figures in the League.
Now, it was up to them to manage the situation.
"Cain, come. Let's move to a different location to talk," said the old Matsuda as soon as he entered.
Without waiting for a response, he turned around and left. Sycamore had the same intention.
Cain exchanged a glance with Steven, somewhat confused, but followed the old Matsuda.
Diantha and the others looked at each other before deciding to follow them.
Even Malva, who had been silently watching, hesitated for a moment before joining the group.
The lounge was now empty except for the trainers who had to prepare for the next battle.
As they left, a group of people dressed as staff members was already waiting for them at the door.
Guided by them, they arrived at a large meeting room, with a huge table in the center. It was the main meeting room of the Sinnoh Tournament stadium, reserved for official discussions.
Soon, more people entered carrying computers and projectors. Holographic images began to appear in the room.
Cain recognized some of the people projected, while others were unknown to him.
However, the fact that many of those present were high-ranking members of the League was evident.
Not just from one region, but from the entire League in general.
Cain hadn't expected the announcement of his discovery to bring together so many important figures.
This was partly because the old Matsuda had ensured that what Cain was saying was highly probable.
In other words, the Fairy type would indeed be officially presented that day. That's why many high-ranking officials wanted to be present to witness this historic event.
(End of chapter)