Cain's revelation about the Fairy type marked a turning point in the Grand Sinnoh Tournament. Although this event was just one episode within the larger competition, its impact echoed so strongly that it shook the entire Pokémon League.
The representatives from the Hoenn League and the Kalos region who witnessed Cain's presentation on the Fairy type were visibly unsettled.
Some competitors, affected by the news, appeared distracted during their battles. There were even those who nearly lost matches they were expected to win with ease.
The discovery of the Fairy type was a particularly harsh blow for trainers who specialized in Dragon, Dark, and Fighting types.
What worried the League the most was how this new type countered Dragon types (although its immunity had not yet been explained—something that would be addressed later).
The Pokémon League has many trainers specialized in the Dragon type. Although raising such Pokémon is difficult, once they reach their full potential, no one can deny that their capabilities far surpass those of other types.
The discovery of the Fairy type, while beneficial for the development of the Pokémon world as a whole, represented a heavy blow to Dragon-type trainers.
The dominance of Dragon types was beginning to crumble, leveling the playing field for all Pokémon.
At first, the League decided not to make this information public, sharing it only among the high-ranking officials so they could prepare accordingly.
Later, the competitors selected for the Grand Sinnoh Tournament were also informed about the Fairy type.
For most, this news didn't have a major impact, but for Dragon, Dark, and Fighting type trainers, facing participants from Kalos or Cain became a real concern.
Despite the confusion generated, the battle day came to an end, and the list of the sixteen finalists didn't hold too many surprises for Cain.
The sixteen finalists were:
Kanto and Johto Regions: Lorelei, Will, Clair
Hoenn Region: Steven, Cain, Wallace, Phoebe
Sinnoh Region: Cynthia, Lucian, Flint, Volkner
Unova Region: Shauntal, Caitlin
Kalos Region: Diantha, Drasna, Siebold
Of the sixteen competitors, most would go on to become Champions or Elite Four members in their respective regions in the future.
For example, although Clair from Johto and Volkner from Sinnoh would not become part of the Elite Four, this didn't mean they lacked skill. In many cases, securing a position in the Elite Four didn't depend solely on the trainer's talent.
Clair, whose full name is Clair Drako, is Lance's cousin and a direct member of the Drako family.
Unlike Lance, who grew up in Kanto, Clair was born and raised in Blackthorn City.
When Lance became the Champion of Johto, the League deemed it too risky to allow another member of the Drako family to join the Elite Four, as that would concentrate too much power in a single family.
Moreover, Clair was significantly younger than Lance. When he attained the Champion title, Clair was still developing her skills and hadn't yet reached the level needed to join the Elite Four.
As for Volkner, the future Gym Leader of Sunyshore City in Sinnoh and an Electric-type specialist, he always aspired to join the Elite Four. However, various factors delayed his ambitions. Although Cain wasn't sure whether Volkner would achieve that goal, it was clear that he had the necessary potential.
Volkner was also a close friend of Flint, the future Elite Four member specializing in Fire types.
Both had reached the final sixteen, something the media would seize upon as a compelling promotional point—just like the participation of Cain and Steven.
The question was whether Volkner could take advantage of this tournament as a stepping stone toward his goal.
While some advanced, others were eliminated, including prominent competitors who would later become Elite Four members.
For example, Aaron from Sinnoh, who would become the region's Bug-type Elite Four member, was eliminated in the round of thirty-two when he faced Lorelei, whose skill was overwhelming.
In Kalos, Wikstrom, a Steel-type specialist, had to face Flint, who used Fire-type Pokémon. Due to the type disadvantage, he lost the match.
Additionally, Wikstrom had been present during Cain's revelation about the Fairy type, which had also left him somewhat shaken.
From this point on, the League lost control over the results, as the remaining competitors represented the next elite generation and were crucial for the League's future development.
When the final battle of the day ended, no one left the stadium. Everyone eagerly awaited the matchups for the following day.
The audience was excited to see what would happen when these talented trainers faced off.
However, in the Hoenn competitors' room, the atmosphere was entirely different.
Everyone surrounded Cain, led by Steven, with Wallace and Phoebe acting as accomplices.
"Cain, don't you think you owe us an explanation? How did you get information about the Fairy type and say nothing to us? Talk! What else are you hiding?" Steven, with a mischievous smile, sat across from Cain.
Phoebe and Wallace positioned themselves on either side of Steven, acting as his bodyguards.
The rest of the group stood behind them, leaving Cain completely alone in front of everyone.
Cain sighed, knowing this would happen sooner or later.
It wasn't that Steven and the others were angry, but the information Cain had revealed was so shocking that it left them stunned.
It was like a friend winning the lottery: even if no one was envious, there would always be jokes and dinner invitations.
In this case, the jokes were directed at Cain.
With no other choice, Cain accepted a series of "unequal treaties" proposed by Steven and the others.
One of the conditions was that Cain had to cook for them until the tournament ended.
Additionally, at the end of the event, he would have to prepare personalized training manuals for their Pokémon.
Although Cain agreed, he made it clear he would only make one manual per person.
However, since his system hadn't fully recovered yet, he couldn't guarantee when he'd be able to fulfill this promise.
Even so, it was better to accept now and worry about the details later.
After "interrogating" Cain, the matchups for the next day were finally revealed.
Upon seeing the pairings, everyone fell silent.
At this point, there were no weak opponents. If someone faced a type disadvantage, the battle would be even more difficult.
Everyone had gathered information about their rivals, but the data on Cain was especially notable.
This was due to his Fairy-type Pokémon, Florges.
For Dragon, Dark, and Fighting type trainers, facing Cain was a serious concern—especially for Dragon-type specialists.
Sometimes, things seem to go exactly in the direction you least want them to.
The more you try to avoid something, the more likely it is to happen.
(End of Chapter)