The woman smiled slightly and said to Drake, "Drake... there's nothing to be done. To receive my reward, all I can ask is that you don't interfere, alright?"
As she said this, she pulled out two Poké Balls and threw them into the air.
She summoned two Pokémon.
But when everyone saw them, they were shocked.
Because the Pokémon she had summoned were none other than the Legendary Pokémon Latias and Latios!
Without giving anyone time to react, the woman leapt onto Latias's back and shot straight toward Drake.
With a motion in the air, she opened a spatial rift, like an enormous pocket, which swallowed Drake and his Pokémon in one gulp.
"Drake!" shouted Norman and Glacia immediately, watching as he disappeared.
But that was only the beginning. The three enemies who still remained in the air looked down toward the ground.
"Watch out!!" Cain, sensing a surge of psychic power, raised his voice at once.
But it was already too late. In an instant, the three vanished into the air.
When they reappeared, it was right in front of Norman and Glacia; extending their hands, they pushed them, dragging them as well into the same alternate space where Drake had fallen.
The last of those men clicked his tongue in irritation and appeared before Cain and his three companions.
One could clearly sense the psychic energy enveloping all of them.
However, it didn't harm them. Just like with Drake and the others, it dragged them into that alternate space.
Cain didn't resist with his own psychic power. He wanted to see what the enemy was planning.
They crossed through the rift and, along with the man in the silver robe, entered that space.
Once there, the man simply threw them into a corner and hovered in midair, examining his nails with indifference.
"Where are we? What did you do?" exclaimed Steven, looking around at the grayish environment.
"We're in an alternate space," replied Cain.
"Alternate space?" Steven was stunned.
The man was surprised as well, turning his gaze toward Cain. "You know what this place is?"
But then he smiled and said, "Oh, I hadn't even noticed. So, you're a psychic too... though this technique was lost long ago in the outside world."
"Even if you know it's an alternate space, you won't be able to leave. Stay here quietly for a while; don't make me use force. When the battle outside is over, I'll let you go."
He spoke with overwhelming confidence, as if Cain and the others didn't concern him at all.
After all, this was his alternate space—here, he decided who fought and who left.
"Why are you working with the Hunter Guild?" asked Cain.
He didn't say it anxiously; after all, based on what the woman who had summoned Latias and Latios said, their only goal was to keep them restrained so that the Guild could gain the upper hand outside.
"Kid, you talk too much." The man waved his hand, creating a special psychic prison that trapped Cain.
"Eh?..." He was startled—the special cage seemed to have no effect on Cain.
Cain slowly straightened up and stared at him. "You really are interesting."
Cain smiled and turned toward Steven and the other two. "Out there, the League is at a disadvantage. I'll take on this guy. You three get out first and support Mr. Sidney."
"Hahahahaha! Get out? Hahahaha! If you know what an alternate space is, you should understand that... no one can leave it except its master! How could—?!" The man froze, speechless, when he saw Cain open a door in that space with a simple gesture, revealing the battlefield between the League and the Hunter Guild.
Ignoring his astonishment, Cain continued speaking to the three, "Win this war. I'll return as soon as I can. When everything's over, I'll tell you what you need to know."
With that, his psychic power surged and expelled Steven and the others from the alternate space.
The rift closed immediately.
The man in silver, his face twisted in shock, descended to the ground and shouted at Cain, "Who are you? How do you know how to use alternate space techniques?"
Cain smiled and pulled a white card from his pocket, waving it in front of him.
Upon seeing it, the man froze in confusion. "A white card? Are you a subordinate of the White Messenger?"
Cain didn't answer, simply smiling.
He already knew of the existence of the Black and White Messengers—but now someone dressed in silver appeared, which struck him as odd.
Could there be another faction within the Sacred Church?
The man, after seeing the card, seemed hesitant, but soon appeared to realize something.
"I never thought I'd see a white card here in Hoenn. Then you must be the Cain the White Messenger placed a bounty on."
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you leave this place. You'll have to remain in this space forever." As he spoke, he threw several Poké Balls.
Cain frowned.
He had many questions, but he knew that at that moment, even if he asked, he wouldn't get any answers. First he had to defeat him—then he could extract what he needed to know.
The only uncertain thing was the enemy's true strength.
The man in silver threw his Poké Balls one by one.
The first to appear was a Gardevoir. As a member of the Sacred Church and a psychic himself, it was logical that his team centered around that type.
Cain wasn't the least bit surprised.
That Gardevoir's power was truly immense.
But when the man summoned the next Pokémon, Cain was once again taken aback.
It was a Muk, but not purple—its body shimmered in multiple colors, and its surface was studded with white crystals of highly pure toxins.
An Alolan Muk!
And it wasn't the only Pokémon from Alola.
Next came an Alolan Marowak, completely black, wielding bones wrapped in green flames.
Then, an Alolan Exeggutor, with an extremely long neck and a tail to match.
The last two weren't from Alola: a Jynx and a Xatu.
The full team was revealed: Gardevoir, Alolan Muk, Alolan Marowak, Alolan Exeggutor, Jynx, and Xatu.
The strategy was clear—the core was Gardevoir, linked through Jynx and Xatu as psychic support. Alolan Muk, with its Poison and Dark types, acted as a disruptive support. Alolan Marowak, Fire/Ghost, reinforced defense. Alolan Exeggutor, Grass/Dragon, served both as an attacker and support.
A psychic-centered team with a solid core and multiple coverages.
Perhaps not as refined as a Sand or Rain team, but under proper command, it could be a very dangerous formation.
Upon seeing their types, Cain immediately understood the opponent's strategy.
(End of Chapter)