Tyranitar's sandstorm field surged once more in power, both of his hands still pressed against the ground, not rising immediately.
Mega Blaziken took another step forward, dashing ahead once again — and this time, his target was locked directly on Mega Gardevoir.
Free her.
That was Cain's intent.
The flickering golden flames once again wrapped around Blaziken, who charged at Gardevoir with lightning speed.
The man glanced at his feet, where Muk stood. Instantly understanding, Muk realized he was to make use of Gardevoir one last time. A mass of venom began forming in his hand again.
But just as Muk was about to act, the ground trembled violently. The man's face turned pale; Muk froze mid-movement, his multicolored, foul-smelling body twisting around to shield his trainer.
Precipice Blades erupted skyward; though the man, protected by Muk, avoided a direct hit, he was still left in a miserable state.
Before he could issue another command, Blaziken's Flare Blitz landed squarely on Gardevoir once again.
Gardevoir was blasted into the air, and as she fell, Gengar emerged from her shadow, holding two enormous dark spheres.
He hurled them straight at her.
Boom!
Boom!
Two explosions shook the field, and Gardevoir was slammed into a deep crater, losing all ability to fight.
Only then did the man recover from the shock of Tyranitar's Precipice Blades and notice Gardevoir lying motionless in the pit.
"Useless!"
A single word escaped his lips.
Having lost both Xatu and Gardevoir, his formation was now incomplete.
Although Marowak still had Aggron pinned down and Jynx had restrained Drapion, neither posed any threat to Cain anymore. Florges' Wish descended immediately upon Aggron.
The psychic waves surrounding Blaziken faded away as he reverted from his Mega Evolution.
Cain released Blaziken from his Mega state; though it hadn't been long and Blaziken could have continued, Cain no longer wished to prolong the battle.
He pulled out another Key Stone.
"Gengar, Mega Evolve!"
Mega Gengar!
Cain's strongest Pokémon at that moment — a level 72 Gengar that, after Mega Evolution, reached the Intermediate Elite Four level.
The opponent, apart from the fallen Mega Gardevoir, had no Pokémon capable of reaching such power.
For the first time, Cain stepped forward himself, walking alongside Tyranitar and Florges, advancing straight toward the man.
As Tyranitar drew closer, so did the center of the sandstorm.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Columns of molten rock, blazing with magma, erupted one after another from the ground, all aimed at the man. To shield him, Alolan Muk was already covered in wounds.
Marowak and Jynx ceased their attacks and, following their trainer's command, turned back to assist him.
But Exeggutor was intercepted by Blaziken and Aggron, and with support from Florges' Moonblast, he was soon defeated.
Mega Gengar unleashed his full might, charging at Jynx, who could only defend desperately, unable to counterattack.
Sweat was already streaming down the man's forehead. It was then he realized just how much he had relied on Mega Gardevoir's existence — how crucial she had been to counter Cain's tactics.
Mega Tyranitar's Precipice Blades seemed to grow faster and more frequent, and Muk was already reaching his limit.
"Don't push it! Since you know I'm from the Sacred Church, and you know of the Aether Foundation, then you should know you can't cross the line!"
But Cain, his face cold and expressionless, said nothing. He simply advanced alongside Tyranitar, step by step, each footfall thundering louder — as if every step struck directly at the man's heart.
The tension on the man's face became evident.
He never imagined he'd end up in such a situation. With his tactics and surprise methods, he could usually withstand even an ordinary Elite Four member for a long time. He had believed that stopping Cain, Steven, Phoebe, and Wallace would be simple.
But he had vastly underestimated their strength. Forget all four of them — even Cain alone was an opponent beyond his reach.
Precipice Blades kept falling, and Muk was on the brink of collapse. Such a pure, relentless defense was draining his energy completely.
Then, a glint of cunning and awareness flashed in Alolan Muk's eyes. Suddenly, he moved away from the man's feet, lay down on the ground, and submissively showed deference toward Cain.
The man could never have imagined it — the Pokémon he valued most, the one he had fed the rarest and deadliest poisons, far more than he ever did for Gardevoir, whom he treated as mere contrast — Muk betrayed him at that moment!
His face twisted in disbelief as Tyranitar's Precipice Blades struck him directly, without restraint.
A human body — no matter how strong — how could it possibly withstand the attack of a Mega Tyranitar?
The man in the silver coat froze, eyes wide in shock, as life left his body instantly. Until the very end, he never understood why Muk had betrayed him.
Cain, too, showed a hint of surprise — but above all, he felt relief.
Too similar.
He was too much like Cain's former self. But this man had gone even further, crossing every boundary, losing the final spark of humanity.
Ending him felt like making a definitive choice about his own past.
Cain silently watched the lifeless body for a moment, then approached to take the storage devices and Poké Balls the man carried.
He stored away all the Pokémon except Muk — including Gardevoir, who had lost her ability to fight.
Muk he left behind.
That kind of Pokémon — one who habitually turned on its allies, who could abandon its trainer at any time — Cain had seen enough of them.
The others might still hold some value, but not that Muk.
Muk stared at him in confusion. He believed that in talent and power, he was inferior to no one.
Could humans choose their Pokémon, but Pokémon not choose their humans?
A wise bird chooses the right tree to nest in — was that not acceptable?
Cain paid him no mind. Gathering his own wounded Pokémon, he made his way to the exit of the alternate space — and stopped.
"It's not wrong to choose your own trainer," he said calmly. "What was wrong was the way you did it. Stay here with him. Let's hope this alternate space doesn't collapse."
Would the alternate space remain stable? Only if the one who created it continued to sustain it.
But the man who had created it was dead. Without him, its collapse was only a matter of time.
As Cain stepped out of the alternate space, he was met with a brutal scene — the League forces and the Hunter Guild were locked in an all-out war.
Since the Hunter Guild held a slight advantage, the battle was especially savage.
The air was thick with the heavy stench of blood.
(End of Chapter)