Amidst the cheers of everyone present, Cain became the fourth member of the Hoenn region's Elite Four.
He received the special badge of an Elite Four member of the Hoenn League.
It was a handcrafted emblem depicting the roaring head of a golden Tyranitar, surrounded by crystalline sparkles symbolizing desert sand.
The "Elite Four of the Sandstorm" badge had been hastily created by specialized artisans barely ten minutes after Cain confirmed his official title.
The result was striking, perfectly fitting the identity Cain had now assumed.
At the end of the ceremony, the badge would undergo a special treatment to make it impossible to counterfeit — it would contain Cain's personal information, official identification, banking data, and access credentials to the League's high-level network accounts.
Cain had thought the process would be simple. After all, when Lance had been appointed as a member of the Kanto region's Elite Four, everything had gone smoothly — Cain himself had benefited from that event by being recognized as an Advanced-level Breeder. But now that it was his turn, everything seemed much more complicated.
First, Juan officially announced Cain's appointment. However, since he was a new member, he had to satisfy the majority. Although his battle with Steven had already more than proven both of their strengths, there were always a few dissenters eager to stir up trouble.
To address those complaints, the League maintained a long-standing tradition: the new member of the Elite Four had to remain available for one week to accept challenges.
Anyone who believed Cain was unworthy could challenge him during those seven days — limited to one challenge per day. After that period, no further challenges would be accepted.
Winning a challenge didn't mean replacing the Elite Four member, but it could trigger their dismissal, subject to the League Council's deliberation — a safeguard to prevent veterans from abusing the rule against newcomers.
In practice, the rule was mostly symbolic — a way to silence criticism.
Think the newcomer doesn't deserve the title?
Fine, then go defeat him.
Don't have the strength?
Then stay quiet.
Because of that, Cain would remain at League headquarters for a week — which wasn't a problem for him at all.
After explaining this live for the global audience, Juan announced another piece of news.
That year had been especially turbulent in the Hoenn region, filled with various conflicts. To reignite the spirit of Trainers, the League would soon host a Great Hoenn Tournament. Anyone who had collected eight Gym Badges would be eligible to participate.
Additionally, the League promised that based on participants' performance and final rankings, spots would be granted for direct entry into the organization — with different posts and responsibilities.
It sounded vague, but everyone understood the real message: the League was recruiting new talent. Those who shone in this tournament could take a tremendous leap forward and become rising stars within the institution.
Working in the League meant close contact with the higher-ups — and with that, the chance to be taken under the wing of a powerful mentor. That could literally mean leaping straight to the top.
For civilian Trainers or those from lesser families, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Upon hearing the news, many were already rubbing their hands in anticipation, eager to resume Gym challenges as soon as possible.
It was expected that soon the entire Hoenn region would be filled with traveling Trainers once again. From that moment on, the League would take direct responsibility for basic security and tournament regulations.
Once the announcements ended, Cain was escorted backstage, where he was dressed in the special Elite Four uniform — crafted from the League's latest high-tech materials, resistant to harsh environments.
Since Cain had previously been a Chief-level Researcher, the uniform was designed based on that model, with some modifications. It looked more imposing and elegant. However, Cain thought it resembled Lance's flashy outfit a bit too much — with a dark, reddish cape and an ostentatious air.
But there was no helping it: the League wanted to make him a symbol — their face for the future. So he had to look strong and charismatic.
It also coincided with the recovery of his physical appearance, further reinforcing his new image.
Once dressed, with the badge pinned to his chest and a quick haircut from the stylist team, Cain's demeanor transformed dramatically.
When he returned to the stage, the crowd was astonished by his renewed presence. The cheers grew even louder.
For someone of humble origins who had climbed so high, his popularity was immense — his following continued to grow by the minute.
Then, with the staff's help, Cain posed for photos alongside the other three members of the Elite Four: Drake, Glacia, and Sidney.
Thanks to Drake's courteous gesture of giving him center stage, Cain stood in the middle of the group photos. With his new appearance, he instantly became the "face" of Hoenn's Elite Four.
After saving those photos for posterity, the grand induction ceremony finally came to an end.
The audience left fully satisfied, while the internet exploded with excitement. The name Cain, the Elite Four of the Sandstorm, became the number one trending topic.
Users quickly dug into his past and humble beginnings, which only made his rise to prominence shine brighter.
Cain thus became an idol for countless civilian Trainers who dreamed of following in his footsteps.
Meanwhile, he was required to attend an immediate League meeting.
A new Elite Four member meant a restructuring was necessary. Unlike old Matsuda's interim appointment, this was a genuine promotion — one that came with all the duties it entailed.
Cain, together with Drake, Glacia, and Sidney, had to redistribute the League's main responsibilities.
Previously, Drake had barely intervened, leaving most of the work to Juan, while Glacia and Sidney were overburdened with assignments. Now, with Juan stepping down as Champion, Drake would need to take on more responsibilities.
At the same time, after witnessing Cain's strength and his dual-core battle strategy, both Glacia and Sidney felt he was close to catching up to them. They preferred not to waste energy on administrative duties and instead focus on improving their own skills.
Drake agreed with that decision.
The recent incidents involving Team Magma, Team Aqua, and the Hunters' Guild had proven that, aside from Drake, Hoenn's Elite Four was relatively weak. They needed to reinforce their strength to maintain deterrence and prevent dark factions from underestimating them.
Moreover, neither Team Magma nor Team Aqua had been completely eradicated. In fact, their threat might be greater than ever — so vigilance was essential.
What once seemed like a relaxed League was now being forced to strengthen its Trainers and raise the region's overall level.
The Great Tournament and the arrival of Cain as the new Elite Four member marked the perfect beginning of that new era.
(End of chapter)