Although Cain did not obtain a direct solution to the problem from Agatha, he did find out who might have the answer.
Using the excuse that he did not want to interrupt their meeting, Cain took the opportunity to leave, without giving Lance the chance to propose a battle.
Cain knew perfectly well that ever since Lance became a member of the Elite Four, he had wanted to fight him for quite some time, and that it was even said he had already found his second main core.
While Mega Evolution still could not be used openly, Cain had no intention whatsoever of fighting that battle fanatic, at least not for now.
At the very least, he would have to wait until Diancie, Gardevoir, and Salamence had fully grown; if Florges were added as well, perhaps by then Magearna could also take part in battle.
If he didn't beat him so badly that he doubted his own existence, would he really keep believing he was the Dragon-type Elite Four? Just pulling out a full Fairy-type team would be enough to make him understand that, in reality, he was a Flying-type Elite Four.
With that kind of comforting self-deception, Cain hurriedly flew away.
If he really fought Lance and the omnipresent media captured it, the headlines the next day would be something like:
"Shocking! The Sandstorm Elite Four travels to Kanto to challenge the young Dragon-type Elite Four Lance, all to prove to the world that his master Drake is the true Dragon-type Elite Four!"
"Explosive! The Sandstorm Elite Four is defeated by the Dragon-type Elite Four Lance. Has the Kanto region already surpassed Hoenn by thirty years?"
"Scandalous! The Sandstorm Elite Four challenges the Dragon-type Elite Four Lance and wins by a narrow margin. The Sandstorm Elite Four proclaims himself the number one Elite Four in the universe!"
...
Cain's current identity was extremely sensitive; every move he made represented the Hoenn region, and those media outlets were never lacking when it came to exaggeration.
Moreover, whether he won or lost, going to foreign territory to fight Lance would always put him in the role of the challenger. No matter the result, it would not leave a good impression.
After all, everyone there was a Kanto journalist, and whatever they wrote, they would always lean in favor of their own region.
Lance, moreover, was a very popular media figure in Kanto; anything related to him attracted enormous attention.
However, because there were no public recordings of major battles and, during official Elite Four challenges, veterans usually "held back" quite a bit, Lance's fame had always been limited to Kanto.
If not for his good looks and the aunties willing to pay for them, he might not even have had more fame than Lorelei.
One only had to look at Lorelei's titles: Ice Goddess! Otaku Killer! And on top of that, like Cain, top 4 in the Sinnoh Tournament!
As for Cain, he truly was now a genuine traffic star on the internet, and not just on a regional level, but throughout the entire Pokémon world.
The public battle against Steven had made them famous overnight, and the outcome of the confrontation with the Dark Messenger had forced ordinary people to reevaluate the true strength of the Elite Four.
In short, Cain could not accept Lance's challenge.
Because... he couldn't win!
Knowing that he couldn't win, was he really going to go and gift him a defeat? Wasn't he afraid the other Hoenn Elite Four would call him a "useless teammate"?
In truth, it wasn't that he absolutely couldn't win; it was just that without using Mega Evolution, the battle would be extremely difficult and the chances of victory were not high.
If it were a life-and-death fight, Cain was confident he could make Lance crap him—well, give him a truly memorable beating.
Thus, after comforting himself, Cain fled as fast as his soul could carry him toward the Breeders' Guild.
It was definitely because he missed his master, Matsuda Takashi, terribly, and not because he was afraid Lance would come looking for him again.
As the youngest advanced-level breeder in the history of the Breeders' Guild, even though Cain didn't frequent the place, everyone there knew him. Moreover, his master, Matsuda Takashi, also worked there and never stopped talking about how extraordinary his disciple Cain was, so even those who hadn't known him before now did.
Therefore, Cain encountered no obstacles and quickly found his master, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
When he found him, he discovered that he wasn't shut away in a laboratory, but rather calmly watering flowers with a watering can, humming a tune, looking visibly younger.
This was the perfect example of someone who had "regained his second youth."
"Master," Cain said as he stood behind old Matsuda, who showed not the slightest sign of alertness.
"Sss...!"
The water from the watering can veered off, and old Matsuda looked at Cain in surprise.
"What are you doing here?"
For a moment, Cain thought his master would reproach him for not having visited since becoming an Elite Four. But seeing him now, it seemed more like his master didn't want him to show up and spoil his current happy life.
Noticing that Cain's gaze wasn't quite normal, old Matsuda immediately coughed to cover up the awkwardness.
"Ahem, ahem... So you finally came. I was starting to think that after becoming an Elite Four, you'd forgotten your master."
Cain said nothing; he simply gave him a look that said everything.
Aware that he was at fault, old Matsuda quickly changed the subject.
"Ahem... You came looking for me, so I suppose you need my help with something, right?"
Cain didn't dare continue bothering his master and spoke frankly.
"Yes, although actually I came looking for the president. I don't know if she's here."
"Takashi...?" Just as Cain finished speaking, a voice calling his master was heard from outside, and a figure appeared at the doorway.
Wasn't it precisely the president Cain was looking for?
"Grandma Syl!" Cain exclaimed immediately.
Hearing this, Grandma Syl showed not the slightest discomfort and smiled.
"Oh, little Cain. Did you come to ask your master for help?"
Old Matsuda kept signaling with his eyes at both Cain and Grandma Syl, hoping they wouldn't expose what was going on between them, though to anyone with eyes it was more than obvious.
"No, actually I came to ask for your help, Grandma Syl," Cain said with a smile, completely ignoring his master.
"Oh? Is there also something that can worry our little Cain? Tell me about it," Grandma Syl said, very satisfied with Cain's current state.
Cain was a disciple of old Matsuda, and the latter even regarded him as half a grandson. He had never married or had descendants; Cain was his only heir.
Grandma Syl's situation was very similar, although she did have several disciples, all advanced-level breeders with considerable potential. Even so, compared to Cain, they fell far behind.
The importance old Matsuda placed on Cain was something Grandma Syl knew well. As the saying goes, "to love someone is to love what surrounds them as well," so she looked upon Cain more and more favorably each time.
Cain then recounted the matter of Darkrai once more. Upon hearing his explanation, both old Matsuda and Grandma Syl showed somewhat serious expressions.
As veteran breeders, they too had never seen such a situation.
"Indeed," Grandma Syl said. "According to the theory of 'when something reaches an extreme, it reverses' that Agatha mentioned, if plants or objects of a different attribute that manage to survive in that environment can be identified, and combined with special catalysis methods and preparations, there is a high probability of solving the problem. Even if it can't be completely resolved, at least it could be partially alleviated."
"And what if we let Cain look through your private archives?" old Matsuda interjected. "If you keep those things, in the end they'll only be buried with you. The current Cain can be considered, among all the breeders in the guild, the person most entitled to inherit those valuable materials."
Upon hearing this, Grandma Syl fell into deep, thoughtful silence.
(End of chapter)