Speaking in that sarcastic tone, Cain's impression of that person immediately turned bad.
As the person in charge of a military legion, using that kind of language was inappropriate. Even if he had directly said that he disliked Cain and wanted to challenge him to a fight, Cain would have respected him more.
But with that ambiguous and twisted attitude, Cain began to form a very negative impression of all the legions of the League's headquarters.
The Black Messenger, together with the man standing before him, gave Cain a new and extremely bad view of those legions.
"Do you want to fight?" Cain said bluntly.
Hearing those words, not only was the legion's commander stunned; even the onlookers around froze for a moment. In contrast, those recording with various devices immediately became excited.
It's starting! It's starting!
"What?" The commander took quite a while to react.
"Do you want to fight? Aren't you questioning whether or not I have the qualifications to enter? You're looking for all kinds of excuses. As a member of a legion, as a soldier, don't you know that this kind of attitude only makes people think worse of you?"
"Let's be straightforward: either we fight. If you win, you vent whatever you're holding inside; if you lose, you obediently let me pass."
Cain's way of doing things was very simple: put everything on the table. And if they truly angered him, he would not mind flipping the table and making everything related to the Black Messenger public.
If the game was no longer being played, then no one would play. Let's see how things end.
The onlookers did not fully understand the situation, but they were delighted to witness the spectacle.
"I lost my composure a bit, please forgive me," the person in charge of the legion said, completely changing his attitude. "Elite Four Cain, my name is Tomas, commander of the League's Seventh Legion. I now formally issue you a challenge!"
Cain looked at the man who had changed his demeanor in an instant and could not help thinking that it was a waste for him to be merely a legion commander. With that ability to switch attitudes, he would have made a better politician.
And in fact, politicians also loved to speak in that kind of ambiguous, double-meaning way.
This kind of directness, on the other hand, was what suited a military man with character.
Because of the Black Messenger incident, although Tomas did not hate Cain, it was inevitable that he felt displeased: the legions had been humiliated, and their funding had been cut.
And Cain, for his part, was also dissatisfied—not only with the legions, but with the entire League and the way they had handled the matter.
He did not say it out loud, but that did not mean he did not think it.
"Good!" Cain nodded, and a Poké Ball appeared in his hand.
A smile appeared on Tomas's face. With a flick of his wrist, he threw his own Poké Ball.
Since it was a challenge, there was no need for a full battle or to limit the number of Pokémon—they would fight until one side was convinced.
When Tomas threw his Poké Ball, Cain did not want to take advantage either and threw his at the same time.
Two Pokémon appeared on the field.
"¡¡¡TYYRRANN!!!"
"¡¡¡ARCAANN!!!"
Cain directly sent out Tyranitar, with the clear intention of crushing his opponent in one blow. Tomas's Pokémon, on the other hand, was an Arcanine, a species that often bore the distinctive mark of the Jenny family.
A massive canine Pokémon, brimming with energy both inside and out.
Its thick, flax-colored fur covered its body; brown eyes; black and orange tiger-like stripes; legs surrounded by fur, and a long tail. When it ran, its body seemed to merge with the wind—hence the name Arcanine.
When it roared, not only did it not lose presence, it imposed an overwhelming authority.
Upon seeing that Arcanine, Cain's eyes shone faintly.
It had been raised extremely well. As a breeder, whether judging by its physique or its coat, it was hard to find any flaws.
Pokémon: Arcanine (Light Purple)
Gender: Male
Level: 79
Type: Fire
Ability: Flash Fire
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Fire Spin, Body Slam, Double-Edge, Iron Tail
Basic Moves: Bite, Roar, Ember, Leer, Odor Sleuth, Helping Hand, Flame Wheel, Reversal, Fire Fang, Take Down, Flame Burst, Agility, Retaliate, Flamethrower, Crunch, Heat Wave, Outrage, Flare Blitz, Thunder Fang, Extreme Speed
Learned Moves: Snore, Laser Focus, Iron Head, Dragon Pulse
TM Moves: Protect, Double Team, Fire Blast, Aerial Ace, Flame Charge, Will-O-Wisp
Judging from the data, that Arcanine had no problems at all. With a Light Purple quality, it was clear that even as a Growlithe it had possessed outstanding talent, and that after evolving with a Fire Stone it had reached a very high quality.
Level 79, at the Quasi-Champion level, just one step away from Champion level.
Honestly, although Cain had a bad impression of those legion commanders, their individual strength was truly remarkable.
They were not inferior to an average Elite Four; they were part of the League's true hidden cards.
Although they were far less well-known than the Elite Four, it was undeniable that their existence was crucial for the League to manage the entire Pokémon world.
What Cain regretted was that, no matter how strong that Arcanine was, it had encountered an even more powerful Tyranitar.
The Tyranitar of the Sandstorm Elite Four was no ordinary one.
Although it was not Cain's strongest Pokémon at the moment, it was the one that had unquestionably earned him his Elite Four title.
"Tyranitar, Stone Edge!" Cain ordered first.
"Move, Arcanine—Extreme Speed!" Tomas responded almost at the same time.
Around Tyranitar's dark green body, hundreds of rock fragments instantly appeared, all aimed at the charging Arcanine.
Arcanine's powerful legs kicked violently against the ground, leaving four imprints as it dodged the first wave of the Stone Edge attack.
Just as its name suggested, its body merged with the wind and shot toward Tyranitar.
But the sheer number of rocks Tyranitar could generate was overwhelming, blocking its advance. If Arcanine wanted to attack, it first had to endure those blows.
"Keep going, Arcanine! Flame Wheel!"
Blazing flames burst from the fur on its legs and, in an instant, enveloped its entire body.
A sphere of fire formed, and not only did it not reduce its speed, it increased it even further as it hurled itself at Tyranitar.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The sharp rocks acted like guided missiles, striking the fireball one after another without pause.
Although the flames provided some protection, the attacks still dealt considerable damage to Arcanine.
But the effort paid off: it finally managed to reach Tyranitar.
The combination of Extreme Speed and Flame Wheel came crashing down on him!
(End of chapter)