Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom (200 - 398)

Chapter 378: Leaving the Trial Island

Since Cain had spent some time talking with Umbra, by the time he reached the plane, almost everyone else was already on board.

Even Regi, a powerful trainer, was seated, waiting in boredom.

This plane resembled a luxurious business lounge, with seats arranged like mobile dining tables. Waiters in impeccable tailcoats moved among the passengers, carrying trays of drinks and food.

Skye, Alec, and the others eagerly waited near the boarding gate for Cain's arrival. Back in the room where they had been earlier, they were offered the chance to join the team of an Officer for better benefits.

However, all of them, including Alec, declined the offer.

Following an ordinary Officer didn't offer as promising a future as following Cain. At the very least, with Cain's potential, he wouldn't remain just an Officer for Team Rocket. As he grew, the benefits for them would grow as well.

Joining Cain now was akin to offering help in a time of need rather than simply jumping on the bandwagon later.

Cain found an empty round table and sat down. At his gesture, Alec and the others joined him.

The final trial had been extremely dangerous. Originally, Cain's faction had a dozen members, but now only six of them, including Cain, were seated at this table.

The survivors were Alec, Skye, Fox, Kai, and a young man named Rand.

These were the only ones who made it to the end.

According to the final point rankings, Cain placed first. Alec, despite trying to gather points near the end, failed to make the top ten, finishing in thirteenth place.

Skye, on the other hand, had hidden from the beginning, gradually collecting points and defeating weaker opponents. Surprisingly, he secured the tenth spot, an unexpected outcome for Cain.

Ranking tenth among the subordinates—or soon-to-be subordinates—of Team Rocket's Officers was quite an accomplishment.

However, in terms of sheer strength, Alec still far surpassed Skye. This showed that the rankings didn't always reflect skill; luck played a significant role as well.

Was Cain stronger than Regi?

If they fought, Cain estimated he'd have only a twenty percent chance of victory—and that was being optimistic.

Fox and Kai placed in the thirties, while Rand played it extremely safe. Believing Cain would get him off the island, he hid in a very discreet spot, finishing forty-eighth with just two points.

He could be called the master of prudence.

Cain wouldn't abandon him. After all, anyone who could survive for three months in this trial had some ability.

However, something surprised Cain: those he had marked as potential traitors in his system, those who had been intimidated by him, didn't survive.

Looking at Skye, who seemed quite obedient, Cain suspected he might have dealt with them whenever an opportunity arose, given that Cain had made it clear before the trial began that he didn't favor them.

For now, all of Cain's subordinates were completely loyal to him.

Another individual, Miyamoto, had also expressed interest in joining Cain. However, Cain asked him to remain infiltrated in another group, as he was more valuable there.

Surprisingly, Miyamoto had some luck, finishing in seventh place and earning a decent reward.

Cain glanced at Regi across the room and saw Miyamoto discreetly gesture a sign of respect.

However, as Cain shifted his gaze, he met Regi's eyes.

Regi raised his glass toward Cain, hinting at their connection. Cain also raised his glass, showing he hadn't forgotten.

Then, Regi smiled and turned away.

Even though Cain had achieved first place, the reward wasn't as significant as expected. Much of the supplies allocated to him had been confiscated by higher-ranking leaders.

In contrast, Regi gained more in terms of personnel.

Many of the surviving participants without prior affiliations chose to join Regi, who had the strongest backing.

Regi accepted everyone; after all, he needed to recruit subordinates, and those with good potential would be more useful in the long run.

Aurelia also did well, as Jasmine's presence in her team attracted many of Jasmine's subordinates. Together, they managed to bring four or five people off the island.

These individuals had good potential.

Only Glacius seemed out of place due to his personality. He sat near Regi, head down, reading a book while sipping coffee—clearly distinct from the rest of Team Rocket's members.

Among the newcomers, few were truly incompetent. Most understood why they were there and what outcomes to expect, so they wisely chose to align with Regi, the biggest winner.

Only the followers of the pseudo-Executives refrained from joining either faction, showing some hostility toward Regi and the other three.

However, the gap between the two groups was already significant, and it would only grow over time. If those they supported faced a major defeat, their fate wouldn't be much different.

Cain looked at the five men before him and asked with a smile, "How did it go in the end? Who secured the Captain position?"

This group would form his operational base in the future. Though they didn't seem remarkable now, with the system's help, Cain believed he could help them grow.

Of course, that was as long as they stayed loyal enough.

Skye glanced at the others before speaking. "In the end, Alec and I secured the Captain positions. It's said the top five in this trial received Group Captain ranks, and the top fifteen earned Captain ranks. The rest will start as Grunts."

Skye had been one of the first to join Cain. Though Alec was slightly better in terms of skill, that was because Alec initially had the backing of an Officer.

Now that they were on equal footing, it was better for Skye, who had joined earlier, to speak first. The two had discussed this privately before Cain returned.

However, Alec didn't mention Miyamoto's involvement to Skye without Cain's permission, to avoid disrupting the plan.

"Then, you two apply to join my team when the opportunity arises. I'll speak with the higher-ups to approve it, and you three will be integrated under Skye's command since you've spent more time together. As for any vacant positions, we'll fill them as we stabilize," Cain said.

"Yes!" the five replied respectfully.

"When we reach Saffron City, everyone will disembark. Take care of your affairs and then head to the Hoenn region together. Alec, you'll oversee this. I might arrive a bit later, but I expect a stable setup when I get there," Cain said with a serious expression, as this would affect his future plans.

"Yes, sir! Don't worry!" Alec replied.

It was clear that Alec was now fully committed to Cain's vision. Cain's growth would determine his own future.

(End of Chapter)

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Note: A "Group Captain" leads other Captains, while regular Captains command Grunts, also known as cannon fodder. They share the same strength classification but differ in rank, with Group Captains holding a superior position.