Three minutes later.
It was all over.
Upon waking from the dream, Rose felt as if she had dreamed something very long.
When she saw Cain again, for some reason, an inexplicable feeling of respect and admiration surged from deep within her heart.
"My lord," said Rose reverently.
She accepted, without hesitation, the fact that she had become someone else's subordinate.
Cain nodded and pointed at the Pokéball on the table. "This Pokémon is yours. Although at first it might feel uncomfortable using a Pokémon you didn't raise yourself, with some time and training, I'm sure it will surpass any of your own Pokémon."
This Pokémon had belonged to Rox. Cain had initially planned to sell Pinsir, but this one in particular was a Houndoom.
Both Pinsir and Houndoom were at level 61, the weakest under Rox's command, but now the most suitable for Rose.
After all, she was only a Quasi-Elite level trainer. If she received a Pokémon that was too strong, she might not be able to control it.
"Yes, sir," Rose took the Pokéball with excitement.
If others knew that pledging loyalty to Cain was all it took to receive an Elite-level Pokémon, they'd surely go crazy.
So many trainers get stuck at the Quasi-Elite level and never move beyond it in their lifetime... and how many would be willing to do what she did?
Just interacting with an Elite-level Pokémon can make the difference in personal growth obvious.
Cain had originally planned to sell these Pokémon in exchange for resources, but now he saw that even if he kept them, they wouldn't lose their value.
He could even distribute them to other subordinates in the future.
In the Pokémon world, becoming strong on your own is possible—but reaching the top? That's no longer a solo effort.
Even someone as powerful as Giovanni needed to lead a massive team like Team Rocket to keep rising.
"Send it out. I'll help you take the first step," Cain said.
Rose smiled brightly again.
She immediately opened the Pokéball and released the Houndoom inside.
This Houndoom, during the incident in the Legendary Birds archipelago, had already been thoroughly intimidated by Cain.
His Pokémon knew exactly how to deal with a Houndoom: they knew where to strike to cause pain without actually injuring it.
"Auuuu..." Houndoom began to howl as it emerged, but the moment it saw Cain, its voice instantly died.
With its tail between its legs, it lowered its head and crawled over next to Cain, wagging its tail submissively.
Gengar emerged from the ground, shooting a cold glare at the Houndoom.
It immediately shuddered and obediently stayed still without making a sound.
Rose watched the entire scene.
Was this really an Elite-level Pokémon?
Was this a joke?
"Houndoom, from now on, she will be your new trainer. You know what happens if you don't obey," said Cain.
At the same time, Gengar and Mismagius both fixed their gazes on it.
Houndoom obeyed without hesitation, running over to Rose and gently rubbing against her leg.
Taming an Elite-level Pokémon was this easy?
Rose had mentally prepared for a long process.
Just as she was about to say something, the door was abruptly pushed open.
A woman in the Guild of Hunters director's uniform, with a sun badge on her chest, walked into the room. Upon seeing the scene inside, she was stunned.
Cain frowned.
"You... are the commander of Team Rocket, aren't you? I am—" She didn't even get to finish her sentence before falling silent.
Mismagius's eyes glowed with psychic energy, and a psychic beam left her completely controlled.
Cain, sitting on the sofa, looked at the woman coldly. Then he turned to Rose: "Is she one of the ones who exploited you so cruelly?"
"Yes," Rose hesitated a moment, but nodded.
The woman's eyes were filled only with confusion and fear. She had no idea what was happening.
"She's all yours. Consider this your test of loyalty. You know what to do. I'll wait for you at the entrance of the black market in ten minutes," said Cain, then stood up and left with Gengar and Mismagius.
He left the Guild of Hunters.
This was Rose's final test.
If she could take care of that direct member of the Guild, it would mean she had truly severed her ties with them. From then on, she would have only Cain to serve.
At least with him, she would receive the rewards she deserved.
Rose, of course, knew what had to be done.
...
Gengar and Mismagius could turn invisible at will. No one would know whether they were still there or not.
And as a woman who had survived in the guild's underground—and with good looks to boot—words like "compassion" weren't part of her vocabulary.
She had already betrayed the guild. The best way to prove her resolve was to eliminate a direct member.
Cain pulled up his hood and left the building.
What happened next no longer had anything to do with him. The Team Rocket badge he had shown upon entering wasn't even his, and no one could trace it back to him.
Ten minutes later, Cain waited at the entrance to Celadon City's black market. In front of him, Rose appeared, her face filled with cold determination.
"My lord," she greeted respectfully.
Then, she pulled a blood-stained sun badge from her pocket and showed it to Cain.
Cain nodded and led her out of Celadon City's black market.
From now on, Rose had no way back.
It had to be admitted: in crucial moments, this woman had guts. She was able to eliminate a key guild member without hesitation. That showed her resolve.
"Oh, and one more thing. Your makeup is way too heavy. Don't wear it like that again," Cain said as they walked.
Rose smiled and nodded.
Makeup wasn't just for looking attractive or drawing certain men's attention... In reality, very few people had ever seen her real face.
It was an even simpler way to change one's appearance than disguising oneself.
While waiting for Rose, Cain had already instructed Team Rocket's administrative team to register a new League identity under Rose's name.
That would make her work in the Hoenn region easier.
Although she wouldn't have the same level of confidentiality Cain did, it was still a pretty useful status—so long as she didn't get involved with the League's core.
After leaving Celadon City, Cain took Rose to Saffron City, where they boarded a plane bound for the Hoenn region.
During the flight, Cain once again confirmed with Rose the identity of Logan and his activities in Hoenn.
...
Hoenn.
Rustboro City.
Cain exited the Rustboro City airport and dialed Steven's number.
But he was informed that the connection could not be established.
Apparently, Steven wasn't in the city. Maybe he had gone out training.
As for Rose, once she left the airport, she followed Cain's orders and headed straight to Mauville City.
Currently, Team Heaven had no one in charge of that city, and its development had stagnated. By sending Rose there, Cain hoped to revive its growth.
At the same time, it would put pressure on Miyamoto, Alec, and Karen—if they didn't work harder, they would soon fall behind Cain's pace.
(End of Chapter)