"There's something else that's been bothering me," said Cain.
Giovanni gestured for him to speak.
With all the resources he had agreed to trade without hesitation, one more matter wouldn't make any difference.
Giovanni saw things clearly: once Cain became a member of the Elite Four, unless he revealed himself voluntarily, neither the League nor Team Rocket would be able to restrain his identity too much.
But Giovanni was confident that he could make Cain maintain his current stance.
After all, the Hoenn region was not the same as the Kanto region, where Team Rocket was based.
An Elite Four member in Kanto could access far more information and secrets.
"I wonder if the boss has ever heard of an organization called the Sacred Church?" asked Cain.
The origin of that Sacred Church—and the fact that all its members were psychics with such mysterious identities—filled Cain with curiosity.
"The Sacred Church?" Giovanni straightened up upon hearing the question. "Did they come looking for you?"
Cain was surprised, but then nodded.
Apparently, Giovanni really did know about that so-called Sacred Church.
His face turned stern. "It's an extremely mysterious organization—a force that appeared not long ago. I thought they were only active in Kanto and Johto, but I didn't expect them to be in Hoenn as well... which probably means they exist in other regions too."
"This group is...?"
"We don't know," Giovanni shook his head, resting both hands on the table.
"Unknown origin, unknown purpose, unknown power... even their area of activity is unclear. Since you've encountered them too, stay alert. If you hear any news, report it immediately," he added.
Cain nodded. It seemed he wasn't the only one in Team Rocket who had come into contact with them.
How deep had they already infiltrated the League—or even Team Rocket itself?
Could they have some connection with the Aether Foundation?
"The first person they contacted was Sabrina, but she defeated them instantly with her psychic power. When she tried to interrogate them, apparently some mechanism activated and the person lost their life on the spot."
Sabrina?
Yes, she was indeed a target with immense psychic power—exactly what that Sacred Church seemed to be after.
But they had clearly underestimated her. With the magnitude of her powers, she probably ranked among the highest tiers of the Sacred Church's psychic hierarchy.
"They came for me too," added Cain.
"In any case, be careful with them. They've spread an enormous net; their purpose won't be simple. Focus first on your goal—secure your victory and become part of the Elite Four!"
After those words, Giovanni ended the call. Cain remained seated in silence for a long time.
Then, a confident smile appeared on his face. "This world is getting more and more interesting... I'm really curious to see who has the power to orchestrate something this massive."
"The Sacred Church, huh...?"
Cain exhaled deeply as he looked at the dark communicator.
If Team Rocket already knew about the Sacred Church, then for now, there was no need to worry too much.
What kind of enemy is the most terrifying?
The unknown enemy.
Now that the League, Team Rocket, and soon other regions as well would be aware of their existence, it wouldn't be so easy for the Sacred Church to act freely.
After all, if the sky were to fall, there would always be giants to hold it up.
There were still many veterans within the League who hadn't shown themselves.
Renowned researchers like Professor Oak, who remained active, were exceptions.
Most of the powerful elders had chosen to retire—like Master Seiji from the Bell Tower, who had deliberately lost to Lance. Despite his age, his body was in perfect condition, showing no signs of weakness. It was clear he had retired simply to live as he wished, remaining hidden until the League needed him again.
Cain didn't believe that Master Seiji, who had served as a member of the Elite Four for decades, possessed only that level of power. At the very least, he should be on par with Agatha.
And that was just one. Who knew how many more were hiding within the League?
Just imagining it sent chills down his spine.
Even more terrifying was the fact that, despite all this, Giovanni had managed to raise a Team Rocket capable of standing toe-to-toe with the League.
Undoubtedly, there were formidable figures hidden within the organization as well, though Cain still couldn't reach their level.
After ending the call, Cain began specialized training for his Pokémon.
He couldn't afford any carelessness in his upcoming battle against Steven. Right now, Steven was probably at the Stone family mansion, receiving instruction from his elders—learning strategies and team composition from them.
Cain's team already had two fairly defined configurations:
One centered around Slowking and Gengar—a single-core team.
The other centered around Tyranitar and sandstorm control—also a single-core team.
Against teams without a clear core, both offered a sufficient advantage. But the ideal goal was to fuse these two systems into one: a double-core team.
That way, both the margin of error and the combat potential would increase significantly.
He had already glimpsed that double-core model in his battle against the man in silver robes from the Sacred Church, though it had only been a prototype.
With Mega Tyranitar and Slowking as the dual cores, he managed to defeat the opponent's Mega Gardevoir, which had been the center of a single-core team.
The fact that a prototype double-core setup could overcome a team with a higher overall level clearly demonstrated its power.
While Slowking neutralized the opponent's core, Gardevoir, Cain's other core was free to move and strike as it pleased.
Of course, that was only the most basic form of the concept—the two cores weren't truly connected yet.
But after that battle, a concrete plan had already taken shape in Cain's mind.
He hoped to develop and complete it over the next month.
Once true complementarity was achieved—and if his Pokémon reached the necessary level—he'd have the courage to face even veterans like Sidney or Glacia.
The first step was to establish a detailed plan for each Pokémon: what tasks they had to perform and what level they needed to reach within that time.
Even those who might not have a chance to battle Steven in that match needed coordination training.
Because it wouldn't just be about fighting Steven, right?
There would be many other powerful trainers to face in the future.
Within the Sacred Church alone, there were undoubtedly extremely strong combatants.
The silence of Team Magma and Team Aqua also opened opportunities for Team Heaven. Once this whole situation concluded, that organization's expansion would be inevitable—and with it, powerful new rivals would emerge.
Clap, clap, clap!
Cain clapped his hands, gathering all his Pokémon to explain the tasks they had to complete.
(End of Chapter)