"Don't worry, we've already had contact with them before and we know how to act. But judging from what happened to Lorelei, it's clear that the rest of us are also in great danger. I think we should expand the training area and the range of marks we leave. Not everyone has Lorelei's strength, nor does everyone share her luck," Lance said in a grave voice.
Lorelei's incident had served as a warning to them: they could not relax just because they had been safe for a month. A dagger still hung over their heads, and their defenses were still not sufficient to withstand a sudden attack.
Steven and Wallace also nodded. Both Cain's words and Lance's had made them feel the pressure once again.
Nevertheless, the improvement of Steven and Wallace also awakened in them a strong desire to fight; they wanted to find a member of the Sacred Church who was on their level and battle against him.
Although the seven of them regularly conducted training sessions and mock battles together, in the end they were still just practices. Moreover, in order to protect the environment of the valley, they could not use overly powerful tactics that would alter the surroundings, such as the sandstorm domain of Cain's Tyranitar.
Steven knew very well that Cain's strongest tactic at the moment was the sandstorm domain, and that a large part of the training and combat style of his Pokémon was adapted to that type of battle.
While the men were chatting, Phoebe poked her head out from a nearby tent.
"Cain, Lorelei has woken up. You'd better come see her."
Upon hearing that, Cain and the other three stopped their conversation and quickly headed toward the tent.
That tent had originally belonged to Phoebe, but it had now been arranged for Lorelei to rest there.
The blood on Lorelei's body had already been cleaned, and her clothes had also been changed for a completely new set. It appeared to be Cynthia's; Phoebe's size did not fit her, while Cynthia's was quite similar.
Lorelei had already opened her eyes, though her face was still pale. When she saw Cain appear at the entrance of the tent, her eyes lit up. She tried to speak, but it seemed extremely difficult; her lips trembled a couple of times without managing to produce any sound.
Cain raised his hand to signal for her not to force herself.
Then he said to the others, "Don't crowd inside. Leave her enough space or it will be hard for her to breathe."
Phoebe, Cynthia, and Diantha immediately stepped out. At that moment, and in that situation, Cain's words were the most effective.
Thus, the remaining six people stayed one step away from the tent, watching in silence, while Cain entered alone.
Without saying anything, Cain first checked Lorelei's injuries. All the superficial wounds had already healed, and the more serious bruises had also largely recovered.
As for her inability to speak, it was a sequela of the poisoning. Although the poison had already been completely removed, her body was still numb, and the severe mental damage meant that control over her body had not yet returned to normal.
Precisely because of this, Cain's presence was even more necessary.
With a thought, Cain used psychic communication to connect with Lorelei's mind.
"You're recovering well, but to move normally again you'll need a few more days. For a full recovery, at least half a month," Cain said, with the glow of psychic energy flickering in his eyes.
"Thank you..." Lorelei's voice echoed in Cain's mind.
"You're welcome, it's what I should have done," he replied with a casual gesture.
"My Pokémon..."
"They're all stabilized. Like you, they'll need time to fully recover, but their bodies are much more resilient, so don't worry. They'll soon be jumping around in front of you," Cain smiled. Lorelei's Pokémon were very strong, all at the Quasi-Champion level or Champion level, and their recovery speed was much faster.
After hearing those words, Lorelei fell silent for a while. In the end, she didn't know what to say.
"Thank you..." she finally summed it up again with that single word.
As a trainer, she knew perfectly well how severe her Pokémon's injuries had been. Even Slowbro, who had carried her out of the battle, had been gravely wounded, and only thanks to her iron will had she managed to reach the valley. When she saw the marks Lance had left in the forest and arrived there, she no longer held any hope of survival.
After all, Lance was not particularly good at that kind of task either.
But she had been lucky. Among the people in that place was Cain, a true savior, who not only rescued her, but also all of her Pokémon.
Now she owed Cain an enormous favor. A simple word of thanks was not enough to express her gratitude.
This time, Cain did not reject her thanks and accepted it naturally. In fact, he did not just accept a few words, but a personal favor from Lorelei. Neither of them said it explicitly, but both kept it in their hearts.
Saving Lorelei was his duty; saving all of her Pokémon as well was already a matter of affection.
To treat those gravely injured Pokémon, Cain had invested an enormous amount of resources. They had all truly been on the brink of death; one small mistake and they would have lost their lives. For Cain to manage to save them without damaging their growth potential had required an immense cost.
That was why Cain accepted Lorelei's gratitude frankly.
"At the head of the bed there's a spatial device. I took it from the person I fought. I haven't checked what it contains yet, but given the strength they had, whatever is inside won't be low quality."
"It can't compensate for all your losses, but it's a token of my gratitude. Saving all of my companions is a debt that's far too heavy; I hope you can help me lighten it a little."
After another long silence, Lorelei spoke again. For someone with such a cold personality to say so many words at once showed how deep her gratitude was.
Moreover, she knew very well how to express herself: she understood that if she simply offered it, Cain would surely refuse, but asking him to help her take it changed the feeling completely.
This showed that Lorelei was not someone clumsy in human relationships, only that she spoke little in daily life.
Cain hesitated slightly, then nodded. He accepted the intention, but did not take the item immediately. If Lorelei wanted to give it to him, she could do so when she was fully recovered.
(End of chapter)