"Mr. Steven, latest information: the Sacred Church has launched a large-scale invasion of Ever Grande City. Champion Drake requests that you arrive as soon as possible to prepare the defense."
A League member, dressed in the uniform of the Investigators, appeared in the office of Steel-type Elite Four member Steven, inside the Hoenn League headquarters.
Upon hearing the news, Steven, who had been focused on his work, immediately sprang to his feet.
His gaze was firm; it was clear that his current state was very different from before he entered the Space-Time Continent to train.
The current Steven truly exuded the aura of one of the League's top experts.
His entire body radiated an efficient and resolute energy, so much so that the Investigator who had come to report did not even dare raise his head to look at him; he kept it lowered, with respect and a trace of admiration in his eyes, completely convinced by Steven.
More than a month had already passed since they returned from the Space-Time Continent. After the first few days waiting for news of Cain at Mt. Silver, the invasion of the Sacred Church forced them to return to the Hoenn region to defend it. And just like that, almost without realizing it, that month slipped away.
Furthermore, that very day marked exactly one month since Steven had officially assumed the position of Steel-type Elite Four member of Hoenn.
In just one month, whether in strength, ability, or style of action, Steven had gained the unanimous recognition of all members of the Hoenn League, as well as the enthusiastic support of all the region's inhabitants.
By nature, Steven already possessed an outstanding appearance, in no way inferior to Cain's. The strength he was displaying now was comparable to what Cain had shown in his time, even slightly superior.
Always at the forefront of the resistance against the Sacred Church, his current level—aside from a few veteran League members—had practically surpassed that of the entire younger generation.
In only one month of constant battles, Steven's popularity in Hoenn and across the League's network was no less than what Cain once had.
That he had reached Cain's level of fame in such a short time was closely related to the frequency and intensity of those battles.
At the same time, the figures of Lance and Lorelei from Kanto, Cynthia from Sinnoh, and Diantha from Kalos were also circulating online.
Although the Sacred Church's invasion had caused enormous damage to the League, it had also allowed these young talents of the new generation to fully step into the public eye, earning widespread recognition through battle after battle.
The Champion and the Elite Four are the guarantee of a region's safety!
As long as people see the Champions and the Elite Four fighting on the front lines and repelling the enemy time and time again, the inhabitants of each region will feel absolute reassurance.
"Let's go!" Steven said, slightly adjusting his sleeves and collar.
The pressure on him during this period had been considerable.
"It has already been a month... and Cain still hasn't shown any sign of life. Could it be... that we really have to wait five years for his return?" Steven thought as he headed toward Ever Grande City.
At first, Steven still held onto the hope that Cain would appear before him as he had on other occasions, almost like a miracle.
With time, he began to accept reality; afterward, the continuous battles left him little room to think about it. It was only when the Sacred Church's offensive slowed a few days earlier that he finally had time to remember.
It was inevitable to feel a certain melancholy. For Steven, Cain was a friend he had wholeheartedly acknowledged, and losing contact with him had been a heavy blow.
Now, as the Steel-type Elite Four member of Hoenn, he had no time to allow himself such distractions. The most important thing was to first resist the Sacred Church's attack and, when the opportunity arose, launch a decisive counterattack to crush once and for all that group clinging like a gangrene.
It was neither the first nor the second time that the Sacred Church had entered the Hoenn region. However, they always acted in a single city, causing limited damage or capturing some League members, with no one ever knowing where they were taken.
The reason the League had not yet launched a counterattack was simple: they had absolutely no knowledge of the Sacred Church's true objective. Without knowing what they were seeking, they could not find the right moment to respond, and the same situation was occurring in every region.
In several high-level League meetings, it was concluded that these scattered attacks—strike here and flee, strike there and withdraw—served only to conceal their real objective and slow down the League's pace.
Furthermore, by attacking several regions at once, they ensured that each one focused only on defending itself, leaving no time to pay attention to the others, thus confusing the League about where the true focus of the threat lay.
When Steven arrived, the Hoenn League's combat forces, led by Drake, were already confronting the Sacred Church members right in the center of Ever Grande City. Judging by the situation, the battle had not yet begun.
Reassuringly, Drake had successfully assumed the position of Champion in place of Juan. Drake led the resistance on the front lines, while Juan remained inside the League coordinating the overall situation.
In that way, the Sacred Church did not dare act excessively. If Juan and Drake joined forces, the Church members who had entered the Hoenn region would not be able to withstand them.
"Mr. Drake!" Steven leaped down from the back of his Aerodactyl, a drop of five or six meters that, at his current level, posed no problem.
Drake looked at Steven, who appeared diagonally behind him, and the serious expression on his face relaxed slightly. "You've arrived."
In the current Hoenn region, Steven's strength was undoubtedly among the highest. With him present, the pressure on Drake decreased considerably.
Steven nodded, and as he looked at the Sacred Church members before him, he frowned slightly.
There were more people than he expected.
"Are they planning something big this time?" he asked in a low voice.
Drake nodded slowly. "Perhaps. In a city, if they do not attack first, we cannot act. But I have the feeling that they are waiting for something."
That was what truly concerned him. Otherwise, with the people in front of him, he would not be too uneasy.
(End of Chapter)