It had to be done this way.
He could be spared the death penalty, but not punishment. Otherwise, public opinion could not be silenced.
Allowing Kael to pay with his hands instead of with his life was already the greatest mercy possible. Rather than simply letting him die, it was better to keep him alive, and to preserve his Pokémon as well. Perhaps they could still contribute something to the League.
After all, several of his Pokémon had already reached the second threshold of Champion Level, and even Mega Latios and Mega Latias had reached Master Level after Mega Evolution.
He would become one of the League's hidden cards.
The League would no longer live in peaceful times. Giovanni's appearance there revealed too much. After the fall of the Sacred Church, the next enemy they would likely have to face would be Team Rocket.
Upon hearing the elder's words, Kael's body trembled, but he still nodded and replied, "I am willing to accept any punishment."
Only then did a faint smile finally appear on the council elder's face, and he nodded in satisfaction.
But immediately afterward, Kael turned his gaze toward Cain, who was still treating his arms, with an expression that seemed to want to say something yet did not dare to.
Cain's hands paused for just an instant.
He had perceived that look, and he also knew what Kael wanted to say, only Kael had not said it clearly in front of him.
The Sacred Church had discovered his identity long ago through various means. If Kael revealed it now to the council elder, the elder would surely take it very seriously.
But Kael had also seen with his own eyes what Cain had done that day, so now he was no longer so certain he wanted to speak.
The council elder patted his shoulder, indicating that he should not say anything for the moment. Then he raised his voice downward.
"Magnus, come up!"
Hearing this, Charizard, who had already recovered considerably thanks to Arceus' help, brought Magnus back into the sky.
Magnus looked at Kael's arms, wrapped in white cloth bandages. He had also witnessed everything that had just happened.
To tell the truth, at first he had wanted to kill him.
But now, seeing Kael in that state, he could not help but feel that Kael was, to a certain extent, also a victim. Although he was guilty of his own actions, Magnus still felt a certain pity for him.
"Magnus, imprison Kael. In the deepest part of Mt. Silver," the elder ordered.
"...Yes."
Magnus responded, stepped forward, and restrained Kael. Then, in front of him, he returned all of Kael's Pokémon one by one to their Poké Balls and sealed them directly. It was clear that for a very long time, those Pokémon would not be coming out again.
When he passed by Cain, he patted him on the shoulder with an expression of sincere gratitude.
"When all of this is over, I'll invite you for a drink to thank you for today."
Cain smiled and nodded. He had already turned eighteen, so he could drink.
He watched as Magnus obediently escorted Kael toward the prison within the League headquarters at Mt. Silver. Against psychics, once captured, the League still had sufficient methods to control them.
In Cain's eyes, Kael remained a very cunning person. At first glance, it seemed that he had mutilated his hands as a form of atonement for having been stained with blood, but for a psychic, hands had long ceased to be something truly important.
In the end, only two people remained in the sky.
Cain and the council elder.
Neither said they were going to descend, and neither took the initiative to speak. A heavy silence settled between them.
"This time... it was thanks to you."
After a long while, the elder was the first to break the silence.
Cain was momentarily stunned. Then he slightly raised the corner of his lips and replied, "Actually, I didn't really do much. I only managed to buy a little time."
The elder nodded.
"For you... what is the League? Or rather, what kind of organization is the League in your eyes?"
Upon hearing the elder's question, Cain fell silent once again.
He knew the elder had probably guessed something about his identity, only he did not know exactly how.
"The people of the Pokémon world are the water, and the League is the great ship that sails upon that water. The greatest of all. No matter how large that ship may be, if the water that supports it does not exist, it will never be able to sail..."
"And now, that ship has grown old and worn. But its attention is no longer focused on the water; instead, it remains fixed on the small boats sailing around it. If this continues, a single great wave will be enough to overturn it."
"And I fear... that great wave is already about to arrive."
Cain slowly expressed what he felt with complete sincerity.
Why had Team Rocket been able to grow to such an extent?
Of course, among its ranks there were people blinded by greed, people who used the name of Team Rocket to intimidate and oppress others.
But most were still ordinary people forced by life, people from the common populace who had no choice but to join Team Rocket because if they did not, not only could they not become strong, but even surviving would become extremely difficult.
It was just like a phrase someone once said, one that perfectly matched the current situation:
"If they truly governed wisely and allowed the people to live in peace and prosperity, who the hell would want to become a beggar?"
Therefore, the true cause of rebellion among the lower ranks does not lie with them, but with those who govern.
If those in power truly cared about the ideas and needs of ordinary people, how could an underground organization like Team Rocket have grown to such a degree?
"If the League could truly pay attention to every individual, if it could allow all inhabitants to live peacefully and with stability, if everyone could see hope in their lives, instead of always focusing only on those few special groups, how many people would be willing to join an organization like Team Rocket and live on the edge of the abyss?"
Most who join Team Rocket today do so simply because they see no hope in their lives, see no path forward, and therefore prefer to gamble their own lives for the possibility of a better future.
Even if that hope is small, it is still better than having none at all.
Cain continued speaking.
Hearing those words, the council elder's heart trembled again and again.
Anyone could explain theories, but to speak like Cain, with that sincerity born from the depths of the soul, was not something just anyone could feel or express.
(End of chapter)