"You're insane! You're a damn lunatic!"
At this moment, the Black Messenger's pale face was seated atop Hydreigon's back, fleeing from the Crimson Sand Inferno with an expression full of terror.
At the final critical moment, the Black Messenger fully unleashed his psychic power, barely managing to help Hydreigon avoid the last, fatal kick from Mega Blaziken.
Because of that, Blaziken destroyed the entire island with a single kick.
After releasing that move, Blaziken, Aggron, Tyranitar, and Gengar reverted from their Mega Evolution states. But at that moment, the Black Messenger was terrified, unable to approach again. He immediately mounted Hydreigon and fled, as members of the League would arrive at any moment.
Once he had put enough distance between them, color gradually returned to his face, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes.
"Hmph... I wasn't prepared this time. When I come back, it won't be so simple. That method that allows a Pokémon to evolve normally... I must obtain it, no matter what." He muttered to himself, his face slightly twisted.
"Grrr—!" Hydreigon's central head let out a weak roar.
"What are you afraid of? Those Pokémon will surely be handed over to the League by Cain. With my position within the League, taking them out will be no problem at all. And as for the ones that can't endure it... after so many injections of divine energy, their bodies are already ruined. I just need to raise new ones."
"Now that I know a more convenient and efficient evolution method exists, the way I raise my Pokémon will be different." A confident expression appeared on his face.
As the Black Messenger of the Sacred Church, he possessed extremely broad connections. Obtaining Dark-type Pokémon with good potential and strength had never been a problem for him.
As long as he obtained Cain's method and combined it with his carefully trained Pokémon, becoming the strongest in the world would no longer be a dream.
He possessed both the League's training methods and the radical ones of the Sacred Church and other hidden powers. The combination of the two would produce effects that most people could not even imagine.
He was a high-ranking member of the League and also had access to the Sacred Church's special channels. His confidence was absolute—what had happened now was merely a temporary setback.
But as he traveled a bit farther, searching for a quiet place at sea to rest, he suddenly stopped.
Frowning with a hint of fear, he said, "What are you doing here?"
Following his words, a woman wearing a silver cloak appeared before him—the very same one who had fought Drake.
"Me? I came to say goodbye."
The woman smiled brightly, and in the next instant unleashed immense psychic pressure. Beneath her feet appeared two Pokémon: Latios and Latias.
The Black Messenger's expression changed instantly. He tried to make Hydreigon flee, but it was already too late.
The weakened Hydreigon was quickly overwhelmed by the attacks of Latios and Latias. And the Black Messenger, with his psychic power nearly exhausted, was no match for the woman.
In the end, under the force of her psychic power, his neck was bent and snapped.
His eyes opened wide as he fell from the sky toward the sea, filled with disbelief and deep resentment.
He believed he was only one step away from becoming the strongest in the world, but due to his exhaustion, he was caught and killed outright.
And he never even got the chance to reveal Cain's secret.
The woman's expression turned completely cold. She glanced at the body floating in the sea and muttered, "Did you really think I wouldn't know you tried to use me? I told you not to give me the opportunity. Black Messenger? Hmph."
After venting her feelings, she took the defeated Hydreigon and disappeared from the area.
The Black Messenger no longer had any value... but Hydreigon, a Champion-level pseudo-legendary without damage from divine energy, was extremely valuable.
The sea quickly returned to calm.
...
On the other side, on the shattered island where Cain was, after Mega Blaziken's kick, Cain could no longer hold on and collapsed into Diancie's arms, losing consciousness.
The four Mega Evolutions dissipated at the same time.
The Black Messenger escaped, and after briefly debating whether to pursue him, the Pokémon returned to protect Cain.
From afar, the island had exploded into pieces. The red sandstorm gradually faded, returning to its natural yellow color, until it disappeared completely.
The island was split into five or six sections, completely transformed into a desert devoid of Pokémon and vegetation.
Cain lay at the center.
As the smartest of the group and the "second brother," Slowking immediately took a Poké Ball from Cain's belt and summoned Magearna.
Upon appearing, Magearna saw the condition of Cain and the Pokémon. Her eyes filled with tears, but Diancie stopped her.
Treating Cain came first.
Magearna calmed herself and used the life energy of her Soul-Heart to slowly envelop Cain.
At last, Cain—who even while unconscious was frowning—slowly relaxed his expression as he rested upon the meadow created by Florges.
Then Slowking temporarily recalled Diancie, Magearna, Drapion, and the others, leaving only six Pokémon behind to secure the area and wait for League reinforcements.
Some time later, Juan arrived riding his Latios.
He had originally been coming aboard a League aircraft, but upon learning that photos and videos had been uploaded to the internet, he could not wait any longer and flew over immediately.
When he saw the devastated island, he froze.
At that moment, he understood that what Cain had told him before was true: if Cain fought Sidney or Glacia to the death, he would have a 90% chance of winning.
Changing the terrain of an island was not difficult for an Elite Four member. But changing it in such a complete and brutal manner... neither Sidney nor Glacia would be capable of it.
Why did the island split apart?
Blaziken's attack was a factor. But the main reason was that Tyranitar had hollowed out the island's internal structure, as if removing its skeleton.
With the combined attacks of Mega Aggron and Mega Blaziken, the island ended up as it was now.
Juan looked at the shattered edges of the island and understood almost everything that had happened.
"Cain!"
When he saw Cain's body lying on the ground, he was startled. After confirming that he was breathing normally, he let out a sigh of relief.
Looking at Cain's Pokémon, he could not help but nod. "The future of the League... truly must be entrusted to you young people."
(End of chapter)