"Pff—!"
Cain had just taken a sip of water and spat it all out.
Everyone stared at Lance, who was trying to play matchmaker, not knowing what to say.
"Ahem, ahem... Lance, you went a bit too far." Steven coughed to ease the awkwardness.
The others nodded in agreement.
Having outsiders come to recruit Cain was one thing—now even his own companions?
Lance clearly looked uncomfortable.
But he had no choice; it was something his family had asked him to mention, so he had to.
"Ahem, ahem... well, I'm only saying it out of obligation, don't take it to heart," Lance explained.
"While we're at it..." Steven spoke up suddenly.
He looked at Cain. "Cain, you already know my cousin, right? Why not consider it? As the saying goes: a woman three years older is a household treasure..."
"..." Cain didn't know how to respond.
If there was one downside to what old Matsuda had arranged, it was precisely this.
From now on, marriage proposals would surely pour in without end.
Although no one could force him... it was annoying.
The others looked at Steven, unsure what to say.
One by one, they began thinking of their own families, remembering whether they had any female relatives of appropriate age.
"Ahem, ahem... like Lance said, I'm only saying it to oblige, don't take it seriously." Steven was uncomfortable too.
"Anyway... later, come to my room..."
"Collect all the data on your Pokémon for me." Cain clarified just as the others began to look at him strangely.
Thus, the meal ended in a very awkward atmosphere.
...
The challenge against the Elite Four had finished.
Lance officially became the Dragon-type Elite Four member, announcing the arrival of a new generation.
The next day, Cain, Steven and the other two boarded a plane immediately.
The Hoenn region was far from stable.
Because of Cain, old Matsuda would surely not be able to return to Hoenn for a long time.
So the Elite Four seat he was temporarily covering was vacant, and Juan was worriedly looking for candidates.
Moreover, the Breeders' Guild in the Hoenn region was left in chaos after old Matsuda's departure.
They had only just established a basic structure; it still wasn't operating stably.
Cain and the others had to return to help.
After they left, Cynthia, Diantha and the others also decided to depart.
Lance's influence motivated them to return to training with greater effort.
The four went straight to the Hoenn League headquarters.
As soon as they got off the plane, they noticed a tense air everywhere.
Many acquaintances, upon seeing Cain, forced a smile to congratulate him.
But those congratulations failed to cheer him.
The four headed immediately to Juan's office.
Drake, the true Dragon Master, fully recovered, was also there.
Juan and Drake's expressions were serious.
Seeing the group's return, Juan showed a mixture of surprise and relief.
"Cain, I didn't expect you'd come back so soon. We didn't even manage to prepare a celebration ceremony for you." Juan said with a smile.
Drake also stood and patted him on the shoulder. "Well done."
But on Cain and the others' faces there were hardly any smiles.
"President, what exactly happened?" Cain asked.
Juan was surprised for a moment, then shook his head and sighed. "Did you notice? Actually, I wasn't planning to hide it either..."
"Team Magma and Team Aqua... have moved. Just last night, both acted as if they'd planned it together." Juan's face turned grave.
"Last night they attacked an external League base..."
Drake, however, did not seem very worried.
"No need to panic. Didn't we already send Glacia and Sidney? If they want war, let them have it!" he said firmly.
To him, Team Magma and Team Aqua were not heavyweight rivals.
Maybe Maxie and Archie deserved some caution, but the others didn't worry him at all.
They weren't like Team Rocket, which had a solid foundation after so many years.
Team Magma and Team Aqua were relatively young, with less experience and real strength.
"It's more complicated. Two organizations that'd been silent for so long suddenly attacking... surely something appeared that they value too much." Juan shook his head.
Hearing them, Cain was a little startled.
"Where did they clash?" he asked.
"At Meteor Falls."
Just as he suspected!
Cain checked his communicator.
He hadn't received any messages.
That meant Professor Cozmo still hadn't found the two orbs...
Or that he had found them, but they had fallen into the hands of Team Magma and Team Aqua, preventing him from sending news.
Either way, it confirmed that both Teams somehow knew the Red Orb and Blue Orb were at Meteor Falls.
"Is something wrong?" Drake asked, seeing Cain's expression.
Cain shook his head. It was something he couldn't explain.
Still, he had to go.
Although he couldn't rush in recklessly.
He needed a valid reason to intervene.
"President, allow me to go as well," Cain said.
"After three months of recovery, and seeing Lance become an Elite Four member, I feel I can no longer stay idle."
"Me too!" Steven added.
"Same here!/Me too!" Phoebe and Wallace said.
At their words, Juan's face turned serious. "It's very dangerous."
Nevertheless, he did not refuse them.
After all, the four had reached a level close to that of an Elite Four member.
The new generation was ready to take part in major events.
Also, with old Matsuda gone, there was an empty seat among Hoenn's Elite Four.
Perhaps one of these four young people would fill it.
The uprising of Team Magma and Team Aqua could be the opportunity.
"President, don't worry. We're no longer the fragile kids we used to be." Cain assured him.
The other three nodded firmly.
"In that case, since you just returned, rest one day and depart tomorrow. Half a day won't make a difference," Juan concluded.
Cain and the others agreed.
Indeed, they had to prepare. Cain also had to give instructions to Team Heaven, and his Pokémon needed to be readied.
After they left, Juan told Drake: "Accompany them tomorrow too, provide support. Glacia and Sidney are new in the post; it's better if you're there."
"And what will happen here...?" Drake asked.
Juan replied with a flash of cold in his eyes: "Relax. I'm not finished yet. Those clowns have had too much freedom, but that doesn't mean I can't crush them."
"Whoever dares to step out will fall!"
(End of chapter)