"Mr. Drake, Brandon, Leader Meilin, you've all arrived," said Noland as he noticed the three approaching.
Drake and the others quickly landed.
"Noland, where is the powerful Regice you mentioned?" Brandon asked.
Noland stepped aside, pointing to the Regice behind him. "There it is."
"Isn't it calm now? Why all the urgency in calling us?" Brandon commented upon seeing Regice's subdued state.
"You have no idea how fierce it was earlier. My Articuno barely managed to hold it off. If it weren't for this young man..." Noland began, but was interrupted by Drake.
"Cain!" Upon seeing Regice, Drake also noticed Cain and couldn't help but call out his name.
"Huh? Mr. Drake, do you know this young man?" Noland asked.
Drake nodded and smiled. "Yes, but it seems that you, Brandon, and the other leaders of the Battle Frontier have been too busy to notice. Ask Leader Meilin—she knows him."
The three turned their attention to Meilin.
Among the four, Meilin held the lowest rank and was the least powerful, so she had refrained from intervening earlier. However, now that Drake had mentioned her, she had no choice but to speak.
She nodded and said, "Yes, I know him. He's one of the two most promising young trainers in the Hoenn region, known as one of the 'Twin Stars of Hoenn.' He's the Gym Leader of Leafy Town—Cain."
Hearing this, Noland and Brandon exchanged glances, curiosity evident in their eyes.
"Ah, Noland, what were you saying earlier?" Drake shifted the topic.
"Oh, right. I almost engaged Regice in battle, but Cain appeared out of nowhere. He used telepathy with his psychic powers and managed to calm Regice down. It's been like this ever since," Noland explained.
"A psychic?" The three seemed surprised.
Drake, in particular, was puzzled, as he had previously investigated Cain and found no mention of psychic abilities.
Had they known Cain was a psychic, that fact alone would have been enough for the League to consider him even more important. Moreover, Cain was already a key figure for the League.
Drake didn't doubt Cain, knowing that if he had ulterior motives, he wouldn't have revealed himself in such a way. However, he was surprised that Cain had hidden something as significant as his psychic powers.
The four began approaching Regice.
"Uncle Drake, Master Noland, Master Brandon, Leader Meilin, it's a pleasure to see you all," Cain greeted respectfully.
"Good work, Cain," Drake said, patting him on the shoulder.
The Flygon beneath Cain's feet seemed to feel its heart tighten. There were too many powerful Pokémon nearby. Never mind the legendaries—even Salamence, the closest to Cain, made it feel suffocated.
Cain scratched his head and smiled, saying nothing further.
In truth, he was satisfied with his achievement. He knew the League wouldn't disappoint him after this effort, and he had no problem with revealing his psychic powers. He no longer intended to keep them hidden anyway.
"Cain, do you have any idea why this is happening?" Drake asked.
Although Noland already knew, Drake and the others were still in the dark.
Cain repeated what he had told Noland earlier.
"So, if I understand correctly, this Regice was simply looking for something and rushed over, which led Noland to believe it was seeking a fight. Due to its urgency, it almost battled Articuno," Drake analyzed, stroking his chin.
The others nodded in agreement. After all, if it wasn't here to fight, it would be much easier to handle.
No one present could guarantee that a confrontation with such a powerful legendary Pokémon wouldn't affect others. Additionally, the three Regis were notorious for their ability to use Explosion, which greatly concerned Noland and the rest.
A legendary self-destructing was not something anyone wanted to witness.
"So, based on what you're saying, it was searching for something it could previously sense but has now disappeared," Brandon commented in his deep voice.
Cain nodded and said nothing further.
The four were somewhat confused, unsure of how to proceed.
Drake took out his League communicator and stepped aside to participate in an emergency meeting, where the handling of Regice was discussed.
Soon, the League's high command reached a conclusion: the best course of action was to resolve the situation peacefully. Regice's behavior wasn't malicious, and Noland had only acted to prevent a potential issue. It seemed to be a simple misunderstanding.
"Cain, could you try communicating with Regice again to see if it can leave peacefully? That would be best for everyone, and the League will issue an apology for the misunderstanding," Drake said after returning from the meeting.
He cast an apologetic glance at Noland, knowing this resolution might not sit well with him.
However, Noland shook his head, indicating that he didn't mind. After all, he had only acted to prevent a disaster and had no intention of fighting Regice. If everything could be resolved peacefully, it was for the best.
"I'll give it a try," Cain said, approaching Regice slowly, this time getting closer than before.
Drake and the others tensed, ready to fight at a moment's notice should Regice attack Cain.
Since the League discovered Cain was a psychic, they had conducted emergency investigations.
They found out that both his mentor, Matsuda Takashi, and his friend, Steven Stone, already knew about his psychic powers, but Cain had chosen not to reveal them.
As someone who came from a modest background, Cain had to tread carefully to get to where he was, and the League fully understood how dangerous the Pokémon Trainer world could be.
Now that they knew, the League was even more determined to support him. A trainer with psychic abilities and telepathy had immense potential.
Cain once again used telepathy in front of Drake and the others, communicating with Regice.
In truth, Brandon's Regirock could also communicate with Regice, but since Cain had already initiated the interaction and seemed to be handling it well, they decided it was best to let him continue.
The communication was quick this time. Cain disconnected from Regice's mind, nodded at it, and then at Drake.
Upon receiving Cain's confirmation, Regice looked at Cain intently, as if trying to remember him, and then disappeared over the horizon, this time moving at a more moderate speed.
To ensure everything was fine, Noland and Brandon exchanged glances and, after speaking with Drake, followed Regice from a distance to make sure it wouldn't cause further trouble.
Drake patted Cain on the shoulder, offered some encouragement, and then left in a hurry, as his crew was still waiting for him at sea.
Meilin, the Gym Leader of Fortree City, also extended an invitation to Cain before departing.
When everyone had left, Cain let out a strange smile, wearing an expression of satisfaction.
(End of Chapter)