It was originally quite a simple matter.
Now that Cain has demonstrated greater growth potential, and since he is a civilian without the family backing that Steven has, the League decided to appoint him as an officer.
This position would allow him to earn points and improve his skills, while the League would provide additional resources for both him and Leafy Town.
It's worth remembering that Lance also started as a League officer.
But it was precisely this officer position that sparked disputes.
The Joy family argued that, with their supportive abilities, they could better assist Cain. Moreover, among the League officers, there is a Joy with great skill.
Although most members of the Joy family dedicate themselves to being Pokémon doctors and nurses, some pursue professions like training.
On the other hand, the Jenny family argued that their specialty is catching wrongdoers and securing resources, something they excel at more than the Joy family. Additionally, they have several members among the League officers.
A third group joining the dispute was the Stone family, who traditionally remain neutral.
The Stone family's argument was that, since Steven is a close friend of Cain, it would be ideal for him to work under Steven's supervision in his officer role.
In short, the three main factions nearly clashed head-on. They see great potential in Cain, and if he continues to grow as expected, it is almost certain that he will secure one of the Elite Four positions in the future.
This caused quite the headache for Juan.
As he glanced at Phoebe, who sat beside him with a gentle expression, Juan smiled warmly. Gradually, the discomfort caused by the disputes faded away.
Wasn't it Cain who had contacted him last time to ask him to seek out Phoebe?
"Ahem! Let's leave this matter for now. Provide Cain with resources in his role as the Leafy Town Gym Leader as a show of the League's support. We'll discuss the rest later. Meeting adjourned!"
In the end, it was Juan who made the decision and ended the debate. After this, the attendees accepted without objection.
And so, the meeting ended abruptly, without Cain knowing anything about it.
...
After landing and taking a brief rest, Cain climbed onto Flygon's back and flew toward the Safari Zone entrance.
When the staff saw that he had captured more than ten advanced-level Houndooms, they couldn't help but look at him with respect, though they didn't understand his obsession with that particular Pokémon species.
It was evident that Cain was a determined person.
The Safari Zone staff were well aware of the Houndooms' fearsome reputation. Now, it seemed that Cain had defeated the entire pack.
After transferring the Houndooms to their Poké Balls, Cain left on his Flygon.
Although Regice was waiting for him, Cain had told it that he would take some time to arrive. After all, the incident had just been resolved, and both Noland and Brandon knew where Regice was. If Cain went directly to it, it would raise suspicion.
Therefore, after leaving the Safari Zone, Cain flew toward Fortree City.
Meilin, the Gym Leader of that city, had invited him earlier, but Cain had declined due to not yet having delivered his captured Poké Balls from the Safari Zone.
Now that he thought about it, a challenge at Fortree City Gym didn't sound bad at all.
The question was whether Meilin would face him personally or if it would be her daughter.
With a more relaxed mindset, Cain flew toward Fortree City.
Fortree City is a small town between Lilycove City and Mauville City, with a relatively small population. However, the city's inhabitants are known for their longevity.
An interesting detail is that, apart from the Gym, all of Fortree City's buildings are constructed in trees, coexisting with flying-type Pokémon.
For this reason, the Fortree City Gym specializes in flying-type Pokémon.
Upon arriving at the Gym, Meilin personally welcomed Cain without any issues.
Cain expressed his desire for a challenge, and Meilin, the current leader, mentioned that she planned to pass the role to her daughter Winona soon. She then asked Cain to battle her daughter so she could evaluate the difference between her and strong young trainers.
Meilin had her own reasons as well. Cain was gaining great fame, and after the recent incident, the League would undoubtedly increase their support and promotion. If her daughter Winona battled Cain, even if she lost, it would raise her profile.
The battle between Cain and Winona turned out to be an "exciting match."
Winona had skills similar to the young Roxanne, but Cain had improved significantly in just a few days.
Understanding Meilin's intentions, Cain eased up during the battle so Winona could see the gap between them.
After the challenge, Meilin even invited him to dinner, but Cain politely declined and left as quickly as possible.
The way Meilin was looking at him was starting to make him uneasy, so after obtaining the badge, he left immediately.
He preferred sleeping outdoors to staying in Fortree City.
It was likely that Regice had already arrived at its destination, and the "escorts," Noland and Brandon, would have also returned to the Battle Frontier.
Cain planned to head south from Fortree City, challenge the Mauville City Gym, then the Slateport City Gym, and finally, set out to sea from Slateport City.
It was time to search for Regice!
(End of chapter)