Chapter 117:

Cain watched as the two Team Rocket grunts scrambled for their lives. His sneer revealed a set of canines as he muttered, "It's too late to run now." His voice was low, as if he was talking to himself, but it carried a menacing tone that sent shivers down the men's spines.

"Gastly, take care of the one who ran away first! Slowpoke use Psyshock on the Koffing that's battling Murkrow! Miltank use Milk Drink." Cain barked out orders to his Pokemon, his eyes gleaming with a ruthless determination.

Gastly, hidden in the shadows, was ready to strike at a moment's notice. The two men had always been on high alert with their Koffings hovering protectively by their sides, but Gastly wasn't impatient. Sometimes, an unseen enemy was the most terrifying of all.

So as soon as Kevin bolted, Gastly knew his time had come. With a swift movement, he emerged from the darkness and hovered before Kevin. The man's eyes widened in horror as Gastly used Hypnosis to lull him into a deep slumber.

Gastly's moves were especially potent against humans with little resistance. Kevin would be out for at least three hours.

Meanwhile, Kevin's Koffing was left to face the wrath of the rest of Cain's Pokemon. Slowpoke and Murkrow pincered it, their attacks unrelenting. Despite Koffing's brave efforts, it was no match for their relentless onslaught.

The young man watched in terror as Kevin's fate unfolded before his eyes. He stopped fleeing and stayed close to his Koffing, knowing it was his only lifeline. His eyes darted nervously to Cain, but he couldn't bring himself to meet his gaze.

He had always thought of Association trainers as fragile flowers in a greenhouse, thinking they had never seen real blood before. But now, beaten and battered, the young man couldn't believe how wrong he was. This seemingly harmless Association trainer had proven to be decisive and vicious, catching them off guard with Gastly's sneak attack on Kevin's Golbat right from the start.

Cain approached the trembling young man slowly, with his Pokemon at his side. The young man was panicking, but felt a glimmer of hope. As long as Cain didn't kill him immediately, there was still room for negotiation. And if there wasn't, he would show this Association trainer what a true battle involved. A true battle wasn't just about Pokemon!

His hand slowly crept towards his Team Rocket belt, where he kept a dagger. As a last resort, he planned to take the Association trainer by surprise and end it all.

Cain stopped two steps away from him and smiled, studying the man in front of him who seemed to have accepted his fate.

"I'll ask you a few questions. As long as I get the answers I want, I'll let you go," Cain said, his voice calm and steady.

The young man's eyes lit up, but he quickly lowered his head, appearing submissive. "Please ask."

"Who's in charge of the Team Rocket base in Mahogany Town?"

The young man was caught off guard by this question. This was common knowledge among the trainers here. "Uh, that would be Miss Ariana. Other than her, only Professor Sebastian has the same level of authority," he replied, his voice shaking slightly.

Cain mulled over this information. 'Ariana? She's one of the four executives of Team Rocket, nearly on the same level as Sabrina,' he thought to himself. He also knew about Professor Sebastian. He was a talented professor who specialized in the study of Pokemon evolution. He had conducted experiments in the Lake of Rage base and created the rare Red Gyarados.

"What's the progress in the Lake of Rage research base?" Cain asked, his tone serious.

The young man from Team Rocket was stunned. This question was a huge leap in difficulty from the previous one. He had no idea what the answer was, and he knew the consequences of not giving Cain the information he wanted.

Sweat dripped down his forehead as he hesitated for a few seconds. Finally, he dropped to his knees and shouted, "I don't know the answer! I really don't know!"

Cain raised an eyebrow, surprised by the man's reaction. He hadn't expected him to know the answer anyway.

Cain really only wanted the answer to the first question to confirm whether the Association had attacked Team Rocket's base yet. This was because in his previous life, he had been assigned here after the Association had launched a surprise attack under the leadership of Pryce. During the attack, Team Rocket suffered significant casualties. Though the Association didn't have it easy, it did bring Team Rocket to heel.

Knowing that a different person was in charge meant that the Association could strike at any moment, so Cain needed to hurry.

As for the second question, it was only a ploy by Cain to avoid keeping his promise.

Still, the young man wasn't giving up without a fight, and under Cain's mocking gaze, drew a dagger from his belt and lunged towards him.

However, he didn't make it far. Slowpoke lifted him up using Confusion, holding him in mid-air, while Murkrow swooped in and used its sharp claws to slit his throat, ending his life quickly. His Koffing, which had been hypnotized by Gastly, was also taken care of.

In the same vein, Kevin never got the chance to open his eyes again, and his Koffing met the same fate.

As for the Golbat and Arbok, Cain saw their value ($$$) and decided to spare them.

The entire skirmish lasted only a couple of minutes, resulting in a swift victory that left two cocky members of Team Rocket dead. Even in their dying moments, they couldn't understand why a seemingly ordinary Association trainer could be so ruthless and calm in battle.