Chapter 45: The First Subordinate

Upon hearing Cain's words, Soros's face turned pale. He hadn't expected things to reach this point. Observing the Murkrow flying above Cain's head and the pink Slowpoke by his side, Soros understood everything.

He realized that he had underestimated Cain. While everyone else struggled to train their first Pokémon, Cain had already captured a second, and both were incredibly powerful.

Comparing the forces in the field, Soros realized that his team was at a disadvantage.

Glaring at Cain, if looks could kill, Cain would have died a thousand times. Finally, gritting his teeth, Soros spat out a few words: "This time, we lost. Let's go!"

With that, he grabbed the dazed man and tried to retreat.

Cain sneered and said, "Now you want to leave? Don't you think it's a little too late? Murkrow, use Gust."

Hearing this, Murkrow flapped its wings, and a whirlwind appeared behind them, blocking their retreat.

"Cain, don't push it. If we keep this up, we'll die together."

Soros's face twisted with rage, his eyes burning. He had never felt so humiliated; even when Xander spoke to him, it was never with such disrespect.

"Die together? If the fish dies, the net won't break. Want to test it out?"

Cain said as he stepped forward, followed closely by Slowpoke. Someone who had tried to kill him couldn't just leave like that, without consequences. That wasn't Cain's style.

"Caw!" Murkrow cawed. If Cain hadn't stopped it, Murkrow would have already attacked.

Soros remained motionless for a moment and cast a meaningful look at Skye, who hadn't spoken. It was a signal for him to talk.

Noticing the gesture, Cain turned his gaze to the young, unremarkable man. He observed his Ekans, and the system displayed the data of this Pokémon.

Pokémon: Ekans (Orange)

Gender: Female

Level: 19

Type: Poison

Ability: Shed Skin

Held Item: None

Egg Move: Poison Tail

Basic Moves: Wrap, Leer, Poison Sting, Bite, Glare, Screech

Learned Moves: Acid

TM Moves: None

Cain looked at Skye with some surprise. He hadn't expected Skye to have trained Ekans up to level 19. If not for the limitations of its potential, Skye might have been the leader of his group.

With a small flicker of interest, Cain had an idea.

"What's your name?" Cain asked Skye indifferently.

In this situation, being asked for his name surprised Skye, but after a moment of hesitation, he replied, "Skye."

In a situation where they were at a disadvantage, it was better not to provoke Cain's anger. Besides, talking to him might buy some time to think of an escape.

Fight Cain? Don't even think about it.

Couldn't he see the corpse on the ground?

Initially, Skye had only thought Cain had a powerful Murkrow, and even then, they only decided to attack after careful consideration.

But now Cain clearly had an equally strong Slowpoke, while they were only three people, one of whom hadn't even recovered from the shock.

There was no comparison in terms of power. Skye wasn't foolish enough to provoke Cain and invite death.

Yet, even after considering all factors, Skye couldn't find a way to escape. Despair began to creep into his heart.

He had worked hard to elevate Soros, using his power and position to gain many resources that had allowed him to train his Ekans to its current level.

But what he hadn't expected was that Cain's next words would leave everyone speechless.

"You're not bad. Are you interested in working for me?"

With a simple question, everyone's expressions changed dramatically.

The follower in despair suddenly saw a glimmer of hope. If Cain wanted to recruit Skye, that meant he still had a chance to survive.

Even if he were a fool, he understood that Soros had used him as a pawn. In front of the powerful Cain, he had no intention of resisting.

The most dramatic change was seen on Soros's face, showing a mix of emotions.

He never would have imagined that Cain would try to recruit Skye. Soros was ready to fight alongside Skye against Cain, hoping for a slim chance to escape. But that hope vanished with Cain's single statement.

On the other hand, Skye's reaction was the calmest. He only stared at Cain, trying to gauge his intentions. Did Cain truly want to recruit him, or was he merely trying to divide their forces and then defeat them one by one?

But after observing for a moment, he couldn't read anything from Cain's face.

Cain said nothing more, merely watching him in silence, awaiting his response.

In fact, Cain hadn't made this offer on a whim.

With his experience in Team Rocket, Cain knew very well that in an organization where power groups dominated, a lone person would never get far. There were two options: join a group or become a leader.

Though the first option was far easier than the second, Cain chose the second without hesitation.

If he wanted to obtain more resources, he needed to be in control.

Although he might not be able to form his own group immediately, nothing stopped him from planting the seeds of his future influence now.

And the best time to start was while everyone was still trainees.

In his past life, Xander had quickly risen through the ranks in Team Rocket. Part of his success was because he had built his base of followers on the trial island, paving the way for his future development.

Thus, Cain had always planned to form his own group. Even if he didn't need it in the future, it would be a safety net.

Skye had caught Cain's attention partly due to luck but also because he had some potential. Cain believed that if he provided Skye with a good Pokémon, Skye could perform much better.

It didn't take long for Skye to grit his teeth and nod. "Alright!"

What other choice did he have in this situation? If he said no, he would die.

Cain was satisfied with Skye's response. Though it was partly a forced answer, Skye proved to be aware of the situation, which was useful.

With a good Pokémon, his power wouldn't be inferior to Soros's.

(End of Chapter)