Chapter 264: Arrival in Hoenn

Three days later.

On the sea's surface, ten kilometers off the coast of Slateport City in the Hoenn region.

A Tropius was flapping its wings rapidly.

With the Chlorophyll ability, Tropius could increase its flight speed by at least 20% in sunny conditions.

The brighter and hotter the sun, the faster it flew.

Cain, alternating between Tropius and Gyarados, rested on a few small islands along the way. Finally, after three days, he arrived in Slateport City in the Hoenn region.

On the beach, some people who were enjoying the area saw a Tropius approaching quickly from the horizon through binoculars.

This drew the attention of more people, who stopped what they were doing and started watching.

"Look! What's that Pokémon? It's flying over the sea and seems to be heading toward us," a young woman exclaimed.

"It's quite large and flying very fast. I don't know what kind of Pokémon it is."

"It's a Tropius," said someone with more Pokémon knowledge.

"It looks like there's a person on that Tropius's back!"

"That's impressive! To capture a Tropius of that size, they must be a strong trainer."

"We'd better call the police. We don't know if this person is friendly," said someone more cautious, quickly taking out their phone to dial Hoenn's emergency number.

The League took public safety very seriously, and just a few minutes after the call, a police motorcycle arrived at the beach, ridden by Officer Jenny, accompanied by her Manectric.

In the Kanto and Johto regions, Officer Jenny typically used Growlithe and Arcanine, but in Hoenn, their usual Pokémon were Electrike and Manectric.

"Who called the police?" asked Officer Jenny, frowning as she walked across the sand in her boots.

If there wasn't a real emergency, making false calls could have serious consequences.

"I did, Officer Jenny. Look, there's a Tropius flying toward us over the sea," responded a middle-aged man, raising his hand. He was familiar with Officer Jenny, and although she looked serious, he knew she was kind.

"Hmm?"

Hearing this, Officer Jenny looked out at the sea and saw a small black dot getting bigger. Without a telescope, it would've been hard to notice.

She used her special binoculars and clearly saw the Tropius flying quickly over the sea, along with a human on its back. She couldn't quite make out their face.

Officer Jenny's binoculars were military-grade and could estimate the size and speed of objects. When she saw the size and flight speed of the Tropius, her expression shifted slightly; it was a very powerful Tropius.

If this person didn't have good intentions, she wasn't sure she could stop them on her own.

She took her communicator and requested backup from nearby officers.

When the crowd saw Officer Jenny calling for reinforcements, everyone was surprised. Did even she need help?

People began to step back a little, but instead of leaving, more people gathered, forming a semi-circle.

When Cain, riding his Tropius, approached the beach, he was a bit puzzled.

Were they preparing to capture him?

Then his expression changed slightly. Could it be that the conversation he had with old Matsuda on the S.S. Anne had led him to thoroughly investigate his identity?

Could this setup be for his arrest?

Cain grew serious. Although the possibility was low, if it existed, he didn't want to take the risk.

Luckily, the people there didn't seem that strong. If he had to flee, he was confident he could do so.

After three days under the sun, Cain looked a bit disheveled. He also hadn't showered or changed clothes in a while, so he looked similar to a beggar. However, it was still clear he was wearing a League trainer's uniform.

Noticing this, Officer Jenny didn't call for further reinforcements. She simply ordered her officers to disperse the crowd and clear an area of the beach.

Although the crowd stepped back a bit, more people kept arriving, forming a semi-circle.

Tropius's speed was high, and he soon landed on the beach. The palm leaves of his wings stirred up the sand.

Cain patted Tropius's neck, indicating for him to land.

After several days together, Tropius had been won over by Cain's roasted meat. Not only the meat, but also the Pokéblocks, filled with nutrients and flavor, had become his new favorite food.

Even though they were mid-level Pokéblocks, to Tropius, who had never tried them before, they were a delicacy.

Sensing Cain's order, Tropius obediently landed.

Everyone could see Cain and Slowpoke.

Slowpoke used telekinesis to help Cain down from Tropius's back.

Cain took out some Pokéblocks from his pocket, gave them to Tropius, and patted his head as a gesture of thanks.

After doing this, he looked at Officer Jenny.

"Officer Jenny, is there a problem?" he asked, his voice a bit hoarse from being at sea for so long.

Noticing Cain's uniform, Officer Jenny relaxed a bit.

Giving a polite bow, she said:

"Hello, Trainer. Due to regulations, I need to see your League ID."

Cain took out his League ID card and handed it to her.

Officer Jenny scanned it, and all of Cain's data appeared on the screen.

Even his past activities were recorded in detail, including his involvement in the Gyarados beach incident in Vermilion City, where he helped local police calm down the rampaging Gyarados.

After reviewing the details, Officer Jenny's face turned more serious.

Noticing her expression, Cain also grew alert, moving his hand to his waist.

Could it be they had really discovered his true identity?

(End of chapter)