Chapter 62:

Xander gaped in disbelief as he saw the grin on Cain's face. "What's there to laugh about?" he thought, feeling a twinge of unease. The other trainers on the field shared his sentiment, their eyes narrowing suspiciously as they wondered what trick Cain had up his sleeve.

Just then, Cain reached for his Team Rocket belt and pulled out a small remote control and a pale yellow pill. Everyone's eyes zeroed in on the remote control, but then fell to the pill in his hand.

It was just an ordinary antidote, worth a measly 10 points on the Team Rocket exchange list.

"Hahaha!!" Xander laughed, feeling triumphant. "Cain, are you kidding? With that trash antidote, you think you can cure Ekans's poison? I thought you had something up your sleeve, but it turns out it's just a plain old antidote."

But Cain only laughed even harder, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Ready to party, Murkrow?" he asked, ignoring Xander's taunts.

Murkrow let out an excited cry at the sight of the remote control. Ever since their last battle, Cain had kept a weight on Murkrow's body. But now, he was taking it off, and Murkrow was more confident than ever.

Skye's frown deepened as he pondered the unfavorable situation Cain was in. If Cain were to fall, Skye feared his own future days wouldn't be easy. He just couldn't figure out why Cain was acting so confident.

"Wait a minute, check out that remote control in his hand!" Skye exclaimed, his eyes finally zeroing in on the key to the mystery. "That's the Team Rocket's custom weight remote control! I've seen it on their exchange list."

Everyone's eyes shot over to the remote control, and shock and disbelief was written all over their faces. Murkrow, who was already so fast and fierce, was carrying a weight the whole time?

Cain's slender fingers pressed the button on the remote control, and he threw the antidote to Murkrow with his other hand. Murkrow let out a joyful cry as he felt his body lighten, and he eagerly swallowed the antidote.

Although the antidote had taken the edge off the poison, it still flowed through Murkrow's veins like a deadly river. This was no cure, only a temporary reprieve.

"Do you really think you can beat me?" Xander sneered, ordering Ekans to attack. "Dream on! Ekans, use Poison Sting again. Show him the full extent of your poison!"

"Murkrow, dodge those poison needles and give that Ekans a taste of your Wing Attack!" shouted Cain, a sly smile playing on his lips.

Murkrow swooped and swerved, dodging the poison needle flying his way with grace. With newfound speed, he barreled towards Ekans like a bullet.

Xander sneered, "You think a little speed will save you? Ekans, show 'em what you're made of. Use Scary Face and Poison Fang!"

"Ha!" Cain smirked, the corners of his mouth upturning. "Did he really think weight training was just for show?"

With a crash, Murkrow slammed into Ekans, whilst under the effect of Scary Face. And although the purple pill had dulled Ekans's sense of pain and its venomous fangs were at the ready, Ekans was no match for the lightning-fast Murkrow. With a quick flutter of his wings, the bird easily dodged Ekans's strike.

"Don't let up, Murkrow! Keep those Wing Attacks coming!" yelled Cain.

"Ekans, you can do this. Use Scary Face and Poison Fang again, show them what you're made of!" Xander yelled through gritted teeth, the tension in his voice palpable. He was struggling to deal with the lightning-fast Murkrow who seemed to be getting faster by the second.

As fate would have it, Scary Face worked its magic and Murkrow's speed decreased once again.

But before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, Cain's frosty voice echoed like a piercing sword.

"Murkrow, Protect!"

With a green glow, a protective shield appeared around Murkrow, blocking Ekans's Poison Fang.

"What the...?" Xander gasped in shock.

Cain's eyes were glinting with pride as he watched Murkrow unleash a powerful Wing Attack on Ekans, sending it flying across the battleground and knocking it out of commission.

Everyone was stunned into silence, not a soul in the plaza daring to make a sound. They had just witnessed a dramatic turnaround.

"Murkrow, kill it!" Cain growled, his voice as cold as a winter storm in the Underworld.

The spectators held their breaths as they watched Murkrow hurtling towards Ekans, his wings spreading wide, ready to strike. But then, a voice shouted out, "Wait, no!" It was Xander, dashing across the battlefield, desperation written all over his face.

From Cain's perspective, the moment Xander called for his death, their feud had reached an irreparable state. "You want me gone? Well, be prepared to taste your own medicine," Cain coldly thought to himself.

"Hold it right there!" cried the Team Rocket examiner, trying to intervene. But Cain remained steadfast in his mission.

Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, the most unexpected voice spoke up. "Stop it, Cain! He can't die now," It was Instructor Viper, the trial island's most respected figure. However, the helplessness in his voice could not be concealed.

Cain, who had been giving the order, frowned as he reluctantly commanded Murkrow to cease his attack, "All right, stop Murkrow." He could ignore everyone else here, but not Viper.

Nevertheless, life wasn't the only thing at stake. Xander would have to face the consequences of his actions, and pay the price for trying to kill Cain.

"Remove an eye instead!"

Xander gasped as he watched in horror as the bird swooped down on Ekans with lightning speed. Before anyone could react, Murkrow had struck, ferociously pecking at Ekans's eye and flying off with a bloody eyeball in his beak.

"AHH! Ekans!" Xander yelled, dodging as the bird swooped past him.

Murkrow didn't hesitate, gobbling down Ekans's eye in one swift motion. The onlookers stood in stunned silence, unable to say a word as they watched the bird feast. Viper also stayed quiet, secretly acquiescing to Cain's actions. After all, he was the one who set the rules for the deathmatch, but now he was breaking them.

Regardless, Cain wasn't satisfied. He turned his piercing gaze on Viper, a hint of question and seriousness in his eyes. He didn't believe that it was all because of Xander's brother. After all, his rank and standing were nowhere near the upper echelons of the organization like Viper.

Viper sighed as he felt Cain's eyes on him, knowing he couldn't avoid the situation. He was the chief instructor of Team Rocket, and he only gave Cain an explanation because of his close friendship with Umbra. Otherwise, anyone who dared to look at him like that would have faced a much different outcome.

"He's still useful," Viper said finally, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Cain knew when to call it quits. Even if Viper didn't give him a straight answer, there was nothing he could do about it. He had to suck it up and keep quiet.

But deep down, Cain got the message.

This trial was different.

Murkrow returned to Cain's side, flapping his wings in anger. He had been stopped just as he was about to unleash a killer blow. He managed to take out his frustration by pecking Ekans' eye, which was a small victory, satisfying the hatred in his heart.

Cain soothed Murkrow, petting his feathers to calm him down. He pulled out a few antidotes from his belt and fed them to the bird one by one. The purple pill had increased the strength of Ekans' poison and it took the fifth antidote for Murkrow to finally expel all the toxins.

He watched as Xander stumbled over to Ekans's side, pulling out every medicine bottle he had from his belt and pouring them into Ekans's mouth like they were going out of style. Meanwhile, he sprayed some healing spray onto Ekans' eye to stop the bleeding.

The disinfectant stung and caused the unconscious Ekans to convulse in agony.

If it was just any ordinary Pokemon, they would've bounced back with a little TLC. But not the current Ekans. This was a whole different ballgame.

After downing the purple pill, the body's senses and self-protective mechanisms were dulled. It was the body's way of saying, "I need a time-out."

The pill had some nasty side effects and if Ekans couldn't bounce back soon, its level would drop and its aptitude might even decrease. It would never be able to catch up to Murkrow.

And to add insult to injury, Murkrow had clawed out one of Ekans' eyes, knocking down its battle power by twenty percent.

Be that as it may, they had a beef that could never be settled. He was just doing his due diligence, getting rid of the trash.

The gap between Cain and Xander would only get bigger and bigger.

Xander was feeding Ekans large amounts of medicine like he was trying to revive it, even though it was down for the count.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Cain and Murkrow exited the battlefield in style.

The examiner declared the challenge over and announced, "Challenger failed! Ranking drops ten spots!"

Xander trudged out of the battlefield, dejected, as he made his way down the path towards the dorms with Ekans safely returned to its Pokeball. Despite his defeat, he was filled with questions about what had gone so wrong. Just moments ago, he had been on the brink of victory, his Ekans battling with everything it had. And then, in a flash, it was all over.

"If it weren't for Viper, I might be six feet under by now," Xander thought to himself, still in shock.

Meanwhile, Skye watched in awe as Cain strolled towards him, the triumphant Murkrow perched on his shoulder. Skye had never been one to give up easily, but he was starting to realize that Cain was not someone to be trifled with. The man was a force to be reckoned with, and his strength only seemed to grow with each passing day.

"Who would have thought that Cain's Murkrow was only scratching the surface of its true power?" Skye thought, his mind racing. "And he's got a Slowpoke that's just as fierce...no way am I crossing that guy."

With a deep sigh, Skye adjusted his mindset, accepting that from this moment on, he was a loyal follower of Cain. "I'll do my best to support him, no matter what comes our way," Skye thought resolutely. And with that, the last remnants of any thoughts of rebellion vanished, and Skye was fully and completely under Cain's command.

Skye approached Cain, his demeanor changed. "Cain, do you need any healing potions? We've still got a few left in our stock."

Cain raised an eyebrow in surprise. He could see the transformation in Skye, like he had finally figured something out.

Cain shook his head, "Nah, there's no need. Murkrow's doing just fine after I got rid of the poison. No need to waste those potions on him."

The group of twenty or so followers behind Cain were beaming with excitement. With a boss as powerful as Cain, they felt lucky to be on his side.

After the battle between Cain and Xander ended, more and more challengers appeared on the battlefield. But the shock from the previous battle had left them looking small in comparison.

Despite the life-and-death stakes, there were only a few casualties. Most of the participants had already worked out their differences, and those who realized they couldn't win chose to surrender, knowing that falling ten places was better than risking an uncontrollable situation.

Besides, only the top ten would earn rewards. The rest of the rankings, well, let's just say they don't mean squat.

Though the fight for last place had the onlookers' blood running cold. These were the saddest and most tragic battles of the trial. Everyone knew that last place meant elimination, and elimination meant death.

So, they figured, why not go out in a blaze of glory and fight to the death?

And that's exactly what they did. The battle for last place became a wild and crazy brawl, with more and more casualties as the day wore on.

By the time the curtains closed on the test, the crowd was in a state of shock. Five trainers lost their lives, and three more saw their beloved Pokemon succumb to their injuries.

Thanks to Viper and his new rule, this trial became a bloody mess. And with the next test looming, it was only a matter of time before more lives would be lost.

---

Cain stood at the bow of the massive cargo ship, staring out at the endless sea. White smoke billowed from the tall chimney, making it look like a lonely beacon in a vast desert. Beside him, the black bird-shaped Pokemon known as Murkrow kept a watchful eye on the horizon.

Cain was decked out in all black, the sea breeze blowing through his hair. The salty air was invigorating, a welcome change from the monotony of the trial island.

It was Team Rocket's cargo ship, delivering supplies to the trial island every month, and Umbra had allowed Cain to come along for the ride after his latest test had impressed him. For the first time in his life, Cain was able to see the route back from the trial island.

"Looks like we're at the border of the Kanto and Johto regions," Cain remarked to Murkrow.

"How's it feel, kid?" came a gruff voice from behind. Umbra emerged from the cabin, walking over to lean against the railing beside Cain. "You've only been gone for a month, but it must feel like you've been in the wilderness for a lifetime."

"Mr. Umbra," Cain called out, his voice respectful.

Umbra chuckled, "Come on now, Cain, let's leave the formalities behind. Just call me Umbra."

Despite his high position in Team Rocket, Umbra wasn't one to put on airs. He believed that strength was the most important thing in this world, and those who had it had the privilege of being respected.

Although Cain didn't have much strength yet, Umbra saw potential in him. And for that reason, among others, he treated Cain with a bit more ease.

"To be honest, I don't feel much of anything," Cain replied, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "I've been an orphan my whole life. There's not much difference between surviving in society and surviving on the trial island. It's a dog-eat-dog world. Everything I do is just to survive."

Umbra was taken aback by Cain's answer, but then he smiled warmly. "It seems like we have similar experiences." His eyes drifted off, as if lost in thought, reliving memories from the past.

The two of them fell into silence, the only sounds the whistling of the sea breeze and the crashing of the waves against the cargo ship.

After a while, Umbra broke the silence with a self-deprecating smile. "All these experiences just make me think about the past."

Umbra was notorious as a highly enigmatic and ruthless member of Team Rocket, but after spending time with him, Cain came to see that he was more like a friendly uncle than a cold-blooded killer.

"Here you go, kid. I had someone whip up this Pokemon Association ID card just for you. All your info is in there, and we made sure it won't raise any red flags. As long as the Elite Four or anyone of similar status within the Association don't take a real close look, you're golden." Umbra grinned as he handed Cain the card, complete with a stranger's face and the Association's seal.

Cain was taken aback. Umbra had gone out of his way to get him an official identity card. It meant that Cain could finally step out of the shadows and live a life in the sun.

"And there's also this special human skin mask, made by the experts at Team Rocket. It's so realistic that nobody'll be able to tell it's fake, as long as you don't scratch or burn it," Umbra explained, tossing Cain a mask as delicate as a cicada's wing. "It's the perfect disguise to match that shiny new ID card of yours."

With these tools, Cain believed he could become unrecognizable, even to those who knew him well. Of course, as long as his Pokémon's true identity remained a secret.

Cain eagerly accepted the identity card and mask from Umbra, already envisioning the dual lives he could lead. His Murkrow would represent his place in Team Rocket, while his Slowpoke would symbolize his role within the Pokemon Association.

"If I play my cards right," he thought, "I might just be able to rise up the ranks in both organizations. Who knows? I might even become the next Koga, ruling from the shadows!"

And with the resources from both groups at his disposal, Cain's power would grow exponentially. Was that what Umbra had intended all along?

Umbra seemed to sense his ambitions and added, "In half an hour, we'll arrive in Vermilion City. When we dock, you'll be able to disembark with your pokemon."

He then gave Cain a new task. "Take this medal I'm giving you and head to the Lake of Rage Team Rocket base in Mahogany Town, in the Johto region. I need you to retrieve something for me. Someone will contact you when you get there."

And with that, Umbra disappeared back into the cabin, leaving Cain to ponder his next move. He looked down at the identity card and mask in his hand and smiled to himself.

"Vermilion City, huh?" he thought. "No wonder the Association has never been able to find Team Rocket's Purgatory Island. Vermilion City is home to Lt. Surge, one of the three Senior Executives of Team Rocket. He must be helping to keep the island hidden."

Cain rubbed his chin, remembering the information about the three Senior Executives of Team Rocket. "So let me get this straight, there's Lt. Surge in Vermilion City, Sabrina in Saffron City, and Koga, the Poisonous Ninja Master in Fuchsia City. These guys are the biggest nails Giovanni has driven into the Pokemon Association."

Among them, Koga was the most formidable. When the Indigo League of the Kanto region was divided into the Kanto and Johto regions, Koga claimed the title of Elite Four in the Johto region and was considered one of Giovanni's most loyal supporters.

But Cain also knew that the other two were not to be trifled with. Sabrina's title, Master of Psychic Pokémon, spoke for itself, and Lt. Surge, also known as Lightning Lieutenant, commanded an army like a seasoned general.

Cain chuckled to himself, "So the Three Senior Executives have their own strengths, like the Three Stooges but with higher stakes and fewer pies in the face."

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Cain's Pokemon (End of Vol.1):

Pokemon : Murkrow (Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 20

Type: Dark + Flying

Ability: Prankster

Held items: None

Egg moves: Punishment, Feint Attack, Roost

Basic moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze, Wing Attack

Taught moves: Snatch, Tailwind, Gust

Technical Machines (TMs): Protect, Substitute, Screech, Dark Pulse, Hidden Power (Electric)

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Pokemon: Shiny Slowpoke (Dark Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 22

Type: Water + Psychic

Ability: Oblivious

Held items: None

Egg moves: Rest, Rain Dance, Teleport

Basic moves: Curse, Yawn, Tackle, Growl, Water Gun, Confusion, Disable

Taught moves: Calm Mind, Psyshock

Technical Machines (TMs): Protect, Hidden Power (Fire)

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Pokemon: Gastly (Dark Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 14

Type: Ghost + Poison

Ability: Levitate

Held items: None

Egg moves: Fire Punch, Scary Face, Haze

Basic moves: Hypnosis, Lick, Spite, Mean Look, Curse

Taught moves: Rest, Shadow Ball, Psychic, Skill Swap, Snore

Technical Machines (TMs): Protect, Hidden Power (Grass), Sleep Talk