After completing his last task in the Kanto region, Cain purchased a plane ticket the next day to travel from Saffron City in Kanto to Rustboro City in the Hoenn region.
He even booked a first-class seat with a private room. During the flight, Cain planned to prepare some Pokéblocks for Steven to avoid being unprepared when meeting him in Hoenn.
The flight lasted a full five hours. When the plane landed in the Hoenn region, it was already around two or three in the afternoon.
It was Cain's first time visiting Rustboro City. He could feel the atmosphere was completely different from that of Saffron City. Rustboro City was one of the largest cities in Hoenn, and the world-renowned Devon Corporation had its headquarters there.
To the north of the city lay Meteor Falls, to the south Petalburg Woods, and to the east the Rusturf Tunnel. Whether in terms of economic development or Pokémon trainer growth, this city stood out.
Because of the emphasis on Pokémon, Rustboro City featured a specialized trainer school funded by Devon Corporation and supported by the Hoenn League.
This school was primarily intended for the descendants of the League's most important members, as well as a select group of talented trainers from more modest families.
The children of prominent League members could freely decide their futures upon graduation. However, those talented trainers from humble backgrounds were required to offer six years of free service to the League after graduating.
Though "free" didn't mean without financial compensation, it did entail fulfilling strict tasks and objectives.
Despite these conditions, many strove to enter the school because it offered a promising future as respected trainers with stable incomes.
Additionally, graduates of this school were entitled to participate in Hoenn's annual League tournament without needing to collect all eight gym badges. However, graduating from the school was a highly challenging task.
In summary, Pokémon trainers in the Hoenn region enjoyed an elevated status. As the League grew stronger, its control over the region became increasingly firm.
This control was reflected in the cooperation between Devon Corporation and the League. It was no coincidence that Steven eventually became League Champion; the relationship between Devon Corporation and the League played a key role.
Unlike Kanto and Johto, where the League and Team Rocket were the main forces, Hoenn's situation was more complex. Although the League appeared to be the dominant power, several local forces secretly resisted its influence.
Cain, as a member of Team Rocket, was particularly attuned to the movements of clandestine forces. After walking through the streets of Rustboro City for an hour, he detected the presence of several of these hidden groups—at least three or four distinct ones.
Security in Hoenn wasn't as good as it seemed. For nobles or descendants of League members, Hoenn might seem peaceful and safe, as they rarely encountered serious incidents.
However, this was because the clandestine forces avoided meddling with them.
For ordinary citizens, the situation was different. Hoenn's security left much to be desired.
"It seems that until Steven takes control, Hoenn's security won't improve," Cain thought.
The moment Hoenn fully integrated into the League's sphere of influence was when Steven, the next president of Devon Corporation, became League Champion. This marked the beginning of large-scale collaboration between Devon Corporation and the League.
Later, when Wallace replaced Steven as Champion, was it really without the League's intervention? Who says one can't be both president of Devon Corporation and League Champion at the same time?
Rustboro City's airport was located in the northeastern corner of the city, while the iconic Devon Corporation building stood in the northwestern corner, south of Meteor Falls, surrounded by breathtaking scenery.
Cain walked from the airport to the base of Devon Corporation's tower. Seeing the massive structure, over a hundred stories tall, he couldn't help but exclaim, "So rich!"
Not even the Hoenn League headquarters had such a grand appearance.
Since Steven wasn't in Rustboro City at the time, Cain simply observed the building from the outside before leaving and settling into a decent hotel.
After several hours of walking, the sky began to darken.
At dusk, Cain disguised himself and headed to Rustboro City's black market. No matter the region, there was always an underground market—the only difference was the group controlling it.
In Kanto, most black markets were controlled by Team Rocket, and in Johto, about half were also under their command. The other half was run by old local forces, such as those in Ecruteak City.
In Rustboro City, the black market was entirely controlled by local clandestine forces. Because of this, security in these places was poor, and buyers were often easy targets for local gangs.
For those without sufficient power, it was better not to risk doing business in the black market.
Upon entering the market, Cain released Honchkrow. After its evolution, Honchkrow not only looked majestic but was also incredibly powerful.
Earlier, when Cain entered the market, many people watched him with interest. But after releasing Honchkrow, 90% of those stares disappeared immediately, and the remaining few no longer dared to look at him directly.
Honchkrow, with its remarkable ability and level, was the strongest Pokémon under Cain's direct control at that moment.
"Let's take a look around the black market and see which forces control this place. A portion of the pie this large won't be easy to claim," Cain thought as he walked through the market with Honchkrow.
In his past life, he remembered that Hoenn's two main underground groups were Team Aqua and Team Magma. Although they had likely not emerged yet, their appearance wasn't far off.
As he considered his future moves, Cain observed the various forces in the black market and discovered that the situation was even more complex than he had imagined.
There were at least eight visible forces operating in the market, not counting the smaller groups dependent on them.