"So, why don't you tell me what your mission is? Maybe our missions overlap," Cain suggested in a nonchalant tone, trying to mask his slight internal discomfort with a light cough.
Karen looked at Cain curiously, but he had already regained his usual calm expression, showing nothing out of the ordinary.
However, Karen wasn't naive enough to reveal her mission immediately. Instead, she watched him cautiously.
"What's going on? Is this lunatic trying to steal my Pokémon again?" Her demeanor was clearly defensive.
Cain felt a slight headache.
"Wasn't it just about an Onix?" he thought to himself. "Now I could buy you a dozen of those if you want."
"Wait, I don't have that intention. Last time, I was in a hurry, so I did what I did, and I only attacked because you attacked me first, didn't you? Besides, it was just a common Onix. If you want, I can compensate you with several Pokémon of the same level," Cain explained.
Cain reasoned that, given Karen's strength, the Pokémon she was after must have great value. Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to reach four-star hunter rank and finally form his own team of hunters.
With the help of the subordinates he had just recruited, this would be an excellent chance to boost his strength and earn money.
Karen seemed intrigued by his explanation.
"So, he's not going to go all out for a mere common Onix?" she thought. "He seemed a bit crazy before, but now he actually seems quite reasonable."
"This was a job I waited a long time for at the Hunter Guild. It's not so easy for me to tell you about it," Karen said.
"Oh, really? I also waited a long time to get a mission from the Hunter Guild. What city did you accept yours in?" Cain asked.
"Obviously in Verdanturf Town..."
"Then we're different. I was in Mauville City," Cain replied, smiling inwardly.
Cain continued, "But in such a deep mountain, for two high-level hunters to be searching for a Pokémon, it's unlikely to be something that appears frequently. I'd say it's likely our missions overlap."
Karen eyed Cain warily, then briefly displayed the four golden stars on her chest before quickly hiding them again.
The message was clear: Karen was now a four-star hunter.
This surprised Cain a little. Karen was slightly weaker than him, but she had already reached four-star hunter rank. Had she spent all her time capturing Pokémon?
"Does this person really enjoy catching Pokémon, or does she need the money to train them?" Cain thought.
Observing Karen's Roserade, Cain leaned toward the latter conclusion.
For a Budew to evolve into Roselia, it needed a strong bond with its trainer. If Karen were the type to catch Pokémon for fun, her Budew might not have evolved.
"Could it be that all her Pokémon were earned through her own merit?" Cain thought with admiration. "If so, she's truly a formidable fighter."
"I'm almost at the same level, but I don't like those shiny golden stars, so I don't wear them," Cain lied with disdain.
Karen seemed even more skeptical, clearly not trusting Cain's story.
"I'll give you a hint: it's said that when this Pokémon appears, it's often accompanied by some unknown disaster. So..." Karen hadn't finished her sentence when Cain interrupted, a gleam in his eyes. "I already know. Our missions really do overlap. That Pokémon is exactly the one I need to capture."
"Oh? I didn't even finish telling you that. How do you already know if our missions are the same? What I just said wasn't in the mission description. It's something I heard during my research. Why don't you tell me what Pokémon you need to capture?" Karen challenged.
"A rare Pokémon known as the 'Living Disaster,' Absol," Cain replied straightforwardly.
Hearing the name Absol, Karen showed a surprised expression.
This was because Absol, being able to sense disasters, often appeared at disaster sites before they occurred to warn people, allowing them to prepare in advance.
However, in ancient times, people misunderstood Absol's intentions, believing its appearance caused disasters. Thus, whenever they saw an Absol, they attacked it immediately, calling it the "Disaster Beast."
As a result, Absol was forced to live in the mountains, staying away from humans to avoid being hunted.
Today, most people understood what Absol truly did and no longer hunted or called it the "Disaster Beast." Only a few elders, clinging to old beliefs, continued spreading those rumors.
Karen had heard this story from an elder, marking the first time she encountered such rumors.
But Absol's habits had already formed. If it wasn't a major disaster, it typically wouldn't leave the depths of the mountain.
"So, our missions really do overlap. What are you going to do? Want to fight for it? I'm not giving it up—this Absol is worth a lot," Karen warned, on alert, with a Poké Ball ready in her hand.
If Cain gave the order to attack, she'd be ready to send out her Pokémon and face him again.
Cain slowly shook his head and raised both hands in front of him, indicating he had no intention of fighting.
"So, what's your plan? Let the one who captures it first win?" Karen relaxed slightly upon seeing Cain's hands but remained cautious.
Cain shook his head again, this time cutting to the chase.
"Let's do this. While we know there's a high chance Absol is in this forest, finding a Pokémon in such a large area is extremely difficult. Why don't we collaborate and capture Absol together?" Cain proposed.
"Only a fool would act alone," Cain thought to himself. He had no information or clear leads; running into Karen was pure coincidence. He had merely guessed that the Pokémon she sought was Absol. How would he find it without following her?
And considering Absol was a rare Pokémon with great value, Cain needed the points to advance in rank.
"Together? And who would it belong to if we captured it?" Karen asked.
"It belongs to both of us," Cain replied without hesitation.
"To both of us? But this is an individual mission!" Karen recalled confirming that her mission was for one person only.
"It's simple. We split the mission points and reward money equally. Everything we gain from this mission is divided in half. What do you think?" Cain flashed an innocent smile.
He looked like an eccentric man with questionable intentions.