Sailing at sea for an entire day.
Team Rocket had implemented rather decent protective measures in this regard.
Finally, they arrived at Vermilion City.
Cain noticed that the atmosphere in Vermilion City was a bit tense.
The city's residents seemed to be in a hurry, unwilling to spend much time in the streets or outside their homes.
It appeared that Team Rocket had gathered a significant number of powerful members in Vermilion City.
Since Lieutenant Surge was a member of Team Rocket and maintained good control over the city, the Alliance hadn't detected anything unusual.
Cain received a message and headed to Team Rocket's base in Vermilion City.
In a secret room, Cain sat across from Umbra.
Since learning of Cain's return from Mythical Island, Umbra had left a message for him to meet as soon as he arrived in Vermilion City.
Coincidentally, Cain also had some questions he wanted to ask Umbra.
Although the difference in strength and rank between them was still considerable, it was no longer as vast as before.
Cain was no longer someone Umbra could kill at will; at the very least, he would now need Giovanni's permission.
After all, Cain had demonstrated enough potential and loyalty to Giovanni, who had mentioned him in several internal meetings.
Cain had become an example for other Team Rocket members—a symbol for those of humble origins.
Now, Cain could be considered part of Giovanni's inner circle, allowing him to avoid the internal faction conflicts within Team Rocket.
His hidden status had significantly improved.
"How did it go? Was this harvest a good one?" Umbra asked while holding a book, a sly smile on his face.
"Not bad. The island is quite dangerous, but the opportunities there are significant. Are you not interested in exploring it, sir?"
"An unexplored island for centuries, brimming with resources, is surely abundant. If you made it back alive, your progress will soar. I'm considering going," Umbra replied.
Umbra no longer displayed the same arrogance as before; over time, they had grown more familiar with each other.
"If you decide to go, I can suggest some valuable spots. The Pokémon in those areas were too strong for me, but with your strength, it wouldn't be difficult to obtain resources," Cain said.
Though Cain had risen in Giovanni's trust, he still had no intention of distancing himself from Umbra's faction within Team Rocket.
"Oh?" Umbra raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
If Cain's suggestions were good, it could save Umbra a lot of time and increase his gains.
"But first, what about your departure? I heard you were the only one who boarded the ship. Anything you want to say?" Umbra asked seriously.
Cain's heart tightened a bit, but he maintained his composure.
"That day, I was the only one who boarded the ship, but I'm sure there were others alive on the island. Some chose not to leave for special reasons."
"That's true. Shortly after you left, the island sent signals, and gradually others began leaving the island. In the end, seven survived."
"Seven?" Cain was slightly surprised. Besides himself, Regi, Glacius, and Aurelia, there were three others hiding on the island.
He wasn't sure if they had hidden due to weakness or simply weren't interested in the island's ancient ruins.
"Yes, seven. Does that seem like a lot?" Umbra asked, eyeing Cain curiously.
"No, I thought fewer would survive," Cain replied coolly, lying outright.
Umbra chuckled at Cain's response and continued.
"I heard that Regi and his companion were seriously injured. They lost a lot of strength, and several of their Pokémon were left without potential. They were even given a quasi-elite-level Pokémon as a trump card, but it died on the island."
"When asked what happened, Regi didn't want to share many details, likely to avoid humiliation. Do you know anything about this?" Umbra asked.
"No, I don't know much about him," Cain replied indifferently.
Although Umbra had his suspicions about Cain's involvement, no one mentioned it openly to avoid stirring up trouble.
Few, like Umbra, believed Cain was involved. The other high-ranking members of Team Rocket, no matter how capable they thought Cain was, didn't believe he could take on a quasi-elite-level Pokémon.
"By the way, who is Regi really? According to official records, he's a close subordinate of Lieutenant Surge, but I feel there's more to it," Cain asked.
"Oh? Well, it's no secret within Team Rocket. Regi is indeed a subordinate of Lieutenant Surge, but not one of his trusted men—he's just there in name."
"His true identity is tied to Team Rocket's former leader. You know that Giovanni's mother was the previous leader, but do you know who his father was?"
"You probably haven't heard of him. Giovanni's father was a member of a small family, and Regi is the current heir of that family. Although that family grew alongside Team Rocket, it's now one of the most powerful in the Kanto region."
"That's why Regi holds a special position in Team Rocket. Even Giovanni prefers to overlook him in many cases, leaving him to his own devices."
"So Regi is taking advantage of his special position?" Cain asked.
Hearing Umbra's explanation, Cain understood everything.
Giovanni's father wasn't famous, but he was said to have been a brilliant researcher who contributed significantly to Team Rocket's growth before dying young.
His family had benefited from Team Rocket's rise, becoming a powerful house in Kanto.
Regi, with his special status, had a certain amount of leeway within Team Rocket.
After hearing this, Cain also remembered that in the manga, Giovanni had a son. However, in neither his past life nor the current one had he seen any signs of him.
Perhaps Giovanni was keeping him hidden, or maybe he had sent him away for training. Or, it was possible that Giovanni's son was just a fictional element of the manga and didn't exist in this world.