It took Cain a full twenty minutes to get Regice to admit that Slowking could be considered a "partial heir" of Mew.
To show respect, Regice even slightly bowed toward Slowking in honor of Mew.
This almost scared Slowking.
After those twenty minutes, Cain had completely exhausted his psychic power, so he had to continue communicating with Regice with Slowking’s help.
Finally, they returned to the main topic. One of the reasons Regice wanted to find Mew was to return to Mythical Island. The other reason was that it needed to ask Mew for a favor.
Cain hesitated to tell Regice that Mythical Island had already been discovered and that Team Rocket was invading it. If Regice returned, it would only be walking into a trap.
Although the powerful Regirock and Registeel, who protect Mew’s ruins, would likely not be defeated easily by Team Rocket members, Cain was sure that, sooner or later, Team Rocket would conquer the ruins.
Regirock and Registeel, as the pillars of rock and steel, deeply respected Mew, but they wouldn’t obey the orders of others, even if captured.
Unless Team Rocket used special means to control them, the loyalty of the three pillars was unshakable.
The same applied to the Regice standing before Cain.
Cain promised that if Regice stayed in that place, he would help it find Mew in a few years. But in return, Regice would have to assist Cain when needed, participating in battles against powerful enemies.
Capturing Regice was beyond Cain’s current capabilities.
What made Regice trust Cain was Slowking. That was why Cain invested twenty minutes getting Regice to recognize it as an heir of Mew.
It was a long-term strategic move.
In the end, Regice agreed to help Cain on three occasions, fighting in three battles.
It would do so solely out of respect for Mew.
That was more than enough for Cain at the moment!
Regice’s presence was merely a safety measure for Cain, in case he encountered enemies he couldn’t defeat.
As for why he wouldn’t bring Regice to Leafy Town, Cain had considered it, but it was unlikely that Regice would agree. Additionally, Regice’s reappearance in the town could negatively affect Cain’s standing within the Pokémon League.
Cain decided to ask Regice what favor it wanted from Mew, hoping he could help. After much explaining about how he could be useful, Regice finally revealed its request.
It was related to the decrease in Regice’s power, and what happened next left Cain completely stunned.
Cain watched as the normally sealed, mirror-smooth layer of ice on Regice’s shoulder suddenly broke.
Just as Cain thought this fracture might be the cause of Regice’s weakness and that it might need Mew’s help to repair it, a chunk of ice detached from Regice’s body!
And then... that chunk of ice transformed into a small Regice!
Cain was utterly astonished by the scene.
Regice has no gender, so this phenomenon could only be a division.
Similar to what happens with Carbink.
When a Carbink divides to create another Carbink, its power level decreases. This exhausting process can weaken it so much that its survival is at risk, reducing its strength by half or even leading to death in extreme cases.
The Regice before Cain had lost power due to creating a small Regice, which could be considered its "offspring."
Was Regice the father or the mother?
Cain could imagine that for a Legendary Pokémon like Regice, the cost of creating another Pokémon like itself must be immense.
Regice had only lost four levels of power, though they were the highest ones. Even so, the cost didn’t seem too severe.
Perhaps it wasn’t as drastic because it had been gradually recovering its strength over time.
Cain activated his system to scan the data of the small Regice, which was less than half a meter tall.
Pokémon: Regice (Quasi-Purple) (Incomplete)
Basic Moves: Explosion, Stomp, Icy Wind, Charge Beam, Bulldoze
These were the small Regice’s stats.
Cain didn’t know how to react.
Inside him, a voice whispered like a demon.
"Catch this little Regice! It has no loyalty to anyone! If you capture it, you could fully control a Legendary Pokémon, the ice pillar of the three pillars!"
But reason told him this was impossible. Didn’t he see a powerful Regice watching closely?
If Cain tried to capture the small Regice, he’d get himself into serious trouble.
Not only would escaping be difficult, but Regice would probably hunt him down—and this time, not as a friend.
Moreover, the Pokémon League would notice his actions, and Cain would have to abandon any chance of working with the League and fully join Team Rocket.
Taking a deep breath, Cain dismissed that dangerous idea.
Looking at the small Regice, Cain understood Regice’s goal.
The little one was incomplete, possibly because Regice didn’t fully understand the division process, causing it to stop midway and resulting in an undeveloped new Regice.
Perhaps that’s why Regice had only lost four levels.
In this situation, there wasn’t much Cain could do. Perhaps only a Pokémon of Mew’s level could solve the problem.
Not even the system could offer a solution.
Cain sighed, disappointed but also relieved.
He was disappointed by the small Regice’s incomplete state, but relieved that he hadn’t made an impulsive and dangerous decision.
Now that he had achieved what he came for, Cain prepared to leave.
He couldn’t capture Regice right now, but maybe in the future, when he was stronger, he’d have the chance.
It wasn’t impossible.
Cain comforted himself with that thought.
However, just as Cain was about to leave, Regice stopped him.
Regice retrieved a small shard of ice from the ice behind it and handed it to Cain.