Chapter 375 - 374: Equivalent Exchange
"Additionally, there's the matter of the extra benefit for taking first place this time," Umbra said, touching on the most important reason why others competed for the top spot.
Umbra looked at Cain, knowing he'd already heard some things from Regi.
"First place in the trial does indeed grant the right to infiltrate other regions with Team Rocket's support. But, as you may have heard from Regi, I'll tell you something else."
"This right exists and has strong backing from Team Rocket, but it's not as grand as you might imagine. Some things can't be explained in detail, but you can think of it as a power play between Team Rocket's internal factions."
"Originally, both sides were at a stalemate, so they decided to resolve it through a trial. But your emergence made some see another possibility. That's why—didn't it surprise you that Regi and the others didn't compete with you for first place?"
"In fact, this was a decision made by Team Rocket's higher-ups. Since everyone wanted this right but no one wanted the other side to have it, they decided to put you in the center to avoid weakening Team Rocket's overall strength."
"This decision was carried out under the Leader's supervision. So don't worry, no one will harm you because, for now, you're a very fortunate young man. Even the Leader has taken notice of you."
"Unless someone's looking for trouble, you'll be very safe for a while. But if, after that time, your strength doesn't grow enough to satisfy the Leader, his interest in you will wane, and things may change."
"But don't worry, the resources will still be there. While it may seem insufficient for infiltrating an entire region, for an individual, it's still a considerable amount."
Umbra spoke at length, though he kept some things secret, but the key points were clear.
Cain had Team Rocket's support, but it wasn't absolute. He was merely a product of balance between factions.