Chapter 745 - 744: Pokémon Status Evaluation
Cain and the others had finally settled into an estate on the outskirts of Hearthome City. Meanwhile, the first round of the Sinnoh tournament continued to unfold with intensity.
The interval between battles turned out to be much longer than Cain and the others had expected. The second round was scheduled to begin in a week, meaning the participants had that free time to organize themselves as they wished.
Taking advantage of this break, Cain and his group decided to remain secluded at the estate, focusing on their preparation. During this time, Cain also dedicated himself to gathering information about Wallace’s Pokémon.
There was no denying that Wallace, who would one day become the Champion of Hoenn, not only had the support of the Coordinator Guild but also possessed considerable strength.
Among those present, no one could confidently claim they could defeat Wallace without issue.
Although Steven was an expert in Steel-type Pokémon, he also had several Rock-types, which balanced his chances. As for Phoebe, while she had strong Pokémon, her tactical experience was lacking due to her naive nature and limited exposure to high-level battles.
As for Cain, while he stood out for his strategic approach and training abilities, the presence of his more recent Pokémon, Swampert and Poliwhirl, slightly weakened his overall lineup.
Moreover, his strategy based on the move Rain Dance also benefited Wallace’s Pokémon, making a matchup between them even more complicated.
If there was one opponent Cain would rather avoid, Wallace was undoubtedly one of them.
While Cain analyzed his companions’ Pokémon, they also had the opportunity to observe his during training. All of them were experienced trainers and could deduce the general strength of Cain’s Pokémon based on their routines and the intensity of their practice.
It was evident to everyone that the weakest points in Cain’s lineup were Swampert and Poliwhirl. While Slowking was a major threat and Drapion could be difficult to handle, the general perception was that Cain’s Pokémon were not at the same raw power level as Steven’s or Wallace’s.
However, Cain wasn’t just a skilled trainer—his ability as a breeder and his knack for developing complex tactics kept him on par with the best. That combination, along with his status as a psychic, was what allowed him to be considered one of the "Hoenn Twins" alongside Steven.
Since they still had time before the next battle, Cain decided to dedicate this period to evaluating and optimizing his Pokémon’s capabilities.