Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

Arbok heard Cain's voice, and its body froze in place.

It turned its head to look at the bandages covering its body, then glared coldly at Cain.

"Shaah!" Arbok stuck out its tongue and hissed.

"Yadon~~" Slowpoke, who was next to Cain, also called out upon hearing Arbok's hiss, activating telepathy at the same time.

Through telepathic communication, Slowpoke quickly understood the entire situation.

Then, using telepathy, it connected with Cain and explained everything that Arbok had experienced in detail.

"Are you saying there was originally a Pokémon that protected you, allowing you to occupy this territory?"

"But recently, that Pokémon was challenged by another and defeated, which led many other Pokémon to provoke you, intending to offer your corpse as a coronation gift to the new king? And that's why you've suffered so many injuries?" Cain asked Arbok, looking into its eyes after hearing Slowpoke's explanation.

"And so... you're saying the Pokémon that protected you was your mother, but she didn't take care of you directly; it's just that others didn't dare attack you because of her presence?"

Cain took on a strange tone as he said this.

Arbok, as a snake-type Pokémon, is actually a cold-blooded creature, and there's hardly any interaction between parent and offspring.

Of course, it's not the same as an ordinary snake; Pokémon are quite different. Before Ekans reach adulthood, their parents won't cast them out.

However, once they're able to survive on their own, their parents will no longer show mercy. If an Ekans doesn't venture out independently, its parents will stop providing food and protection, leaving it to fend for itself.

This Arbok was a special case, as even after reaching adulthood, it continued to receive its mother's protection. It's an undeniable rarity among snake-type Pokémon.

"Shaah!" Arbok lifted its head with difficulty and hissed in response to Cain's words.

Throughout this time, Slowpoke had been acting as the translator.

"Are you saying you want revenge on that Pokémon, but not for your mother, rather for the suffering you've endured during this time?" Cain, understanding Arbok's words, let out a laugh.

An unyielding pride.

Though snakes are cold-blooded, Pokémon are not mere animals.

Cain's words made Arbok's eyes waver, but it soon reaffirmed its resolve.

Whether for avenging its mother or for growing stronger to pay back all the suffering it had endured, both were things Arbok most wanted to do at that moment.

"Sorry, I can't do that." Cain walked over to a nearby rock and, ignoring the dirt, sat down with a thud.

Based on his encounter with the wild Pokémon in the area that day, he understood that the conditions for becoming a territorial leader were extremely strict. One could lead a pack, with the strength of the group claiming a territory.

And if it's a solitary Pokémon, holding territory is even harder.

In the case of the Venomoth colony Cain encountered earlier, the highest-level Venomoth, likely the leader, was around level forty.

Having a group to back it and a level close to forty, it could hold a territory.

Thus, one could imagine how strong this Arbok's mother must have been; her level could have reached the fifty range.

So, how powerful must the Pokémon who defeated her be?

Though it had suffered serious injuries, Cain wasn't in a position to mess with it now.

Besides, there was no point in risking it for an Arbok that was already captured.

Cain isn't a saint; if he could do it, he would, since it might yield great benefits, but the problem is that at his current level, it's impossible.

"Shaah~~"

Arbok felt its heart grow cold upon hearing that Cain couldn't do it. Now that it couldn't achieve this on its own, it had hoped its captor could do it, and it was willing to offer anything in return. But it was told it wasn't possible.

However, Arbok soon perked up again. It was still young, and if it couldn't do it now, it would work hard to grow, and sooner or later, it would regain its honor.

It was time to go out, see the world, and train, rather than remain trapped here.

As if reading Arbok's thoughts, Cain laughed disdainfully, "Don't even think about it. Now that I've captured you, you can't go off to train without my permission."

Cain shook the Poké Ball in his hand, showing it to Arbok, the object he had just used to capture it.

Seeing the red and white Poké Ball in Cain's hand, Arbok nearly lunged at it to attack and break it with a bite.

But before it could do anything, the wounds on its body reminded it of how serious its condition was, making it writhe in pain.

In addition, Slowpoke, who was next to Cain, and Sneasel, also by his side, were watching it coldly. Any wrong move, and they'd bring it down again.

"And do you think you're the only one who wants to grow stronger? Don't you think the others want the same? They have the resources of an entire territory, their growth speed is much greater than yours. Besides, the injuries you suffered earlier have left you in decline, and if you don't receive timely treatment, your condition will only worsen."

Cain continued speaking, each word like a needle piercing Arbok's heart.

Hearing this, Arbok felt a deep despair; all the passion it had felt began to fade.

"But..."

With a smile on his face, Cain looked directly at Arbok, seeing the disappointment, pain, and regret in its eyes...

"If you're willing to follow me, I won't stay more than seven days on this island. During those seven days, if you follow me and act according to my orders, and tell me everything you know about this place, I'll help you regain your potential, give you the chance to grow stronger, and show you the path to achieve it."

"Of course, this will only be valid for those seven days. When they're over, if you want to leave, I'll let you go. By then, you'll probably have regained your potential."

As Cain spoke, Arbok's dim eyes began to shine again, as if it saw new hope.

"The decision is yours."

Arbok didn't hesitate for a second and nodded, showing its acceptance as it looked at Slowpoke, waiting for it to relay its decision to Cain.

Slowpoke rolled its eyes, annoyed. "Do you really need me to tell that to the Master? With that dumb expression of yours, the Master already understands."

It sighed, thinking that another fool had fallen for the Master's tricks.

Who knows if it'll last until the end of the seven days.

Suddenly, it remembered that it, too, had fallen into a similar trap and shook its head, quickly clearing those thoughts.

Yes, a wise and powerful Master.

(End of Chapter)