Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

After taking care of the trainer, the remaining Pokémon could barely put up any resistance.

Cain quickly took advantage of the numbers and defeated them all. Then, he stored them.

When Pokémon reach the quasi-elite level, their value—once tamed by humans—doesn't differ much from that of wild Pokémon.

After all, upon reaching this level, wild Pokémon already have their development more or less defined. In fact, Pokémon raised by trainers tend to grow better and are easier to train.

After taking the items the trainer was carrying, Cain buried his body beneath the sand.

Without the help of Xatu's Teleport move, Team Magma wouldn't be able to reach him quickly.

He stored his Pokémon and, using Slowking's Teleport, left immediately.

However, shortly after Cain departed, a Gengar suddenly emerged from the sand.

It looked in the direction of Cain's group, then at the Team Magma member buried in the sand, and without hesitation, flew toward the ruins.

It was still unclear who this Gengar belonged to.

It had remained nearby the entire time, yet neither the humans nor the Pokémon had detected its presence.

...

After several uses of Teleport, Cain and Slowking finally managed to exit the ruins.

Upon leaving that mysterious space and returning to Mt. Chimney, they immediately felt the scorching heat of the air—a sensation that was hard to readapt to.

Cain didn't linger at Mt. Chimney. With Slowking, he left the area directly.

Once on the mountain's surface, he summoned his Flygon and, without delay, took flight toward Slateport City.

During the journey, aside from eating and sleeping, there were no stops.

The goal this time was simple: head to a nameless island in the ocean.

He planned to establish a base for his Pokémon there—something that would allow him to train with greater peace of mind.

All the objectives of his Mt. Chimney visit had already been fulfilled.

Both Pupitar and Lairon had successfully evolved, and the quality-enhancing potions he had used worked perfectly.

What intrigued Cain the most was the small Red Orb he had obtained. He still didn't know what it was for.

There was also the Mega Stone he had acquired at the end.

Currently, Cain had three Mega Stones. One belonged to Aggron, but the other two remained unidentified.

He especially hoped the new Mega Stone would be compatible with one of his current Pokémon.

...

Elsewhere in the ruins.

In front of the cage, the Team Magma Elite Officer used all his strength to quickly defeat the two Claydol.

After entering the site, he saw the engravings on the walls.

Butler, eyes gleaming, was frantically jotting down everything he saw on the walls, memorizing especially the formulas etched there.

Unfortunately, the most important part of the mural had been destroyed by Cain, so its exact content remained a mystery.

Meanwhile, the Team Magma Elite Officer stood in front of the open sarcophagus, deep in thought.

Once they finished recording everything, a Gengar flew toward them at high speed.

It approached the leader and whispered something in his ear before melting back into his shadow.

After hearing his Gengar's words, the Team Magma Elite Officer cracked an unexpected smile.

"Interesting. More and more interesting," he murmured.

He didn't seem upset about what had happened. In fact, the objective of his mission in the ruins was already almost complete.

Since the member sent to chase the intruder had been defeated, the matter no longer concerned him.

"It's good to have someone to blame if anything goes wrong," he commented calmly.

"Let's go, we're heading back to headquarters!" he ordered as he left the area with determination.

The Team Magma members, impressed by their leader's strength, didn't dare question him and followed obediently.

...

Cain had no idea what was going on with Team Magma. Even if he did, there was nothing he could do about it.

He had already gotten what he came for.

Three days later, he arrived at the coast of Slateport City.

Prepared for another sea journey, he felt a comforting sense of familiarity as he set out once again.

He had gathered everything he needed. All that remained was to reach the island and start building his base.

Since Flygon had reached the quasi-elite level, its endurance had improved significantly.

Moreover, a Flygon of this level as an aerial mount drew a lot of attention.

Currently, Cain was a well-known figure in the Hoenn region, so he always made sure to disguise himself when going out, even without official plans.

Before sunset, Cain and Slowking returned to the island.

The place hadn't changed much since his last visit.

Although there were more Pokémon on the island, their number was still small compared to his first arrival.

After thoroughly cleaning out the four major Pokémon clans on the island, only the Beautifly group remained relatively strong.

Many Pokémon had also come to the island, but their levels were low.

This didn't pose a significant obstacle for building his base.

Since the sun was about to set, he decided not to work that day. He would spend the night recovering and begin the next day.

He released all his Pokémon so they could rest.

They had been traveling for several days, and keeping them inside Poké Balls for so long wasn't ideal for their development.

Pupitar, for his part, had fully recovered from the side effects of the quality-enhancing potion.

After dinner, Cain sat beside the campfire and said to Pupitar, "Pupitar, try using the move Precipice Blades."

Although Pupitar now lacked limbs, he could use the compressed gases in his body to propel or fly, something he was beginning to get used to.

However, he still needed Cain's help to eat, as he couldn't open his small food compartment on his own.

"Puppp!"

Pupitar nodded and looked toward an arid part of the island.

The red tip of his central horn glowed as a spine shot up from the ground at high speed.

The spine rose two meters before stopping, looking sharp and dangerous.

Though his version of the move Precipice Blades resembled Groudon's version in appearance, its power was considerably lower.

However, Cain was sure that with practice, the move would become much more effective.

A move that attacks directly beneath an opponent's feet certainly hits a weak point.

The idea made Cain instinctively press his legs together, feeling a shiver.

He finally understood why the move Precipice Blades was so terrifying.

(End of chapter)