Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

When Cain opened his eyes again, he found himself in a completely dark environment.

Water surrounded him on all sides, but fortunately, Cain had prepared in advance with an oxygen bottle and a breathing mask for situations like this. Even if he hadn't had that equipment, Slowking's psychic power could create enough space for Cain to breathe comfortably.

The oxygen mask he wore had a powerful flashlight attached, which illuminated the area. The tunnel he was in wasn't particularly wide, but since he was accompanied only by Slowking, there was enough room to move around.

However, moving through the tunnel with Slowking's psychic help wasn't the most practical. So, Cain pulled out a Poké Ball and summoned Swampert.

He had anticipated that much of the expedition might take place underwater, so he had included Swampert and Politoed in his team, as they could greatly facilitate travel in that environment.

When Swampert appeared, the space felt a bit more cramped, but still manageable. Cain climbed onto Swampert's back while Slowking used its psychic power to create a kind of tether that kept it close to Swampert.

Once everything was ready, Cain gave Swampert a couple of pats on the back, and Swampert understood the signal instantly. With its large fins, it began to propel itself rapidly, moving at a considerable speed into the depths.

The descent was swift, and as they continued, the water pressure began to increase significantly. Cain had to deploy his own psychic power around his body to withstand the growing pressure, which allowed him to remain comfortable for a while.

However, there came a point when his psychic power was no longer enough, and he had to rely entirely on Slowking to create a stronger barrier to protect them both.

At a considerable depth, the narrow tunnel began to open up, and the surrounding walls became completely transparent. From that position, the ocean could be seen through the walls as if they were large windows.

The view was breathtaking. He could see schools of Remoraid and Tentacool, as well as Tentacruel floating closer to the surface. Further above, groups of Sharpedo and Carvanha swam in formation, dominating the areas they passed through, while other Pokémon quickly fled upon noticing their presence.

Although Sharpedo was considered the terror of the seas, there were even more impressive Pokémon. Wailord and Wailmer moved majestically through the ocean, intimidating even the bravest Pokémon.

Cain watched as these massive Pokémon glided by. Wailord, being one of the largest Pokémon in the world, wasn't particularly known for its combat ability, but it was ideal for sea travel.

Although keeping a Wailord was a challenge due to its insatiable appetite, Cain considered that it could be an excellent addition in the future, especially for ocean exploration.

As he continued descending, Cain passed by groups of Octillery, Corsola resting on reefs, and a Huntail silently stalking its prey along the sea floor. From time to time, Clamperl would appear, opening their shells to reveal bright pink heads resembling pearls.

Cain couldn't help but think about the potential value of those Clamperl. Just like the Carbink, Clamperl could produce valuable items — in this case, pearls.

If he managed to capture a significant number, he could establish a Clamperl "breeding ground" on the island. By feeding them with high-level Pokéblocks, the pearls they produced would be even more valuable.

Cain memorized the Clamperl's location to return in the future. After this mission, he could plan how to relocate them to a specially designed pond on the island, where they could be raised under optimal conditions.

Having such a resource could be as lucrative as the diamonds produced by the Carbink.

After ensuring he remembered the place, Cain signaled Swampert to continue descending. As they moved forward, the water pressure increased even more, and the darkness became nearly total. Without Cain's flashlight, it would have been impossible to see anything.

In the depths, only the faint silhouettes of a few Pokémon like Lanturn and Chinchou could be seen, emitting a soft glow, as well as Starmie and Staryu, which flickered intermittently as they moved.

What surprised Cain the most was that the tunnel had become completely transparent. If not for the resistance he felt when touching the walls, he would have believed he was swimming directly in the ocean.

"Have we reached the bottom?" Cain asked, interpreting Slowking's signal when it made a sound to get his attention.

A few meters ahead, they could see another translucent barrier, similar to the one they had passed through earlier. However, it was impossible to tell what lay on the other side.

Slowking extended its psychic power to examine the barrier, and after confirming that it could be crossed, it used Teleport to take Cain and Swampert to the other side.

Suddenly, the environment changed completely. Cain found himself in a vast open space, where there was no water around them.

They floated in the air, held up by Slowking's psychic power. From that height, Cain was able to see a colossal structure beneath them.

It was a submerged building, enclosed by a gigantic sphere of water that completely isolated it from the surrounding ocean. The building, shaped like a spinning top and surrounded by rings reminiscent of Jupiter's bands, had a design that seemed to belong to an ancient and mysterious civilization.

The uppermost part of the structure emitted jets of water toward the ceiling of the sphere, which seemed to be the channel through which they had arrived.

The inside of the sphere was illuminated by numerous glowing objects that adorned the building, making the environment seem like daylight despite being deep underwater.

Cain realized that from the outside, the sphere and the building would be completely invisible.

"This... could it be the legendary Sea Temple, Samiya?" Cain couldn't help but whisper as he stared at the majestic structure.

(End of chapter)