Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

Paul hadn't yet thrown his last Pokéball when Arbok had already wrapped around him.

However, Arbok didn't kill him, as Cain hadn't ordered it, but its large snake head, much bigger than Paul's, was very close to his face, staring intently at him.

As for Parasect and Ariados, they were initially pinned down by Ursaring and Primeape, unable to break free, and then Sneasel joined in.

Immediately, the disadvantage shifted to an advantage with many against few.

Although Primeape and Ursaring sustained numerous injuries, these two Pokémon have violent temperaments. There was no way they would allow themselves to be completely subdued, and now it was their turn to dominate other Pokémon, releasing all their energy at once.

Moreover, Parasect, a Pokémon specialized in support battles, was quickly overwhelmed by Primeape.

At that moment, Cain slowly stepped out of the forest.

Although Slowpoke and the others' attack had lasted only a few seconds, it was enough to completely change the situation.

Paul finally caught sight of Cain, and his pupils instantly contracted; a name surfaced in his mind.

"Cain..." He barely managed to say the name before being interrupted by Arbok.

How dare a captive directly call out the name of the great Cain?

Upon hearing his words, Cain looked at him in slight surprise and then smiled mysteriously. He turned to Miltank beside him and said, "Miltank, give them Heal Bell one more time."

Obeying Cain's command, Miltank nodded and began emitting a melodious sound from its mouth. The negative conditions affecting Primeape and Ursaring, heavily impacted by Parasect's powders, disappeared entirely.

Meanwhile, after dealing with the Beedrill that had appeared a moment earlier, Slowpoke used Psyshock to assist Murkrow in defeating the Ledyba in front of it.

Then, Slowpoke and Murkrow joined Sneasel's side in the battle.

Originally, the three against two already gave them an advantage; now, with Slowpoke and Murkrow joining, it became a crushing victory.

Two Pokémon lay directly on the ground, showing no signs of life.

Thus, all of Paul's Pokémon were finally defeated or eliminated.

"Miltank, give milk to Primeape and Ursaring," Cain ordered.

Upon hearing this, Miltank pulled out two bottles of milk and tossed them to Primeape and Ursaring.

As for Sneasel and the others, they had taken almost no damage, so it wasn't necessary.

Cain didn't need to give many instructions on how Slowpoke and the others should fight, but they chose their moves well and coordinated perfectly with other Pokémon.

This showed that the synergy among the Pokémon was increasing rapidly, and autonomous combat ability was the direction Cain was training them towards.

In the future, as the number of Pokémon grows, if they can make necessary decisions on their own, it could reduce the chances of Cain making mistakes.

Furthermore, the deeper the Pokémon's understanding of battles and their abilities, the more it will benefit them in future fights.

It might not be immediately noticeable, but over time, it would become increasingly evident.

Especially in large battles between armies of Pokémon, could a trainer really direct every single Pokémon?

Often, everything depends on the Pokémon's combat awareness and their sense of timing.

Ursaring, already familiar with Miltank's milk, drank a bottle in one go and let out a satisfied burp.

Primeape, likewise, received permission from Miyamoto, his trainer, to down its milk in one gulp.

You could clearly see the level of control the trainer had over these two Pokémon.

It was then that Cain had the opportunity to take a close look at this "perverted dead man," as Miyamoto called him—a pervert also in Cain's mind: Paul.

"It seems you know me too. Am I that famous now?" Cain asked with a smile.

After tidying up, Miyamoto ran over with his two Pokémon and respectfully stood by Cain's side, adopting the demeanor of a subordinate.

Paul didn't respond directly to Cain's question; instead, he looked at Miyamoto in surprise, then at Cain, saying incredulously, "Miyamoto is your subordinate? A direct subordinate of an Officer becoming the subordinate of a trial participant. Miyamoto! Do you understand what you're doing and what you could face?"

Hearing this, Miyamoto showed no change in expression, but he was already cursing inwardly.

Of course I know what I'm facing! But can I resist right now? My life is still in his hands.

However, seeming to be someone's subordinate, especially someone so strong, didn't seem so unacceptable. At least, even if he didn't think much about it, his life wouldn't be in danger.

Thinking this, Miyamoto replied, "Paul, do you know what it means to be a wise person who knows how to adapt to circumstances? Haven't you seen the power of the great Cain? This is just the tip of the iceberg."

A subtle, well-delivered compliment.

However, Cain didn't get carried away and continued to ask, "Do you recognize me for the same reason Miyamoto does?"

Paul almost blurted out, "Of course!" but held back in time.

Looking into Cain's eyes, he felt as if he were in front of a snake far scarier than Arbok, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.

"Uh, no, not exactly... Before coming here, a superior collectively briefed us on the trial participants. But I thought, on a small test island like this, there wouldn't be anyone strong, so I didn't even bother collecting information... But then, the great Vexor told me that if I ran into Cain... the great Cain, I should..."

Paul trailed off.

"Vexor..." Cain heard that name again, and his eyes gleamed with a cold light.

So it was him.

His intuition had been correct after all.

"Are you one of Vexor's subordinates?" Cain continued asking.

"Well... more or less. Actually, the person behind me has already become one of the officers supporting Vexor, a subordinate of the great Lucius, so I was ordered to help Vexor secure first place in this trial."

"If he succeeded, his power would increase once more, and he could become a ranked officer. And I would also find a bigger refuge."

Paul continued, "In fact, even though many Officers are participating in this trial, not all of them are like the person behind Miyamoto, brainless and eager to fight. Can a simple Officer get involved in battles among elite officers and Executives?"

"Miyamoto probably already planned to join someone before coming here."

This wasn't much different from what Miyamoto had said earlier.

Cain sighed.

Are all users of Fighting-type Pokémon not very smart?

But judging by Miyamoto's actions earlier, he seemed to have some intelligence.

(End of chapter)