Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

After the meeting ended, Cain and Steven left together.

All the selected trainers for this occasion shared a meal at the League building's cafeteria, with the purpose of getting to know each other better.

After all, in the upcoming Sinnoh Tournament, they would meet again, and those invited to this meeting were undoubtedly among the best of the new generation in the Hoenn region.

Sharing a meal now would make future encounters less awkward—at the very least, they could acknowledge each other with a nod and avoid tense situations.

Once the meal was over, everyone went their separate ways.

However, Phoebe followed Cain and Steven.

"Cain, why do you carry that computer with you all the time? I haven't even seen you use it," Phoebe asked curiously. Even during the meal, Cain hadn't let go of the device.

Steven, who had already asked the same question before, rolled his eyes.

"It's just a habit," Cain replied with a smile. "The Sinnoh Tournament is starting soon, and I'm gathering information on all of you so I won't be at a disadvantage if I run into anyone in battle."

Steven couldn't help but roll his eyes again.

"Yeah, right," he thought. That was the same excuse Cain had given him before, and he had never seen him turn that computer on.

But it didn't matter because Phoebe believed him.

"I see! Cain, you're really amazing!" Phoebe said, a mix of admiration and awe in her voice.

Ever since she left Mt. Pyre, Phoebe, with Juan's help, had learned a lot about the world. Now, she understood many basic things she hadn't before and appreciated Cain's efforts even more.

"Alright, what are your plans now? The Sinnoh Tournament starts in twenty days. If you need to prepare, it's best to start right away," Cain suggested, changing the subject.

"You're right. I think I'll go home to make some adjustments. There are several issues with my Pokémon that I want to discuss with my family elders. Also, it's a bit frustrating because I still don't have six main Pokémon for battle. I need to sort that out quickly," Steven responded.

Although his Shiny Metagross was powerful, the level gap between his other Pokémon was too noticeable. The next twenty days would be crucial for balancing his team.

"Same here," Phoebe said, counting on her fingers the things she needed to do. "But Grandpa Juan will help me. Maybe I'll go train to strengthen my Pokémon."

She had grown up in isolation at Mt. Pyre, without systematic training. Juan had worked hard to find her good mentors who could teach her from scratch. Although she had improved a lot since leaving the mountain, she still had a long way to go.

Cain nodded. If they needed final adjustments, so did he.

Besides, he had many things to prepare. Among the Pokémon he could use under the League's name were Slowking, Gengar, Drapion, and Floette, but Marshtomp and Poliwhirl were still not at the required level.

Completing a six-Pokémon main team wouldn't be easy for Cain.

His best option was to train Marshtomp and Poliwhirl during these twenty days, as they were the most advanced in his secondary group. However, raising them quickly to Slowking's level seemed unrealistic, and such rushed growth could affect their foundation, making future development difficult.

Moreover, Marshtomp needed to evolve into Swampert, and Poliwhirl into Politoed, which meant preparing a new dose of the quality-enhancement potion.

But this time, obtaining the materials for the potion wouldn't be as easy as the first time. The necessary resources weren't something that could be gathered quickly.

The biggest problem was that Cain was completely out of money.

No money!

Preparing the first potion had drained all his savings, leaving him practically broke.

Now, all his plans depended on having enough money to execute them.

It was also time for Floette to evolve, but obtaining a supreme-quality Shiny Stone would require a lot of money, and even with money, there was no guarantee of getting one.

The only advantage was that even after the Sinnoh Tournament began, there would be time before the final phase, offering some breathing room for preparation.

In the worst case, Cain considered using Altaria and Mismagius, relying purely on brute strength.

Although he didn't like that idea much, Altaria was still reasonable with its near-Elite maximum level, but using Mismagius would be too problematic. Others might assume it was a Pokémon loaned by a veteran trainer, which would spark criticism from participants in other regions.

Even the Hoenn League wouldn't support that approach. Winning that way wouldn't be very honorable.

For now, Cain decided to set a basic plan:

If he could gather the resources for Marshtomp and Poliwhirl's potions and complete their evolutions, he would take them to the tournament.

If not, he would have to use Flygon and Altaria, even if that could be considered an unfair advantage.

Additionally, before the tournament started, finding a supreme-quality Shiny Stone for Floette's evolution would be ideal, improving his chances in team battles.

Therefore, the most urgent matter now was making money.

Cain thought about ways to earn money quickly.

"So, see you at the Sinnoh Tournament. Steven, help me find a supreme-quality Shiny Stone. If you find one, let me know immediately," Cain requested.

"Got it, but you know how rare they are. I can't promise anything," Steven replied.

"It's fine, just keeping an eye out is enough."

With that, Cain threw a Poké Ball, summoning Flygon, and climbed onto its back.

"Steven, Phoebe, see you later!" Cain said as Flygon took off into the sky.

Steven planned to leave later on his family's private jet, once his father finished a brief meeting with Juan.

Phoebe, on the other hand, would stay at the League headquarters, receiving full support from Juan.

(End of chapter)