Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

The unease in Cain's heart grew stronger and stronger. However, he could only suppress it with sheer will, ordering Flygon to fly in a specific direction.

Cain hated this feeling. It was as if he had become prey while an expert hunter, somewhere unknown, watched him closely, searching for the slightest mistake, ready to pull the trigger at any moment and take him down with a single shot.

But Cain had no way to do anything about it. He could only rely on his instincts to find a chance to survive. If the hunter didn't reveal himself, the prey would never be able to locate him.

Unless he could dodge the hunter's first shot, only then would he have a chance to determine his position.

If the hunter never fired, the prey could only keep running indefinitely.

As prey, Cain sensed a familiar feeling. Once, in the past, he himself had hunted in this way.

When he subjected his prey to extreme pressure, it eventually exposed numerous weaknesses, marking the perfect moment for Cain to "pull the trigger."

Having been the hunter so often, now that he was in the position of the prey, Cain could clearly understand the hunter's mindset.

By putting himself in the other's shoes, Cain could roughly guess his enemy's intentions.

However, that was useless. Even if Cain understood his opponent's intentions, he had no way to counter them at this moment.

He could only rely on his willpower to suppress the anxiety in his heart and the creeping fear of becoming prey.

In this state, Cain and Flygon flew for a full three hours.

The beating of Flygon's wings generated gusts of wind that created small waves on the ocean's surface, leaving a clear trail in the direction Cain was flying.

Finally, a small island appeared ahead. Cain ordered Flygon to land on it.

Cain decided that he couldn't continue like this. If he kept flying, his own determination and confidence would be worn down to the limit, giving his opponent an absolute advantage with a single move. Instead, stopping and finding out who was chasing him would be a better option, to be mentally prepared.

When a hidden enemy reveals themselves, the psychological pressure they create almost completely dissipates.

Moreover, this place was suitable for Cain to face his opponent.

Slowly landing on the island, Cain kept a cold expression as he watched the distant sea.

At first, nothing changed. However, after waiting silently for five minutes, ripples began to appear on the water's surface. A figure, accompanied by a Pokémon, gradually emerged on the horizon.

A towering Gyarados, radiating an overwhelming presence, slowly approached the island. Its enormous eyes looked at Cain's Flygon with a mocking and disdainful expression.

It was evident that this Gyarados had been pursuing them for a long time.

Standing on Gyarados's head was a person.

That person slowly began to remove a diving suit.

It turned out that his enemy had been silently following him from the ocean depths, likely waiting for Cain to be unable to endure any longer and show signs of exhaustion before striking.

When he thought Cain was about to give in, Cain decided to land on an island, seemingly ready to face him head-on.

Though he admired Cain's decision, the man showed a confident smile.

"No matter what choice you make today, you're only changing the moment you'll close your eyes forever," the man murmured as he removed the diving suit.

When his face was revealed, Cain immediately recognized him. He was the same man he had seen sunbathing on the beach when he left Slateport City.

Cain frowned as he observed him. Although he felt the man looked familiar, he couldn't help but find him strange at the same time.

The man, still atop Gyarados, slowly approached the island.

Finally, he got off Gyarados and, barefoot, walked along the beach toward Cain. Seeing the confusion on Cain's face, the man suddenly smiled and said:

"What's wrong? Don't you recognize me? Have no idea who wants to take you down?"

Cain ignored the man's mocking words and activated his system to scan Gyarados:

Pokémon: Gyarados (Light Blue)

Gender: Male

Level: 58

Type: Water + Flying

Ability: Intimidate

Held Item: None

Egg Moves: None

Basic Moves: Bite, Thrash, Leer, Twister, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, Scary Face, Dragon Rage, Crunch, Hydro Pump, Dragon Dance, Hurricane, Rain Dance, Hyper Beam

Learned Moves: Water Pulse, Icy Wind, Iron Head, Iron Tail

TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Fire), Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Earthquake, Flamethrower, Scald, Stone Edge, Dark Pulse

Cain's eyes narrowed as he analyzed Gyarados's data. This Pokémon was outstanding in both level and moves.

At level 58, it was already nearing the peak of quasi-elite rank.

More importantly, its trainer seemed to have a deep understanding of Gyarados, teaching it moves of various types, giving it a great advantage in battles against opponents of different types.

When thinking of a trainer capable of developing a Pokémon to this level, only one name came to Cain's mind.

"Xenon?" Cain asked with a frown.

The man was momentarily surprised before bursting into laughter.

"How observant! Hardly anyone remembers my name. I've gone to great lengths to find you." As he spoke, he tore off a false skin mask covering his face.

Indeed, it was Xenon.

Seeing that face—one that bore a strong resemblance to Xander but more mature—Cain immediately recognized him.

Only Xenon would go to such lengths to track him down and chase him for so long.

"You really went out of your way, huh?" Cain said coldly.

"What other choice do I have? Your growth is so fast that it's concerning. If I don't stop you now, it will be too late," Xenon replied with a slight smile.

Then, his expression turned grim as he said, "And while my brother was useless, not just anyone can kill him!"

Cain shrugged indifferently.

"If having a brother like that doesn't bother you, then I suppose you're no better than him."

Xenon responded with an icy glare. "It seems you're ready to face the wrath of a quasi-elite-level trainer."

Cain merely smiled.

"Ever since I killed your brother, this was inevitable."

(End of Chapter)