Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

"Living the way you do... is truly quite pathetic," said Cain.

Upon hearing those words, Xenon was momentarily perplexed.

However, he quickly regained his composure—how was it possible that a mere sixteen-year-old could see through his tricks so easily?

Although he felt a slight discomfort inside, Xenon said nothing more.

"In that case, why don't you let me test your skills?" Xenon responded.

Then he threw another Luxury Ball. From within, an imposing Arbok emerged, its presence so intimidating that it could not be ignored.

This Arbok was not only Xenon's trump card but also the reason why he had chosen an Ekans as his starter Pokémon.

Even Gyarados, who had previously displayed an air of superiority, and Exeggutor, who had appeared with its usual mocking smile, shifted slightly to make room for Arbok when it appeared.

Both seemed to avoid standing in its way at all costs, making it clear that its position in Xenon's team was unrivaled.

Under normal conditions, an Arbok is about 3.5 meters long, but this particular specimen, according to Cain's calculations, easily exceeded 5 meters. Its imposing size and musculature were incomparable to those of a standard Arbok.

As he observed the Pokémon, Cain recalled the Arbok he had captured on Trial Island. Like this one, it also had an anomalous size and outstanding physical constitution. He couldn't help but wonder if there was some kind of connection between them.

When Arbok appeared, it began to coil its body into a circle, completely surrounding Xenon. Its massive tongue hung to one side as it flicked it in and out continuously. Its piercing eyes locked onto Cain, like a predator that had already marked its prey and was ready to strike at any moment.

Pokémon: Arbok (Blue)

Gender: Male

Level: 59

Type: Poison

Ability: Intimidate

Held Item: None

Egg Moves: Poison Fang, Iron Tail, Sucker Punch, Snatch

Basic Moves: Crunch, Ice Fang, Thunder Fang, Fire Fang, Wrap, Leer, Poison Sting, Bite, Glare, Screech, Acid, Stockpile, Swallow, Spit Up, Acid Spray, Mud Bomb, Gastro Acid, Belch, Haze, Coil

Learned Moves: Aqua Tail, Throat Chop, Bind, Seed Bomb, Giga Drain

TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Electric), Venoshock, Earthquake, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Poison Jab, Dark Pulse

This was, without a doubt, Xenon's most powerful Pokémon. Not only had it reached level 59, just a step away from entering the Elite level, but its quality was Blue. This demonstrated that it had the potential to go even further.

Cain deduced that this Arbok probably did not have such high talent from the beginning. It was evident that Xenon had used methods provided by Team Rocket to improve the quality of this Pokémon, complementing them with his own knowledge of breeding this species.

That combination had allowed Arbok to reach this exceptional level.

As for Xander, Xenon's younger brother, his admiration for him was evident. Although he wished to surpass him, it was clear that he had been influenced in his decision to raise an Arbok as his main Pokémon.

"Come on, if you think that Flygon can stop me, you don't need to call any more Pokémon," Xenon said confidently.

Cain nodded slightly, acknowledging that, as Xenon said, relying solely on an Advanced Max-Level Flygon would not be enough to face Xenon's Quasi-Elite level Pokémon.

However, Cain was not worried. He still had an ace up his sleeve.

He took out a Luxury Ball, and upon throwing it, a majestic Altaria appeared before him.

As it emerged, Altaria let out a resounding cry while beating its wings with force, kicking up a cloud of sand from the beach. Even the sea water and the treetops on the island seemed to stir due to the shockwave generated by its movements.

With just its entrance, Altaria managed to capture everyone's attention, earning an imposing image for Cain.

Cain thought that upon returning, he should reward Altaria and the two Swablu with a special meal for their excellent performance.

Xenon, upon seeing Altaria, was momentarily surprised. With his nearly Elite-level Arbok, he could clearly sense that Altaria's presence was not inferior to Arbok's—in fact, it seemed slightly superior.

Xenon's Arbok, who had been exuding confidence until then, instantly tensed up, adopting a defensive stance. It was evident that Altaria commanded great respect.

"So this is your trump card, huh? A Max Quasi-Elite level Altaria..."

"It seems you've been hiding quite a few things. No wonder every time we tried to ambush you, you managed to escape unscathed. Did the League assign this Pokémon to you as a guardian?" Xenon asked, implying that the League was the source of that Altaria.

Cain smiled slightly but did not respond.

"Do you think an Altaria will be enough to defeat me?" Xenon said as he threw three more Pokéballs.

He no longer planned to hold back.

A level 57 Pidgeot (Dark Green quality), a level 55 Nidoking (Light Blue quality), and a level 55 Crobat (Blue quality) appeared.

With a total of six Pokémon, all at Quasi-Elite level, Xenon was showing his full power.

Cain's Altaria grew serious, aware of the magnitude of the challenge ahead.

Cain decided to call upon his Slowking, the only Pokémon on his team that could have a significant impact in this battle. The others would not be up to the task.

Upon appearing, Slowking immediately used Nasty Plot to increase its Special Attack.

Cain climbed onto his Flygon's back and began to fly away from the island.

"If you want to kill me, come," Cain said with a smile as he looked at Xenon from above.

Xenon smirked coldly. "Pathetic attempts to escape," he muttered as he mounted his Pidgeot and began the chase.

However, Cain, who led the retreat, carried a hidden smile and a calculated course.

"Are you ready to receive a big gift?"

(End of chapter)