Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

After three days of travel, Cain and his Pokémon finally approached the imposing mountain.

It was truly as the saying goes: "See the mountain and die of exhaustion before reaching it."

Cain didn't dare summon his flashier means of transportation, like Flygon, due to its size.

Although it wasn't unusual to see a Flygon around here, one carrying someone on its back would be too suspicious.

When they were still far from the mountain, he could use it with some ease, but now that they were close, he had to be even more cautious and avoid drawing attention.

Even when facing wild Pokémon, Cain chose to evade them, avoiding any confrontation that might create noise and alert Team Magma.

Only upon reaching the base of the mountain did he realize how truly tall it was.

However, this mountain was different from those he had encountered before, which were made solely of rock. If this mountain were made entirely of rock, it would be impossible for it to reach such height.

Had he known that the mountain and its surroundings were so vast, he wouldn't have acted so cautiously.

During the past few nights, Cain used the time to finish crafting the quality-enhancing potion for Combusken.

The blood-red stone he had found turned out to truly be the "Crimson Rock." After the system analyzed the resulting potion, no anomalies were detected.

However, it was still a mystery what those viscous fluids were that had vanished before the rock solidified, as Combusken had mentioned.

During the battles over these three days, Cain deliberately controlled Larvitar's growth, keeping it at level 28. Though it seemed close to reaching level 29, the energy within it was still highly concentrated.

According to the system's calculations, it wouldn't take more than ten days to reach the next level.

In addition, the Fragment of Groudon's armor that Larvitar carried in its backpack had once again shrunk. Although the absorption rate wasn't as fast as before, it was still considerably higher than under normal conditions.

Cain was considering whether it might be wise to remove the fragment for a while to avoid excessive absorption.

As for Combusken, Cain had no intention of limiting its growth. Since the quality-enhancing potion was ready, Combusken was in a condition to evolve. Currently, Combusken had reached level 34.

Although Larvitar felt anxious seeing the other Pokémon improving so quickly, it knew that Cain hadn't yet finished preparing what was necessary for it. Missing that opportunity would be a lifelong regret, so it could only endure the wait in silence.

In any case, it could always console itself by eating more diamonds.

After two days of rest, Lairon finally recovered from the side effects of the quality-enhancing potion.

By the third day, Lairon was already accompanying Cain.

The current environment was practically ideal terrain for Lairon. However, because Cain had reduced the frequency of battles on the last day, Lairon didn't level up.

After evolving, Lairon was mainly adapting to its new body.

Although its strength and other abilities had significantly improved, it had also suffered a decline in certain areas, such as speed and agility.

At this moment, Lairon was more comparable to a heavy tank.

To Larvitar's consolation, there was finally another Pokémon that outweighed it.

However, it was also somewhat discouraged, as Lairon's appetite had increased considerably. Now, Larvitar hesitated to share its food reserves with Lairon.

It simply wasn't enough.

Every time it saw Lairon's huge mouth, Larvitar felt an inexplicable pain in its heart.

Fortunately, Cain had already accepted Larvitar's peculiar habit of hoarding food. After Larvitar finished eating, Cain would always restock its provisions.

After all, those diamonds were meant for both Larvitar and Lairon. If they could eat them, it was best that they did.

The results were evident.

Cain had interacted with Steven's Lairon in the past. When he first saw it, that Lairon's level was higher than Cain's current Lairon.

However, in terms of physical build and the toughness of its metal armor, Steven's Lairon couldn't compare with Cain's.

This was the subtle but significant effect of long-term diamond consumption.

Cain was satisfied with these results, even though the rate at which resources were being consumed was alarming.

Fortunately, he had recently obtained a large amount of resources, allowing him to maintain this pace.

However, the small diamond reserves collected on Mythical Island had already been more than halfway consumed by these two gluttons.

Cain couldn't help but think he had underestimated these two Pokémon's appetites.

It was crucial to help the Carbink expand their colony as soon as possible; otherwise, Larvitar and Lairon might run out of food.

"Larvitar, can you feel it more clearly now?" Cain asked.

"Larr!"

Larvitar's response was immediate. Now it felt it with complete clarity.

Inside this mountain, there was something it needed.

And not just one thing.

Cain decided to recall his Pokémon and summoned Honchkrow and Slowking.

Facing Team Magma required strong and reliable Pokémon.

"Honchkrow, fly over the area and check if there are any humans nearby. If you see anyone, avoid being detected," Cain instructed.

Then he turned to Slowking: "Slowking, place psychic markers at every location we reach and use your powers to shield us with a barrier. That way, we'll reduce the chances of being discovered."

"Graah~~" Honchkrow nodded and soared into the sky.

The red gem on Slowking's head glowed, forming a thin psychic membrane that enveloped Cain and itself.

This not only helped avoid unnecessary noise, but also concealed any scent that other Pokémon might detect.

Team Magma was in a visible position, while Cain remained hidden. This gave him room to maneuver. If the situation were reversed, Cain would have no choice but to flee.

They slowly advanced up the mountain. Without the cover of trees, it was easier to be discovered.

However, it also provided a wider field of view, making it easier to detect enemies.

As he walked, Cain pondered what Team Magma could be searching for. After so many days, they still hadn't left.

That left only two possibilities: either they hadn't found what they were looking for, or... they had been completely annihilated.

Either scenario required Cain to act with caution.

After walking a stretch, Cain noticed something strange.

On a moss-covered rock, there was a symbol carved: "Ω".

Judging by the state of the engraving, it seemed recent.

This symbol was exclusive to Team Magma, even appearing on their uniforms.

The "Ω" symbol came from Groudon in its primal form, representing the concept of Omega—a special designation.

Team Magma wasn't looking for the ordinary Groudon, but its primal form: the legendary Ground- and Fire-type Pokémon, a deity among level-one deities.

(End of Chapter)