Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

"Mismagius, ready for your first battle?" asked Cain.

"Miiis~~" replied Mismagius softly, her delicate voice paired with a gaze full of determination.

"In that case, Gengar, use Role Play to copy Drapion's ability, and Mismagius, use Skill Swap on Gengar." Drapion's Sniper ability could be a huge advantage for Mismagius right now.

Gengar nodded, and a strange energy flickered around him. He had already perfected the use of Role Play through extensive training.

Once Cain saw that Gengar had successfully copied the ability, Mismagius used Skill Swap on him, exchanging her Levitate ability for Drapion's Sniper.

Mismagius, being a Ghost-type Pokémon, shared the same typing as Cofagrigus, making both mutually effective against one another. In the end, the winner would be determined by sheer power.

In a direct confrontation, having the Sniper ability activate multiple times could make all the difference.

Cain led the fight against the strongest Cofagrigus with Mismagius, while the lower-leveled Cofagrigus were handled by the combination of Slowking and other Pokémon. The remaining Yamask were left to Larvitar and the rest.

However, Cain insisted on one critical rule: avoid direct contact with the enemy whenever possible. Otherwise, things could get complicated.

Even though Cain had telepathy, he couldn't command all his Pokémon simultaneously.

At times, he relied on the combat instincts and habits developed during training.

As long as they dealt with the strongest Cofagrigus up front, the rest would be manageable.

And if things became too complicated, Cain could always summon Altaria to join the fight.

For now, the situation was under control.

The enemy Cofagrigus wasn't going to wait patiently while Cain organized everything. As soon as he saw Mismagius, he felt the pressure.

Its four arms quickly conjured two Shadow Balls and launched them straight at Cain.

This Cofagrigus was clearly highly intelligent. It knew that, even though Cain appeared to be the weakest of the group, he was surrounded by Pokémon—which made him the most important target.

In addition to attacking him directly, the Cofagrigus ordered the others and the Yamask to focus their attacks on Cain.

"Mismagius, destroy the Shadow Balls with your own!" Cain remained calm, even as the primary target.

"Miiis!!"

Mismagius showed not a hint of fear. Although this was her first real battle, she had undergone intense practice during training.

The three red gems on her chest glowed, generating three Shadow Balls of varying sizes: one larger in the center and two smaller ones on the sides.

Under Mismagius' control, the three Shadow Balls were launched simultaneously.

The two smaller ones moved faster, tracing curves through the air.

They intercepted the enemy's Shadow Balls mid-flight, causing energy explosions that destabilized the area.

The larger Shadow Ball, traveling at a slightly slower pace, passed through the chaotic zone after the blasts.

And just as it cleared the impact area, it suddenly accelerated under Mismagius' control.

Boom!

Direct hit.

This difference in strategy highlighted the advantage of a trainer-trained Pokémon over a wild one.

While wild Pokémon had their own methods, they couldn't compete with the refined strategic approaches developed by a trainer like Cain.

Mismagius, being a speed-based Pokémon, couldn't just stand still trading blows with Cofagrigus.

Since the enemy had targeted Cain, Mismagius only needed to keep it distracted so it couldn't focus on attacking him.

With agile movement, Mismagius darted toward Cofagrigus, who was still dazed from the hit.

Upon seeing her approach, Cofagrigus gave a sinister grin.

The coffin that made up its body opened slightly, revealing a dark abyss inside. A blast of icy wind surged out directly toward Mismagius.

Ominous Wind.

A formidable move that, in addition to dealing damage, had a chance to boost all of the user's stats: Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed.

"Mismagius, Payback!" ordered Cain coolly.

A faint brown veil appeared around Mismagius. Although the Ominous Wind struck her and did significant damage, Cofagrigus had no luck—none of its stats were boosted.

Now it was Mismagius' turn.

The brown veil contracted, turning into a black sphere that was launched at Cofagrigus.

Bang!

The move Payback, when triggered after taking damage, doubles in power. Although typically a physical attack, Cain adapted its use to avoid direct contact—slightly reducing its power, but maintaining a safe distance.

"Mismagius, use Confuse Ray!"

The largest gem on Mismagius' chest glowed brightly, launching an iridescent orb that traced a curved path before striking Cofagrigus in the face.

At such close range, the slow Cofagrigus couldn't dodge it.

Specialized in illusion- and dream-based moves, Mismagius executed the technique flawlessly.

Cofagrigus' eyes became clouded with an iridescent haze as it fell into a confused state.

"Now's the time! Mismagius, Hex!"

"Miiis!!!"

With determination, Mismagius channeled dark energy, manifesting as a giant eye above her head, firing rings of deep-blue energy at the confused Cofagrigus.

Each ring hit directly, powered up by the Sniper ability and the enemy's confused state.

Cofagrigus couldn't withstand the onslaught and collapsed to the ground—defeated.

The combination of double damage due to type advantage, the power of Hex, and the occasional Sniper boosts was devastating.

Mismagius' first battle was a resounding success!

Satisfied, Cain left the rest of the Cofagrigus to the team led by Slowking. He fully trusted their ability to handle the situation.

Before moving on, he pulled out a Poké Ball and, without a word, tossed it at the defeated Cofagrigus. The Poké Ball opened with a red flash, engulfing the Pokémon in energy. After a few tense seconds, the final click confirmed the capture.

With Mismagius at his side, Cain stepped into the dark room beyond, where a complete coffin lay in the center, radiating an ominous presence.

(End of Chapter)