Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

"Weell!"

Weavile was excited and let out a cry as it charged two dark balls in its claws and launched them directly at Xatu.

"Fly, Xatu!"

However, the two Shadow Balls were not aimed at the same point. One targeted the Xatu using Miracle Eye, while the other was headed directly above its head.

If Xatu took too long to use Miracle Eye, it would be hit by the first Shadow Ball. But if it tried to fly to dodge it, it would get struck by the second one waiting above.

Following the command to fly, Xatu managed to dodge the lower Shadow Ball but ended up taking a direct hit from the one above.

Never put all your eggs in one basket.

The Shadow Ball was highly effective against Xatu's Psychic type, dealing significant damage.

"Xatu, use Psychic!"

Though surprised by Cain's strategy, Bartim didn't flinch. He knew that Xatu's strength lay in its ability to fly, giving it control over the terrain.

After launching Shadow Ball, Weavile began running swiftly across the ground, kicking up a cloud of sand that started to obscure Xatu's vision.

Although the Psychic attack hit Weavile, it didn't deal much damage, and Weavile kept running, stirring up even more sand and making it harder for Xatu to see.

While Xatu could use its psychic powers to sense its surroundings, Weavile, as a Dark-type Pokémon, wasn't easy to track.

"Weavile, use Icicle Crash! Bring him down and close in!" Cain ordered calmly.

Fighting a flying opponent could be annoying, but if you brought them down, things became much simpler.

Suddenly, a massive icicle appeared above Xatu's head, ready to fall.

However, Xatu was prepared and used Teleport just before the impact to evade the attack.

But Weavile's Icicle Crash strategy didn't rely on just one icicle.

The moment Xatu reappeared after using Teleport, another icicle manifested right above it, plummeting at high speed under Weavile's control.

This time, Xatu couldn't dodge in time and took a direct hit.

After the first strike, the following icicle attacks became unavoidable. Weavile quickly formed three more icicles, shaped like ice spears, and hurled them straight at Xatu.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

One after another, the spears hit their target.

"Xatu, use Protect!" Bartim shouted, desperate to shield his Pokémon before it hit the ground.

A green energy shield appeared, blocking the icicle attacks, though it couldn't stop Xatu from falling.

"Weavile, use Ice Beam! Charge in!"

Weavile became a black blur, dashing across the sand and aiming to hit the falling Xatu with Ice Beam.

Bartim's expression turned grim. He pulled out two Poké Balls from his belt and hurled them as far as he could.

Out came a level 53 Mightyena and a level 51 Camerupt, both stepping in front of Cain.

Bartim's goal was to distract Cain and relieve some pressure from Xatu.

However, Cain merely smiled. He threw two Poké Balls of his own, summoning Drapion and Swampert—who had recently reached level 47.

Without a word, Drapion and Swampert exchanged glances and charged at their opponents.

Swampert leapt into the air with a powerful motion, bringing both fists down toward Camerupt in a crushing blow.

Though Bartim's Pokémon were near-elite level, Cain showed no fear. He was used to handling such challenges regularly.

While Drapion and Swampert kept Mightyena and Camerupt busy, Weavile completely ignored the new arrivals, focusing solely on its primary target: Xatu.

With ice crystals quickly forming around its claws, Weavile prepared an Ice Punch and attacked Xatu, who was just starting to rise from the ground.

Xatu tried to retaliate with psychic energy spheres, but Weavile dodged most and endured the few that hit.

Before Xatu could react, Weavile was already in front of it, wearing a sinister grin as it unleashed a flurry of blows.

Boom!

Boom!

At such close range, Xatu couldn't avoid Weavile's physical strikes, especially with the type advantage so heavily in Weavile's favor.

Seeing his Xatu on the verge of defeat, Bartim tried to recall it with the Poké Ball.

"Weavile, use Assurance!"

But Cain had been waiting for this very moment!

As the red recall beam began to pull Xatu back, Weavile intercepted it, slamming Xatu back to the ground and continuing the assault.

Bartim clenched his teeth, clearly frustrated. Suddenly, the ground beneath Cain's feet began to shake.

"Slowking," Cain said quietly.

Slowking responded immediately, blasting a stream of water at the ground and using its psychic powers to lift Cain into the air—dodging a surprise attack from an Excadrill that had emerged to ambush him.

From the beginning, Cain had noticed Bartim's suspicious movements.

The ambush attempt with Excadrill failed, leaving Bartim stunned.

"Kekeke!"

At that moment, a Gengar emerged from Bartim's shadow.

While Bartim had been plotting a secret strategy, Cain had already stationed his own Gengar in the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to counter.

Although Excadrill was skilled at moving underground, it couldn't match Gengar's ability to silently navigate through shadows.

When Bartim tried to flee with Xatu, Gengar easily intercepted him, ensuring he had no chance to strike back.

Cain proved that in terms of strategy and experience, he was on a completely different level.

Finally, he defeated Bartim and prepared to move quickly before more members of Team Magma could arrive.

(End of Chapter)