Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

Cain watched as the energy graph's data stabilized at deep green and let out a long sigh.

This forced increase in Murkrow's potential had brought him considerable pressure. If it weren't for the threat of Vexor, he might not have chosen such a risky method. He would have preferred a slower approach, like with Miltank, who advanced steadily in its potential.

That would have been ideal.

Fortunately, Murkrow succeeded and became the second Pokémon in Cain's team to improve its potential.

Just like Slowpoke, its potential had reached deep green!

"Caw!"

The excited Murkrow cried out once again, releasing its joy.

The other Pokémon thought Murkrow was simply overwhelmed with emotion, but only Cain understood the reason behind the two cries.

The first was for the happiness of improving its potential.

The second was because it knew it could now be of greater help.

With mixed feelings, Cain stroked Murkrow's blood-stained feathers, completely unconcerned about dirtying his hand.

"Eat these Pokéblocks, just the regular dose, and recover some energy. Miltank, give Murkrow a bottle of milk. Slowpoke, clean Murkrow," Cain instructed the other Pokémon.

After witnessing Murkrow's improvement, the other Pokémon seemed relieved, as if a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.

Except for Miltank and Slowpoke, the others returned to their training.

Murkrow was now stronger!

They, too, had to push themselves!

The tired Murkrow enjoyed the attentive care from Miltank and Slowpoke.

It had always been the older brother looking out for them, and now it was their turn to care for him.

In the distance, Arbok was shedding its skin. Seeing Murkrow's success brought it inner joy, speeding up its molting process.

After finishing, it rested on the ground for half an hour before returning to Cain's side. Quietly, it began speaking with Murkrow, asking how it felt after the improvement.

In truth, Cain could see more detailed data in the graphs provided by his system.

First, Murkrow, which originally stood at sixty-eight centimeters tall, now measured seventy centimeters—a full twenty centimeters taller than an average Murkrow.

Next, the energy storage capacity within its body had changed. It was as if a bottle had turned into a kettle, doubling its limit.

Finally, there was a change in its level. The high concentration of energy had pushed Murkrow to Level 33.

It was now just one level behind Slowpoke, who was at Level 34, making it the second-strongest Pokémon in Cain's team.

"Rest well. Starting tomorrow, we'll begin specific training for you, Murkrow, and you'll need to quickly adapt to your new potential."

"There are still more important missions ahead. Arbok, you must also adapt quickly to your body and pick up the pace. Remember, you don't have much time," Cain said.

Both Pokémon nodded and fell asleep with different thoughts in mind.

The special Pokéblocks tested not only their bodies but also their minds.

Soon, both Pokémon were in a deep sleep, while the others continued training. Murkrow's progress had motivated them to push even harder.

Half an hour later, Alec returned from the forest, covered in dust. His clothes and some bandages showed burn marks. Clearly, capturing Ponyta hadn't been easy.

He nodded at Cain and dropped heavily onto the wooden bench by the campfire, letting out a long sigh.

"It looks like it wasn't an easy process," Cain said with a smile, clearly in a good mood.

Alec, however, flashed a wide grin, his white teeth contrasting against his dirt-covered face.

"Yeah, that Ponyta is a wild and rebellious horse. It took a lot of effort to fully tame it," Alec replied.

Capturing Ponyta had been more challenging than he had imagined. He had to endure ten minutes of intense struggle on Ponyta's back before finally subduing it. Fortunately, Ponyta had its pride and hadn't used its strongest moves.

Even so, Alec had felt the heat of its flames enveloping him.

Earlier, he had captured Shuckle and had only recently been finalizing that process, helping Shuckle get accustomed to battles.

The truth was that, once he found the right fighting style, Shuckle's combat abilities improved drastically. Even Alec's Mightyena was no longer a match for it.

During the capture of Golbat, Shuckle also played a crucial role.

However, capturing Ponyta had been entirely Alec's accomplishment.

When attempting to command Ponyta in battle, Alec discovered its exceptional talent, even surpassing that of the Pokémon he had previously owned. Clearly, Cain had a good eye for choosing Pokémon.

Even Alec thought that once he fully mastered Shuckle and Ponyta, he could become stronger than ever, despite having only four Pokémon.

It seemed that being around Cain was accelerating his growth. During dinner, he noticed Cain's Pokémon eating high-level Pokéblocks—a luxury.

Additionally, he realized Cain was also a Pokémon breeder.

What a terrifying talent!

"Prepare yourself. Tomorrow, we'll start looking for Vexor," Cain said seriously.

"Tomorrow? Tomorrow?" Alec repeated, first uncertain and then with determination, clenching his fists.

If he could take revenge, he didn't want to wait a second longer. But he also didn't want Cain risking his life without a plan. It was best to be prepared.

"But just the two of us? Even though I now have four Pokémon, I'm still not proficient in handling them."

"First, tomorrow we'll find someone. Then, based on your memories, we'll track Vexor's location."

"I don't want to wait until the last day to face him when there could be more people around—some of whom might be tempted to act opportunistically if they saw my score," Cain replied calmly.

"As for the number of people around Vexor, don't worry. The person we find tomorrow will take care of them."

Tomorrow, they would look for Miyamoto, and then they would deal with Vexor, the thorn in their side.

Now that Murkrow's potential had improved, it only needed a Dusk Stone to evolve into Honchkrow at any time. Cain felt more confident.

"Tomorrow, you'll have to push yourself in battle. Train the Pokémon you've just captured and make sure not to run from a fight, because you know what that means," Cain said coldly to Alec.

He didn't want any unexpected incidents during their confrontation with Vexor. If he sensed any risk, he would eliminate it in advance.

"Understood!" Alec replied, his heart racing.

(End of Chapter)