Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

Mt. Chimney is very tall; although both had quickened their pace, they were still far from the summit.

After all, it sometimes seems close, but walking there is much farther than it appears.

Additionally, as they progressed, wild Pokémon would frequently appear to block their path.

Cain and Steven didn't have a clear solution for this.

They couldn't simply ride their Skarmory and Tropius and fly to the top.

Not to mention, flying at that altitude would be exhausting for their Pokémon, and the wild flying Pokémon inhabiting such heights are quite strong.

Cain and Steven wouldn't have many means to defend themselves in the air.

After all, they each only had one flying Pokémon, and if they carried them, who would handle the attacking?

When night was about to fall, they barely managed to traverse the mountain slope and arrived at an arid area near the summit.

Here, due to the high temperatures, neither flowers, grass, nor trees could survive.

Cain and Steven already knew what the environment would be like, so before coming to Mt. Chimney, they had prepared breathing devices.

These were gadgets similar to masks that covered the mouth and nose, capable of filtering hot air and preventing oxygen deprivation caused by the altitude—a rather useful accessory.

Steven had been to Mt. Chimney several times before, so he had prepared these devices in advance.

Although the sun had already set and night was beginning to fall, the temperature remained high.

Upon reaching the summit, wild Pokémon became much less frequent.

The area was covered with bare rocks and volcanic stones formed by heat, an ideal habitat for Rock- and Fire-type Pokémon.

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It was also a favorite place for rock enthusiasts like Steven.

However, Steven wasn't very interested in searching for stones this time, as the people who had suddenly appeared at the mountain's peak made both him and Cain uneasy.

Under the last rays of the sun, they continued climbing.

After a day of intense battles, Skorupi's level had increased by one, reaching level 35.

The level gap between it and Honchkrow and the others was narrowing.

However, after progressing a bit further, they encountered another wild Pokémon blocking their path, one with considerable strength.

It was a Torkoal with reddened eyes, staring directly at Cain and Steven—intruders in its territory.

Instinctively, Cain used his system to scan this Torkoal's data.

Pokémon: Torkoal (Green) (In a state of rage)

Gender: Female

Level: 39

Type: Fire

Ability: White Smoke

Held Item: None

Egg Moves: Endure, Fissure, Flame Burst

Basic Moves: Ember, Smog, Withdraw, Rapid Spin, Fire Spin, Smokescreen, Flame Wheel, Curse, Lava Plume, Body Slam, Protect, Flamethrower, Iron Defense

Learned Moves: Heat Wave, Earth Power, Stomping Tantrum

TM Moves: None

Upon seeing the data for this Torkoal, Cain frowned.

State of rage...

This reminded him of the Breloom his Sneasel had defeated during its evolution, which was also in a state of rage.

Torkoal's condition was almost identical to Breloom's back then. Could there be a connection? Or had they simply been unlucky enough to encounter another enraged Pokémon?

"Steven, be careful; this Torkoal seems to be in an abnormal state," Cain warned.

Steven nodded. Seeing this Torkoal, he also felt something was off.

It was the strongest Pokémon they had encountered so far.

A quasi-advanced-level Pokémon, matching the level of Steven's Lairon.

"We'll subdue it first," Steven suggested.

Regardless of why Torkoal was in this state, it was best to control it first.

Ten minutes later, thanks to the teamwork of Skorupi and Lairon, the Torkoal fell before them.

After a day of battles, Skorupi and Lairon had developed some synergy.

Both Pokémon could execute simple combinations based on each other's abilities.

Thus, their combined combat power was quite remarkable.

Of course, the main reason was the synchronization developed between Cain and Steven as trainers, allowing their Pokémon to work together effectively.

Watching Skorupi and Lairon behave like good friends, Cain couldn't help but shake his head.

Torkoal's condition was similar to Breloom's that day, so Cain treated it lightly and then let it go.

In its current mental state, not even telepathy would allow Cain to obtain useful information.

However, he had a preliminary suspicion about the people at the mountain's summit.

He hoped it wasn't them.

Cain thought silently. If it really was that group, with the current strength he and Steven had, they would likely only be able to escape.

Placing Torkoal in a discreet corner, Cain and Steven didn't linger.

But both wore grim expressions, clearly thinking the same thing.

As they advanced, a brief silence fell between them.

Finally, Steven was the first to speak: "Cain, have you heard of Team Magma?"

Hearing Steven's words, Cain paused briefly and then replied, "I have a general idea."

This surprised Steven a bit. Not many people knew about Team Magma, as they kept themselves quite hidden; only a few high-ranking League members knew about them.

That Cain knew surprised him.

"The last time I was at sea with my mentor, we were attacked by Team Aqua. I didn't know at first, but after investigating a bit, I learned about Team Aqua and Team Magma," Cain explained briefly.

With this explanation, Steven understood better.

"I see... You encountered Team Aqua. Team Aqua and Team Magma are not well-known in the Hoenn region, but that doesn't mean they lack power."

"These two factions have existed for a long time, but they've mostly remained hidden, as if waiting for something. The League has sent people to investigate them thoroughly, but so far, no one has returned alive."

At this point, Steven's expression grew very serious.

One of the people sent to investigate Team Magma was from the Stone family.

To this day, they had not returned.

"Team Aqua and Team Magma haven't caused significant trouble yet, but their strength is a concern for the League, so we've always investigated them. I suspect the people at Mt. Chimney's summit are members of Team Magma," Steven said seriously.

It was the first time Cain had seen Steven with such a grave expression.

"Team Magma doesn't appear frequently, but when they do, it's usually at active or inactive volcanoes. Their whereabouts are uncertain, so the League hasn't been very successful in capturing them. But this incident at Mt. Chimney has an 80% chance of being their doing."

(End of Chapter)