Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

After climbing the mountain, Cain returned Tropius to its Pokéball.

From that elevated position, he could fully see the Tree of Life at the center of Mythical Island.

Observing from there, Cain could estimate how far he was from the Tree of Life.

He was sure that most of the Team Rocket members who had arrived on the island were targeting the central area, specifically the ruins beneath the Tree of Life.

The contents of those ruins were what Team Rocket most desired to obtain on this expedition.

Always staying one step ahead, Cain had a hunch that there might be Mew DNA in that place, though he didn't yet know if this group would find it or if it would be discovered by another group arriving on the island later.

Once this Team Rocket mission was over, the organization would likely enter a dormant phase, during which most of its resources would be devoted to studying Mew's DNA—a project that would last several years.

After that, the Pokémon League would begin its expansion phase, taking control of multiple regions. From then on, the League's position would become unshakable.

However, due to this situation, Team Rocket would lose its best opportunity.

Of course, Giovanni's decision could not be considered wrong. If he succeeded in controlling a god-level Legendary Pokémon, combined with his leadership skills and combat talent, Giovanni would undoubtedly become the strongest man in this world, without exception.

For now, Cain did not have the ability to interfere in Team Rocket's plans.

Looking once more at the Tree of Life, Cain was convinced that there were hidden secrets there. Perhaps it even held answers to Mew's disappearance.

Why, after creating this island, did Mew disappear without a trace? When Team Rocket discovered this island, Mew was already gone.

No one knew where it had gone.

As one of the most mysterious Pokémon in this world, Mew had always been an enigma.

As its name suggests: a dream and an illusion.

After observing the location of the Tree of Life, Cain decided not to advance further and, with Slowking's help, returned.

There was time; he didn't need to rush to be the first to arrive.

When the first group entered the ruins, Cain would look for his opportunity to go in.

The first to enter would undoubtedly become everyone else's target. Cain had no intention of being the fool who went in first.

...

Over the next few days, Cain did not rush to enter the ruins.

Mythical Island offered invaluable resources for training, with a large number of powerful wild Pokémon. So, he focused on battles.

When Cain reappeared in Altaria's territory, they exchanged few words.

It seemed that both Cain and Altaria had forgotten their earlier exchange.

During those days, Cain faced many dangers on the island. Often, in the middle of a battle, a quasi-elite-level Pokémon would suddenly appear. frёeωebɳovel.com

At this point, Cain's team consisted of five Pokémon who, by combining their abilities, could handle several advanced-level Pokémon without much difficulty. If the battle turned unfavorable, Cain still had control to decide whether to fight or retreat.

However, when encountering a quasi-elite-level Pokémon, things were not so simple.

Most of the time, Cain was forced to flee.

Over time, both Cain and his Pokémon grew accustomed to such situations.

If they could win, they fought. If not, they ran as fast as possible, knowing that those left behind would suffer more.

These experiences notably improved each Pokémon's escape capabilities.

Additionally, all of his Pokémon experienced some improvement in strength.

Honchkrow, Gengar, and Drapion, showing impressive synchronization, reached Level 43. Slowking, having leveled up earlier, didn't advance much during these days of battle.

Meanwhile, Weavile also leveled up, reaching Level 42.

At this point, all of Cain's Pokémon were firmly in the advanced range, progressing toward even higher levels.

The one who improved the most was Floette, reaching Level 35, and her healing abilities earned the team's approval.

Capturing Floette on the island had been one of Cain's wisest decisions.

Thanks to Floette, his Pokémon could fight without reservations, unconcerned about the injuries they might sustain.

Every time they finished an intense battle, Floette used the move Grassy Terrain to heal them immediately.

Under Cain's training, Floette had noticeably refined this move.

By the end of this training period, it was already the night of the tenth day on the island.

Cain decided that night his Pokémon wouldn't train. They needed to rest, recharge, and assimilate the gains from recent battles.

The goal was for them to be in optimal condition, as Cain planned to head toward the Tree of Life the next day to see if he could uncover anything new in the ruins.

After dinner, his Pokémon obeyed and sat in a circle to rest, discussing some details about their moves.

Many of his Pokémon shared similar types, so exchanging ideas about how to use certain moves could help them learn new techniques.

This was one of Cain's primary objectives.

Meanwhile, Cain approached Altaria, who was quietly enjoying the moonlight.

Over the past few days, Altaria always appeared at mealtime and left silently afterward, while the two young Swablu grew increasingly close to the other Pokémon.

Cain stood next to Altaria. Although taller than her, he once again activated telepathy.

"Altaria, tomorrow we'll be leaving, and we probably won't return. I'm heading to the center of the island, to the Tree of Life, to see if I can find anything in the ruins."

"In about ten days, very dangerous people will arrive on the island. Make sure to hide well with your children. You may not be able to defeat them, but with your abilities, you should be able to conceal yourselves in the skies with your little ones."

"When they finish sweeping the island, the outer barrier should disappear. Then you can take your children and escape."

Cain said all this sincerely.

He had almost given up on convincing Altaria of anything else.

This powerful Dragon-type Pokémon, at the peak of quasi-elite level, possessed intelligence superior to most Pokémon and, with the responsibility of protecting her offspring, had many reasons to worry.

Cain gave his final advice.

However, just as he was about to leave, Altaria called out to him.

(End of Chapter)