Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

Cain slowly removed his hood, revealing a smile that, while somewhat sinister, carried a certain charm.

"What a coincidence, Xander! We meet again!"

"Cain!" Xander spat the name through gritted teeth.

With eyes wide open, Xander stared at him intently, veins bulging and his face reddening. He was all too aware of the mark Cain had left on his mind. If he couldn't defeat or kill him, Cain would become the greatest obstacle on his path to power.

And now!

Cain stood before him. To Xander, this was the perfect moment to settle the score.

Xander pulled out all the Poké Balls he held in his hand.

This would end today! They would see how much each had grown in this time.

"Come out, Nidoking! Golbat! Victreebel! Ariados! Beedrill! And you too, Arbok!"

They were all Poison-type Pokémon.

It seemed that Xander's brother was also an expert in this type; otherwise, Xander wouldn't have specialized in them so much.

What surprised Cain was that, in addition to the newly summoned Nidoking, which had great potential, he also saw the Arbok he himself had gravely injured in a previous battle—now at an even higher level! The rest of the Pokémon, though powerful, weren't as impressive as that one.

"It seems your brother has invested quite a bit in you, Xander," Cain remarked with a smile, though his eyes betrayed a murderous intent.

Back then, Cain had wounded Arbok, believing Xander would be defeated for good. But he hadn't expected the proud Xander to lean on his brother, who had helped his strength and potential grow even more.

This time, he wouldn't let him live.

No matter who tried to stop him.

"Stop talking!" Xander yelled. "Nidoking, Horn Attack! Arbok, Thunder Fang! Golbat, Poison Fang! Victreebel, Sleep Powder and Stun Spore! Ariados, Sucker Punch! Everyone, attack that human!"

Xander wasted no time and struck first with a massive assault. After all, they were in the wild, where only the strong survive.

Cain didn't flinch at the overwhelming attack. "Slowpoke, Teleport!"

In a flash of psychic energy, Cain and Slowpoke appeared in another location. Cain then released more Poké Balls.

If this was going to be an all-out battle, so be it!

"Come out, Haunter, Sneasel, Miltank, Arbok, Ursaring!"

Although Cain had other Pokémon like Tropius and Gyarados, he preferred to reserve them for specific situations.

Miltank stayed close to Cain, while the other Pokémon launched directly into battle.

"Murkrow, use Tailwind to speed everyone up! Your target is Beedrill! Hit it with Wing Attack!"

"Slowpoke, meditate and then use Psyshock on Golbat!"

"Haunter, attack Ariados! Use Skill Swap, then Fire Punch."

"Sneasel, use Agility and follow up with Ice Punch on Victreebel!"

"Miltank, use Heal Bell to remove the team's status conditions!"

"Arbok, face his Arbok head-on! Use Fire Fang!"

"Ursaring, hold off Nidoking with Crunch! Keep it busy!"

Each Pokémon had a clear target, and Cain's strategy allowed the battlefield to split into individual matchups.

Xander frowned at the sight of Cain's Pokémon.

He had never imagined that a trainer without a prestigious lineage like Cain, instead of falling behind after the Trial Island, would have advanced so quickly, assembling such a powerful team. Moreover, many of them seemed to have type advantages over his own Pokémon.

Cain's team's speed increased with Murkrow's Tailwind. Murkrow had mastered this move, empowering the entire team in an instant.

Slowpoke quickly entered a meditative state and, within seconds, unleashed a powerful psychic attack on Golbat. Being a Poison-type, Golbat suffered devastating damage from the psychic assault.

Haunter swapped its ability with Ariados, gaining Sniper, which greatly increased its precision. With the Fire Punch move, the damage was devastating, especially when landing critical hits.

Sneasel, taking advantage of Tailwind and its own Agility, dashed to Victreebel in the blink of an eye. The Ice Punch hit squarely, dealing massive damage due to Victreebel's Grass-type weakness.

The two Arboks tangled in a fierce battle, biting and exchanging Poison-type moves. While Cain's Arbok hadn't yet regained its full potential, it remained a formidable opponent.

Cain's Ursaring was struggling against Nidoking, which was delivering powerful strikes. Nidoking's strength was formidable, and Ursaring fought to hold its ground.

Boom!

The battle erupted in full force.

Both trainers commanded multiple Pokémon simultaneously, testing their strategic skills and leadership abilities.

"Damn it! Nidoking, fall back and take this!" Xander threw a small purple pill toward his Nidoking.

It was the same pill he had used in his previous battle with Cain, but this time its effects were even stronger. His brother had made a significant sacrifice to obtain this enhancement, intended for use against the most powerful subordinates of the Executives.

However, Xander had decided to use it against Cain.

Seeing the pill, Cain frowned.

He remembered all too well the devastating effect it had had on Xander's Arbok last time. If Nidoking consumed that pill, Ursaring would be in serious danger.

"Murkrow, forget Beedrill and stop that pill! Slowpoke, use Psyshock to attack Xander directly!" Cain ordered swiftly.

(End of chapter)