Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

Xander knew full well that Cain would try to stop him, so instead of throwing the pill, he let Nidoking approach and eat it directly.

Murkrow's swift flight didn't reach Xander in time, as it was intercepted by Nidoking's Thunder Punch.

Nidoking's massive fist, crackling with electricity, struck Murkrow directly, forcing it to retreat.

Slowpoke's Psyshock was also blocked by Nidoking. Although the Psychic-type advantage dealt significant damage, it couldn't stop Nidoking from swallowing the pill Xander held in his hand.

"So, he ate it after all!"

Xander's Arbok from the past hadn't been strong enough to fully absorb the toxic energy of the purple pill, which caused an overflow of energy around it.

However, this Nidoking was different; its physical condition was far better, and its level and strength far exceeded that of the old Arbok.

Now, this Nidoking could showcase the pill's true power.

"In that case, I'll take out your other Pokémon first!"

"Murkrow, Wing Attack. Help Haunter finish off Ariados first."

"Slowpoke, continuous Psyshock. Target: Victreebel!"

"Ursaring, use Belly Drum and hold off Beedrill and Golbat for now."

Since he could no longer prevent Nidoking from consuming the pill, Cain decided to eliminate Xander's other Pokémon before Nidoking could fully absorb its power.

The primary reason Cain had captured Ursaring was its Belly Drum move.

This move allowed Ursaring to sacrifice half its health to drastically increase its attack power.

"Roooar!"

With its attack now significantly boosted, Ursaring roared like an unstoppable warrior, leaping into the air and grabbing Beedrill and Golbat, forcing them to fight at its level.

Meanwhile, Murkrow joined Haunter in attacking Ariados, while Slowpoke continuously launched Psyshock against Victreebel.

Xander's expression darkened. Nidoking only needed a few more seconds to fully absorb the pill's power, but Cain had chosen to abandon a direct confrontation with Nidoking in favor of eliminating his other Pokémon first.

"Ariados, use Signal Beam."

"Victreebel, Seed Bomb."

"Beedrill, Golbat, finish off Ursaring quickly!"

Ariados and Victreebel launched a final counterattack. Ariados fired a distorted, multicolored beam toward Murkrow, but since Murkrow was a Flying type, the Bug-type attack had limited effectiveness, only briefly halting its advance.

This gave Haunter the opportunity to strike with Fire Punch, landing a direct hit and activating the Sniper ability it had acquired by swapping skills with Ariados.

The critical hit was devastating, knocking Ariados out with a single attack.

The Sniper ability amplifies critical hit damage by 2.25 times. Combined with Haunter's type advantage over Ariados, the total damage was five times greater—resulting in an instant KO!

Meanwhile, Victreebel launched a barrage of seed bombs from its massive mouth, aiming at Slowpoke and taking advantage of its Grass-type advantage. But Slowpoke remained steadfast, repeatedly using Psyshock against Victreebel.

Though Victreebel tried to block Slowpoke, it couldn't escape Sneasel's relentless attacks. Sneasel closed in with sharp claws, leaving several wounds on Victreebel's body. Green sap began to drip from Victreebel with every move.

Before the Seed Bomb could hit Slowpoke, Miltank intervened, using Substitute to shield Slowpoke and absorb the damage.

Immediately afterward, Miltank drank her own milk to recover the health lost from Substitute.

In mere seconds, the battlefield shifted dramatically.

Ariados and Victreebel were down, lying on the ground with their conditions unknown.

Although Cain had the upper hand, Ursaring, after using Belly Drum, was brutally attacked by Beedrill and Golbat. Ursaring collapsed, incapacitated, its condition also uncertain.

Even so, Cain maintained the advantage.

"Haunter, keep using Fire Punch. Target Beedrill!"

"Murkrow, Wing Attack on Beedrill."

"Slowpoke, go all out with Psyshock against Golbat."

"Sneasel, help Arbok. Take it down, no mercy!"

"Miltank, use Helping Hand on Haunter."

Cain issued a flurry of commands. Meanwhile, Nidoking had nearly finished absorbing the toxic energy of the pill. Once it did, it would become much harder to deal with.

Cain knew he had to eliminate Xander's remaining Pokémon before Nidoking could dominate the battlefield.

Miltank used Helping Hand on Haunter, boosting the power of Haunter's next move.

Haunter, its fist wreathed in flames, waited patiently, observing Beedrill and looking for the perfect moment to strike.

Haunter had learned from Skorupi's mastery of the Sniper ability. The two Pokémon were close friends, and Haunter had watched attentively during Skorupi's training sessions. Now, it was Haunter's time to shine with Sniper.

Murkrow's Wing Attack clashed with Beedrill's twin stingers, sending both Pokémon flying backward.

Slowpoke, meanwhile, continued its relentless Psyshock assault on Golbat, which could only dodge desperately in midair. Golbat had no chance to close the distance to Slowpoke.

The two Arboks, locked in a close-quarters battle, suddenly found themselves joined by Sneasel. However, Sneasel hesitated to strike immediately, as the two Arboks were so entangled it was hard to distinguish friend from foe.

At that moment, Nidoking, having fully absorbed the pill's energy, returned to the battlefield!

The already-massive Nidoking seemed to have grown even larger, as if it had undergone a second growth spurt.

"Sneasel, use Icy Wind on Nidoking," Cain ordered, frowning. He knew Nidoking's presence posed a significant threat, so he directed Sneasel to attack immediately. With any luck, Icy Wind could slow Nidoking down.

But before Nidoking could act, Haunter—boosted by Miltank's Helping Hand—seized the moment. With a precise Fire Punch, it struck Beedrill at its weak point, activating the Sniper ability.

The damage was overwhelming, and Beedrill collapsed, following Ariados into unconsciousness—taken down in a single blow.

With the Sniper ability in play, Haunter had become a true force of destruction.

(End of chapter)