Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

Fifth day.

On the Trial Island.

Cain was accompanied by Alec as they began their search for Miyamoto.

Before parting ways with Miyamoto, Cain had Slowpoke leave a psychic mark on him. Unless another Psychic-type Pokémon removed it, Slowpoke could track Miyamoto's location.

Although the Trial Island was vast, even if Slowpoke couldn't teleport everywhere, it could sense Miyamoto's location without any issues.

"Slowpoke, can you sense Miyamoto's location?" Cain asked.

Slowpoke closed its eyes, concentrated for a moment, and then nodded.

Cain instructed Alec to place his hand on Slowpoke's back, and the two disappeared from the forest.

Slowpoke couldn't teleport them directly to Miyamoto but transported them to the nearest psychic point.

Cain handed Slowpoke some Pokéblocks. "Slowpoke, rest a bit inside your Pokéball." Then, he summoned Murkrow and Arbok.

Murkrow, now seventy centimeters tall, no longer looked like just an ordinary Murkrow.

As for Arbok, its size was comparable to that of a Gyarados.

Alec also summoned Ponyta, Golbat, and Shuckle. Today was a day to train them.

Ponyta, standing a meter tall, had developed well enough for Alec to ride it without issue.

Golbat carried Shuckle in its claws as it soared through the sky.

Cain, on the other hand, rode on Arbok's back, just as he had once ridden Onix. Arbok's massive size allowed Cain to travel with stability.

And so, the two and their Pokémon moved swiftly through the forest.

Whenever they encountered wild Pokémon, Murkrow was the first to jump into battle. Only when there were multiple opponents did Ponyta, Shuckle, and Golbat get the chance to fight.

The three Pokémon didn't complain, as Murkrow displayed incredible strength and impressive ferocity in every battle.

Murkrow was strong!

Alec watched how Cain commanded Murkrow in battles with simple instructions that the Pokémon understood perfectly.

The synergy between Cain and Murkrow was remarkable. Alec thought that if he could achieve a similar level of connection with his own Pokémon, his combat power would increase by at least two levels.

After an hour of rapid movement through the forest, they finally neared Miyamoto's location. Slowpoke reappeared beside Cain, almost fully recovered.

"Cain, is it safe to approach him directly?" Alec asked as he stroked Ponyta.

"Yes, that guy's resting. Let's see how he's been faring these past few days," Cain replied with a smile. He then patted Arbok, signaling it to move forward.

Miyamoto was sitting under a tree, resting, with two Primeape by his side. One was the original he had always had, and the other had evolved from a Mankey he had captured.

He was calmly munching on a piece of bread, seemingly after a battle.

"Alright, Primeape, we've rested enough. It's time to keep fighting. Next time Cain comes, he needs to see that we've improved; otherwise, how will we earn our place by his side?" Miyamoto said, clearly determined to impress Cain.

He had resigned himself to following Cain but was ambitious enough to want to become the strongest of Cain's followers, earning his recognition.

"Prim~~!" One of the Primeape suddenly stood up, alert, staring into the forest.

Miyamoto immediately grew serious and looked in the same direction as Primeape, saying:

"Who's there? Why don't you come out and face me in battle?"

"What if I want your points?" came a mocking voice from the forest.

Hearing the voice, Miyamoto didn't get angry. Instead, a smile spread across his face. Along with his two Primeape, he charged toward the source of the voice.

"Cain!" Miyamoto exclaimed upon seeing Cain atop Arbok, greeting him respectfully.

At the same time, he noticed Alec riding Ponyta alongside Cain. His brow furrowed slightly but quickly smoothed as he masked his reaction.

"Cain, are you here to start the operation?" Miyamoto asked with a mix of excitement and determination. Everyone knew what operation he meant.

"Yes," Cain replied, nodding as he dismounted from Arbok. Alec also dismounted and stood behind Cain, clearly marking his subordinate position.

"Who's he?" Miyamoto asked, eyeing Alec curiously.

"Introduce yourself," Cain said calmly.

"Yes! I'm Alec, a participant in Team Rocket's Trial Island. I'm now one of Cain's followers."

"You must be Miyamoto, the one Cain spoke of. I hope we can work together in the future for Cain's benefit," Alec said in a calm tone, revealing little of his thoughts.

"Ha ha! Well said, brother Alec! Let's work together to serve Cain in the best way possible," Miyamoto replied with a hearty laugh, walking over to Alec and giving him a firm pat on the shoulder.

Alec discreetly tried to free himself from Miyamoto's grip but was no match for Miyamoto's strength.

As a Fighting-type Pokémon trainer, Miyamoto possessed great physical strength, far exceeding that of an average trainer. Alec couldn't break free, and Miyamoto only tightened his grip.

Cain watched the interaction silently, a faint smile playing on his lips.

As a leader, Cain understood the importance of maintaining a delicate balance among his subordinates: he didn't want them to grow too close, but neither did he want them to become enemies. Friendly rivalry and healthy competition ensured progress without causing major issues.

Though Cain wasn't yet a full-fledged leader, he had learned to handle such situations.

His idol, Giovanni, mastered these techniques perfectly. Team Rocket was a massive organization, but thanks to Giovanni, it operated smoothly. There was internal competition but never to the point of undermining larger goals.

At the lower levels of Team Rocket, competition was fiercer, but at higher levels, a facade of harmony prevailed.

It was the only way to stand against the Pokémon League.

Although the League appeared powerful, its response capability was limited due to its vast territory, divided into seven regions. The more it expanded, the harder it became to effectively control each region.

(End of Chapter)