Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

"How is your strength recovery going?" Cain asked.

"Don't worry, leader! I can definitely take on one of Vexor's subordinates!" Miyamoto replied confidently. Although he hadn't fully recovered, handling someone at a similar level to his former strength wouldn't be a problem.

Cain nodded, satisfied. If Miyamoto could handle one, and Alec managed another, then Cain could face Vexor without worry, even if Vexor had two strong subordinates with him.

"It's time to take the initiative. Let's go confront him," Cain said as he mounted his Arbok again.

Alec mounted his Ponyta, while Miyamoto released his Dodrio and climbed on. Together, the three began their search for Vexor, one of the key subordinates of Lucius, a Team Rocket Executive, on the Trial Island.

Alec, who had previously escaped from Vexor's clutches, guided Cain and the others to the location where Vexor had been camping.

If Vexor had stayed there long enough, they might still find him, and even if he wasn't there, the traces left behind could help track him down.

The Pokémon of the three trainers moved quickly, but the distance to cover was considerable, so they didn't arrive immediately. Along the way, they passed through several areas inhabited by wild Pokémon, some of which were quite powerful.

However, none were fast enough to catch up with Cain and his team.

Even so, they couldn't avoid some surprise attacks from the wild Pokémon, but Murkrow and the others quickly dealt with them.

Three hours later, following Alec's guidance, they reached the spot where he had been captured by Vexor. However, instead of finding Vexor, they only saw signs of disorder.

Cain crouched down and touched an extinguished campfire. He felt the residual heat in the ashes, then inspected the footprints on the ground and checked the soil's moisture.

"The fire hasn't been out for long; it's still warm. It looks like they left around midday, so they haven't been gone for long. The footprints also indicate he wasn't alone, so he has someone with him," Cain commented. "Get ready. We'll catch up to him."

Unlike others who had spent a long time on the Trial Island, Vexor didn't seem concerned about covering his tracks. Perhaps he was overconfident in his strength, which made it easy for Cain to follow him.

Hearing Cain's words, both Miyamoto and Alec grew serious. Things wouldn't be so easy after all.

Cain, riding his Arbok, led the way, following the trail through the forest. Since Vexor hadn't been gone long, they still had a chance to catch up if they hurried.

Cain's expression remained serious as he pressed on. A cold determination gleamed in his eyes. His survival philosophy was simple: unless it benefited him, he wouldn't attack others without reason. But if someone provoked him and he had enough strength, he would ensure revenge without delay.

Before returning to the Trial Island, Lucius had sent an Officer to test him. Although they called it a "test," Cain knew that if he hadn't been strong enough, the Officer's "mistake" would have been fatal.

From that moment, Cain resolved to take revenge, and Vexor would be his first target.

It didn't matter that it was on the Trial Island, where death was common and no one would know who did it.

After following the trail for a while, Cain slowed down, his expression growing graver.

"We're close. Get ready. I don't want to see either of you fail at a moment like this. You already know the consequences if you do. Even if I can't defeat Vexor, escaping won't be an issue for me. But if I see you retreating..." Cain looked at Alec and Miyamoto with a severe expression.

Though both respected him, Cain couldn't risk betrayal at a critical moment. He made his expectations clear.

The two straightened up and nodded firmly. "Yes, Sir Cain, don't worry."

Especially Alec, whose burn-scarred face only emphasized his determination.

"Then let's go." Cain nodded in satisfaction, releasing all his Pokéballs and ordering his Arbok to proceed slowly.

After walking a bit further, they emerged from the forest into a field of tall grass. Though the grass was high, it wasn't tall enough to hide people.

There, in the middle of the field, two men sat resting, surrounded by their Pokémon.

When Cain saw them, they saw him as well.

Miyamoto, riding his Dodrio, moved closer to Cain and whispered, "Sir Cain, the man with round glasses and silver hair is Vexor. The other one beside him is a subordinate of another Officer, a Rock-type expert named Daishi."

Cain glanced at Miyamoto, whose expression was serious, and asked, "Can you handle him?"

Miyamoto hesitated for a moment. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have had an issue, but he knew Daishi's strength. Even so, he gritted his teeth and said, "No problem! I won't let him interfere in the leader's battle."

The two men stood up slowly. Vexor, a young man with silver hair, round glasses, and a gray jacket over a white shirt, looked at Cain with a surprised smile.

"Cain?" Vexor said, observing the three of them.

"And you, you actually came back after running away? Did you come to surrender like the dog you are?" Vexor sneered, directing his words at Alec.

"Heh, Sir Vexor, it seems they've come to hand over their points," Daishi said, licking his lips with a malicious grin.

"Daishi, I never thought you'd submit to Vexor! You know full well that your Officer and Sir Lucius don't get along," Miyamoto shouted.

"Bah! That old man is finished. When this trial is over, he'll be done for. Why should I stick with him when I can join Sir Lucius and survive?" Daishi retorted. Then, looking at Miyamoto, he added mockingly, "And you? You've submitted to some random participant from the island! Seems like all that strength has left your brain dull. Ha ha ha!"

The two seemed to know each other well, and as they exchanged words, they began moving to one side of the field, ready to fight.

This confrontation was inevitable.

(End of Chapter)