Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

"Well done, Skorupi. Stop for now and recover a bit! Slowking, use your psychic power to push Zangoose away."

Cain observed Skorupi's battle closely, though he had no intention of stopping it from the start.

Skorupi, from its birth until now, had had things too easy, never facing a truly strong opponent. It was always protected by Cain and only battled enemies it could easily defeat.

This time, the pressure exerted by Zangoose—superior in strength and mastery of its moves—should motivate Skorupi to push itself harder in the future.

Despite its four legs being buried in the ground, Skorupi's claws continued to hold tightly onto Zangoose's, trembling but refusing to let go.

Cain was satisfied with its determination and tenacity.

Slowking, hearing Cain's command, used its psychic power to push Zangoose away and then used telekinesis to help Skorupi out of the ground.

When Skorupi finally managed to free its legs, its body was a bit stiff.

The prolonged tension had left its joints slightly rigid, but after taking a few steps, it began to recover gradually.

"Slowking, use Heal Pulse on Skorupi." Cain handed some Pokéblocks to Skorupi and instructed Slowking to use Heal Pulse.

After evolving, Slowking had learned Heal Pulse, a move capable of restoring Pokémon's energy. Although it wasn't a specialized healer, the effect of this move was quite good.

Cain also gave Skorupi a bottle of Moomoo Milk. In no time, Skorupi would be fully recovered.

Now, Slowking faced Zangoose, while Honchkrow and Sneasel battled Breloom.

Since Cain's continuous offensive had failed to take down Breloom in one blow, Slowking didn't need to assist Honchkrow and Sneasel.

With their combat levels combined with the type advantage, facing a single Breloom shouldn't be an issue.

Keiji observed his two Pokémon. While they hadn't been defeated immediately, it was clear they wouldn't hold out much longer.

Zangoose was poisoned; while this poison boosted its move power, it was useless if it couldn't reach Slowking.

Additionally, the poison was continuously draining Zangoose's energy. With a bit more time, Zangoose would lose the ability to fight.

The other situation wasn't much better.

Although Breloom's Poison Heal ability could continuously restore its energy, it wasn't enough for instant recovery. And the combined attacks from Honchkrow and Sneasel clearly outpaced its recovery speed.

"Sneasel, use Icy Wind, then close in with Ice Claw. Honchkrow, charge another Sky Attack and finish it!"

"Slowking, use Psychic on Zangoose."

Cain gave his commands to his Pokémon.

If anyone among Cain's Pokémon could defeat Zangoose after its poison-induced power boost, it was Slowking.

Second to that would be Honchkrow, but Slowking was currently Cain's strongest Pokémon, and Zangoose's speed couldn't match Slowking's instantaneous moves.

However, Honchkrow also had great power against Breloom. With enough time, it could defeat Breloom one-on-one. That was a type advantage, but with Sneasel's help, the battle became even easier.

Sneasel used Icy Wind against Breloom.

The move was effective, freezing some parts of Breloom and reducing its speed.

The ice concentrated on its joints, preventing Breloom—a Pokémon that relies on its Fighting-type movements—from unleashing its full attack power.

Sneasel quickly closed in with Ice Claw. Having gained previous combat experience, Sneasel's Ice Claw now carried a stronger Ice-type energy. If it struck Breloom again, the wound would be much harder to heal.

Keiji watched his two Pokémon at a disadvantage but had no better options since he was outnumbered.

Understanding the situation, he pulled two more Poké Balls from his belt. He had initially thought his two main Pokémon would suffice, but Cain proved to be more challenging than anticipated.

Throwing the two Poké Balls, two Mightyena appeared.

Both Mightyena were around level 30 and of green-tier quality.

Clearly, Keiji had trained these two Mightyena together from the start, enhancing their teamwork in combat.

"Mightyena, attack that human!" Keiji ordered coldly.

"Skorupi, have you recovered enough? Your real enemies have arrived, and this time there are two!" Cain, unfazed, looked at Skorupi, who was recovering steadily, and asked.

"Chaaa!"

Skorupi let out a fierce cry, assuring Cain it was ready.

Earlier, against Zangoose, it had been completely outmatched, but against these two Mightyena, it intended to regain its confidence.

Both Mightyena were quite large, reaching about a meter in height, but they didn't seem as imposing next to the 1.2-meter-tall Skorupi.

"Skorupi, use Bug Bite and Poison Tail!" Cain commanded as he observed the Mightyena closing in fast.

Without hesitation, Skorupi charged into the attack.

Its massive pincers lunged at the two Mightyena, confronting them with its considerable strength.

Bang! Bang!

Two heavy blows resounded as Skorupi was rammed, brought to a halt, and pushed backward.

Its four legs left deep grooves in the ground.

But Skorupi didn't give up, showing a fierce expression as its tail, like a lightning bolt, shot toward one of the Mightyena.

"Mightyena, finish it! Fire Fang!" Keiji, seeing his Mightyena halted by Skorupi, quickly commanded.

The Fire Fang move would be highly effective against Skorupi due to its weakness to Fire-type moves.

However, Skorupi's Poison Tail struck one of the Mightyena, poisoning it and reducing its reaction speed.

Then, with a spark in its eyes, Skorupi released the poisoned Mightyena and bit down on its back with sharp teeth.

Bug Bite!

Though Mightyena resembled a wolf, with a hard head and a more vulnerable torso, Bug-type damage was doubly effective. Aiming at a weak spot, Skorupi's Sniper ability activated.

"Awwooo!"

(End of chapter)