Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom-Chapter 627 - 626: Steven’s Return

"Although I don't know why you've been battling so relentlessly, you should consider the condition of your Pokémon, as well as your own body," Cain said.

Cynthia was slightly surprised but nodded in agreement. She might neglect her own well-being, but she could never ignore her Pokémon.

"Thank you," Cynthia replied.

"Here's the plan: your Pokémon need at least a week of rest. During that time, you can't battle, so you might as well stay in Leafy Town. The Pokémon Center or the Gym can offer you free lodging," Cain suggested.

"Alright... Do you know Steven?" Cynthia asked.

"Steven? If you mean Steven Stone, of course, I know him well."

"Can you tell me where he is?"

Hearing this, Cain gave Cynthia a peculiar look. Could there be something between her and Steven? However, he had never heard of them having any special relationship.

While pondering this, a mischievous smile appeared on his face. He felt as if he had uncovered the world's greatest secret.

But he was clearly mistaken because Cynthia, noticing his expression, couldn't help but glare at him.

"In Hoenn, there's a rumor that you and Steven are the twin stars of the region. One of my main reasons for coming here was to challenge both of you."

"I tried to find him in Rustboro City, but he wasn't there. No one at his company knew where he was, so I came to Leafy Town to challenge you first," Cynthia explained, speaking more than usual.

She continued, "Your strength is greater than I imagined. No wonder you're called one of the twin stars of Hoenn. Additionally, I've heard you're even better as a breeder. Initially, I didn't believe it, but after seeing how you treated my Garchomp, I'm now convinced."

"Cain! You're really strong. I'd love to have a full six-on-six battle with you," Cynthia said enthusiastically.

Cain was starting to sweat. "Miss, you've already seen my strongest Pokémon..." he thought. "If we had a full battle, you'd probably be disappointed. Better save that energy for Steven."

Meanwhile, Steven, who was training somewhere, suddenly sneezed.

With an awkward smile, Cain replied, "Uh, well... leave the full battle to Steven. He's far stronger than I am."

Hearing that Steven was stronger than Cain, Cynthia's interest grew even more.

"I'll send him a message to return as soon as possible. When he arrives, he'll come straight here. In the meantime, you can stay in Leafy Town. I can help check on your Pokémon's condition," Cain offered.

With this, he successfully redirected Cynthia's attention away from the idea of a full battle.

After interacting with Cynthia's Garchomp, Cain had already used his system to gather all the data on the Pokémon, doing so with incredible detail. Now he could confidently say that no one knew that Garchomp better than he did.

If Cynthia trusted him with her other Pokémon, Cain could also gather data on them. While it might not have immediate use, it could prove valuable in the future.

This aligned with Cynthia's own wishes. She wanted Cain to check on her other Pokémon, but she didn't know him well enough to ask directly. Now that Cain had offered, Cynthia agreed without hesitation.

She chose to trust him, whether it was because of how he treated her Garchomp or his reputation as the Gym Leader of Leafy Town and one of Hoenn's twin stars. Everything suggested that Cain was trustworthy.

She placed five Poké Balls on the table and handed them to Cain.

These five Pokémon, along with the Garchomp he already knew, represented Cynthia's entire battle team.

Cain calmly accepted them and summoned all the Pokémon.

Spiritomb, Gastrodon, Roserade, Milotic, and Lucario appeared alongside Garchomp. This was Cynthia's complete team.

Seeing these six Pokémon, Cain couldn't help but feel envious.

Amazing!

Simply incredible!

He was certain that a full battle between Steven and Cynthia would be absolutely thrilling.

After giving some instructions to her Pokémon, Cynthia said goodbye and left. She planned to stay at the Pokémon Center in Leafy Town, visiting her Pokémon daily while waiting for Steven to arrive.

Meanwhile, Cain would help Cynthia's Pokémon recover and take the opportunity to gather more data on them.

He could study their training methods, which were quite refined, and apply them in the future to raise similar Pokémon or find useful strategies for his own team.

However, there was an unexpected surprise: Cynthia's Lucario.

From the moment it saw Cain, Lucario took an immediate liking to him, drawn by something in Cain.

Even Cynthia felt a little jealous seeing how much her Lucario liked Cain. After all, she had worked hard to capture it, and now it seemed enamored with Cain from the very first meeting.

If she didn't know that Cain didn't possess aura powers, Cynthia might have thought he was an Aura Guardian.

Cain, of course, knew the reason. The aura gift he had received from the Lucario of Mythical Island was working.

Judging by Cynthia's Lucario's behavior, it seemed that Cain would have an excellent relationship with any Pokémon that mastered aura powers in the future.

During these days, besides helping Cynthia's Pokémon recover, Cain didn't neglect the training of his own team.

It was rare to have such an extended break, so Cain designed a systematic training program for his Pokémon.

In Mythical Island, they had gained levels and power, but to fully utilize that power, they needed time to train and adapt. It was time to lay a solid foundation and strengthen the core of their growth.

Meanwhile, Cynthia admired Cain's skills more and more. Although the Pokémon weren't gaining power, their physical appearance and attitude were visibly improving. There was no doubt that Cain was a genius at raising Pokémon.

Cynthia felt fortunate to have met him. Otherwise, her reckless approach to battles might have caused irreparable damage to her Pokémon.

And in the midst of this recovery, Cain received two pieces of good news: his system, which had been inactive, was finally back online... and Steven had returned!

(End of Chapter)