Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom-Chapter 639 - 638: Cain Knocked Down

Cain and Steven were having lunch together in the latter's office, enjoying a "working meal" provided by the Devon Corporation.

Once again, Cain witnessed the extravagance of the wealthy.

It was simply excessive.

On a large dining table lay a multitude of dishes, and Steven barely tasted a bit of each.

Since his Pokémon weren't nearby, most of the food was likely wasted every day.

This made Cain's earlier comparison of spilling a glass of soy milk seem trivial.

This was more like wasting an entire truckload of milk!

The power of money is terrifying!

True to his principle of not wasting food, when Steven finished eating, Cain called Slowking, Drapion, and Gengar to help finish off the leftovers.

For Drapion, with its enormous appetite, even all that food wasn't nearly enough.

After the meal, using Cain as an excuse, Steven skipped out on work entirely.

He said he would take Cain to Rustboro City to meet the Gym Leader and formally introduce them.

No matter what the secretary said, Steven rushed Cain out with him.

Rustboro City Gym wasn't far from the Devon Corporation, so Steven drove there quickly.

That day, the gym was closed. Without Steven's introduction, Cain probably wouldn't have been able to get inside.

Every city gym has fixed days for being open or closed. After all, even Gym Leaders have their own affairs and can't sit around all day waiting for challengers.

So gyms typically have specific open days, announced on signs at the entrance. Challengers can choose to challenge another gym, wait, or train a bit before returning on an open day.

This system also helps gyms sell tickets for battles.

After all, you can't sell tickets just for someone to watch one fight, right? That would be a bit unfair.

Although the Leafy Town Gym, where Cain was the leader, never sold tickets and offered free access, Cain hadn't ruled out changing the rules in the future. Gym battles were usually held only on challenge days.

Without Steven, Cain wouldn't have been able to enter that day.

And then... both of them met Rustboro City's Gym Leader, Roxanne.

She wore a short skirt that resembled a school uniform, had two large pigtails, and exuded youthful energy.

She appeared younger than Steven, likely the same age as Cain.

No wonder she was an outstanding student at the Pokémon School; at just 16 or 17, she was already a Gym Leader.

Moreover, she was the sole Gym Leader in Rustboro City, one of the largest cities, which spoke volumes about her skill.

Roxanne was training her Pokémon when she noticed Steven entering with Cain, and her face immediately lit up with surprise and joy.

After recalling her Pokémon, she ran toward Steven with open arms, shouting, "Steven, cousin, it's been so long!"

Steven, with an awkward smile, sidestepped the hug.

But as Steven moved aside, Cain, unprepared, found himself in Roxanne's path.

The result was...

Thud!

Roxanne collided heavily with Cain, knocking him to the ground.

Both fell to the floor.

Cain's head was buzzing. He had only wanted to enjoy the spectacle of Steven, but he ended up being the one who suffered.

Unprepared, he was knocked down directly by Roxanne.

"Ow!" Roxanne, rubbing her head, slowly sat up... on top of Cain.

"Um... could you get up first?" Cain said awkwardly, his legs trapped under her.

It wasn't so much the awkwardness of physical contact with a girl but rather the difficulty of standing up.

In his previous life, Cain had plenty of interactions with women. Sometimes, to complete a mission, he had done whatever was necessary.

So, he didn't feel shy around a young girl.

"Ahhh!" When Roxanne realized she had knocked down someone who wasn't Steven but a stranger, her face turned as red as a tomato.

She quickly stood up and bowed at a ninety-degree angle in apology.

"I'm so sorry! It wasn't intentional," Roxanne stammered.

Cain got up and brushed the dust off his clothes, waving his hand dismissively. "It's fine, it's fine, my fault for not standing firm."

It was true—Cain, with his physical condition, could easily handle the weight of a young girl, but standing behind Steven, he simply hadn't been ready.

To the side, Steven laughed heartily. Though he was usually quite gentlemanly, this time, he couldn't hold back his laughter.

"Hahaha! Well, let's call it a unique way to meet."

"Cain, let me formally introduce you to Roxanne, the current Rustboro City Gym Leader. She's my cousin; her father was the previous Gym Leader and a rock-type specialist, and my family has strong ties with hers," Steven explained, still chuckling.

Suddenly, everything became clear to Cain.

Now he understood why Roxanne called Steven "cousin" and how she had become a Gym Leader at such a young age. It all came down to family connections.

Though Roxanne was an exceptional student, that alone wasn't enough to make her the Rustboro City Gym Leader.

However, if her father had been the previous Gym Leader, it made perfect sense.

Plus, the Stone family's strong ties with Roxanne's family explained how they secured a gym in such a major city.

It all came down to family influence.

Curse these powerful families, always connected.

So enviable.

In truth, Cain had also gained his position as the Leafy Town Gym Leader thanks to his master's influence.

So, in a way, Cain had relied on connections too.

But compared to Roxanne, Cain had depended more on his own efforts.

"And now, Roxanne, this is my good friend Cain. Perhaps you've heard his name. In the Hoenn region, we're known as the Twin Stars. In the recent battle video against Cynthia that went viral online, his opponent was him."

"He's also the Gym Leader of Leafy Town—truly an extraordinary person!" Steven introduced Cain.

"Oh, I've heard of him!"

Roxanne began counting on her fingers.

"Leafy Town Gym Leader, one of Hoenn's Twin Stars, the youngest intermediate breeder in history..." Roxanne listed Cain's achievements, leaving him a bit embarrassed.

Should he act modest now?

Maybe humble?

Cain pondered what to say.

(End of Chapter)