Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom-Chapter 643 - 642: Steven’s Clear Goal

Cain easily defeated Roxanne. Although no one knew it at the time, it was likely that the video would soon appear online.

This was because the gym's surveillance system hadn't been turned off.

Even if Cain didn't want the video to be shared, Roxanne would almost certainly upload it to the internet.

For Roxanne, this battle with Cain was an opportunity for self-promotion.

She had just become the Gym Leader of Rustboro City, and due to her age, she wasn't taken very seriously.

Although the battle with Cain had been entirely one-sided, with Cain sweeping through the fight, the fact that Cain challenged her gave her a certain level of prestige.

And losing? Wasn't that normal?

Among the new generation of trainers in Hoenn, Cain and Steven were the twin stars, representing the highest potential of youth. Losing to them wasn't shameful; in fact, losing gracefully could even be a point of pride.

It's like when Cynthia challenges someone—no matter who receives the challenge, they always accept it gladly.

Because losing to Cynthia is normal, but if someone is lucky enough to defeat her, it showcases exceptional skill, earning them recognition from many online.

The battle between Cain and Cynthia was a perfect example. Although Cain lost, the fight was thrilling and very close, earning him a lot of followers and admirers.

Similarly, the fight between Cain and Roxanne followed this logic.

Thanks to the prestige of being challenged by Cain, Rustboro Gym would gain more popularity, and Roxanne would also gain greater recognition.

As long as she demonstrated enough strength in future battles, she would solidify her position as a gym leader without being underestimated.

With a mix of reluctance and admiration, Roxanne watched as Steven and Cain left the gym.

Although Roxanne called Steven "cousin," they didn't have much blood relation, and it was evident that Roxanne was interested in him.

After all, who wouldn't be attracted to someone so handsome, wealthy, strong, and charismatic?

Almost rushing out of the gym, Cain joked, "Steven, I didn't know you had a cousin like that. Not bad."

Steven, waving his hands dismissively, replied, "To me, she's just a little sister. As you probably noticed, she's just someone who admires strength."

"As for me, I don't have time for such things right now. Both my Pokémon and the company demand all my attention—I don't have the energy for anything else."

Cain patted Steven on the shoulder. "Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Try delegating some responsibilities in the company. If you try to do everything yourself, you'll never have much time."

He added thoughtfully, "What matters most in this world is strength."

Hearing this, Steven fell silent for a moment.

Then he smiled.

Indeed, what Cain said was true: the most valued thing in this world was strength.

Even though the Stone family held great influence and Devon Corporation was one of the most important companies in the Pokémon world, it all stood because the Stone family had enough strength to protect those resources.

If the Stone family declined, it would be impossible to maintain control over the company.

Similarly, if someone possessed enough strength, no one would dare touch Devon Corporation, because having a powerful defender would make everyone think twice before acting out of fear of the consequences.

"It seems I need to become one of the strongest in the world before worrying about the company."

"Cain, thank you. Now I'll take care of a few things and then take my Pokémon to train. I can't let you surpass me," Steven said with gratitude.

Previously, Steven had struggled to decide between training his Pokémon or handling company matters, attempting to do both simultaneously.

But this approach prevented him from fully dedicating himself to either.

Now, after hearing Cain, he realized he needed to focus first on training his Pokémon and strengthening his own abilities.

Once he became one of the strongest, with just a small demonstration of his power, no one would dare act against him. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

So, what was the fastest and most effective way to prove his strength?

Becoming Champion!

From this moment, Steven was clear about his goal: the Champion title.

Even if it was only for a brief time, it would be enough.

Steven bid farewell to Cain and headed confidently toward Devon Corporation. He wanted to complete the pending documents on his desk and then talk to his father about his future.

Cain watched Steven walk away, feeling slightly annoyed.

"You could've taken me with you before leaving! We were going in the same direction!"

With no other option, Cain had to take a taxi north of Rustboro City, from where he planned to follow Route 115 to Meteor Falls.

What he sought lay within that waterfall.

The gym challenge had been just an excuse.

Once he reached the outskirts of the city, Cain summoned his Flygon and mounted it to head toward Meteor Falls.

However, upon reaching Route 115, Cain had Flygon drop him to the ground.

He had noticed that the Pokémon in that area weren't very strong, with levels ranging from 7 to a maximum of 20.

Clearly, someone had already cleared the area, making it a suitable spot for beginner trainers.

Cain took advantage of the opportunity to train his second-team Pokémon.

Two Pokémon at a time was the ideal number for combat.

This time, Cain released his newly trained Torchic and the eager Aron.

At that moment, Torchic was at level 14 and Aron at level 19, with a slight level difference. However, this didn't affect the training much.

The weaker Pokémon were left for Torchic, taking advantage of his natural Fire-type advantage in that environment. Additionally, his Speed Boost ability allowed him to move with increasing confidence in outdoor battles.

The stronger Pokémon were left for Aron, who, being a Steel/Rock type, was immune to the Poison-type moves of the wild Pokémon, giving him another natural advantage.

Both Pokémon had already completed the training regimen Cain had designed for them over the past month, and the results were very promising.

Now, when battling wild Pokémon, instead of feeling fear, they were enthusiastic.

Especially Torchic, whose motivation had been greatly boosted by Mudkip's evolution. His fiery nature made him enjoy battles more and more.

Torchic's evolution was crucial for Cain.

It would serve as proof of whether the dark blue potential, enhanced by the quality-increasing potion, could truly improve.

If it worked, the improvement limits for Aron and Larvitar would be much higher.

(End of Chapter)