Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom-Chapter 645 - 644: The Reappearance of Team Aqua

As Cain approached Meteor Falls, the number of people increased, and he blended into the crowd, ensuring no one paid him any attention.

He walked straight past the waterfall entrance and ventured into the complex tunnels inside.

At first, there were many people, with widely varying skill levels. Cain didn't buy a map, as his system already had part of the area's information recorded.

He headed directly toward the location he remembered. Aside from Floette, who stayed quietly in his shirt pocket, Cain did not bring any other Pokémon with him.

Nevertheless, Gengar remained in his shadow, so there was no need for concern.

As he delved deeper, the number of people gradually dwindled.

Because the crater was created by a meteorite, there were numerous Rock-type Pokémon species in the area. With the nearby waterfall, Water-type Pokémon were also abundant.

The tunnels were teeming with wild Pokémon. Bit by bit, Cain found himself alone, a sign that he had reached a depth where most people dared not go due to the strength of the wild Pokémon.

Cain decided to release Slowking, leaving psychic marks along the way to avoid getting lost.

From this point onward, the maps no longer provided information, so Cain had to explore the path himself.

Although he vaguely remembered the route from his previous life, he couldn't be certain the Pokémon he was searching for would be in the same place. Careful exploration was his only option.

Fortunately, the area was almost deserted, increasing his chances of finding what he was looking for.

However, as he rounded a corner, Cain saw two figures. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Two people in distinctive uniforms.

Cain immediately recognized the uniforms, particularly the symbol on them.

Team Aqua!

In the past, while traveling from Kanto to Hoenn aboard the S.S. Anne, Cain had been attacked by Team Aqua and was nearly captured. Fortunately, with the help of Old Matsuda and other strong trainers, he managed to escape.

He hadn't expected to encounter members of Team Aqua here.

Previously, alongside Steven, Cain had faced Team Magma members at Mt. Chimney, indicating that both Team Magma and Team Aqua were becoming increasingly active.

This meant it wouldn't be long before both teams fully revealed their clandestine operations.

Cain wondered what Team Aqua was doing at Meteor Falls. Was there something here they needed?

He intended to follow them to uncover their purpose and, if possible, sabotage their plans.

After all, Cain had a score to settle with Team Aqua.

Additionally, Team Aqua and Team Magma were the two largest underground criminal organizations in the Hoenn region.

Although they had not yet fully emerged, once they did, their influence would impact other criminal groups, including the Heaven Team from Leafy Town, of which Cain was the leader.

Delaying the rise of these two organizations would be advantageous for Cain.

Maintaining his distance and utilizing Slowking's psychic abilities, Cain tracked the two Team Aqua members without being detected.

He observed their battles with wild Pokémon, noting that both were strong trainers. Cain knew getting too close would be dangerous and offer no advantage.

Moreover, the two members spoke very little to each other, so Cain couldn't glean any clear information about their objective.

After observing them for a while, Cain decided to retreat. There was no sense in risking an unnecessary fight; his primary mission was to capture the Pokémon he had come for.

As Cain withdrew, the woman from Team Aqua suddenly stopped, frowning slightly.

"What's wrong, Rina?" asked the man, noticing her behavior.

Rina didn't respond immediately. She closed her eyes and tried to sense something but, finding nothing, finally said, "It's nothing. I just felt as if someone was watching us, which made me uneasy."

"Oh? Your intuition is usually spot on. Should we go back and check?" the man, Pash, suggested.

"No, it's not necessary. I sensed again and felt nothing. It was probably just a fleeting feeling, a mistake," Rina replied.

Pash, who had been tense, relaxed and sighed in relief. "Phew, that's a relief. This mission was assigned to us directly by Executive Shelly. We can't fail; otherwise, we'll be relegated to grunt work."

Their mission was evidently important.

"Don't worry. Executive Shelly trusts us. If we complete this mission, we'll surely be promoted," Rina reassured him.

"Yeah, that's why they sent you. Your sixth sense is special, and your ability to detect danger is excellent. I'm just the muscle," Pash said, scratching his head with a goofy laugh.

But it was clear that someone who had risen to his rank in Team Aqua wasn't just brute strength.

"Let's keep going. We'll finish exploring this area and then move on to others," Rina instructed.

"Understood!" Pash replied.

The two moved forward, avoiding unnecessary battles with wild Pokémon. Their primary objective was to conduct a detailed survey of the area and gather information on the Pokémon distribution.

...

Elsewhere, Cain, in addition to Slowking, had called out another Pokémon.

Weavile!

Weavile, who hadn't been summoned for a fight in a while, was now at level 43, making it one of the lowest-level Pokémon in Cain's main team, aside from Floette.

Despite this, Weavile had great potential, and its role in the team was crucial. With the area practically deserted, Weavile and Slowking would be Cain's main combat forces this time.

Moreover, since the crater was caused by a meteorite, the area was home to species like Solrock and Lunatone.

These Pokémon were very common in Meteor Falls, and most trainers who used them had captured them here.

However, they weren't found in the outer areas but rather in deeper zones.

Solrock and Lunatone, both Rock and Psychic types, were vulnerable to Weavile, a Dark type that could nullify their Psychic moves. Slowking, being a Water and Psychic type, could also deal significant damage to them.

Additionally, Solrock could use some Fire-type moves, making Slowking, with its resistance to such moves, a valuable asset in these encounters.

(End of Chapter)