Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom-Chapter 656 - 655: Torchic’s Transformation

Right now, the location is on the edge of Route 114, north of Meteor Falls.

After passing through Route 114, they would arrive at Leafy Town.

The area they are in doesn't have high-level Pokémon, making it a suitable place for the secondary team to participate in battles.

However, it's still nighttime, and Honchkrow and the others have been battling for three consecutive days.

Even though Floette has been constantly helping them recover energy, prolonged battles demand significant mental focus, which isn't easy for Pokémon.

That's why tonight there will be no training; it's time for a good rest.

They'll recover their energy, and tomorrow will be the turn of the smaller ones to fight.

...

At dawn the following day.

First thing in the morning, Cain prepared breakfast for his Pokémon and supervised Bagon as it performed recovery exercises.

Bagon's wounds had already been completely healed by Cain, leaving only a few old scars that hadn't fully disappeared yet.

With time, it's likely Bagon will make a full recovery.

For Bagon to regain its full physical capacity, good nutrition alone isn't enough; it needs to exercise to improve digestion and nutrient absorption.

Combining this with Cain's unique massage techniques and internal treatments, Bagon should overcome its malnourished state within a few days.

However, since Bagon had been weak for quite some time, it will require a longer period to recover 100% of its abilities.

Cain hopes Bagon can restore its potential before entering its growth phase. Otherwise, once it reaches that phase, improving its abilities will become much harder.

After all, during their juvenile stage, Pokémon's bodies still have a high capacity for self-regulation and transformation.

One example is Torchic, whose quality fluctuated between blue and dark blue during its juvenile stage.

...

After finishing everything, Cain stored most of his Pokémon, leaving only Torchic and Aron out.

Torchic had reached Level 15 a few days ago and could evolve at any moment in the coming days.

On the other hand, Aron, who levels up more slowly but has a type advantage in this area, was chosen by Cain to face the stronger Pokémon.

Torchic had been very excited lately, as Cain had allowed it to participate in numerous battles.

Since crying during its first battle, Torchic hadn't shed a single tear due to pain. Now, even mild hits were ignored.

It had also started enjoying fighting.

Thanks to its Speed Boost ability, the longer Torchic fights, the faster it becomes, giving Cain more tactical options during battles.

Although the tactic isn't very complex, with Speed Boost and Agility securing the advantage, Torchic simply "harasses" the enemy, attacking from a distance without being caught.

This will be an essential tool for Blaziken in the future. Training Torchic now and perfecting this strategy will bring significant benefits later.

For instance, Torchic encountered a Level 16 Beautifly in the bushes. After reaching its maximum speed, it ran circles around Beautifly nonstop, launching small flames that gradually exhausted Beautifly's stamina until it was knocked out.

Although Torchic had already mastered the move Flame Burst, using high-power fire moves in a forest can be risky and hard to control.

Of course, when facing a truly powerful enemy, those precautions could be disregarded.

Cain, monitoring Torchic's progress in real-time through his system, observed how it was gradually improving its physical strength.

Though still at Level 15, Torchic's body continued to grow stronger. This indicated that Torchic was on the verge of evolution.

It only needed a bit more buildup, or perhaps a sudden trigger, for the evolution to happen.

Cain began closely monitoring Torchic's condition.

Torchic, already excited, ran around with small flames erupting from its beak. The Fire-type energy within it was accumulating, almost impossible to contain.

Suddenly, Cain frowned and shouted, "Torchic, watch out!"

"Chiiic?" Torchic stopped and looked back, a confused expression on its face.

It didn't understand why its trainer was warning it, as it didn't sense any threat.

At that moment, between the leaves of the trees, a light-green flash appeared in the air, heading straight for Torchic, who had been running aimlessly.

Torchic, sensing the imminent danger, barely managed to dodge the attack, thanks to the speed it had previously accumulated.

A Scyther appeared before it, its sharp eyes fixed on Torchic. Its scythes were embedded in the ground right where Torchic had been moments earlier, less than ten centimeters away.

Torchic was stunned. If not for Cain's warning, it might have been struck down.

Cain hadn't sensed Scyther's presence earlier either. It was only after noticing the absence of Pokémon in the forest that he suspected they were in a territory controlled by a Pokémon.

The system quickly scanned Scyther.

Though its level and abilities weren't outstanding, in this low-level forest, Scyther was like a king.

This Scyther was likely the only one in the area, explaining why it attacked Torchic so fiercely for causing a commotion in its territory.

At Level 19 with light-green quality, Torchic, though only Level 15, had a chance due to its type advantage and speed.

"Torchic, counter with Flame Burst!" Cain commanded.

Torchic, still enraged by the surprise attack, couldn't contain the flames within it.

With a fiery explosion, it launched a powerful flame directly at Scyther's face, burning several parts of its body.

Scyther, furious from the pain, slashed at Torchic with its scythes.

"Torchic, use Agility and follow up with Flame Burst!" Cain continued.

Torchic obeyed, darting rapidly across the ground and dodging Scyther's attack, all while spitting small flames from its beak, burning its opponent more and more.

The air soon filled with the smell of burnt wood.

Scyther, disoriented and covered in burns, finally collapsed. Torchic, victorious, climbed on top of Scyther with a defiant attitude.

The excess Fire energy in its body had pushed it into a brief frenzy.

Standing atop Scyther, its body began emitting more and more flames...

(End of Chapter)