Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

All morning, Murkrow focused on strengthening his wings, learning wind techniques, and gaining a better understanding of flight maneuvers. He only took short breaks when his wings couldn't flap anymore.

He diligently followed the training plan set by Cain.

Meanwhile, Cain spent the entire morning making Pokéblocks. This time, the Pokéblocks were noticeably more complicated to make than the yellow berry ones he had made before.

Due to the simple tools, he was only able to produce a little over a hundred Pokéblocks throughout the morning.

Cain let out a long sigh as he looked at the piles of Pokéblocks in the containers. Then he stood up from the ground and stretched his legs, which had gone numb from sitting for so long.

"Alright, Murkrow, that's enough. Take a break. It's time to prepare today's lunch," Cain said.

"Caw! Caw! Caw!" After flapping his wings a few more times, Murkrow created small whirlwinds that blew the last bits of Zubat droppings out of the cave before stopping and flying to Cain's shoulder.

Feeling the weight on his shoulder and with his legs still numb, Cain almost lost his balance and stumbled a bit.

Cain patted Murkrow's now-soft feathers and, smiling, said, "Don't worry. But it seems your size has recovered, and soon I might not be able to carry you anymore." He said it half-jokingly.

In the world of Pokémon, humans have much stronger bodies than those of humans in Cain's first life on Earth. Though his body was still a bit slim, carrying Murkrow wasn't an issue for him.

In this world, there are some humans who, although not as strong as Pokémon, have quite robust bodies, comparable to some common Pokémon.

There are even people who specifically train for combat, becoming as strong as certain Fighting-type Pokémon.

In Cain's mind, the clearest example is the future Kanto Elite Four member, the Fighting-type expert, Bruno. He has trained his body to the limit, being able to fight a Machamp on equal terms.

There are also humans with special abilities, such as Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron City in Kanto, whose psychic powers are so strong that they surpass most Psychic-type Pokémon.

Sabrina is also one of the three highest-ranking officers in Team Rocket.

In his previous life, Cain saw Sabrina once. Her arrogance and haughtiness left a deep impression on him.

That's why, while Murkrow trained, Cain also took the opportunity to exercise his own body. He didn't expect to reach Bruno's level, but at least he didn't want to be a burden to his Pokémon.

By midday, during lunch, the advantage of living next to the lake became clear. The untouched lake was full of fat fish.

After several failed attempts, Murkrow finally learned how to fish, and with great joy, he caught enough fish for lunch.

At Team Rocket's base, Cain had obtained some seasonings, which allowed him to simply grill some fish. He and Murkrow enjoyed a pleasant lunch.

After resting for a while, Cain said, "Alright, the break is over. This afternoon, it's time for some battle training. Murkrow, are you ready?"

"Caw! Caw!" Murkrow enthusiastically spread his wings and nodded. Although the morning's training had made him feel stronger, what really excited him was the thought of battling.

"Wow, you're quite the fighter, huh?" Cain smiled and patted Murkrow's head.

In the forest, there's no shortage of wild Pokémon. By simply paying attention to the tracks in the forest, you could soon find one, and some ill-tempered Pokémon would even come out to provoke you themselves.

Thanks to the system, Cain could scan his opponents' data at any time. If they encountered an opponent that was too strong, they would simply flee, and if they found a suitable Pokémon, Cain would let Murkrow battle.

As long as they didn't venture into the territory of a too-powerful Pokémon, there wasn't much danger for Cain and Murkrow.

Soon, the evening arrived, and a tired Cain and Murkrow returned to the cave. While Murkrow fought, Cain also trained his own body.

Recently, Cain's previously weakened body had received enough nutrition, and with conscious training, his once-skinny frame had begun to fill out a bit, with muscle definition starting to show.

Cain looked at the fully solidified Pokéblocks in the containers, took one out, and carefully examined it in his hand. The black-and-white Pokéblock had a jelly-like texture, with a smooth surface and no impurities.

Using a small knife, he cut a piece and brought it to his mouth.

A bitter and dry taste suddenly exploded in his mouth, and though Cain was prepared, he couldn't help but frown at the flavor hitting his taste buds.

The bitterness of the herbs and the dryness of the mixed berries was something only a very experienced breeder could completely break down, and that's without mentioning the complicated manufacturing process.

Although the taste wasn't pleasant, this is precisely what Pokémon like.

Even after tasting just a small amount of the Pokéblock, Cain felt a slight relief in his tired body and muscles. If that's what he felt, the effects would be even more pronounced for a Pokémon.

Cain fed Murkrow the Pokéblock in his hand, and under Murkrow's expectant gaze, he carefully stored the rest of the Pokéblocks in the storage space of his Team Rocket belt.

Seeing Murkrow's disappointed face from not being able to eat more Pokéblocks and only getting to taste the half he had before, Cain laughed and scolded him: "You greedy little thing, why are you in such a rush? They're all yours. But before that, you have to eat the yellow berry Pokéblocks for two more days."

Murkrow had been eating yellow berry Pokéblocks for five days, and the effects were wearing off, but there were still two days left. No matter how much he could improve, he had to wait until the effect completely faded before switching.

If Pokéblocks aren't designed to be combined, mixing them could significantly reduce the effects of both. So, Murkrow would have to wait two more days.

"Caw! Caw!" Murkrow quickly shook his head, then nodded, as if trying to hide his desire for the new Pokéblocks while agreeing with Cain at the same time.

Cain sat down and began massaging Murkrow's increasingly soft feathers, using techniques he had learned in his second life. After a day of training and battling, a proper night massage would help the Pokémon recover faster.

"Ah... Ah..." Murkrow let out a satisfied sound, as his stiff muscles relaxed, and he closed his eyes to enjoy the moment.

After massaging for about half an hour, Murkrow was completely relaxed, and his muscles had loosened.

Then, Cain started preparing dinner. Today's menu was a large pot of fish soup, with a creamy white broth and succulent fish meat. After finishing the meal, both of them settled against the rocks and fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from the day.

The forest was particularly noisy at night, but the Zubat cave was a place of tranquility. Since the Zubat had occupied the cave for a long time, the night was quite safe.

In the end, only the quiet breathing inside the cave could be heard.

(End of chapter)