Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

Take advantage of these special holiday discounts to enjoy even more content this December! 🎁

Visit: patreon.com/posts/special-holiday-117018217

Don't miss out on the opportunity to support and enjoy exclusive rewards! 🌟

---

Since then, there hadn't been any higher scores than Cain's, but thanks to Cain's trick, many managed to improve their skills, resulting in an overall increase in scores.

Throughout the whole process, the only one who showed disdain was Xander. He didn't use any tricks; his score was legitimate, and so he considered everyone there to be trash.

Even Cain, who had only surpassed his score by one point, was nothing more than a lucky person who knew a few tricks.

The final results were as follows:

First place, number 99, attack value: 98.

Second place, number 234, attack value: 97.

Third place, number 67, attack value: 95.

Fourth place, number 156, attack value: 93.

Fifth place, number 279, attack value: 90.

...

According to Viper, the top ten would each receive one hundred points, regardless of whether they came first or second.

Once the rankings were announced, everyone received a belt with the Team Rocket "R" emblem. Inside, there was an ID card with each person's number, where their points would be stored.

The belt also had a very useful function: one cubic meter of storage space.

Ignoring those who tried to stop him, Cain headed straight to the exchange center with his Murkrow. Having been a member of Team Rocket once before, he knew how valuable the items that could be exchanged for points were.

There were many things he needed, but they could only be obtained with points. However, since he didn't have many points, the things he needed most weren't that expensive.

Cain had already planned out what he wanted to exchange.

Looking at the points list in front of him, even though he knew the prices, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

A young Dratini, one million points.

A young Larvitar, one million points.

It was possible to exchange for even the rarest Pokémon, but those prices were unreachable for Cain.

With only one hundred points, Cain passed over the most desirable and unattainable items and moved on to what he could actually exchange for. He began browsing the list from the back to the front until he reached the section for tools and items.

Ignoring the incredulous look of the shopkeeper, he exchanged for one of each available berry. These berries were very common, and most people wouldn't bother with them, but to Cain, they were incredibly valuable.

They not only saved him a lot of time searching but could also be used to make Pokéblocks, which would improve his Murkrow's growth.

He filled the entire cubic meter of space in his Team Rocket belt with all the available berries, which cost him only 80 points. He then spent 5 more points on some everyday items and outdoor supplies.

After swiping his card to redeem his points, just as Cain was about to leave, he saw a familiar figure entering the exchange center: Xander and his Ekans.

As he walked past, Cain silently activated the scan system.

Pokémon: Ekans (Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 14

Type: Poison

Ability: Intimidate

Held Item: None

Egg Moves: Pursuit, Poison Fang, Scary Face

Basic Moves: Wrap, Leer, Poison Sting, Bite, Glare

Learned Moves: Thief

TM Moves: None

Cain was surprised to see that Xander's Ekans had a green rating. No wonder Xander had secured first place in his past life.

During this classification test, Cain had also scanned quickly and noticed that there were no more than five Pokémon with green talent, and none with a higher talent.

Although he hadn't been able to scan everyone due to the distance, no other green-rated Pokémon were as strong as that Ekans.

It's known that Ekans is a difficult Pokémon to tame due to its wild nature. Moreover, this green-talent Ekans with the Intimidate ability could only be tamed by someone extraordinary.

So, it wasn't surprising that Xander had achieved first place in his past life.

"Hey, you're the second place, right?" Xander suddenly stopped and said.

Cain kept walking without turning around.

Seeing that Cain ignored him, Xander's face darkened. He gave the order to attack: "Ekans, go! Poison Sting!"

At that moment, Xander was still lacking in cunning. Despite his youth and inexperience on the Test Island, he was naturally proud.

Upon hearing the order, Ekans opened its bloody mouth and launched several poisonous needles toward Cain's back.

Though Cain didn't turn around, he had been paying attention to Xander's movements.

"Idiot! Murkrow, reinforce Tailwind and deflect the poison needles." As Ekans initiated the attack, Cain was already prepared and gave the order in time.

Murkrow, having mastered the Tailwind move, instantly increased the wind's force, almost reaching the power of Whirlwind.

With a strong flap of its wings, Murkrow formed two small whirlwinds with Flying-type energy, deflecting the poison needles.

Cain turned around and looked at Xander. His eyes gleamed with a dangerous glint, waiting for his opponent's next move. At that moment, Cain wasn't entirely sure he could win.

To his surprise, Xander smiled and said, "Not bad, you're better than I thought."

After saying that, he ignored Cain and headed toward the exchange counter.

Cain frowned as he watched Xander's back, suppressing his desire to attack. After a moment, he signaled his Murkrow to lower its guard.

Then, accompanied by his Murkrow, Cain left the exchange center and headed straight into the forest without looking back.

In the center of the base, in the large office of Team Rocket's chief instructor, Viper was sitting at his desk. In front of him stood a figure draped in a black cloak. Two cups of tea sat between them, with hot steam rising slowly, dissipating into the air.

After a moment of silence, Viper was the first to speak: "What brings you here again? What do you need?" His tone was a mix of mockery and curiosity.

Beneath the black cloak, a pair of eyes hardened by time peeked out. The figure adjusted slightly before speaking in a hoarse voice: "The mission failed. I need some people to reinforce my team." From the voice, it was impossible to determine the person's age.

Viper smiled, taking a sip of tea before replying slowly: "The mission failed?" The mockery in his voice and eyes was unmistakable.

"Who would've thought, the famous you, failing a mission. Have you now reached the point of asking me for people? Isn't there anyone in Team Rocket you find good enough?"

Ignoring Viper's sarcastic tone, the hoarse voice from the cloak spoke again: "I fell into an Alliance trap. Two Elite-level trainers showed up; I was almost caught." His tone was as calm as if he were discussing anything.

"Oh?" Viper's expression turned serious as he straightened in his seat. "Were they acting openly? Or was it covert? How did you escape?" Viper fired off a series of questions.

Elite-level trainers were powerful in Viper's eyes, and the fact that the Alliance had sent two of them at the same time meant something bigger was at play. It could be a move against Team Rocket in general, or perhaps just a targeted attack.

In the dark room, the candlelight flickered, casting shadows that danced along with the flames.

After a brief silence, the cloaked figure raised a hand. From beneath the black cloak, a shriveled, withered left hand emerged.

When Viper saw the dried-up, wrinkled hand, his eyes narrowed. The two were clearly acquainted, and Viper was well aware of the man's condition under the cloak.

Though he wasn't young, that withered hand didn't match his age, and the most striking feature was that three fingers were missing, leaving only the thumb and index finger.

"A poison-type Elite trainer?" Though Viper phrased it as a question, his tone was certain.

Only a poison-type move could cause such damage, and the only one who could gravely injure someone of Elite level was another at the same level.

The head under the cloak gave an imperceptible nod. The raspy voice, which had been calm until now, turned slightly colder. "A poison-type Elite trainer, along with a psychic-type Elite trainer. Neither of them is a public figure of the Alliance."

"If I hadn't reacted quickly and cut off three fingers, I would've lost my whole hand." The man under the cloak took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing.

"Thanks to three of my Pokémon distracting them, I was able to escape. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here now, although the mission has failed."

(End of chapter)