Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

The next morning, everything seemed as if nothing had happened. Cain continued his journey to Celestic Town, accompanied by his Pokémon.

Except for one small detail: there were now three letters engraved on his right wrist.

Passing through Solaceon Town, Cain decided not to enter.

However, what he didn't know was that Solaceon Town was the place in Sinnoh closest to an alternate dimension. That was why he had found the Unown on the outskirts of that town.

Not entering Solaceon Town had no impact.

Cain also did not rush his pace. In addition, he wanted to experience the effects of the secret space created by the Unown's Secret Power in nature.

For that reason, when he arrived at Celestic Town, there were still seven days left before the start of the Sinnoh Tournament.

One week.

Along the way, the Pokémon he trained the most were Marshtomp and Poliwhirl.

Marshtomp reached level 32, just four levels away from evolving into Swampert, while Poliwhirl reached level 33, though it still had a bit more to go to meet Cain's expectations.

Since he was traveling along the official League road, the wild Pokémon he encountered were not very high-leveled, which made level progression somewhat slow.

However, training in move control and energy does not depend on the level of opponents.

That's why Cain didn't call on other Pokémon to battle. He focused on these two so they could build a solid foundation, which would allow them to save time in their future progress.

When Cain arrived at Celestic Town, he immediately felt the atmosphere of antiquity surrounding it.

Celestic Town does not have many inhabitants; in fact, it could be said that they are quite few.

Most of the people in Celestic Town have some degree of relation to Cynthia. Some are close relatives, like cousins or distant uncles, while others have more distant connections, but their ancestors were siblings.

Celestic Town is, essentially, a place where Cynthia's family gathers.

They are the descendants of those who have protected ancient secrets for generations.

Cynthia had received a message from Cain early in the morning, so when he arrived in town, he found her training her Pokémon on the outskirts.

At first, they weren't very close. Even after Cynthia specifically sought out Cain to challenge him, their relationship remained fairly superficial.

However, after Cain healed Cynthia's Pokémon, provided her with a training plan, and prepared custom Pokéblocks for her, their relationship became closer.

After seven days of working together, they had gotten to know each other better.

"Cynthia, long time no see," Cain said, accompanied by Poliwhirl and Marshtomp, as he approached with a smile.

Cynthia, with her usual black cloak and her cold expression, simply nodded slightly in response.

Someone who didn't know her might think she was too distant. However, Cain, after spending time with her, understood that this was just her nature. Even with the people closest to her, she maintained that demeanor.

The simple fact that she nodded was already a sign of familiarity.

The time Cynthia had devoted to training and battles had made her incredibly strong, but in contrast, her social skills were less developed—something that set her apart from Steven.

Steven, on the other hand, dedicated only half of his time to training. As the future president of the Devon Corporation, mastering the art of communication was essential, something he had learned from a young age.

Cynthia recalled her Pokémon and led Cain into the town.

She wasn't worried that Cain had seen her training, as he already knew who her main Pokémon were. Besides, Cynthia didn't fear anyone knowing her strategies. After all, her training was focused on adapting to any situation and opponent.

In reality, she didn't have specific tactics.

Cain noticed that Cynthia's Pokémon had reached a new level of strength. This Sinnoh Tournament would undoubtedly be a fierce competition.

Cain didn't have high expectations for his ranking in the tournament.

With Steven leading the team, his only task was to fulfill the mission assigned by the League.

His goal was simple: to reach the top eight and meet the minimum requirements.

As they walked through the town, they encountered many residents. Everyone had friendly expressions and smiles on their faces. Upon seeing Cynthia, they greeted her by name, and thanks to her, Cain was also treated courteously.

Even the small children playing nearby looked curiously at Cain's Pokémon, though with respect, not getting too close. Upon seeing Cynthia, they called her "Sister Cynthia."

Cain couldn't help but think that Cynthia was like a local celebrity to the town.

"Carrying the expectations of an entire town on your shoulders... Even if you're exhausted, you push yourself to move forward and grow, don't you?" Cain thought as he walked behind her.

Celestic Town wasn't very big, so it didn't take long for them to reach the oldest building.

It looked like a traditional house.

"This must be Cynthia's home," Cain thought.

"Come in and take a seat," Cynthia said with her clear voice.

Cain nodded and followed her inside.

The house, made of wood, showed no signs of deterioration despite its age. Instead, there was a soft scent of wood and books in the air, giving it a calm and cozy atmosphere.

Cynthia served him a cup of tea and sat across from him.

The aroma of the tea filled the room. Cain thought that living in a place like this must bring a lot of peace.

"The Sinnoh Tournament is about to begin. Why did you come to Celestic Town instead of training?" Cynthia asked.

Cain took a sip of tea and replied, "You know just as well as I do that intensive training has a limit. At this stage, battles are more effective for progressing in a short time."

Upon hearing this, Cynthia's eyes shone with interest.

Cain immediately noticed and raised his hands.

"I didn't come to challenge you! There will be plenty of battles in the tournament. We don't need to fight now."

The interest in Cynthia's eyes faded, and Cain sighed in relief.

"Uf, what luck..."

"If you didn't come to challenge me, then what are you looking for here?" Cynthia asked.

Cain smiled and said, "I've already been training on the way. Besides, near Celestic Town is Mount Coronet, which is an excellent place for training."

He paused before adding, "And, of course, I'm interested in the legends and secrets of Celestic Town. This is my first time in Sinnoh, after all."

(End of chapter)