Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

They had probably discovered the members of this group of poachers in the middle of the night.

It's unclear how, but they began to fight.

Cain did not hesitate; since he had accepted the mission, he had to complete it. After all, completing the mission would grant him a considerable number of points.

Last time, alongside Steven, he had captured a traitor of the League and earned quite a lot of points, though Cain had not used them yet.

Even though he had obtained a significant amount back then, he was still short of the points needed to redeem what he wanted. With what he gained this time, it would probably be enough.

He pulled out two Poké Balls, summoning Slowking and Drapion. Alongside them were Florges, Marshtomp, Poliwhirl, and Gengar, who emerged from the shadows after being called by Cain.

If everything went according to plan, these six Pokémon would be Cain's main participants in the Sinnoh Tournament.

He immediately used telepathy.

A light rain began to fall, but the combatants did not notice.

The psychic energy within Slowking's body suddenly overflowed, enveloping Drapion, Marshtomp, Poliwhirl, and itself.

The air seemed to ripple and distort slightly, and the four Pokémon vanished from the spot.

They reappeared in the center of the battle not far away.

The sudden appearance of the four Pokémon took everyone by surprise, including the two League agents.

However, Slowking and the others were already prepared.

At the same time, Gengar, who had not been teleported with them, sank into the shadows and stealthily infiltrated the battle.

There was something worth mentioning: during the battle with Hypno, Sox's Psychic-type Pokémon who had been sent by Xenon last time, Gengar had learned a very useful move.

Role Play.

Cain had wanted Gengar to learn this move for a long time. He had even captured a Spoink that knew the move to teach him, but the results were limited.

Gengar had never managed to grasp the key to the move, but when Hypno used Role Play, Gengar, who had been closely observing, had a moment of enlightenment.

Suddenly, he gained a much deeper understanding of the move. After a period of learning and practice, Gengar finally mastered it before Cain left Leafy Town.

It was thanks to this that Cain decided to include Marshtomp and Poliwhirl in the team for the Sinnoh Tournament.

With Gengar mastering Role Play, Slowking maximizing telepathy, and Poliwhirl becoming increasingly skilled at utilizing the effects of Rain Dance, the three became the main cores of the team.

Originally, the only core of the team was Slowking. If Slowking fell, the team would lose a significant portion of its strength.

However, with Poliwhirl as the core of the Rain Team, the team now had another viable strategy.

Finally, with Gengar handling Role Play and Skill Swap, the team's margin for error was maximized.

The core of the Rain Team was Poliwhirl, accompanied by Marshtomp, Slowking, Florges (who was in the process of adapting to the Water-type using Camouflage), Gengar (with Role Play and Skill Swap), and Drapion, the main attacker with the Sniper ability.

Cain's team for the group battles in the Sinnoh Tournament was practically complete.

After the rain, Poliwhirl could transfer the Swift Swim ability to other team members through Gengar. This made Gengar, already naturally fast, even faster, and allowed Florges and Slowking to gain a speed advantage as well.

Combined with the boost to Water-type moves, the team would only have trouble against Grass-type teams. Even against Electric-type teams, Cain would have a fighting chance.

Upon entering the battlefield, Drapion lunged toward the group of enemy Pokémon, attacking with its claws covered in poisonous energy. It also utilized its powerful tail and swiftly switched between different biting moves.

Drapion demonstrated a deep understanding of each enemy's weaknesses, making full use of its Sniper ability.

A single critical hit was enough to take down opponents.

After using Teleport, Slowking unleashed an explosion of psychic energy that repelled nearby enemies, floating slowly into the air. His eyes glowed with intelligence as he activated Nasty Plot.

Poliwhirl and Marshtomp, who had less explosive damage output, worked together. Poliwhirl, thanks to Swift Swim, moved swiftly among enemies, while Marshtomp targeted the weaker ones.

Gengar, who had reached the edge of the battlefield, first used Role Play to acquire Poliwhirl's Swift Swim ability.

With his natural Speed of 110 and the effect of Swift Swim, Gengar became a fleeting shadow, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

During a free moment, Gengar transferred Swift Swim to Marshtomp using Skill Swap, drastically increasing his speed and making battles easier for him.

Afterward, Gengar once again acquired Swift Swim using Role Play.

Floating in the air, Slowking released Psycho Cut attacks, creating shockwaves and knocking down enemies. He was now adjusting his attacks to make them faster and more efficient.

Next to Cain, Florges waved its hands, using boosting moves to strengthen team members. It also activated Grassy Terrain under Drapion to reduce incoming damage, allowing him to continue attacking aggressively.

Even though enemy attacks rarely damaged Drapion's armor, with Florges's support, he became even more relentless, turning into an offensive machine.

The most terrifying was Gengar, who not only moved at lightning speed but also continued fulfilling his role as a ranged attacker.

Every Shadow Ball he formed in his hands was launched at point-blank range, striking enemies before they could even react.

After Slowking and the others joined the battle, the tide quickly turned.

The enemy leader, who had been pressuring the League officers, also found himself unable to withstand the combined force of Slowking and the others.

With his team growing stronger, Cain could now take on even quasi-elite-level Pokémon.

If the opposing team did not have a cohesive strategy, they would be completely overwhelmed.

Cain's team, with three strategic cores, had reached a level where one plus one was not just two—but three or even more.

(End of chapter)