Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom-Chapter 577 - 576: When It Comes to Ambushes, Who Do We Fear?

In the battle against Cain, Shuichi didn't make any major mistakes, and his combat direction was fairly standard. However, Cain's telepathy caught him off guard.

That's how telepathy can make a difference in battles between trainers of a similar level.

If Shuichi had known Cain possessed this ability, he might have been better prepared. But Cain had always kept his telepathy a secret, and until now, few people were aware of it.

Thus, after a series of maneuvers, Shuichi was forced to make his Golem self-destruct. And though Shuichi's Excadrill was powerful, it couldn't defeat Cain's Drapion immediately.

Drapion's immense physical strength managed to restrict Excadrill's performance.

Shuichi pulled a Poké Ball from his belt and threw it to the ground. Immediately, his Onix appeared—the same one that had helped him escape before. The massive size of Onix blocked the view of Slowking and the others.

Shuichi was already planning to flee.

Today's defeat was almost certain. Cain's hidden cards had taken him by surprise. Shuichi knew that the next time he faced Cain, he would be better prepared, and it wouldn't be so easy to lose.

Cain's telepathy and Slowking's Rain Dance would be the main threats to consider in the future.

However, while one person planned to flee, another wasn't willing to let him escape.

The moment Golem self-destructed, Gengar, who had emerged from Cain's shadow, had already taken a long detour and was hidden among the rocks. Onix's appearance provided Gengar with even better camouflage.

"What's the matter? Thinking of running away?" Cain asked with a smile.

"Hmph! I definitely underestimated you! So, the ability you use to direct your Pokémon is telepathy, huh? I didn't think you were also a psychic."

"It's ridiculous that no one has discovered this. The people who provided me with information about you are useless," Shuichi replied angrily.

Although he could escape, he knew he couldn't recover his Golem, which lay gravely injured in front of Cain.

It felt like his heart was breaking. Golem was his starter Pokémon, and he had invested so much time and effort into evolving it from a Geodude. Many of his strategies revolved around Golem.

But after being repeatedly hit by Slowking's attacks, he understood that Golem was powerless against water-type Pokémon and faster opponents.

He would probably no longer use Golem as the core of his strategies.

That is, assuming he had a future.

"I'm curious. Who gave you information about me?" Cain asked, trying to distract Shuichi as Gengar moved closer and closer.

Shuichi gave a malicious smile. "Don't you know who's after you? Don't you feel anxious, thinking everyone around you is watching you with suspicion? No matter, I won't tell you."

His mind seemed somewhat twisted.

But Cain shook his head and maintained his smile. "Oh, yes, you will," he replied.

"What are you—" Shuichi stopped suddenly. He finally realized what was happening, but his survival instincts kicked in too late. When Cain said those words, Gengar was already prepared.

Unless Shuichi had a Pokémon hidden in the shadows, like Cain, his fate was sealed.

But as a specialist in ground and rock types, he had no Pokémon that could hide in the shadows.

Thanks to the connection between Onix's shadow and the nearby rocks, Gengar reached Shuichi's shadow.

Slowly, it emerged with a sinister grin, holding two dark spheres charged with immense energy, staring at Shuichi, whose face reflected pure terror.

Although Onix finally noticed Gengar's presence, its massive body prevented it from acting without harming its own trainer.

Cain, accompanied by his vigilant Slowking, approached slowly.

"I told you, you'd tell me," Cain said coldly.

At Gengar's signal, Shuichi began removing his Poké Balls one by one. Under Slowking's psychic control, the Poké Balls floated toward Cain.

In front of Shuichi, Cain collected Onix, Excadrill, and the dying Golem into their Poké Balls.

All the Pokémon that hadn't been summoned remained inside their Poké Balls, now locked.

"Now, you can talk. Who is it?" Cain asked, this time with a tone laced with lethal threat.

Anyone would be frustrated at being a constant target. From the Trial Island to his arrival in Hoenn, and even on Mythical Island, Cain had been under attack repeatedly.

Before, Cain didn't have the power to fight back, but now that he had grown stronger, it was time to stop being the prey and become the hunter. Not reacting would only encourage others to keep attacking.

Shuichi, pale-faced, understood his situation well. As a Rocket Officer, he knew nothing good awaited him. His life was in Cain's hands.

He knew that whether he spoke or not, he likely wouldn't leave alive. But a small spark of hope remained in his heart.

What if he talked and Cain let him live?

What if...?

After all, living, even in the worst circumstances, was better than dying. As long as he was alive, anything was possible.

Everything had happened so fast. Just moments ago, Shuichi had been arrogant, believing that with more information, he could defeat Cain in a future confrontation.

But he hadn't anticipated Cain pushing him to the edge, revealing the true nature of a Rocket member: when it came to victory, no method was off-limits.

Finally, Gengar lowered the dark spheres and remained in Shuichi's shadow. Though his Pokémon had been withdrawn, the threat remained.

Situations like these, where League members let their guard down after confiscating a Rocket member's Poké Balls, only to be stabbed to death, weren't uncommon.

Shuichi collapsed to the ground, feeling his strength leave his body. At last, he murmured a name.

"Xenon..." freēwēbnovel.com

(End of Chapter)