Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

For now, it must remain a secret that the Black Snake Gang no longer exists.

Although an advanced-level trainer doesn't pose a significant threat to Cain at the moment, and it's likely that the other party isn't interested in the revenues from a small place like Leafy Town, unnecessary trouble is better avoided for now.

Cain needs time to grow.

"Stand up," Cain said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Viper, who was kneeling on the ground, showed a glimmer of joy in his eyes, realizing he had narrowly escaped a grim fate.

"Are all the members of the Black Snake Gang here?"

"No, no. There are only about thirty people here, most of whom are idle individuals with nothing useful to do. They aren't deeply involved in actual battles. Their main role is to wave the Black Snake Gang banner and collect some fees in Leafy Town."

"The real fighters are usually at home or in a specialized training area of the gang. They form the gang's main core, while the rest are just people with one or two low-quality Pokémon trying to scrape by for a slightly better life," Viper explained.

Hearing this, Cain began to understand.

Delegating trivial, unnecessary tasks to idle people to save time and money for others to improve their strength first is a strategy that allows a gang to grow steadily.

No wonder the outsiders seemed as weak as chickens and paper tigers, easily wiped out by Alec and the others.

"Can you gather them?"

"Yes, I usually train these core fighters myself. While their strength is average compared to great masters, they are much better than the outsiders. Also, not all of them are here just to enjoy life; some genuinely desire to improve."

It seemed Viper had a significant role in the Black Snake Gang, which explained his growing dissatisfaction when the gang leader allowed a woman to take leadership.

If that woman had been strong enough, it would've been a different story, but she clearly wasn't. Moreover, much of the gang's administrative work was managed by Viper.

If he had been stronger than Black Snake, he likely would've eliminated him to take control.

But he didn't dare, as both the mayor's son and the Void Group member were beyond his reach.

"Take this pill and gather those people," Cain tossed a red pill to Viper, the same one he had given to Alec and Miyamoto.

Although Cain trusted Miyamoto and Alec more now, he hadn't yet given them the antidote.

The tasks he had assigned them were becoming more critical, and even if Cain gave them the antidote now, they wouldn't accept it.

Trust had only recently been built and needed time to solidify. Without the pill's restraint, there was no guarantee that small treacherous thoughts wouldn't emerge in their minds.

Though such minor thoughts wouldn't be decisive, once they decided to follow Cain, believing he would lead them to a better future, they would give him their all. So far, Cain had not let them down.

Viper hesitated for a moment but ultimately swallowed the red pill.

Cain hadn't explained the pill's effects, but as a member of an underground force, Viper understood its implications.

Leaving after taking a pill without a specific purpose would be suspicious even to himself.

He quickly ran out to gather the true fighters of the Black Snake Gang in Leafy Town.

Cain sat in the main seat, watching as Skye and the others cleaned up the corpses and bloodstains from the outer yard and inner hall.

Since Cain didn't want to alarm the townsfolk, everything had to be cleaned up without leaving a trace of blood.

Fortunately, these problems posed no challenge for Grimer.

Soon, Viper hurried back with about a dozen people to the hall.

Judging by their expressions, it was clear Viper had already informed them of what had happened.

Initially, some were dissatisfied, thinking Black Snake's strength couldn't have been defeated so easily.

But upon seeing Cain seated in the hall's main chair, for some reason, everyone felt a faint tension, and their movements became more cautious.

"Sir, these are the main fighters of the former Black Snake Gang. They're responsible for the gang's battles and dealing with wild Pokémon that suddenly infiltrate," Viper said, pointing to the twelve men behind him.

Cain observed the energy and spirit of the fourteen people present, noting that they were indeed much better than the weaklings from the courtyard earlier.

Just by looking at their aura, one could see they barely qualified as trainers.

At least they weren't just pleasure-seekers.

They understood the importance of strength.

"I understand that you were members of the Black Snake Gang, but the gang no longer exists. From now on, you won't work for the Black Snake Gang but for me. If anyone has objections, you can leave immediately," Cain said coldly from his chair.

A dozen people exchanged glances and then looked at Viper, who stood at the front with a respectful expression.

To them, Viper was somewhat of a guide in their journey as trainers, often providing guidance during training.

However, not all respected Viper; some were loyal followers of Black Snake, not the gang itself.

Two of them hesitated, slowly stepping away from the group. After slightly bowing to Cain, they prepared to leave.

Just as they were about to exit, a Mightyena and a Primeape jumped on them, killing them instantly.

The sound of bodies hitting the ground was the only noise.

Viper quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead, knowing that some here were loyal to Black Snake, and they had just been swiftly eliminated.

The remaining twelve were paralyzed with fear, not daring to move.

"Good. The ones who remain, continue doing what you used to. Fox, Kai, and Rand, choose four people from these twelve to form five-person teams. From now on, you will lead them."

"Skye, here's a card with three million Pokédollars. Use it as the initial fund and manage the finances. Fox will assist you."

"Miyamoto, Kai will be under your command. Alec, Rand, and Viper will be under your supervision. Since you're familiar with Hoenn, you'll also handle new personnel recruitment. If you need anything, report it to Skye."

"Once the new personnel have been trained for some time, they'll be redistributed under Miyamoto and Skye's command."

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.

Cain had established a simple chain of command to ensure orders were executed more efficiently.

As for Viper and the twelve, they repeatedly nodded, not daring to voice any disagreement. Otherwise, the two corpses on the ground were a clear example.

And they had all seen how lively this place used to be; now it felt empty and quiet.

"As for the name of the Black Snake Gang, keep it externally for now, but our true name will be Team Heaven."

"The Hoenn Section of Team Rocket will temporarily be called Team Heaven. I'll request a team number from headquarters," Cain said improvisationally.

(End of chapter)