Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

After understanding Absol's purpose, Cain continued walking slowly forward.

Honchkrow and Sneasel stayed close by, ready to respond to any sudden attack from Absol. Although they also understood Absol's purpose, their priority was always Cain's safety.

As Cain approached, he could clearly see the three Absol pups.

Immediately, his eyes widened.

What had he seen?

A red Absol.

A Shiny Absol!

Without needing to ask, given how rare Absols were, and with the added peculiarity of being a shiny Pokémon, this Absol was more valuable than the other two combined.

Pokémon: Shiny Absol (Blue) (Weak)

Gender: Male

Level: 5

Type: Dark

Ability: Pressure

Held Item: None

Egg Moves: Baton Pass, Magic Coat, Megahorn, Play Rough

Basic Moves: Scratch, Feint, Perish Song, Future Sight, Quick Attack, Leer

Learned Moves: None

TM Moves: None

Weak status?

Without a doubt, this Absol's condition was the reason the mother Absol had brought them here. But considering Absol's ability, it didn't make sense for her not to sense Cain's malice—could it be because of Karen's presence?

Cain glanced at Karen beside him, her eyes gleaming, clearly showing an expression of greed.

However, that greed quickly faded when she also noticed the peculiarity of the little Absol.

"Cain, what's wrong with this shiny Absol?" Karen asked cautiously.

Cain slowly shook his head and said nothing.

The system could only scan from a distance and couldn't determine a Pokémon's condition without close contact.

But the mother Absol clearly wasn't going to let Cain get any closer. Noticing that Cain's malice was becoming more evident, she began baring her teeth.

She was starting to regret bringing Cain and Karen here. Despite her pup's condition, she shouldn't have put her other two children in danger.

"Mis~~!"

Suddenly, a faint sound echoed in Cain's mind.

Cain's face changed immediately. He glanced at Karen and Absol, who hadn't heard the sound, and then sighed in relief.

The source of the sound was Mismagius, who had been hiding in Cain's shadow. Fortunately, no one else had heard her.

Otherwise, Cain would have had to do whatever it took to ensure Karen didn't leave this place.

For now, no one could know about Mismagius's existence.

Once his expression returned to normal, Cain understood Mismagius's message.

Her innocent and simple nature couldn't bear to see Absol and her pups in such a state.

However, Mismagius didn't clearly express her feelings, only conveying her sentiment.

Meanwhile, Roserade, by Karen's side, had been tugging at her clothes since they entered, signaling her not to attack the Absols.

Absol had a bad reputation among humans but was known to be a kind Pokémon among others.

Like Diglett—wild Diglett were generally not attacked by other Pokémon.

Karen also sensed Roserade's intent and, for some reason, had a strong feeling that she shouldn't capture these Absols.

Despite their great value, Karen believed there was a certain honor in hunting.

"Cain, how about we leave it at this? Absol is a rare Pokémon and isn't commonly seen in the human world anymore. I have a feeling that capturing them will bring bad luck," Karen said quietly.

At this point, suggesting to Cain to abandon the capture, Karen genuinely feared Cain might suddenly explode.

Cain remained silent, saying nothing.

Karen grew bolder, as her sixth sense strengthened, convinced that capturing Absol would lead to trouble.

"Hey, Cain! I'm talking to you! Don't capture Absol, okay? If not, I promise I'll help you find other valuable Pokémon next time as compensation!"

Karen trusted her sixth sense deeply; after all, it had brought her to where she was now, standing out among her peers despite her humble background.

But seeing Cain not move, Karen prepared to face him.

Today, even if it meant fighting, she would protect the Absols!

"Karen, you're from a humble background, right?" Cain suddenly asked, leaving Karen perplexed.

But she replied, "Yes, why? Does that matter?"

"With your current attitude, are you saying that if I insist on capturing these Absols, you'll fight me?" Cain asked coldly, his voice and expression growing more serious.

Karen was startled by Cain's expression, but trusting her sixth sense, she gritted her teeth and replied, "Exactly! If you truly insist on capturing them, then let's fight!"

In reality, Karen didn't want to confront Cain, and if she could avoid the fight, she would.

"God, please don't trick me, okay? This lunatic in front of me is a bit scary—I don't know if I can beat him!" Karen muttered to herself.

However, the mother Absol behind Cain began to relax as she noticed the malice in the man before her rapidly fading.

But she didn't fully understand the conversation.

No malice? Why did it seem like they were going to fight?

Cain was also at a loss. He didn't have many options.

His best card right now was Mismagius, and since he was in the "relationship improvement" phase with her, he didn't want to risk damaging that bond over some Absols.

Was it worth it?

Cain decided to bet on Mismagius, who would be his true weapon in the future.

Once their relationship improved and Mismagius developed a proper perspective, they wouldn't face situations like this.

But for now, Cain had no choice but to relent.

However, he didn't want to leave empty-handed.

His mind raced, and he found a solution: Karen.

Karen was a civilian but had reached his level and was also a hunter.

If Cain wanted to form a group of hunters, he'd need someone trustworthy to lead it when he wasn't around.

"I'm willing to let them go and even help them, but on one condition," Cain said.

"What is it?" Karen, still on guard, felt Cain's danger level rising and didn't lower her guard for a second.

"How about joining me? Let's form our own hunter group and earn more money to train Pokémon," Cain proposed directly.

"What?" Karen was left speechless.

Was that what he wanted?

Was he willing to give up some wild Pokémon to have her on his side?

(End of Chapter)