Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom (200 - 398)

Chapter 306: The Time Provoked by Food

Skorupi used its poison to capture the food, Sneasel handled the ice blades, Slowpoke combined its psychic power with water energy to clean it, Tropius spread its leaves, Miltank struck with its strength, Cain roasted the meat, and Murkrow controlled the fire's temperature.

This was practically a feast prepared by Pokémon.

Cain thought that if he weren't a trainer, he could probably make a lot of money by opening a Pokémon restaurant.

But he set that idea aside as a joke.

On a large grill, four entire mountain goats were roasting. Under the eager gaze of all the Pokémon, the juicy meat of the goats was slowly turning into a roast.

Cain carefully applied salt and a barbecue oil sauce to the meat, which turned a bright golden color as the meat's natural juices dripped down, falling onto the fire and creating a sizzling sound.

There wasn't just roasted meat; to the side, Cain had prepared a large pot with the remaining meat from the other two goats, cut into chunks.

Though the Pokémon would enjoy all six roasted goats, a bit of variety in the food was always welcome, right?

As the aroma spread through the air, the Pokémon's eyes grew even more expectant.

Arbok, who was lying on the ground as if dead, couldn't help but open its eyes at the smell.

Seeing Cain's Pokémon, Arbok showed an expression of amazement. It thought that the two Pokémon it had seen earlier were this human's entire strength, but it didn't expect him to have so many powerful Pokémon.

Even at its peak, Arbok would only have been able to guarantee victory against two or three of them.

This human truly had something special.

Moreover, the irresistible aroma stirred hunger and desire in Arbok's eyes.

Could something this delicious really exist in this world?

When the meat was almost ready, Cain cut off a front leg from one of the goats for himself, then served a bowl of hot lamb soup. The combination with the roast meat was simply perfect.

As for the rest, it was all for the Pokémon.

Cain asked Sneasel to cut a hind leg and placed it in front of the newly awakened Arbok.

Sitting in his chair, watching the Pokémon enjoy their meal, Cain felt completely satisfied.

He looked at Arbok, who was sniffing the air, and said, "Eat. Your body needs nutrients right now, but overeating won't help you. One leg of lamb is enough."

Upon hearing Cain, Arbok, unable to resist any longer, swallowed the entire lamb leg in one gulp.

As it tasted the meat, Arbok's eyes widened in surprise as it looked at Cain, astonished.

It had lived for so many years and never knew something this delicious existed in the world.

Cain patted Arbok's head, feeling the coldness of its scales, and smiled as he said, "Alright, now rest. The sooner you recover, the sooner you'll learn how to become stronger. Remember, you only have seven days."

Understanding what Cain meant, Arbok stopped obsessing over the delicious food. Though the flavor was incredible, compared to its goal, it seemed insignificant.

However, whenever Cain prepared a barbecue in the wild, the aroma inevitably attracted some wild Pokémon who couldn't resist their instincts and desires.

For example, now, in the surrounding forest around Cain and his Pokémon, several red eyes were fixed on them.

Arbok had never had complete control over the Pokémon in this area, and with such a tempting aroma, it was impossible not to attract other Pokémon.

In fact, some of those approaching were subjects from Arbok's mother's territory.

Initially, the wild Pokémon hesitated upon seeing Cain's Pokémon's strength and numbers. However, seeing that the food was being consumed quickly, some couldn't resist any longer.

It seemed as though some stronger wild Pokémon presented themselves as representatives.

The first to emerge from the forest was an Ursaring. Its chest bore three parallel scars, and rather than looking weak, it emanated a commanding and powerful presence.

When Ursaring appeared, Arbok, who had been resting, immediately got up. The wounds that had just healed reopened instantly, but Arbok didn't care in the slightest. Its snake-like eyes fixed on Ursaring, its tongue flicking silently, yet the intensity of its anger and bloodlust was palpable.

Ursaring also saw Arbok on the ground, noticed the bandages on its body, and gave a mocking smile.

This Ursaring was one of the Pokémon that used to provoke Arbok to curry favor with the new ruler and had injured it on several occasions.

Of course, Ursaring alone wouldn't have been enough to face Arbok, but it never came alone; it always brought along three or five other Pokémon.

For this reason, Arbok's resentment toward him was immense, even ignoring the pain of its wounds.

If it lost in a one-on-one battle, it would accept it—but being outnumbered every time!

Suddenly, a figure appeared next to Arbok, and a small but powerful hand pressed down on its head, forcing it slowly to the ground.

Arbok tried to use its strength to break free, but the words it heard next stopped it completely.

"Do you want your natural talent to weaken again? If so, I won't stop you," said Cain, firmly pressing down on Arbok's head, word by word.

Cain's hand, in comparison to Arbok's large body, created a striking contrast, making it seem as though Cain was dominating Arbok with authority.

"Stay still and watch. Though you can't go after the Pokémon who killed your mother, this big guy in front of you isn't a problem," said Cain, rising and removing his hand from Arbok's head.

Of course, Ursaring wasn't foolish enough to come alone. Shortly after it appeared, a rustling sound came from the underbrush, and another Ursaring emerged. This one had a scar on its face, specifically on its eye.

Two Ursaring!

Along with them, a Pinsir stepped out of the forest, its gaze fixed on the roasted food.

These three Pokémon were the representatives of the wild Pokémon: both Ursaring were well-built, and due to their constant battles in the wild, were incredibly strong.

According to Cain's system, both Ursaring had a light green talent level, and their level was identical, 30.

Pinsir, compared to the Ursaring, had an even more dominant presence.

Cain's system revealed that this Pinsir was level 31 and also had a light green talent level.

Three wild Pokémon with light green talent, all level 30 or above.

"Alright, hold on. We'll fight, and then you can keep eating," Cain said with a smile.

(End of Chapter)