Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom-Chapter 525 - 524: Big Brother, Stop Pretending

If Steven couldn't find a way to enhance Aron's quality, he'd have to think of another way to compensate Cain.

For now, Steven stored the two fossils in his storage space with great satisfaction.

Obtaining these two fossils suddenly made Steven feel very pleased.

In addition to Metang's evolution, this day had been perfect for him.

"Cain truly is my lucky charm," Steven thought.

In just one day, Metang evolved, and he also acquired two extremely rare fossils of ancient Pokémon.

Meanwhile, Cain had also obtained something valuable—just getting that Groudon fragment alone made the expedition worthwhile.

Not to mention the level-ups his Pokémon gained and the battle experience.

"Judging by the time, it's probably close to midnight, and the Pokémon haven't eaten dinner yet. Should we head out or prepare everything here?" Cain asked.

Steven glanced around. The surroundings were filled with reddish rocks, and lava slowly seeped from cracks in the walls. The temperature inside the cave was quite high.

"Let's go outside. It's too hot here, and the Pokémon won't enjoy it. We can come back tomorrow when the temperature drops a bit during the day," Steven replied after some thought.

Cain nodded, storing the red fragment in his storage space. Then he returned Skorupi to its Poké Ball.

With a swift motion, Slowking used Teleport, instantly taking Cain, Steven, and Metagross outside the cave.

The two Team Magma members they had tied up on the surface had already been taken away by Lance.

They found a large, flat rock and sat directly on the ground.

Although the outside temperature was still high, it was far more bearable than inside the cave.

Both Cain and Steven removed their Team Magma uniforms but didn't discard them, as their heat-insulating properties were still quite useful.

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Cain pulled out a variety of tools and began preparing dinner on the rock.

When Steven learned Cain was cooking, he volunteered to help.

However, as a noble young man from a wealthy family, he had no idea how to cook. Instead, he got in the way, so Cain eventually shooed him aside.

Cain typically had a clear distribution of tasks among his Pokémon, but with only Slowking, Skorupi, and Haunter available, the process was slower.

Skorupi handled the hunting, Slowking cleaned the prey, and Haunter disposed of leftovers while assisting Cain with other tasks.

He definitely needed to bring Miltank next time. Although Haunter had been with Cain for a while, it still didn't know what tools to fetch in each situation. Miltank was much more efficient.

Cain released Aron, Poliwag, Mudkip, and Torchic to play.

The four little Pokémon were thrilled to be outside. Even though Cain hadn't let them battle that day, they didn't worry or complain.

However, Poliwag and Mudkip seemed slightly uncomfortable with the environment.

Thankfully, Slowking used its psychic powers to create a small pond for them, allowing them to play peacefully.

Torchic, on the other hand, was delighted. The temperature and environment were perfect for it. Since its quality had stabilized at deep blue, it had become much more energetic and cheerful, and its body was growing visibly.

This was its body assimilating the improvements in its quality.

As for Aron, it stayed close to Steven's Lairon, like a shadow, asking questions and learning about moves and techniques.

Steven's Lairon didn't ignore Cain's Aron. It patiently explained how to use certain techniques.

Perhaps Aron had a natural talent or was particularly adept, as it quickly learned a new move under Lairon's guidance.

Magnet Rise!

Watching Aron float awkwardly in the air using small electrical currents, Cain was genuinely amazed.

It had learned Magnet Rise so easily?

For Aron, which was heavy and slow, this move would be incredibly useful.

It also allowed Aron to avoid Ground-type moves, meaning it wouldn't have to endure that kind of damage in battles.

It was definitely an unexpected bonus.

Skorupi successfully completed its task, capturing a few wild goats that lived on the mountainside and summit, which would serve as dinner for Cain and the others.

Cain skillfully added the final seasonings, and the barbecue was ready.

Seeing Steven, who had been sitting at a distance but was now by the grill, almost drooling and shedding his noble demeanor, Cain knew the barbecue was a complete success.

If Steven was acting like this, the rest of the Pokémon didn't stand a chance.

Although Slowking, Skorupi, and Haunter were also eager, they tried to hold back. Unlike Steven and his Lairon, who were practically diving toward the grill.

After spending so much time with Cain, these three Pokémon had enjoyed plenty of such meals.

Skorupi was suffering the most, glancing at its "big brother," Slowking, who pretended to stay calm while swallowing saliva. Slowking even closed its eyes, trying to ignore the sight and smell of the food, which made Skorupi even more desperate.

Its small eyes looked up at Slowking with a clear message:

"Big brother, stop pretending. I'm hungry. It smells so good—I can't take it anymore."

Slowking glanced down and, using telepathy, told Skorupi:

"Hold on. Don't embarrass us."

Gulp.

Skorupi swallowed hard and nodded with effort.

However, aside from those three, Torchic and the others weren't holding back. They were already clinging to Cain, eagerly waiting for the food to be ready.

"All done! Dig in!" Cain wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed in relief.

It had been a lot of work preparing food for so many Pokémon.

And with gluttons like Skorupi, Aron, and Lairon, Cain genuinely worried it wouldn't be enough.

He could already imagine that when Aron evolved into Lairon and eventually Aggron, along with Drapion, which would also be large and voracious, every meal would be a challenge for him.

As soon as Cain gave the signal, Steven and the Pokémon pounced on the food.

Steven grabbed a piece of roasted meat, and after tasting it, his eyes lit up. He gave Cain a thumbs-up.

With his status, Steven had eaten many delicacies, but Cain's barbecue truly surprised him.

Perhaps because Cain had added special ingredients often used in Pokéblocks, the flavor was unique. Plus, thanks to Cain's system, the meat was cooked to perfection.

After such a long day of battling, Steven was ravenous.

All of this combined made Cain's barbecue one of the best Steven had ever tasted.

(End of Chapter)