Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom-Chapter 392 - 391: The Situation in Leafy Town

"As for the matter of opening the gym, don't worry. I'll handle it. Your main focus should be on the first two tasks," Cain said, aware of his team's surprise.

If they knew that one of Cain's closest friends was the only son of the Devon Corporation president and that his mentor was a veteran breeder associated with the League, they might not see it as such a tall order.

After all, even though he started late, he had already become an ally of the League.

However, a Team Rocket member opening a gym... So far, no one had managed to do it without reaching at least the elite level.

Cain continued, "Now, how is the investigation I asked you to conduct going?"

"Allow me to report. In these past two days since arriving in Leafy Town, we conducted a preliminary investigation. We discovered that not only are the visible forces here weak, but the underground forces aren't particularly impressive either."

"The most powerful man on the surface is the mayor's son, who is around thirty years old and equivalent in strength to a Team Rocket captain. He is currently the town's chief of police, responsible for maintaining order," Alec explained.

Alec went on, "Additionally, there are two underground factions. One is the Black Snake Gang, which primarily funds itself by collecting protection fees."

"About 80% of the shops and merchants in Leafy Town have to pay a monthly fee if they want to keep doing business, which has been a significant barrier to the town's commercial growth."

"The other faction is a hunter group called the Sky Hunter Guild, registered with the Hunter's Guild. They use Leafy Town as a base of operations and hunt Pokémon in the surrounding forests for profit."

After hearing about the three main forces in Leafy Town, it became clear that, while the League had a presence, only one of these forces was affiliated with it.

Fortunately, the hunter group didn't interfere much with the daily lives of residents, preventing the town from devolving into a ghetto.

"Have you investigated the actual strength of these two factions? And, Miyamoto, what have you found about the black market in Leafy Town?" Cain asked.

"Given the short time, we haven't delved deeply into the exact strength of these factions, but since the mayor's son can keep them under control, we estimate they're at a similar level," Alec explained.

"As for the black market, I conducted a preliminary investigation and discovered that it's essentially a front for the Black Snake Gang. It's in a very fragile state, and calling it a 'black market' would be generous. Additionally, Leafy Town doesn't get many outside visitors, so it doesn't have much real impact," Miyamoto added.

Among Cain's subordinates, Miyamoto was the only one experienced in handling matters related to black markets. Neither Skye nor Alec had specific knowledge of these areas, as their initial training was on Trial Island.

Even though Alec had spent some time with his uncle, that period focused more on learning about Pokémon and preparing to survive on the island.

"Today, your task is simple: all of you will infiltrate the town and assess the true size and power of the Black Snake Gang. Find out the strength of their leaders, and with that information, we'll decide how to handle them," Cain ordered, assigning the day's task.

"Understood!" the six responded energetically as they stood up.

"Alright, go, and remember to remove any Team Rocket symbols."

The six nodded and left quickly.

It was their first mission under Cain's leadership, and everyone wanted to perform their best.

Cain, on the other hand, headed to the rear house.

Although he trusted Alec, the same couldn't be said for his late uncle. So, he had Haunter inspect the house from top to bottom.

In the end, nothing suspicious was found.

Cain always followed the rule of "better safe than sorry."

Instead of entering the house, he went straight to the empty land behind it. Clearly, this area hadn't been maintained for a long time; weeds covered everything, and the old training fields were completely hidden.

Still, the area was extensive, though it lacked a pool.

Cain had several water-type Pokémon, and while they could survive out of water, having a pool would be beneficial.

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He released several Pokéballs, freeing Pokémon he had captured earlier but hadn't had time to interact with properly.

"Everyone, continue with the tasks you already know. Gyarados, Skorupi, and Slowpoke, you'll be in charge of digging a large pool here. Make sure it's deep and spacious enough for Gyarados to move comfortably."

"Tropius, I know you don't like working, so go to the roof and keep watch. If anyone tries to enter, stop them. If someone attempts to force their way in, chase them off. If you let anyone in, you'll go without food for three days," Cain instructed.

The Pokémon were well-acquainted with this type of work, having done it before in Mauville City, so they adapted quickly.

While his Pokémon worked, Cain took out three more Pokéballs.

Inside were Torchic, Poliwag, and Aron.

He released the three.

Although Poliwag needed water to move properly, it quickly dug a small puddle and settled in.

"Torchic, I believe this is the first time we're meeting. My name is Cain, and from now on, we'll be working together," Cain said, placing some high-quality Pokéblocks in front of Torchic.

At first, Torchic seemed a bit proud, but as soon as it saw the Pokéblocks, it forgot its attitude.

It was still young and couldn't resist food, especially at this stage of its growth.

"Poliwag, I know what you've been through before. I promise you'll never go back to that place. Follow me, and I'll make you stronger," Cain told Poliwag.

Poliwag, which had been confined in a tank at the Hunter's Guild, hadn't had a good experience. While the tank was large, seeing its companions sold off one by one had filled it with fear. Now, it seemed like its new trainer wasn't so bad.

Slowly, Poliwag poked its head out of the water and ate the Pokéblocks Cain offered.

Finally, Aron, with whom Cain had already spent considerable time, didn't require much explanation. Cain simply offered the Pokéblocks it liked.

He patted its head, and since he had promised to train it, it was time to fulfill that promise.

The rest of the afternoon, while his Pokémon worked on clearing the area, Cain focused on getting to know Torchic, Poliwag, and Aron better.

Among the three, Aron was the oldest and the strongest in level and power. Torchic, perhaps because it was a fire-type Pokémon, quickly adapted to Cain and the other Pokémon despite being the youngest and lowest in level.

Poliwag, on the other hand, was more timid, likely due to its past environment.

(End of Chapter)