Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom-Chapter 588 - 587: The Carbink Minister

Cain stood quietly next to his Pokémon, making no sudden movements. He didn't reveal his intentions, merely maintaining a smile he considered "friendly" while waiting for the leader of the Carbink to appear.

Regardless of whether or not a Diancie was among this group of Carbink, Cain had no plans to act recklessly for the time being.

Clearly, Cain was overthinking things.

The Carbink, who had lived in this cave for countless years, had never seen the outside world nor experienced danger. Their lives were simple: enriching their subterranean world and filling the ground with diamonds.

A group of over a hundred Carbink stood before Cain, murmuring among themselves. After their initial fear had passed, they quickly calmed down.

Cain silently, and somewhat frustrated, waited for twenty minutes before there was finally some movement among the Carbink.

More Carbink emerged from the depths of the cave—at least another hundred.

Among them, escorted by the others, was a Carbink that looked a bit peculiar.

Cain immediately focused his gaze on it.

It was nearly twice the size of the others, with two appendages on its head resembling ears, much wider than those of the other Carbink.

From the outside, it simply looked like a "fattened" Carbink.

Cain vaguely recalled that this was likely the Carbink Minister.

"Could it be that a Diancie has already appeared here? But if that's the case, why are there so few Carbink?" Cain wondered, frowning.

Indeed, if there were a Diancie present, a group of fewer than 200 Carbink would seem surprisingly small.

However, for a group without a Diancie, that number appeared rather large.

While Cain was mulling this over, the Carbink Minister, surrounded by many Carbink, slowly approached him.

Though the Carbink Minister was considerably larger than the other Carbink, it was still small compared to Cain.

To avoid appearing intimidating, Cain crouched down, trying to meet the Carbink Minister's gaze.

This gesture immediately earned Cain the Minister's goodwill.

Unlike the other Carbink, the Minister had some understanding of the outside world. As a Carbink that had mutated into this form, its intelligence far exceeded that of the others.

Although this group had lived underground for countless years, their ancestors had once experienced the outside world. Some descriptions of the outside had been passed down through generations.

Only the Carbink Minister and a few elders among the Carbink had access to this information.

However, over time, much of that knowledge had been lost, leaving the Carbink with only a vague, distorted image of the outside world shaped by their imaginations.

The Minister made some strange sounds—the Carbink's way of communicating, as they knew no other method.

Cain caught on, activated his telepathy, and connected his mind with the Carbink Minister's.

At first, the Minister was startled when Cain spoke into its mind.

However, after Cain explained and guided it for a while, the Minister gradually learned to communicate with Cain through telepathy, albeit in a somewhat rudimentary manner.

The Minister was amazed by Cain's ability, nearly bowing in reverence.

This was the result of having been confined to a small world for over a century.

They held deep respect for the unknown.

And this respect was something Cain valued highly.

While teaching the Carbink Minister to communicate, Cain took the opportunity to scan its data using his System, confirming that it differed slightly from regular Carbink.

Pokémon: Carbink (Dark Green)

Gender: Genderless

Level: 48

Type: Rock + Fairy

Ability: Clear Body

Held Item: Minister's Wisdom

Egg Moves: None

Basic Moves: Tackle, Harden, Rock Throw, Sharpen, Smack Down, Reflect, Stealth Rock, Guard Split, Ancient Power, Flail, Skill Swap, Power Gem

Learned Moves: Earth Power, Magnet Rise, Telekinesis, Gravity, Wonder Room

TM Moves: None

This was the first time Cain had seen an alternative form of a Pokémon, and the System had categorized it simply for distinction.

He also noticed that the Carbink Minister carried an item called "Minister's Wisdom." Though he didn't know its function, he had a hunch it would be quite useful.

Seeing the word "wisdom," and observing the Minister's bulky appearance, Cain jokingly thought that perhaps the bigger the Pokémon, the smarter it was.

After teaching the Minister how to communicate, Cain finally began a proper conversation.

"So, you really come from the outside world? And the place we live in is just a small corner of that world—not even a fraction of its entirety?" The Minister asked its first question.

Cain nodded, feeling tired of crouching, and without worrying about the dirt, he sat directly on the ground.

He telepathically responded: "That's correct. This world is vast. The place you're in now is an island in the middle of the ocean, and this underground world is just one corner of Mythical Island."

Hearing Cain's confirmation, the Minister once again showed an expression of astonishment.

It seemed that Carbink were overly content creatures. After living underground for so long, they hadn't even considered exploring the outside world.

Their lives revolved around digging and finding a suitable place to live, rich in energy and sufficient to sustain their tribe.

The mines Cain had discovered in the sandstone area were merely remnants left behind by this group during one of their migrations.

This group had been living under this mountain for countless years, to the point where they considered it their entire world.

After hearing Cain's explanation, the Minister decided not to share the information with its tribe immediately. If it was difficult for the Minister to process, it would be even harder for the others.

"Understood, but even if the outside world is vast, it doesn't have much to do with us. We live peacefully here, and you're the first to enter our world in so long. Ah, yes, along with your Pokémon," the Minister said after digesting what Cain had told it.

(End of Chapter)