Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

Flint, the Pewter City Gym Leader, is the father of one of Ash's future close companions.

In the anime, Flint doesn't display great battle prowess, but becoming a Gym Leader is not something just anyone can achieve without significant skills.

Especially in the Kanto region, where talent and outstanding trainers are abundant. Without the necessary strength, it would be impossible to stand firm in Pewter City.

During the time Ash begins his journey, Brock holds the position of Gym Leader. Is it really believable that a kid like Brock could handle that role alone? The truth is that Flint was always there, and under his name, not many people dared to cause trouble.

Brock's passion for becoming a Pokémon breeder may partly be influenced by the fact that his father had also pursued that path at one time.

"Alright," Cain quickly agreed to Flint's request.

Although the reasoning behind the request sounded a bit strange, Cain thought it wasn't too unusual coming from someone who had left eight children and his wife alone at home to go off training.

Being able to have eight children wasn't common either; it took a certain kind of capability. And it's good that he was a Gym Leader—otherwise, supporting such a large family might have been difficult.

In the Pokémon world, raising the children of trainers meant preparing them to become trainers too, which involved providing Pokémon and materials, something far more complicated than simply buying a house or a car.

They exchanged contact information, and Flint returned to his seat, content. Having failed almost 100 times, he had always made it a goal to collect the contact information of at least one person from each evaluation he attended.

After a while, Misako, who had entered earlier, came out of the evaluation room happily, indicating she had passed the test. Instead of leaving, she sat back down, waiting for the others to finish, now wearing a proud expression.

"Next, Flint! An old friend!" the bespectacled middle-aged man joked.

Flint greeted the others in the room and entered with a smile.

Half an hour later, Flint emerged with a bitter smile, indicating he had failed once again.

Cain understood Flint's situation and knew why he hadn't passed the beginner breeder evaluation. As a Gym Leader, Flint had no issues with Pokémon knowledge; the real obstacle was his hands.

Flint had trained with his Rock-type Pokémon for many years, which had given him great physical strength. Despite adjusting his training later, the initial effects remained, making it difficult for him to perform the precise procedures required for crafting Pokéblocks.

Flint appeared slightly disappointed but recovered quickly. Having failed so many times, he was used to it, and as a Gym Leader, he had great mental fortitude.

He sat beside Cain, and they began to chat. Although not an expert in Pokémon care, Flint had extensive knowledge about training Rock-type Pokémon.

Cain took the opportunity to learn more about Larvitar and Aron, as well as the habits of Rock-type Pokémon.

Shortly afterward, the 18-year-old boy finished his evaluation. Although he had also failed, he maintained an arrogant attitude that didn't inspire sympathy.

"Do you know that boy?" Cain asked Flint.

"He's the grandson of Master Fujimoto, an advanced Pokémon breeder from Saffron City. He has some talent in Pokémon care but is quite arrogant and doesn't get along well with others," Flint replied.

Cain nodded, understanding better why the boy behaved so haughtily.

"Next, Cain!" the bespectacled man called out.

Finally, it was Cain's turn. Flint encouraged him, and Cain entered the evaluation room, ignoring the scornful look from the arrogant boy.

Inside the room was a round table with tools and materials, and three examiners: a Nurse Joy, an elderly man with a beard, and a bespectacled middle-aged man.

"Cain, this is the head examiner, Master Shiro Nakamura, Vice President of the Breeders' Guild in Saffron City. We also have Nurse Joy, who is an intermediate-level breeder, and I am Daichi, also an intermediate-level breeder," Daichi explained.

"Greetings, examiners!" Cain said respectfully.

"Let's start with some simple questions," Shiro Nakamura said in a serious tone.

Cain answered calmly, demonstrating solid knowledge as the evaluation proceeded smoothly.

(End of chapter)