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Gerard crouched down, carefully examining the traces of battle on the ground, his brows slightly furrowed.
"…At this level…"
While it was impossible to determine the opponent's exact strength from the remnants alone, his experience still allowed him to draw one clear conclusion—
The opponent was not weak.
Strangely, instead of concern, Gerard felt a hint of excitement.
The stronger the opponent, the more credible Wendis's story became.
And the less likely it was that this trip had been a waste.
Folding his arms, Gerard's sharp, hawk-like gaze swept across the clearing.
"Sobble, huh…"
After a brief moment of thought, he had already formed a plan.
As a next-generation game developed by the world-renowned company Nintendo, Pokémon: World had stirred massive anticipation even before its details were revealed.
Just the weight of the Pokémon IP alone had caused waves across the gaming community.
As a professional player, Gerard had sensed the coming surge early on.
He had already studied the entire Pokémon franchise in advance.
From the early classics like Red, Green, Gold, and Silver—
To later titles like Ruby, Diamond, and Pearl—
Enduring even the outdated pixel graphics, he had gone through nearly the entire series.
Among them, the countless Pokémon species and their traits were his primary focus.
Sobble, one of the Gen 8 starters, was naturally something he was familiar with.
It's chameleon-like invisibility.
Its tear-based defense that could overwhelm enemies.
Both had left a strong impression on him.
And from Wendis's description, he already knew—
This particular Sobble could actively control its invisibility.
With that ability, combined with its small body and the dim lighting of the forest—
The chances of spotting it visually were almost zero.
But for Gerard—
That wasn't a problem.
If vision didn't work—
Then approach from another angle.
Whoosh!
A Poké Ball spun through the air, releasing a burst of red light.
"Woof!"
A lively bark echoed through the silent forest.
A small Pokémon appeared.
Covered in soft brown fur.
Bright black-and-white eyes filled with energy.
Its short tail is wagging rapidly.
Lillipup.
A Normal-type puppy Pokémon known for its intelligence and charm.
Gentle, loyal, easy to raise, and with decent evolutionary potential—
It was one of the most popular starter choices for beginner trainers.
And in this newly launched game, where resources were scarce and knowledge limited—
Its value was even higher.
Gerard had spent considerable effort obtaining it.
Looking down at the little Pokémon circling his legs excitedly, he smiled faintly.
Bending down, he patted its fluffy head.
"Alright, alright."
"Go on. See if you can pick up a scent."
Yes.
Lillipup wasn't just adorable.
It possessed one key trait—
An exceptionally sharp sense of smell.
Far beyond that of ordinary animals.
Even as a newly obtained Pokémon, its olfactory ability was already remarkable.
"Sniff… sniff…"
Following its trainer's command, Lillipup lowered its head and began carefully sniffing the ground.
Then—
It found something.
"Woof!"
With a low bark, it suddenly dashed forward into the depths of the forest.
"Oh?"
Gerard's eyes lit up.
He immediately understood.
It had found the trail.
Without hesitation, he signaled to Wendis and followed.
---
Deep within the forest.
Kael moved cautiously, his slender limbs stepping lightly across the ground.
His small body made him nearly weightless.
Even on a forest floor covered in dry leaves, his footsteps were barely audible.
His blue eyes scanned the surroundings constantly.
Nothing escaped his vision.
If not for his limited energy reserves—
With his control over water-type energy honed through multiple lifetimes—
He could have completely erased even the faintest sound of movement.
And with enough energy, he could maintain invisibility at all times.
For now—
That wasn't possible.
"Slow and steady…"
Kael wasn't in a hurry.
He understood this well.
Growth like this couldn't be rushed.
Only time.
Only accumulation.
Only constant refinement.
Rustle!
Suddenly—
A brown figure burst out from the shadows of the forest.
Fast.
Sharp.
Like a projectile tearing through the air.
It shot straight toward Kael.
But Kael had been alert.
His muscles tensed instantly.
With the agility granted by Deoxys's Speed Form DNA, he leapt upward.
Dodged.
Cleanly.
The wind from the attack brushed past his ears.
His eyes locked onto the attacker mid-motion.
And then—
Recognition flashed.
"…Zigzagoon?"
Even in that brief moment, he recognized it.
The same reckless Pokémon that had nearly killed him a week ago.
A faint smile formed on his face.
"Perfect timing."
A week of training had transformed him.
His strength had increased several times over.
Completely different from before.
Back then, that Zigzagoon had pushed him to the brink of death.
Now—
With his newfound power—
Kael had no intention of letting this encounter go.
It was time.
To settle the score.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!