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For the Zigzagoon standing before him, the prey that had once slipped through its claws was something it hated with a burning intensity.
Especially after being forced into uncontrollable tears by Kael—
The humiliation alone had pushed its fury to the limit.
A full week had passed, yet instead of cooling its anger, time had only packed it tighter, like pressure building inside a powder keg.
Hatred filled every corner of its mind.
Today, just like every other day, it had been searching for that same Sobble's trail—
While also looking for something to eat.
But fate, it seemed, had chosen to favor it.
That annoying Sobble…
Had appeared again.
The pent-up rage exploded instantly, surging through its body as raw momentum.
Without hesitation, Zigzagoon launched itself forward.
This was the fastest charge it had ever achieved in its life.
And yet—
To its shock—
The Sobble it had nearly caught a week ago now moved with astonishing agility, effortlessly dodging its attack.
The surprise barely had time to register—
Because in the very next moment—
A surge of icy water slammed into its body.
Kael's small figure descended lightly through the air, the recoil from the Water Gun he had fired pushing him diagonally backward.
His battle instincts, sharpened across multiple lifetimes, had already taken over the moment the fight began.
Every action—
Every decision—
Seemed almost instinctive, unplanned.
But in truth, they were the most precise responses possible, honed through countless battles.
Using a Water Gun midair allowed him to deal damage while widening the distance.
Because in Kael's eyes, his advantage was clear—
Range.
As long as he kept space between them and slowed the pace of the fight, he could outlast Zigzagoon using his superior energy reserves, amplified by the Water Stone.
But if the enemy closed the gap—
The situation would turn dangerous instantly.
Bang!
Wrapped in splashing water, Zigzagoon's body slammed hard against a tree trunk.
The impact inflicted a second wave of damage on top of the water attack.
"Chi!"
It cried out in pain, its back throbbing from the collision.
But the pain was quickly drowned out—
By the raging fire of humiliation and anger burning inside it.
Ignoring the ache, Zigzagoon forced itself back onto its feet, its limbs trembling slightly.
Its brown-black eyes locked onto Kael.
A faint, shimmering pink light flickered in the air.
Baby-Doll Eyes.
Soft pink waves rippled outward like a tide, instantly filling the clearing.
"…Damn it."
The moment the light appeared, Kael felt a sharp sense of danger.
Instinctively, he raised his arms to guard.
But it didn't matter.
This wasn't a physical attack.
Baby-Doll Eyes was a status move.
It didn't deal damage—
It targeted the mind.
Slowing thought.
Dulling reaction speed.
And if the effect ran deep enough, it could even charm weaker Pokémon into losing the will to fight entirely.
Though Kael's soul—tempered across multiple lifetimes—shielded him from the worst of it, he still couldn't avoid the baseline debuffs.
The effect hit him instantly.
His body felt heavier.
Sluggish.
In front of him, Zigzagoon surged forward again, its head glowing with bright white energy.
Kael's blue eyes sharpened.
His legs tensed, preparing to jump as he had before—
But—
His movements dragged.
Simple actions now took dozens of times longer to execute.
"…Too slow."
In a split second, Kael calculated the outcome.
The probability of dodging—
Zero.
There was no way he could leap in time.
"…Then so be it."
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
If he couldn't evade—
Then he would attack.
Offense was the best defense.
His slender right arm shot upward, brilliant white energy gathering along it.
Pound.
With everything he had—
Kael drove his arm forward toward the charging Zigzagoon.
But—
Something was wrong.
The expected collision—
Never came.
Instead—
A violent pressure descended from above.
The Jirong Forest, untouched by human interference, still preserves the vibrant ecosystem it has maintained for millions of years.
Though many ancient species had vanished over time—
New ones had emerged, taking their place in the ever-evolving food chain.
In terms of biodiversity, this vast forest stood among the richest ecosystems on the entire continent.
Countless Pokémon—
Some massive and ferocious.
Others are small and gentle—
All coexisted within its depths.
Such a complex environment bred chaos.
Uncertainty.
Anything could happen.
And while Kael and Zigzagoon were locked in battle—
Neither of them noticed—
High above, hidden within thick clouds—
A pair of cold, emotionless eyes had been watching.
Patient.
Silent.
The predator circled, waiting.
For the perfect moment.
And that moment came—
Just as Kael committed to his attack.
BOOM—
The air shattered.
A streamlined silver-white figure, gleaming under the sunlight, dove from the sky at a speed beyond comprehension.
Kael didn't even have time to react.
In the next instant—
A violent gust of wind, carried by that descending figure—
Slammed into him—
And hurled his small body violently into the air.
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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!