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"Crash—!"
The faintly blue-tinged torrent surged forward like a high-pressure jet, crossing the distance between Kael and Skarmory in an instant.
"SHRRR—!"
The grating scream of metal under stress mixed with the sharp hiss of water breaking apart.
From a distance, the pale-blue stream blasting from Kael's mouth looked like a strange beam of light completely enveloping Skarmory's body beneath its crossed wings, forming a sphere of swirling blue.
Only Skarmory truly understood the force contained within.
The Water Gun didn't last long.
Kael's energy reserves were still limited due to his low level.
Even with the Water Stone feeding him additional power, it only gave him a bit more endurance just enough to avoid collapsing immediately after the attack.
The strain was still immense.
But it was enough.
Based on Kael's judgment, even a defense-focused Pokémon like Skarmory wouldn't walk away from that hit unharmed.
And that proved true.
"Kreee—!"
A strained cry burst from Skarmory.
Its legs were forced back step by step under the pressure of the water.
The once gleaming metallic wings shielding its body had lost their shine, now dull and streaked like water-stained mirrors.
If Kael had held on just a bit longer—
This fight might have ended right there.
But as it stood…
Skarmory endured.
It lowered its trembling wings and fixed Kael with a heavy, murderous gaze.
Its attitude had changed.
Completely.
Before, Kael had been nothing more than an after-meal snack.
Now—
He was a threat.
A real one.
The blade-like tail behind Skarmory rose sharply.
A suffocating killing intent spread through the forest.
Against prey, it struck fast and decisively But against a dangerous opponent—
It became patient.
Calculated.
It would wear Kael down.
Probe.
Analyze.
And then—
Kill in a single decisive strike.
—
Kael felt it too.
The shift.
The battle had entered its most dangerous phase.
His blue eyes remained calm.
But deep inside—
Flames of battle intent burned.
Both of them were fully locked onto each other now.
Any distraction—
Any mistake—
Would mean defeat.
Or death.
—
Which was why neither of them noticed…
Two figures hidden in the shadows nearby.
Gerard's eyes were glued to the battlefield.
His body trembled slightly—not from fear.
From excitement.
"This is…"
"…perfect."
Five minutes earlier, he and Wendy had arrived, guided by their Lillipup.
The fight had been impossible to miss.
Even from hundreds of meters away, the sounds alone had drawn them in.
And the moment Gerard saw Kael—
The system panel confirmed it.
This was their target.
But what came next…
Shocked him.
The power.
The speed.
The decision-making.
That tiny body—
Moved like a veteran fighter.
Explosive strength that defied its size.
Ghost-like agility.
Battle instincts rivaling a human.
Everything about it screamed—
Exceptional.
Gerard's desire to capture Kael grew even stronger.
But at the same time—
Reality set in.
Even with his command—
His Lillipup wouldn't stand a chance against this creature.
They had underestimated it.
Completely.
They had focused only on rarity and quality—
And ignored combat capability.
A mistake.
A dangerous one.
But then—
Luck intervened.
Because now—
This powerful Sobble was locked in battle with an even stronger opponent.
A Skarmory.
A perfect opportunity.
Let them weaken each other.
Then—
Strike.
Two birds.
One stone.
Gerard suppressed the urge to act immediately.
He stayed hidden.
Watching.
Waiting.
For the perfect moment.
—
Beside him, Wendy watched as well.
But unlike Gerard—
Her thoughts were simple.
Pure.
She wasn't calculating.
Not strategizing.
She was just…
Watching.
Admiring.
The fight.
The movement.
The beauty of it.
—
Then—
Suddenly—
Gerard moved.
Not out of impatience.
But because—
The moment had come.
On the battlefield—
After that devastating Water Gun—
The fight had slowed.
And now—
Kael's movements were no longer as sharp.
Not as fluid.
To Gerard's trained eyes—
It was obvious.
Fatigue.
He was slowing down.
"Do I move now…?"
Gerard hesitated.
Originally, he planned to wait longer.
Let both sides exhaust themselves.
Maximize his gain.
But now—
If he waited—
Kael might die.
And that—
Was unacceptable.
This Sobble was his priority.
In a fight like this—
A single moment could decide everything.
One mistake.
One delay.
Death.
If he acted too late—
He would lose his prize.
—
After a brief moment of thought—
Gerard made his decision.
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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)
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