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Kael naturally did not know that the extremely humiliating images of himself had already spread across the entire player forum under Marcus's hands.
If he had known…
With his personality, it was not impossible that he would kill himself on the spot and end this shameful life then and there.
"Damn it!"
"This is so embarrassing!"
Kael roared inwardly, his clear blue eyes locked fiercely on Marcus in front of him, as if he wanted to swallow him alive. His gaze was unusually vicious.
The extreme shame and anger in his heart made him want to leap off the field immediately and slap that hateful guy across the face.
If the slap could knock out his memory, all the better.
In reality, many things that people felt were incredibly embarrassing and remembered vividly in their own hearts were often nothing more than something others laughed off casually.
Kael and Marcus were exactly like that.
Although Sobble's behavior had been funny, Marcus had only been surprised at first before quickly returning his focus to the battle.
To become a top creator with nearly five million followers, he naturally had a concentration beyond ordinary people.
He knew very clearly what he should be doing at any given moment.
Seeing that the referee at the side of the field was already in position, Marcus no longer wasted time. His right hand reached into his system backpack, and a red-and-white Poké Ball with a metallic shine appeared in his hand.
"Go. I'll leave the battle to you…"
Marcus stared at the Poké Ball in his palm and murmured softly before throwing it out.
"Caw!"
As red light burst from the Poké Ball, a proud blue-black figure appeared in midair.
Its overall shape resembled a giant crow about half the height of a human.
Fine blue-black feathers covered its entire body. Under the overhead lights, they faintly reflected an unexpected metallic sheen. One could sense its excellent defensive ability at a glance.
On its steel-like claws, a cold sharpness quietly bloomed, carrying a dangerous and deadly aura.
Its crimson hawk-like eyes were like two rubies condensed from blood. Beneath their cold and ferocious look was the calm pride unique to bird Pokémon.
Corvisquire.
A Flying-type Pokémon.
Commonly found in the Galar region, it possessed outstanding strength that did not match its large population.
Its evolved form, Corviknight, had racial potential that could be considered upper-middle class even among all Flying-type Pokémon.
"Caw!"
A piercing cry full of fighting spirit burst through the air and echoed across the wide room.
"Heh."
"Plenty of spirit."
At the edge of the field, Marcus smiled slightly, raising his chin as he looked at Corvisquire with deep affection.
The reason Marcus had so many followers and loyal fans was not only because of his extraordinary focus and mechanical skill comparable to professional players.
It was also because of his natural talent for immersion.
Anyone who had watched even a little of his content could easily discover that no matter what type of game he played, he always maintained a sincere and genuine heart.
He deeply immersed himself in the role he played, carefully feeling the development of the story and every word and action from the surrounding NPCs.
To put it simply:
He never broke character.
Similarly, after entering Pokémon: World, he naturally immersed himself as a rookie Trainer born in the Pokémon world.
Because of that, toward his most crucial Pokémon partner, the one who would never betray him, his attitude was distinctly different from that of ordinary players.
Unlike other players, who treated the Pokémon in their hands as tools for enjoying the game, Marcus truly, from the bottom of his heart, regarded his Pokémon as a friend and partner.
This was also why his Trainer strength far surpassed that of most players by an entire level.
Whether in the real world or inside a virtual game, bonds would always be the bridge through which Pokémon and humans developed and progressed together.
Marcus, who had unknowingly grasped the core content of Pokémon: World, would be the most troublesome opponent Kael had encountered so far.
Although Kael did not yet feel that way, it would not take long before he experienced how different Marcus was from ordinary players during battle.
Seeing that the challenger had already released his Pokémon and both sides were prepared, the referee no longer delayed and announced the start of the match.
Beep.
A crisp, clear whistle rang out.
"Battle begins!"
Almost the instant the whistle sounded, Kael moved.
Having turned the shame and anger in his heart into fury, he could no longer wait to transform his rage into a storm of attacks and pour it onto his opponent.
"Water Pulse!"
Buzz!
Surging, crystal-clear water suddenly seeped from the surface of his body. Mixed with dazzling blue Water-type energy, it rushed forward and gathered in front of him, forming a radiant blue water ring.
He had no intention of holding back.
The moment he attacked, it was his strongest killing move at full power.
His resilient soul, which had bathed in the river of time for who knew how long, gave Kael an overwhelming talent for pulse-type moves far beyond ordinary Pokémon of his kind.
In only a few weeks, his control over the move had improved by leaps and bounds.
Whether in terms of energy gathering speed or move power, it had undergone a complete transformation compared with before.
Kael raised his two slender arms and pushed forward from in front of his chest.
Buzz.
With an ethereal sound, the blue water ring shot upward like a meteor rising from the ground, spinning rapidly as it flew toward Corvisquire overhead.
"Oh?"
A sharp light suddenly flashed in Marcus's eyes.
"That power…"
Although he was still considered a rookie Trainer, as a player empowered by the internet of the information age, his eyesight and judgment were not poor.
With the naked eye alone, after Water Pulse was released, he could only see a streak of blue light left in the air. He could not capture its exact shape at all.
But Marcus understood very clearly just how terrifying the power contained within it was.
Even his Corvisquire, if directly struck head-on, would probably only have one outcome: severe injury and immediate loss of combat ability.
A Sobble capable of casually releasing a move of this level was probably not the fragile product of hype he had imagined before.
It seemed this Sobble really did have something special.
Even so, faced with Kael's astonishing Water Pulse, not the slightest trace of panic appeared in Marcus's eyes.
He did not even give a command.
He merely stood calmly at the side of the field.
Because in his heart, he firmly believed that his Pokémon partner, Corvisquire, could handle it perfectly.
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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!