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Darkness.
Pain.
Kael's eyes cracked open.
The first thing he saw was the same oppressive blanket of storm clouds hanging over the canyon. It was still dim, still eternally dusk.
He tried to sit up only to immediately wince. A sharp bolt of pain flared through his abdomen.
Looking down, he saw a charred patch scorched deep into his pink rubbery skin.
Even with Flaaffy's built-in resistance to high voltage…
It was a sobering reminder. When Mareep evolves, its skin adapts to withstand the strong currents it produces but even that hadn't been enough against Zeraora's lightning-infused strike.
Thinking back on the fight, Kael realized…the Legendary had actually held back. Just a little, Enough to disable rather than kill.
A lingering sense of reverence pushed aside the pride he'd been quietly developing since getting the system. The gap between them was enormous and very, very real.
He pushed himself upright, back against the rock wall, and finally took in his surroundings.
He was lying in a half-enclosed stone alcove, like a natural niche in the canyon. The walls curved around him in a crescent, and embedded throughout the stone were dozens of shimmering, green Stones.
Soft emerald light flickered from the ore. The air here was thick with pure electrical energy not suffocating like before, but nourishing.
To Kael, it felt like plunging into cool water after crossing a burning desert.
"…Did I get brought here?"
He frowned.
There were only two explanations:
1. Zeraora walked away and some other Pokémon found and saved him.
2. Zeraora itself brought him here and then left.
Considering how it had pulled its final blow, the second option didn't seem impossible.
Who knows… maybe it actually… respected that punch?
He gave a soft, helpless chuckle.
"What a mess…"
Either way, his injuries weren't fatal but they were serious enough that even sitting up cost him strength.
For now, there was nothing to do but rest.
Whatever happened next… he'd deal with it when he could move again.
Tap… tap…
Footsteps.
Kael straightened, eyes fixed on the alcove entrance.
And then the figure appeared.
Standing upright like a cat, yellow fur trailing behind it like lightning in motion—
Zeraora.
Kael finally let out the breath he was holding.
If it had wanted him dead, he wouldn't be sitting here right now.
Zeraora took a few unhurried steps into the alcove. Its icy blue eyes scanned the Thunder Stone-covered walls with a faintly nostalgic look.
Then, with a flick of its wrist, it tossed a small branch toward Kael still loaded with pink berries.
It didn't say a word.
It simply sat down cross-legged and closed its eyes.
Kael stared for a moment.
"…Cold as always, huh."
His stomach growled in response.
Resisting the urge to comment further, he plucked a berry from the branch and bit into it.
Crunch.
Sweet.
Painfully sweet.
But as soon as he swallowed, the cold fruit melted into a warm current that flowed down into his damaged abdomen, spreading gentle, soothing heat.
His eyes widened slightly.
—It's medicinal.
Without hesitation, he downed another.
Across from him, Zeraora remained motionless, eyes closed, as if he wasn't even worth acknowledging.
Still…
For the first time since stepping into this cursed canyon, Kael felt the slightest trace of safety… and maybe even something like companionship.
---
Dark Star – Battle Division Headquarters
The scent of tea drifted gently through the air.
SLAM!
A palm hit the desk hard, rattling the tea set.
"You're sending us to die!"
Lieutenant Louis glared at his superior, Lecaf, veins bulging at his temples. "What, our squad's lives aren't worth anything now?!"
Lecaf calmly lifted his cup.
"Sit down," he said softly.
Louis clenched his jaw, but obeyed, slowly lowering himself into the chair opposite.
Lecaf took a sip, then set the cup down with deliberate precision.
"What I'm about to tell you is classified," he said. "You will not speak of it outside this room. Do you understand?"
Louis, still fuming, gave a stiff nod.
"You already know we're a newer organization. In raw power, Dark Star rivals almost anyone in the world except the League itself. But in heritage… we lack territory, history, and long-standing influence."
He steepled his fingers.
"The old powers have already carved up the world's major regions. Everywhere we expand, we meet resistance. Every branch we build hangs on by the skin of its teeth."
"That's why, several years ago, someone in the Executive Council proposed a new strategy."
"Rather than fight the old titans for scraps… why not move into the one land no one dares claim?"
"The Clara Mountains."
"Dangerous, yes. Unstable, yes. But also filled with unclaimed resources. Rare Pokémon. Possibly even Legendaries. If we gain a foothold there, we won't be competing for table scraps…"
Lecaf's eyes gleamed behind his glasses.
"We'll be claiming a New Continent."
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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