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The night passed without incident.
At first light, Kael left the cavern and continued deeper into the gorge.
It didn't take long for him to notice how unnaturally strange this place really was.
First, there were the storm clouds an endless blanket of thick black cloud that refused to disperse. Even in broad daylight, the canyon remained cloaked in the dim glow of twilight, the true sunlight completely shut out.
As an Electric type, Kael could feel the oppressive charge inside those clouds a colossal storm waiting to break loose at the slightest trigger. It felt like a sword of lightning suspended over his head.
Second, the magnetic field.
Ever since developing Magnet Rise and learning to manipulate electric and magnetic currents, Kael had been quietly refining his control over the surrounding magnetic field.
But the deeper he travelled into the gorge, the more sluggish and erratic the magnetic flow around him became as though something was interfering with it.
It wasn't natural. And Kael had a suspicion he knew what the culprit was.
A Mythical Electric-type like Zeraora didn't just carry electricity its biological magnetic field was powerful enough to warp the environment.
If it had lived here for some time, its influence could easily have merged with the canyon's own magnetic signature, creating this chaotic mess.
Finally, there was the air itself.
The further in he went, the more the air felt thick and heavy, the electrical energy in it so dense it became hard to breathe.
'I'm literally an Electric-type' Kael thought grimly. 'And even I can barely stand it…'
He felt fear, it was eating him alive.
Any non-Electric Pokémon wouldn't make it fifty steps without suffocating.
More than once, Kael considered turning back. This was starting to go far beyond what his "slow but steady growth" strategy allowed.
And yet…
That pull.
That irresistible, instinctive tug from deep inside the canyon growing stronger with every step dragged him forward.
Step by step.
Until—
BZZZZZT…
Silver-blue electric ripples drifted lazily in the air like mist.
A golden "pond" shimmered ahead but there was no water. Instead, it was filled with viscous, liquid electricity, glowing bright gold and flicking off blue sparks at random.
In the center of the electric pool stood a towering ancient tree.
Black bark, scarred by time; branches dry and bare, and yet from each branch hung small, glowing oval fruits, shining with radiant golden light.
Their translucent skins pulsed with condensed energy, like tiny glass lights filled with lightning.
And at the foot of the tree—
Zeraora sat cross-legged, like a silent guardian.
Its eyes snapped open.
Cold, blue. Curious.
It smiled a little.
Vrrrrrrm—
A ripple spread through the electric pond.
And Zeraora vanished.
---
"Haah… haah…"
Kael gasped for breath. The air around him had turned faintly yellow from the sheer intensity of loose electricity. Every step made his muscles shudder.
Just… a little… farther…
He forced himself forward. He knew that if he collapsed now, he would never get back up.
BuzzZZZZT!
There was a shift in the air the magnetic field spiked sharply.
He looked up—
—just in time to see a silver streak of lightning.
Zeraora appeared directly in front of him.
No words.
No motion.
Just two Electric-type Pokémon… staring at each other.
Kael's heart pounded.
So… this is it.
He had known it would end like this the moment he chose to come deeper.
But the pull was so close now he could taste it. Only a little more. Just a few more steps…
And yet Zeraora stood in the way.
A surge of frustration and unwillingness burned in his chest.
…Even if I know the gap between us is massive… I still have to try!
CRACK!
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZRRRRRRR!!!!!
The Thunder Stone on his chest flared with bright emerald light. Huge volumes of electrical power flooded out, drawn not only from his own reserves but from the supercharged air around him the environment itself amplifying his move.
His palms came together. For an instant, a ball of light brighter than the sun formed between them, illuminating the whole canyon.
"Thunder Shock!!"
BOOOOOOM!
A beam of pure electricity exploded forward, slicing the air apart with a golden trail.
Time seemed to freeze.
Zeraora watched the beam, calm and smiling.
At the last moment, it simply lifted its right hand. A silver arc of electricity flickered across its arm—
—and with a casual flick, it slapped the beam aside.
The golden blast tore into the canyon wall instead, blowing a massive crater into the rock.
CRACK!
But Zeraora's eyes changed.
Because in that instant when it deflected the attack, Kael had already used Thunder Punch to propel himself forward, using the light of the redirected blast as cover.
He appeared at Zeraora's flank, fist surrounded by raging lightning and already mid-swing.
The air cracked.
A lightning-coated fist was inches from the Legendary's face.
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Cliffhanger~
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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