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Kael did not need much time to recover before returning to peak condition.
From the moment the battle with Pheromosa began, he had activated Shield King Form. No matter how violent the assault became, the solid armor absorbed nearly all the damage.
The only lingering effect was mild muscle soreness caused by the strain of the form itself, and even that faded quickly under his enhanced post-evolution recovery.
Once he confirmed that no other threats were nearby, it was time for the most anticipated part of any battle.
The rewards.
Even after experiencing it hundreds of times across multiple lifetimes, Kael still felt his heart stir.
After all, who did not love experience and levels?
With practiced ease, he focused his mind and opened the system interface lurking at the edge of his vision, anticipation quietly building.
Ding!
[Defeated Pokémon: Pheromosa.
Experience gained: 501.]
As expected.
Kael felt a surge of satisfaction.
The massive experience gained from defeating Guzzlord had not been a fluke. Every Ultra Beast provided far more experience than ordinary Pokémon, allowing its growth to accelerate at an incredible pace.
For Kael, who feared that the world might be heading toward collapse and urgently needed to grow stronger, this was invaluable.
Still, the system's experience calculations remained strange.
In Kael's judgment, Pheromosa was not stronger than Guzzlord, and the fight itself had been shorter and easier. Even accounting for the Ultra Beast bonus, three or four hundred experience points should have been the upper limit.
Five hundred was more than he had expected.
That said, more experience was hardly a problem. He welcomed it gladly.
He moved on and opened his status panel.
Raw experience numbers meant little on their own. Only by combining level increases and newly unlocked abilities could he properly evaluate his growth.
---
Species: Machoke
Level: 56 (73100)
Ability: Steadfast
Moves:
Low Kick, Leer, Focus Energy, Confuse Ray, Payback, Spite, Low Sweep, Knock Off, Scary Face, Seismic Toss, Phantom Force, Shadow Punch, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Aura Sphere, Dynamic Punch, Dual Chop, Bulk Up, Shadow Ball, Night Shade, Earthquake Toss, Sacred Sword (Locked), Mega Punch
Evaluation: A promise made before an unknown transcendent existence has drawn the attention of the world itself. Whether this becomes a blessing or a disaster depends on your choices.
Held Items: Terrakion's Shatter-Shoulder Plate, Zamazenta's Heart.
---
Starting with his level.
After defeating Pheromosa, Kael had surged to level 56.
At this level, Shield King Form could amplify his power even more effectively.
Gaining five levels at once did not cause the overwhelming energy surge he had felt in the past.
That was thanks to the absurd foundation he had built back when he was still a Machop. Those encounters had given him a base that should not have been possible in the normal Pokémon world.
With such a solid core, even drastic increases in power were manageable. Unless he jumped twenty or thirty levels at once, his body could adapt smoothly.
His ability remained unchanged.
Steadfast.
A hidden ability that only triggered under specific conditions. Kael had long since stopped expecting much from it. Useful when it is activated, otherwise unremarkable.
Then his eyes moved to the move list.
His gaze paused.
Something new had appeared.
Sacred Sword was still locked, but right after it was a brand-new move.
Mega Punch.
True to its name, it was a brutally direct Fighting-type attack, a devastating punch meant to shatter anything it struck.
It was a signature move of the Machop line in Kael's previous life. After evolving into Machamp, unleashing Mega Punch with four arms at once was a nightmare scenario for any opponent.
Simple. Violent. Overwhelming.
A Fighting-type move packed with the power to crack the earth itself.
Kael had been waiting for it.
And now, at level 56, he finally had it.
He remembered that in the games, Mega Punch had a guaranteed confusion effect. Whether that property still existed in reality remained to be seen.
Suppressing his rising excitement, Kael scanned the remaining sections of the panel. Seeing no other changes, he closed the system and returned his focus to the real world.
His right fist slowly clenched.
Kael steadied his breathing and focused his intent.
"Mega Punch."
A deep hum filled the air.
In an instant, every trace of Fighting-type energy within his body surged toward his right fist.
Dark purple skin gleamed faintly as red-brown Fighting aura spilled outward. Even with Kael's precise control, he could not fully restrain the immense energy rushing through him.
The gathered power condensed around his clenched fist, glowing with a brilliant crimson-brown light.
It felt like a barrel packed with explosives.
One touch away from detonation.
He shouted and drove his fist straight into the ground.
Boom!
The stone pavement disintegrated instantly. Web-like cracks spread outward as the solid rock beneath fractured layer by layer.
A massive crater opened in the street.
Debris and shattered stone erupted into the air as violent energy waves whipped up a roaring wind overhead.
Kael pulled his fist free from the rubble and allowed himself a satisfied smile.
His arsenal had grown again.
Then his smile froze.
He looked down at the street.
The road had already been heavily damaged during the fight with Pheromosa. Now, thanks to Mega Punch, a massive crater sat squarely in the middle of it.
This road was no longer usable.
He went still.
"…I messed up."
For once, in the thrill of victory and sudden power growth, Kael had forgotten where he was. He had failed to restrain his strength inside a human town.
Guilt welled up as he prepared to check whether any residents had been injured.
Then he stopped.
A complicated emotion flashed through his crimson eyes.
He exhaled slowly.
He remembered.
The people of Nance Town had already had their life force drained by Pheromosa.
The residents he had seen earlier were nothing more than puppets, bodies animated by the strange substances Pheromosa had spread.
Now that Pheromosa was dead.
The once bustling, lively town.
Was left with only one living being.
Kael stood alone.
Silence spread through the empty streets, heavy and suffocating, carrying a sense of desolation and grief.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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