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"A Move Disc?"
Kael looked at the disc on the ground. Its shape closely resembled the move-learning devices in the system interface, and he made a curious guess.
Using both arms, he lifted the disc, which was slightly larger than his small body. As his mind reached into it, a strange wave of energy surged outward, carrying information directly into his thoughts.
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Ding!
Move learned: Aqua Ring.
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The system's notification appeared at just the right moment, informing Kael of the move's name.
The torrent of information flowing through his mind quickly revealed its effect.
"Creates a ring of Water-type energy around the body that restores health over time based on a percentage."
A recovery-type status move. Primarily supportive in nature.
"Not bad at all," Kael thought.
In games, newly learned moves could be used instantly and perfectly.
But in the real world, things were far more complicated.
The effectiveness of a move depended on many factors: the user's condition, their mastery of energy control, and their overall strength.
For a newborn Pokémon like Kael, not only did he lack experience with Water-type techniques, he was still unfamiliar with the way his body and energy functioned.
Under such circumstances, an Aqua Ring he cast now would probably only be capable of healing minor injuries.
To increase the move's effectiveness, extensive training would be necessary in the future.
But that was a concern for later, not now.
Kael didn't even consider trying the move for curiosity's sake.
He had just been born. His energy reserves were extremely limited. Even casting an ordinary move would put a significant strain on him.
Right now, survival and steady growth were his priorities. Skill training could wait.
He casually tossed the one-use move disc aside and ignored the strange copper coins scattered nearby.
Those were human currency. To him, as a Pokémon, they were completely useless.
In fact, they were less valuable than the wild berries that grew in the forest. Even if berries were sour or bitter, at least they could fill an empty stomach.
Kael's eyes gleamed with a sudden thought.
Picking up the Water Stone earlier had reminded him of something.
Something he needed to confirm.
His gaze swept across the cave.
"Quiet environment,.No disturbances,.No hidden threats."
"Perfect."
The realization stirred excitement within him.
His small legs bounced lightly as he hopped toward the center of the altar.
Closing his eyes, he pressed his hands together in front of his chest, casting aside every stray thought until only a single strand of pure awareness remained within the lake of his mind.
He was searching.
Searching for the power hidden deep within his spirit.
Yes.
What Kael wanted to verify was the power of aura.
In his previous life as a Machop, he had learned to wield aura under the guidance of Lucario in the city of Ignis, That power had helped him immensely throughout his journey.
If he could master aura again in this life, it would make surviving the fragile early stage of his life much easier.
That was Kael's reasoning.
Aura came from the mind, and in a certain sense, his mind was bound to his soul.
If he had been able to wield aura in his previous life, then perhaps using that experience he could sense it again in the air around him.
But Kael had forgotten something.
The reason he had mastered aura so quickly in the past, something that normally required years of meditation and practice, was not just his talent.
It was the Fighting-type affinity granted by Terrakion's Shatter-Shoulder Plate.
Without that system equipment, even with all his previous experience, he would only shorten the time needed to sense aura slightly.
To truly control it again, he would still need at least one or two years of dedicated training unless some extraordinary opportunity appeared.
"Sigh…"
Kael let out a quiet breath of disappointment.
After a long period of fruitless concentration, he accepted the truth.
Aura was not something he could regain instantly.
Trying to prepare absolutely everything before stepping into the world had been overly optimistic.
After adjusting his mindset, Kael turned and began walking toward the cave entrance.
Forward.
Without hesitation.
"Chirp… chirp…"
Bright birdsong echoed above his head like music played by nature itself.
The fresh scent of soil and new grass drifted through the air as a gentle breeze brushed against his face.
Everywhere he looked, the world was alive with vibrant green.
Standing at the mouth of the cave, Kael felt the moisture in the air while carefully watching his surroundings.
He was no rookie.
The peaceful scenery before him did not fool him.
In wild environments like this, the things that seemed harmless—things that made you relax—were often the most dangerous.
One small moment of carelessness could easily lead to death.
And right now, he was nothing more than a newborn Pokémon, barely capable of defending himself.
The most urgent task was to find water.
A stream, a river, even a lake. Any water source would do.
As a Water-type Pokémon, staying on land placed him at a serious disadvantage in both combat and escape.
Only when surrounded by water could he truly make use of the advantages of his species.
If he were lucky, he might even find a group of Sobble living nearby. If that happened, surviving the vulnerable early stage of life would become much easier.
The bright yellow sail-like organ atop his head swayed gently.
Invisible moisture in the air was quietly absorbed and analyzed, streams of information flowing into Kael's mind.
Less than twenty seconds later, he had already determined the direction of the nearest large water source based on the concentration of moisture in the air.
"Got it."
Joy flashed in Kael's eyes.
With a quick hop, he set off toward the location etched in his memory.
Yet as a soul from another world, even with the system's subtle protection, the world itself still rejected him in subtle ways.
That resistance would manifest through small obstacles and unexpected twists.
Perhaps that was why so many travelers from other worlds experienced lives filled with turmoil.
And Kael's search for water would be no exception.
Because in this world, under the quiet influence of unseen forces, things rarely went exactly as planned.
Accidents had a habit of appearing when you least expected them.
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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!