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Kael had only discovered the invisibility ability of his body because of the tears he shed during his encounter with the Zigzagoon.
Unfortunately, although those tears possessed a powerful tear-inducing effect that could repel many enemies, they were merely an instinctive reaction Sobble produced when facing overwhelming danger.
They weren't something he could control.
Only intense emotional shock or an urgent sense of life-threatening danger could trigger his tear glands to produce that special fluid.
That made things rather awkward.
If he wanted to survive in the wild, relying on a reaction he couldn't control was far too risky.
He couldn't gamble his life on the hope that his body might cry at the right moment.
So after days of experimentation and careful thought, Kael had devised a method that allowed him to activate his camouflage even without tears or the presence of lake water.
The key was Aqua Ring.
This restorative status move, combined with Kael's precise control and a bit of creative thinking, had become the key to activating his camouflage invisibly.
He reduced the recovery energy of the skill to lower its energy consumption.
At the same time, he expanded its area of effect so that enough water droplets could coat every inch of his skin.
By perfectly merging the system skill with his body's natural instincts, Kael had created his most reliable stealth method.
The crystalline rings of water spun rapidly around him.
In less than two seconds, the blue skin that had once stood out against the surrounding greenery faded completely.
Combined with the dark shadows of the forest, even the faint outline of his body disappeared entirely.
Kael was confident that as long as he didn't encounter a Pokémon with extremely sharp perception, no one would notice him while he held this environmental advantage.
Tap… tap…
The approaching footsteps were becoming clearer.
Whoever it was… was getting closer.
Kael slowed his breathing as much as possible, staring intently in the direction of the sound.
His body remained perfectly still, like a piece of dead wood.
Then—
A flash of orange-gold appeared through the dark green forest.
Golden-orange hair, soft and smooth, had been tied into a pair of playful twin ponytails that swayed gently with every step.
Her bright golden eyes sparkled like gemstones filled with starlight.
Her delicate features, framed by pale skin, looked as though they had been sculpted by nature itself.
The figure that appeared before Kael was a beautiful girl with twin ponytails.
A flood of question marks filled his mind.
He froze for a moment.
"A human?"
Why would a human appear in this dangerous wilderness filled with wild Pokémon?
Could she be… a trainer?
His eyes narrowed slightly as he carefully observed her.
But the more he looked, the stranger things seemed.
First, despite her slender frame, the girl wore a simple white uniform.
It wasn't ugly, but compared to her striking appearance, the outfit seemed somewhat plain.
Through his enhanced vision, Kael could clearly see a red-and-white Poké Ball emblem printed on the chest of her uniform.
If he remembered correctly, that symbol belonged to the standard trainer uniform issued by the Pokémon League.
So she really was a trainer?
But what surprised him was that he couldn't spot a single Poké Ball on her.
Normally, even the most inexperienced rookie trainer would keep their Poké Balls somewhere easily accessible in case of sudden battles.
But this girl had no Pokémon beside her for protection.
And no Poké Balls at hand either.
In a dangerous environment like this, such behavior was practically suicidal.
The second strange thing was her expression.
She seemed… far too relaxed.
The excitement and anticipation on her face made Kael feel as though she wasn't exploring a dangerous forest at all.
Instead, she looked more like a student from his previous life enjoying a cheerful school field trip.
Finally, there was her presence.
A trainer who had earned recognition from the Pokémon League and received a professional badge and uniform had usually undergone years of hard training.
Studying knowledge.
Practicing battles.
Endless preparation.
Through his past experiences, Kael had developed a keen ability to distinguish the unique aura trainers carried.
It was a special temperament.
More lively and adventurous than a scholar.
More relaxed and free-spirited than a soldier.
But the girl standing before him possessed none of that.
Aside from her beauty, she seemed completely ordinary.
If it weren't for the uniform and the setting, Kael might have thought he was mistaken.
The stark contrast filled him with confusion.
The strange behavior of the blonde girl made him even more cautious.
He remained hidden silently within the shadows.
Her twin golden ponytails bounced playfully as she moved.
Like a lively rabbit, the slender girl hopped lightly through the forest with cheerful steps.
Kael could even faintly hear her humming a tune.
Although her curious eyes scanned the surrounding forest, she clearly hadn't noticed the small figure hiding in the shadows beside her.
Kael assumed she would simply pass by and continue deeper into the forest.
But just as he relaxed slightly—
The twin-tailed girl suddenly stopped walking.
Kael's heart skipped a beat.
Before he could react, the girl placed her hands on her hips and began pacing slowly around the surrounding forest.
Her sharp gaze swept across the area as if inspecting something.
Then a bright smile appeared on her fair, beautiful face.
She nodded in satisfaction.
Kael, who had just sighed in relief because she hadn't noticed him, now felt puzzled by her behavior.
He was still considering his next move when—
The girl's next action made shock explode through his mind like a tidal wave.
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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!