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Bang!
The fierce wind from Swampert's palm slammed into the grass-covered battlefield. The tender green blades were torn apart with ease, bursting into countless tiny green fibers along with scattering grass seeds.
But the crisp sound Kael had imagined, the sound of his skull bursting apart under overwhelming force, never came.
Kael kept his eyes closed and waited for a long time, yet the call of the reincarnation space never arrived.
"This…"
He stood frozen in place. His body, stiffened by the threat of death, twitched lightly.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
What entered his vision was a deep blue, like the depths of the sea.
He froze for a moment.
Then he understood.
"Swampert?"
The full-power chop Swampert had unleashed with overwhelming strength, smashing through Kael's Water Gun and carrying terrifying force all the way down, had stopped.
With its extraordinary control over its own body, precise enough to release and withdraw power at will, Swampert had halted the attack at the very last moment, just before it could crush Kael's skull and turn everything inside, bone and brain alike, into paste.
It had stopped one inch above Kael's face.
The cutting wind left countless fine, shallow wounds across his water-blue face. Thin traces of crimson slowly seeped from them.
Kael's expression changed slightly, yet he still held the same stiff, satisfied look from when he had closed his eyes and waited for death.
Time seemed to freeze.
One second.
Two seconds.
On the third second, Kael's clear blue pupils suddenly widened, and light returned to them.
"I'm… alive?"
"Hah… hah… urgh…"
What followed was violent breathing mixed with nauseous dry heaving.
The intense stimulation of walking along the edge between life and death had triggered a severe stress reaction in his weak Sobble body.
Swampert slowly withdrew its palm. Its orange eyes remained cold and emotionless, yet in a place no one else could see, a trace of approval and recognition flashed through them.
The muscles in its chest suddenly tightened, and the round wound that had been bleeding nonstop immediately closed, leaving only thin traces of blood on the surface.
The difference in strength was simply too great.
Even though Kael had relied on the system's critical hit damage bonus to break through Swampert's skin, it was useless against the much tougher, denser muscle beneath.
From the outside, the injury looked serious, but in truth, it was only a surface wound.
Swampert did not show it outwardly, but in its heart, it greatly admired the brave and wildly aggressive Sobble before it.
Even without Evan's instruction before the battle, Swampert would still have held back during the fight and spared this determined Sobble's life.
Serious and cold by nature, Swampert did not turn back to look at Kael, who was still dry heaving behind it. It turned toward Evan, gave a small nod, and was returned to its Poké Ball.
"Hah… hah…"
As Kael breathed heavily, his body gradually recovered.
"Looks like my earlier guess was right. They really didn't intend to kill me."
"Good. If I had died just like that, it really would've been a waste."
As he sighed inwardly, the heart that had gradually grown calm because of his comfortable life in the park began burning once more.
"Power…"
"No matter what world I'm in, the power to protect my own life is still the most important thing."
At that moment, Kael's desire for strength became urgent once again.
Step. Step.
Soft footsteps sounded beside him as someone walked across the damp grass.
Kael turned his head and saw that the newcomer was the muscular man who had been standing behind Swampert earlier, most likely Swampert's Trainer.
Evan walked over at a lazy pace, his gaze fixed on the Sobble before him with clear appreciation.
Although he did not particularly approve of Kael's madly aggressive fighting style, from every other angle, he recognized Kael's ability quite highly.
As for the dangerous scene that had taken place during the battle, Evan had not been worried.
Swampert had been by his side for more than ten years. He had absolute trust in his partner.
Since he had already told Swampert before the battle not to inflict any fatal injuries on Sobble, Swampert would respect his command and hold back at the end, no matter how angry it became.
Besides…
Evan glanced down at the Poké Ball he had just returned to his waist, his expression carrying a trace of surprise.
"That guy… actually seems to approve of Sobble quite a bit."
Kael straightened his back and turned around, facing Evan directly.
Based on the environment around him, he already had a vague guess about where he was.
Even so, he still wanted to hear the Trainer's explanation.
"Hello. My name is Evan."
The muscular man with the feminine face bent down, looking at Kael in front of him as he spoke.
"I'm the Gym Leader of the Azure Bay Water-type Gym, which is where you are now. I'm also the one who brought you out of Azure Crystal Marine Park."
Hearing this, Kael nodded.
He did not show any obvious change in expression. He simply raised his head and quietly waited for Evan's explanation.
Evan did not mind his cold reaction. He continued speaking on his own.
"As for the specific reason I brought you here…"
Evan frowned slightly, as if organizing his thoughts.
"Hmm. It's a little complicated to explain, and you probably wouldn't understand all of it."
"So I'll keep it simple."
Facing this tiny Sobble, whose age, converted into human terms, was probably only around three or four years old, Evan ultimately decided to be brief.
"I brought you here mainly because I want you to help me deal with some challenges."
Evan stretched out his thick arm and pointed down at the grassy field beneath them.
"Of course, these challenges will be far easier than facing Swampert. They'll be completely within the range you can handle."
As if afraid Kael might lose confidence, he added.
"Here, we'll provide you with proper recovery facilities, Water-type resources sufficient for your healthy growth, a mature and orderly training plan, and most importantly, battles."
"And compared with Azure Crystal Marine Park, the only thing you'll lose is the tiniest, most insignificant bit of freedom."
Evan spread his powerful arms wide, as though he wanted to embrace the entire world before him.
Looking down at Kael, his eyes shone with expectation.
"Is this what you want?"
Kael did not answer him directly.
He merely lowered his head slightly and touched the wounds on his face, which were gradually healing.
A sharp sting flashed through him.
Crimson droplets of blood fell into his palm.
Reflected in his clear blue pupils was the cruel red of blood, a color completely opposite to their own.
An inexplicable smile appeared on his face.
In the quiet yet fiercely surging space of his heart, a voice rang out.
"Exactly."
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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
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