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The figure suspended in midair, wrapped in blazing golden lightning, seemed to sense Kael's gaze.
"Zzrrrraaa."
Electric arcs screeched sharply as the presence began to descend.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Kael swallowed.
A trace of unease crept into his chest.
The Pokémon about to land before him possessed power that far surpassed even Guzzlord's.
In his current condition, if anything went wrong, escape would be nearly impossible.
He said nothing.
He simply stood there, eyes fixed on the descending golden silhouette.
As the distance closed, the details became clearer, even through the veil of crackling electricity.
Vibrant orange-gold fur stood out starkly against a jet-black body, fine electrical patterns rippling across it like waves on water.
Its arms ended in sharp, obsidian-black spikes, edges gleaming with cold light.
On the backs of its hands, massive shield-like golden shells protruded outward, etched with strange, ancient markings that resembled sacred tribal sigils. They radiated solemn authority mixed with primal ferocity.
Three powerful legs, cloaked in orange-gold fur, drifted effortlessly through the air.
A potent electromagnetic field distorted the space around them, providing stable, overwhelming levitation.
The Bringer of Thunder.
Tapu Koko.
One of Alola's island guardians.
A legendary Electric-type Pokémon steeped in myth and history.
Unlike Guzzlord, a creature from Ultra Space classified as "legendary" purely due to raw power, Tapu Koko was a true guardian deity. Its existence had been recorded by humans for countless generations.
Fickle. Violent. Curious.
Because of its dominion over lightning, ancient cultures associated it with judgment and punishment, revering it as a divine protector of the land.
Tapu Koko's curiosity was infamous.
It sought stimulation through battle and competition, often clashing with other Pokémon simply for the thrill of it.
Because of that, human records about it were unusually detailed for a legendary Pokémon.
"…Tapu Koko," Kael murmured.
His crimson eyes reflected the lightning-wrapped figure.
He should have realized it sooner.
If an Ultra Beast like Guzzlord had appeared, then the island guardians of the same region showing up was inevitable. Their roles were inherently opposed.
Back when Ultra Wormholes had first opened and Ultra Beasts poured into the Pokémon world, the island guardians had fought fiercely to protect the ecosystem and the lives of ordinary Pokémon.
The battles had been brutal.
But more often than not, the guardians emerged victorious, driving the invaders back into Ultra Space.
"…And yet," Kael muttered.
His gaze sharpened as Tapu Koko drifted closer.
This guardian felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Compared to the fierce, radiant presence Kael remembered from past knowledge, the Tapu Koko before him felt… diminished.
Kael had once possessed limited experience manipulating electrical energy in a previous life.
Though he had never reached exceptional heights, it was enough to recognize the problem.
The lightning surrounding Tapu Koko felt like a nearly drained battery.
Weak.
Exhausted.
The thunder still carried terrifying force, yes.
But beneath it lay unmistakable depletion.
That should have been impossible.
Legendary Pokémon like Tapu Koko were favored by nature itself. Their lifespans dwarfed even Dragon-types, approaching a form of partial immortality.
Their internal energy reserves were meant to grow with age, not decline.
Electrical depletion could only mean one thing.
Severe, life-threatening damage to its core.
The once-lustrous orange-gold fur now looked dull in places, stripped of its former brilliance.
The golden shell armor on its arms had lost its radiant sheen, appearing faintly tarnished.
But what unsettled Kael most—
Were its eyes.
In Kael's memory, Tapu Koko's eyes should have been a crystal-clear ocean blue.
Instead, what stared back at him now was a murky, dark crimson hue.
Not violent.
Not enraged.
But wrong.
Like stagnant marsh water swallowing light.
If not for the unmistakably righteous aura still radiating from Tapu Koko's body, free of the foul stench associated with Nightmare corruption, Kael might have believed the guardian had already fallen completely.
"…Wait."
Kael's breath caught.
A terrible realization clawed its way up from his gut.
When Tapu Koko encountered Guzzlord, it should have been a fight to the death.
An island guardian would never tolerate such a destructive Ultra Beast.
And yet—
It had struck only once.
Driven Guzzlord away.
And stopped.
Why?
Why show restraint when it held overwhelming power?
Thoughts spiraled rapidly, connections forming too fast to ignore.
A chilling possibility surfaced.
Had Tapu Koko already been infected?
No.
Kael rejected the idea almost instantly.
If legendary Pokémon were truly defenseless against such corruption, then with their godlike power, the world would have been erased long ago.
There had to be safeguards.
There had to be resistance.
So why did everything still feel wrong?
As Kael struggled with the contradiction, trapped in his own spiraling thoughts—
A voice spoke.
Not aloud.
But directly inside his mind.
"You are not wrong."
The voice was deep.
Hoarse.
Worn thin, like something standing at the edge of collapse.
"I… have indeed been infected."
Kael's eyes widened.
The voice continued, weak and strained, as if every word cost immense effort.
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