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The sharp stench of gasoline hung in the freezing air, sparks bursting from the heart of the blazing fire.
Intense heat scorched the off-road vehicle's reinforced metal frame, warping it until it screamed under the strain.
What had once been a transport loaded with team supplies was now nothing more than a charred wreck engulfed in roaring flames.
Nearby, Rapidash planted its hooves firmly into the ground, muscles taut as it focused on containing the spread of the fire.
Thanks to having a Fire-type Pokémon in the team, they managed to salvage a small portion of their supplies from the inferno, barely buying themselves a little breathing room.
Otherwise, the entire group would have been pushed straight to the edge of disaster.
On the other side, Quark stood with his arms crossed, eyes locked on the burning wreckage, his expression grim.
The cause was likely an engine malfunction.
If the issue had been detected earlier, the loss might have been avoided.
But the sudden attack by the Nightmare Pokémon had thrown everyone into chaos, preventing them from noticing anything wrong in time.
That delay had led directly to the vehicle igniting on its own.
"How long will our remaining supplies last?"
The words were low and strained as Quark forced them out.
"If we ration carefully, maybe two days for everyone."
The logistics officer answered cautiously.
"Two days."
Quark said nothing more, only letting out a slow breath.
The vehicle itself was not the real problem. The remaining two trucks could still carry everyone if they packed in tightly.
What truly put them in an impossible position was the loss of survival supplies.
Originally, Quark had planned to abandon the mission and return to Falyn City to report everything to the Pokémon League.
Now that the plan was no longer viable.
Everything had to be rethought from scratch.
On paper, the distance between Falyn City and Nanth Town did not seem that far.
In reality, the brutal terrain meant that a round trip by vehicle often took over a week.
The convoy had already traveled more than half the route. Turning back now would take far longer than their remaining supplies could support.
And after being attacked by a Nightmare Pokémon, even roads once considered safe are now filled with unease.
If their communication device had survived, they might have contacted headquarters and requested escort support from nearby towns.
But the only transmitter they had was now ashes in the fire.
Taking all factors into account, Quark was left with only one option.
He would lead the convoy forward to Nanth Town and secure supplies there.
Danger or not, it was the closest human settlement they could realistically reach before running out of resources.
The warning Kael had left behind echoed faintly in Quark's mind.
He shook his head lightly, trying to steady himself.
They were already standing at the edge of survival.
Even if Nanth Town carried risks, it was still safer than dying in the wilderness from exposure and starvation.
According to League records, staff stationed in Nanth Town continued to submit weekly reports.
That suggested the situation there might not be as catastrophic as he feared.
If they resupplied and left immediately, perhaps nothing would go wrong.
Anxious thoughts spread through the young man's mind like thorns.
Quark turned his head, gazing toward the distant direction of Nanth Town.
At the boundary where blue sky met barren land, blinding sunlight shimmered across the horizon.
It looked peaceful.
Yet beneath that brightness lingered a heavy sense of malice, carried by the faint breeze.
It seeped into the skin, settled in the chest, and sent a chilling crawl through the mind.
Rip.
The air tore apart with a shrill screech.
A dark purple figure shot across the open land at a speed almost impossible to track with the naked eye.
The clouds around it were dragged into long trailing streams, as the vapor wake behind a jet, beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
Each sonic boom cracked across the land like thunder exploding at ground level.
Kael felt the air around him thicken like deep ocean pressure, resisting his movement at every moment.
Yet under the force of his monstrous physical strength, that resistance meant nothing.
Crimson eyes narrowed against the rushing wind, locking onto everything ahead.
Supported by his evolved Machoke body, Kael had already surpassed the speed of sound.
The ease visible in his expression made it clear this was nowhere near his limit.
After evolving, Kael possessed physical power far beyond human comprehension.
Breaking the sound barrier with raw strength alone was merely an early application of this body's potential.
Even sprinting at this terrifying speed barely taxed his stamina.
For a human, it would not even qualify as a warm-up.
Boom!
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Kael came to an abrupt halt.
Dust exploded outward as the momentum carved an oval crater into the ground beneath his feet.
He lifted his head slightly, crimson eyes focused on the distant horizon.
There, silhouetted against the sunlight, stood the vague outline of a town, unmistakably shaped by human construction.
"So this is Nanth Town."
Kael murmured softly, his gaze heavy.
He had not stopped because he was tired.
With Aura-enhanced perception sharper than that of many psychic-type Pokémon, Kael had detected something deeply unsettling within the town ahead.
An ominous presence that did not belong.
And it was watching.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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