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"Crack... BOOM!"
The spinning fire sparks slammed into the blackened deadwood behind Kael in a shower of bright, fireworks-like embers, producing a harsh, explosive impact.
Perhaps because of the heavy concentration of Fire-type energy in this region, even the most ordinary plants had developed an unusual resistance to heat.
The blazing flames, hot enough to reduce normal matter to ash, failed to ignite the dead tree at all.
They only flickered across the trunk for a moment before dying out.
Kael, still wrapped in a ring of shimmering water, fixed a serious gaze on the Slugma ahead of him.
This environment was extremely unfavorable for a Water-type Pokémon.
The air held almost no moisture at all, while the dense Fire-type energy made it nearly impossible for Kael to replenish himself naturally.
And because of the limits of his current strength, the Water Stone could only output so much power.
At best, it could barely sustain his normal activity. Supplying him with a large amount of Water-type energy in the middle of battle was completely out of the question.
This had to end fast.
A sharp glint flashed through Kael's eyes as he made his decision instantly.
"Rushhhh..."
Visible blue energy erupted across the field alongside the rushing roar of water.
Streams of crystal-clear water spiraled together like a vortex, gathering at Kael's throat as an intense blue glow flared brighter and brighter.
The environment was harsh. Recovering energy was difficult.
But Kael had no intention of holding back his Water-type power in this fight.
Because he knew that if he tried to conserve his limited energy and failed to knock the enemy out before it could respond, if he let himself get dragged into a drawn-out battle instead...
Then death would be the only thing waiting for him.
The only real option was to go all in from the very start and use his type advantage to crush the enemy immediately. Only that would preserve enough strength for him to keep surviving in this hostile land.
A trace of resolve flashed through his blue eyes.
Kael opened his mouth, aimed directly at Slugma, and fired with all his strength.
"Water Gun!"
WHOOOOSH.
A surging stream of water, wrapped in brilliant blue Water-type energy, blasted straight ahead.
Slugma, for its part, had naturally prepared to meet the attack head-on.
It had no other choice.
With most of its body made of molten lava, its movement speed was extremely slow. Dodging attacks in the middle of battle simply was not an option for it.
Faced with a direct strike from the Sobble in front of it, the only thing it could do was counter with its own energy, cancel the attack out, and perhaps even push back.
"SSZZT!"
Red magma churned across Slugma's body as dazzling, scorching flames rapidly gathered before it, forming a pillar of fire with terrifying force that roared forward toward the incoming stream.
Its response was absolutely correct.
Releasing its own power to offset the enemy's attack was the best strategy available to it at that moment.
But unfortunately, it had overlooked one thing.
The Pokémon standing before it was not an ordinary newborn.
This was a highly gifted Sobble, strengthened by a powerful system, equipment, and items, with a soul from another world that carried battle-hardened experience far beyond a normal creature.
Even if Kael's low level left him at a disadvantage in raw stats because he had only recently been born, the all-out strike he had just unleashed still possessed enough force to challenge an opponent above his tier.
"Boom... hiss..."
The explosion from the clashing energies rang out through the forest.
Crystal droplets and blazing sparks intertwined in the dry air, where the collision of opposing forces created a strange reddish haze.
As rushing water slammed against burning flame, wave after wave of scalding steam erupted outward in surging gusts.
Water overcame fire.
That most fundamental law of nature, combined with the difference in the quality of their power, gave Kael's stream a crushing advantage from the start.
Through the thick steam spreading across the dead forest, it was easy to see that the pale-blue column of water was smashing through Slugma's fire little by little with unstoppable force.
Maybe five seconds.
Maybe seven.
In the blink of an eye, the fire pillar Slugma had poured all its strength into was shattered into scattered fragments of dying flame.
Its golden eyes filled with disbelief.
Its body, shaken by the violent backlash of the energy clash, locked up under the aftereffects.
It could not move.
Could only watch helplessly as that pale-blue stream, carrying pure Water-type energy, came crashing forward with overwhelming force.
SZZT. HISS.
In the next instant, Slugma's red body was washed through by the torrent. Its lava-like body heat vaporized countless droplets at once, sending coils of white steam spiraling into the air.
But at the same time, the Water-type energy hidden within the stream forced its way past Slugma's outer layer like a ruthless invader, seeping deep into its body and unleashing devastating corrosive force beneath its gentle surface.
"Ugh..."
A cry of pain echoed through the forest.
Slugma curled in on itself, trembling weakly. The violent pain spreading from outside to inside had completely drained the focus from its eyes. They remained open, empty, and unfocused, longing only for the agony to end as soon as possible.
But waiting like that was useless.
The Water-type energy Kael wielded in this life might not have had the explosive speed and violence of the electric power he once commanded as Ampharos. Nor did it possess the crushing dominance of the fighting aura from his previous life as Machamp.
But it had strengths entirely its own.
Rippling waves. Raging currents. Quiet streams.
Words that seemed contradictory at first glance, and yet all described water in motion.
It was precisely that ever-changing nature of flowing liquid that gave water so many different faces.
Its raw destructive power might not have been the greatest.
Its burst might not have lasted the longest.
But Water-type energy was unquestionably one of the most troublesome forces in the Pokémon world.
At its fiercest, it could compress, slice, and destroy.
At its gentlest, it could erode and corrode with quiet persistence, slipping in softly and wearing a target down from within.
Versatile.
Unpredictable.
And the Slugma before him had clearly fallen deep into that agonizing trap, unable to break free from the ruinous effects of Water-type energy.
"Hah..."
Kael exhaled softly, eyes fixed on the Slugma sprawled on the ground before him. A flicker of relief passed through his gaze.
"Good. Nothing went wrong."
"I burned a fair bit of stamina, but at least I finished it cleanly."
He did not linger.
Seeing that the enemy had already lost the ability to fight, Kael immediately prepared to leave, wanting to avoid drawing in other threats with the noise their battle had made.
Right then, the crisp notification from the system finally arrived in his mind, just a moment late.
[Defeated Pokémon: Slugma]
[Experience gained: 27]
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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)
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