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Bali Ranch was located north of a Town, known throughout the region for its high-quality Mareep wool and Miltank milk.
At the center of the ranch stood a modest three-story wooden house.
Creak.
Bali pushed open the door. A harsh beam of sunlight greeted him, forcing him to raise a hand to shield his eyes.
It took a few seconds for him to adjust. As he looked out over the vast, fertile pastures, a flicker of pride surfaced in his eyes quickly followed by a heavy sigh.
As the eldest son of the Bali family, he had inherited the ranch two years ago when his father retired. But with the recent economic downturn, the ranch's income had taken a significant hit. Bali couldn't help but worry about its future.
Shaking his head to clear the anxious thoughts, he stepped forward to begin his daily chores.
Dragging out several heavy sacks of feed from the side warehouse, he poured them into a round dispenser. Then, he retrieved a small box from deeper inside, carefully pulling out a few yellow berries and tossing them into the mix.
After sealing the lid, he tapped a button on the feed machine. With a mechanical hum, the device began producing shimmering yellow pellets.
This was the Bali family's specially formulated Mareep feed. Regular consumption of this enhanced wool quality makes the resulting clothing more durable and visually striking.
Unfortunately, with the rise of synthetic materials, sales of this signature product had plummeted.
"Baa…"
As Bali drove the cart into the Mareep pasture, the fluffy Electric-types eagerly swarmed the vehicle.
Their soft yellow fleece contrasted with their dark blue skin, and black-and-yellow ears twitched as they approached. At the end of each tail glowed a small orange orb, occasionally sparking with static.
Bali poured the feed into a large trough, leaning against the cart and watching with quiet contentment as the Mareep ate.
He didn't notice the one Mareep in the corner, its eyes gleaming with intelligence far beyond the others.
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Today marked Kael's second day since being reborn at this place called Bali Ranch.
And yes he had reincarnated as a Mareep.
But surprisingly, Kael was pleased.
Being a domestically raised Pokémon meant absolute safety. He could live the good life, free of predators or wild conflict. All he had to do was grow stronger, hoard [Credits], and develop peacefully, until he is slaughtered.
Kael pulled up the [System Menu] and checked his current stats:
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[Species]: Mareep
[Level]: 1 (17/100)
[Moves]: Tackle, Growl
[Evaluation]: A standard, domestically raised Mareep
[Held Items]: [IV Booster (Small)], [TM: Hidden Power]
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"Huh? I've got a new section: [Held Items]," Kael noticed, intrigued.
"How do I use them, though?"
[Ding!]
As he focused his gaze on the listed item, a prompt popped up:
[Would you like to use: IV Booster (Small)?]
Kael glanced around, then trotted into a shaded corner of the field and whispered, "Use."
A rush of warmth surged down from the top of his head, flooding his entire woolly body. He let out a pleased sigh as the sensation spread.
A moment later, another system prompt appeared.
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[Item Used: IV Booster (Small)]
[HP +2]
[Special Attack +3]
[Speed +3]
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Kael grinned.
"Not bad! That was almost maxed out 8 points total from a possible 10. Guess I'm lucky after all."
"But wait… how do I check all my IVs?"
[Ding!]
[Notice: IV values are hidden and cannot be viewed directly.]
He frowned but let it go.
In the Pokémon world, IVs Individual Values were fixed at birth and couldn't be changed even through evolution. There were six stats affected: HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. Each stat ranged from 1 to 31, and the higher the number, the better the Pokémon's potential in that area.
Back in his old life as a player, breeding high-IV Pokémon through egg-hatching had been standard practice to build powerful teams.
In short, IVs were equivalent to a Pokémon's innate "talent" or "aptitude."
And an item like the [IV Booster (Small)] capable of altering this supposedly fixed trait was absurdly rare and valuable.
Kael might not be able to see his exact IVs, but he had no doubt that, even as a Mareep, his human mind and strategic thinking gave him a major edge. With items like this, he could go far.
"Alright then… next up, it's your turn."
His gaze fell on the other item: the [TM: Hidden Power].
[Ding!]
[Would you like to use: TM – Hidden Power?]
"Use."
In the Pokémon world, moves came in all shapes and sizes but [Hidden Power] was one of the most mysterious.
Nearly every Pokémon could learn it, but the move's elemental type was unique to the individual. A Fire-type Tepig might end up with [Hidden Power: Water], while a Water-type Marshtomp could get [Hidden Power: Electric].
As Kael activated the TM, specks of dark blue light materialized around him. They drifted gently through the air, refined and noble in aura, before converging around his small wool-covered body.
Vmmmm!
The glowing ring of energy contracted tightly, then burst outward in a ripple of force.
Zzzzrak!
The surrounding tall grass was shredded as the deep blue energy surged out in all directions. From above, it would've looked like a five-meter-wide shockwave, ripping a perfect circle into the landscape.
"Baa!"
Startled Mareep bleated in fear and scattered.
Kael's eyes widened in realization and he quickly fled the scene of the "accident."
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Thank you so much for reading!