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In the far corner of the bus, a Pokémon with smooth, dark-violet skin shaped like a Toxicroak sat quietly by the window.
Kael's eyes lit up.
He remembered this one clearly.
It was the same Croagunk he'd run into on the road shortly after first entering the Fighting Gym.
Seeing the empty seat beside it, Kael walked over.
He wasn't antisocial.
Sitting alone was fine, but when he saw a familiar face, he didn't mind sharing the ride.
A little conversation on the way wouldn't hurt.
Croagunk had been staring absentmindedly outside, deep in thought—
so lost in its head that it didn't even notice the sudden silence in the bus.
Not until it heard heavy, deliberate footsteps getting closer.
It turned slightly—
And Kael's towering, jet-black physique filled its vision.
Gulp…
Croagunk swallowed hard, terror flickering in its yellow eyes.
Before it could say anything, Kael strode over and sat down beside it.
"Haha—so you're joining the camp too, huh?"
Kael casually dropped his thick, muscular arm over Croagunk's narrow shoulders, pulling it in like he was grabbing a chicken.
Croagunk's body trembled.
Memories of their first encounter in the Gym flashed through its mind Not all of them are pleasant.
Feeling that overwhelming strength resting on its shoulder, Croagunk didn't dare move a muscle.
Its hands rested stiffly on its knees as it stammered:
"Y-Y-Yeah! H-Heh… what a coincidence…"
A dry, nervous laugh escaped Croagunk's mouth.
At this point, Kael, this mysterious Machop from the wilderness, had become a living legend within the Fighting Gym.
A strange origin outside Ignis City…
An unbelievable set of elite mentors…
Rumors of him training at the summit of Blazing Peak…
The stories, true or exaggerated, only gave him more mystique.
Clap, clap!
Suddenly, applause echoed through the bus, drawing everyone's attention.
A muscular middle-aged man in a white fighting gi stood up from the front row—clearly about to speak.
"Alright, looks like everyone's here. Time to head out."
He smiled broadly.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm your instructor for this trip—Rok."
"And this," he gestured, "Is my partner Pokémon Breloom."
A green, kangaroo-shaped Pokémon with a mushroom cap atop its head rose and waved to the students.
Even though the Ignis Summer Camp was a city-wide event, the participants were divided into several groups each heading to different training zones.
Too many Pokémon in one place was difficult to supervise and increased the risk of accidents.
The Fighting Gym's group this year included Pokémon from the Grass-type Gym and the Flying-type Gym.
Together, they'd head to a controlled wilderness region north of Ignis City.
This area had been thoroughly cleared by the League decades ago no Nightmare Pokémon, no mutated threats, nothing dangerous.
For more than ten years, not a single Summer Camp incident had occurred.
At first, the League used to send powerful veteran trainers to escort each group.
But after so many peaceful years, the Gym leaders eventually realized it was unnecessary.
And so, security was reduced.
Now, most groups had only one professional trainer accompanying them.
Kael's group was no different Rok was the only League-certified trainer in charge.
Kael glanced briefly at Rok's Breloom, sensed its energy level with Aura…
Then looked away.
Even as a fully evolved Pokémon, Breloom wasn't anywhere near Kael's level.
If something went wrong in the wild, Rok and Breloom couldn't protect anyone.
Kael already knew:
He would be the real shield.
And he didn't believe this Summer Camp would go smoothly at all.
Ever since he agreed to join, his Aura-enhanced intuition had been ringing like a warning alarm.
But instead of fear—
Kael felt… excited.
It was like being a gamer in his previous life—
After grinding for months and acquiring god-tier gear...
You want a challenge.
You want a boss fight.
You want to show off.
Kael had been training inside the Gym for three months straight.
It was time to stretch his claws.
Besides—
His system's Evolve button had been glowing for so long…
And he hadn't touched it.
This upcoming trip might finally be the right moment.
As for whether he should warn Haus?
Kael had thought about that.
His intuition had always been sharp, especially after gaining Aura.
But intuition wasn't a prophecy.
If he were a Psychic-type with a move like "Future Sight," people might trust him.
But he was "just" a Machop gifted, yes, but not enough for anyone to take a vague, instinctive warning seriously.
Even if he said something, Haus would probably just look confused, maybe nod politely, and nothing would change.
And the future wasn't fixed.
Even strong premonitions could fail due to unexpected factors.
Sometimes worrying too much only gets in the way.
Kael rubbed the bridge of his nose, calming the restless energy inside him.
He had grown far more than he realized during these three months.
If the armored knight Pokémon he fought on the road to Ignis City appeared again today…
He wouldn't even need special moves.
His raw physical strength alone could tear it apart.
From one perspective—
He wasn't the one who should be afraid.
It was the enemy—
the unknown threat lurking ahead—
Who should fear him?
Right now, Kael was like a starving beast drooling at the scent of prey, eyes blazing hungrily at every Nightmare Seed that dared cross his path.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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