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Inside the vast, silent ruin, Kael stood motionless.
The towering building around him lay drowned in darkness, and his dark-purple skin blended almost seamlessly with the shadows, forming a natural camouflage.
The grief in his heart had already been sealed away.
What replaced it now was confusion.
As a Fighting-type Pokémon, Kael's combat style relied almost entirely on physical dominance.
Power. Precision. Direct force.
Because of that, his familiarity with his own body bordered on obsessive.
To exaggerate only slightly—
If even a single internal pathway suffered damage, he could sense it instantly through the faintest disruption in blood flow and correct it through controlled circulation and muscle adjustment.
Yet now—
After receiving the final gift left behind by Tapu Koko—
He could not find a single change.
Not in strength.
Not in endurance.
Not in energy flow.
Nothing.
That made no sense.
"…This shouldn't be possible," Kael muttered.
Tapu Koko had lived for centuries.
Even the faintest fragment of a legendary guardian's origin energy should have caused a noticeable transformation.
The complete absence of any detectable change was deeply unsettling.
"There's no way it was that simple."
Kael's brow furrowed.
He remembered clearly.
Before dissolving into white radiance to seal the Ultra Wormhole, Tapu Koko had unleashed a final bolt of lightning straight into his body.
He had felt it.
A warm yet violent surge that rushed into his bloodstream and coiled deep within his core.
Hallucination was not an option.
"So why is there nothing?"
The question lingered—
Until a thought struck him.
"…The System."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
If the change wasn't physical, then perhaps it wasn't meant to be sensed directly.
Focusing his attention on the faint, translucent Poké Ball icon hovering at the edge of his vision—
Ding!
A clear chime echoed as the System interface unfolded before him.
He ignored the message feed and went straight to the core display.
---
Species: Machoke
Level: 45 (47,100 EXP)
Ability: Steadfast
Moves:
Low Kick, Leer, Focus Energy, Confuse Ray, Payback, Spite, Low Sweep, Knock Off, Scary Face, Vital Throw, Phantom Force, Shadow Punch, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Aura Sphere, Superpower, Dual Chop, Bulk Up, Shadow Ball, Night Shade
Equipment: Terrakion's Shatter-Shoulder Plate,
Zamazenta's Heart
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Kael scanned the panel carefully.
Species.
Unchanged.
That was expected. Even a legendary guardian could not forcibly alter a Pokémon's species. That was the domain of beings on Arceus' level.
Level.
Still 45.
The accumulated experience lined up correctly, including what he had gained from Nightmare Pokémon and the brief clash with Guzzlord.
So Tapu Koko's gift had not translated into raw experience.
A small disappointment surfaced.
For Kael, System levels were still the fastest way to convert potential into immediate combat power.
With his foundation already secure, a level increase would have been a massive boost.
But reality was reality.
Next—
Moves.
His gaze swept through the long list.
No additions.
No alterations.
Exactly the same set he had possessed after evolving.
Kael's expression darkened slightly.
He was certain something had changed.
But whatever it was, it lay outside his immediate perception.
That uncertainty gnawed at him.
He had always demanded absolute control over his body.
Even a negative change was acceptable—
As long as it was known.
This vague, hidden alteration felt intolerable.
Suppressing the rising irritation, Kael scanned the remaining sections, preparing to perform a full internal diagnostic afterward.
Then—
His hand froze mid-gesture.
"…Huh?"
His crimson eyes locked onto the Equipment section.
At first glance, nothing was wrong.
The same two legendary artifacts remained equipped.
But one detail—
A crucial detail—
Was different.
Zamazenta's Heart.
The parentheses were gone.
It no longer read Zamazenta's Heart (Fragmented).
The System was many things, but sloppy was not one of them.
Item suffixes never vanished without cause.
That meant only one thing.
Something fundamental had changed.
Kael's breathing slowed as excitement flickered in his eyes.
"…Don't tell me."
Focusing his attention on the item name, he selected it.
With a soft pulse, the detailed panel expanded.
---
Item: Zamazenta's Heart
Effect – Hero of Many Battles: All incoming attacks that deal no more than 25 HP are reduced by 50 damage.
When HP falls below 30 percent, damage reduction increases to 75.
Effect – Shielded King:
During battle, generates a special energy resource: Shield Value.
When Shield Value reaches 100, unlocks the Shielded King state.
Description:
A priceless relic of the legendary Pokémon Zamazenta.
Under the influence of a unique external energy, its fragmented core has been restored, allowing it to display its true power.
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"…Just as I thought."
The tension in Kael's body finally released.
A smile surfaced at the corner of his mouth.
So that was it.
Tapu Koko's final gift had not strengthened Kael directly.
Instead—
It had completed something that should never have been possible.
A fragment of a legendary core, restored through the sacrifice of another legendary guardian.
This was not a temporary boost.
It was permanent.
And far more valuable than a simple level increase.
Kael closed the System panel slowly.
In the quiet darkness of the ruined building, his crimson eyes gleamed faintly.
Tapu Koko's legacy had not vanished.
It had become part of his path.
And now—
That path was beginning to reveal its shape.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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