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A soft, otherworldly hum spread across the sky.
The sound was light and ethereal, almost musical, as if it belonged to something not of this world. It stirred the air itself, creating an eerie calm that felt strangely inviting.
Countless platinum-white motes drifted through the atmosphere like floating dust, beautiful and refined, glowing with an unsettling elegance.
At first glance, they seemed harmless. In reality, each particle carried a paralytic toxin capable of instantly shutting down a living body and erasing consciousness.
This was a wide-area suppression technique.
Within moments, it could incapacitate everything across a massive radius, leaving victims helpless and defenseless, like prey laid out for slaughter.
For Pheromosa, this method was especially effective against weaker Pokémon and ordinary humans.
Fast activation. High yield. Maximum efficiency.
One release was enough to harvest vast amounts of energy, perfectly satisfying its predatory instincts.
However, this technique had a clear limitation.
It only worked fully on low- to mid-tier targets.
Against elite Pokémon that had completed their evolutionary line, the effect dropped sharply, serving more as a hindrance than a knockout.
"Crackle."
As the platinum particles neared Kael, they abruptly disintegrated, dissolving like frost under direct sunlight and vanishing without a trace.
Under the amplification of Shield King Form, Kael's power had climbed to the very top of the Pokémon world's hierarchy.
Even when compared to lesser Legendary Pokémon, he did not fall behind.
An area attack designed to wipe out crowds meant nothing to him.
The sheer pressure radiating from his body alone was enough to negate it completely.
The first exchange ended quietly, with Kael holding the advantage.
Yet he felt no sense of triumph.
Behind the dark-gold armor, crimson eyes remained locked onto the tall figure hovering in the air. His expression was tense and focused.
Pheromosa.
One of the Ultra Beasts.
Renowned for its overwhelming beauty.
Legends claimed that its appearance alone could captivate any Pokémon, regardless of gender, bending minds without effort.
But mistaking it for a fragile showpiece was a fatal error.
As a dual Bug- and Fighting-type Ultra Beast, Pheromosa possessed both the endurance typical of Bug-types and the explosive close-combat power of Fighting-types.
Its slender, elongated frame pushed its speed to absurd levels, even among Ultra Beasts.
It was a complete combat monster.
Even from a distance, Kael felt a strange sensation tug at his mind, a subtle pull attempting to draw him in.
Thankfully, the roaring battle intent burning within him crushed the influence instantly.
Kael felt a surge of relief.
If he had not activated Shield King Form at the very start, the fight might have ended before it began. He could have easily fallen prey to Pheromosa's unnatural allure, reduced to nothing more than sustenance.
On the other side.
Pheromosa frowned.
Its normally unstoppable technique had failed against the armored, unfamiliar opponent.
Moments earlier, the ancient aura that had erupted from Kael had caused it to hesitate, a reflexive instinct to retreat.
That hesitation was unacceptable.
Its pride would not allow it.
Enraged, Pheromosa resolved to annihilate Kael and wipe out every living thing in the town below, turning them all into fuel for its evolution.
Still, a trace of doubt flickered in its blue-violet compound eyes.
This enemy was not ordinary.
Then.
Boom.
With a sharp step, Pheromosa's long, elegant leg pressed against empty air.
The atmosphere beneath its foot hardened as if it were solid ground.
The air shattered.
In the next instant, terrifying power erupted from its slender body, accelerating it to an absurd velocity.
A streak of platinum light flashed across the sky.
The distance between them vanished.
Too fast.
Even with Kael's enhanced perception, he could barely register a blurred outline within the flash of light.
The attack was sudden and violent.
There was no time to react.
Instinct took over.
Kael raised his arms, crossing them in front of his chest.
The assault arrived.
Clang.
Blazing white and dark-gold light collided as metal rang out sharply, the shockwave exploding outward and distorting the surrounding air.
Pheromosa's long right leg slammed directly into Kael's guard, the impact causing violent energy ripples.
Pheromosa froze for a fraction of a second.
It had not expected its space-crossing full-power kick to be blocked.
A strange glint passed through its eyes.
But its movements did not stop.
A bright platinum glow ignited along its insect-like leg as power surged.
"Triple Kick."
The name was simple.
The execution was not.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Thunderous detonations echoed through the air as its ivory-white legs moved faster than sight, leaving behind afterimages as they crashed down relentlessly.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Metal rang again and again, sparks bursting with each impact.
Yet despite the increasingly powerful blows, not a single mark appeared on Kael's dark-gold armor.
More than that.
Under the storm of kicks, Kael did not take a single step back.
Shield King Form was not merely a boost in raw stats.
Its true strength lay in the defense it granted, rivaling even the Legendary Pokémon Zamazenta.
Kael slowly lifted his head.
Crimson light flared within his eyes.
His gaze burned with unrestrained intensity, the fire of battle roaring through his veins.
His crossed arms suddenly drove forward.
A roar echoed.
It was deep, ancient, and primal, as if something long sealed within the world itself had awakened.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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