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Kael didn't yet know the exact typing of his [Hidden Power], but based on its deep blue hue and the overwhelming energy it unleashed, he guessed it was either [Dragon] or [Psychic]-type.
Either way, both were powerful elements far exceeding his expectations.
"Not bad at all… Looks like my luck hasn't run out yet!"
"Heheh…"
Still, memories of his previous life's tragic ending gave him pause. He quickly reined in his excitement and decided to keep the move as a trump card only to be used when absolutely necessary.
---
Two more days passed.
During that time, Kael stuck religiously to his self-made training regimen, dedicating every moment outside eating and sleeping to improving himself.
Physically, he ran and leapt across the ranch nonstop until the ranch owner, Bali, thought he was sick and actually brought in a veterinarian to check on him. Only then did Kael tone it down.
For skill practice, he found a large tree at the edge of the ranch. Its bark was now covered in dents from relentless headbutting practice.
And whenever he was too tired to train physically, Kael would sit under the shade and practice [Growl], letting his ear-piercing bleats echo through the entire Mareep pasture.
He opened up his [Status Menu] and checked his progress:
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[Species]: Mareep
[Level]: 2 (73/100)
[Moves]: Tackle, Growl
[Evaluation]: A standard, domestically raised Mareep
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Mareep weren't like Bug-types that leveled up fast, so the pace was slower than his previous life.
But Kael was satisfied. The environment this time was leagues safer, with no threats or food shortages in sight.
Then a thought struck him.
"In the games, you gain EXP by defeating enemies… Could I speed up my growth through battle here too?"
His eyes lit up. Time to experiment.
He scoured the pasture and finally found a thin, weak-looking Mareep grazing quietly in the corner.
"You always pick the weakest fruit first, right?"
"Hehehe…"
The skinny Mareep glanced up at Kael's weird grin and immediately decided to ignore him, lowering its head to chew more grass.
Kael took a deep breath, focusing his energy.
"[Growl]!"
"Baa-aah!!"
A sharp, jarring bleat erupted from his mouth.
The other Mareep flinched. Its head spun from the sudden burst of sound, and it stumbled back and then bolted.
Kael stared after it.
"Wait, it ran off… Shouldn't I get a system notification for defeating it? That didn't count?"
"Guess I'll have to try again. [Tackle]!"
He lowered his head, white energy glowing faintly from his horns, and charged after the fleeing Mareep like a lunatic.
The poor thing looked back in disbelief.
"What the heck is wrong with this guy?!"
Even a passive Pokémon has limits. It suddenly stopped, turned, and countered its horns glowing just like Kael's.
"Nice! This'll be a proper test of my training!"
Bang!
Their bodies collided with a loud crack. The impact scattered the grass around them, bending it away from the shockwave.
Kael's hooves skidded two deep trails in the dirt, but he held firm.
The weaker Mareep, however, was blasted backward, rolling three or four times before scrambling to its feet and fleeing with a pitiful cry.
Kael didn't chase. Because this time, he heard it:
[Ding!]
[EXP +5]
His eyes lit up.
"Yes! It actually works!"
Scanning the pasture, Kael spotted several more Mareep grazing peacefully nearby. They might as well have had glowing EXP symbols above their heads.
"Let's go! I'm hitting level 3 before sundown!"
But just as he prepared to charge another target…
"Baa!"
A powerful bleat rang out across the field.
A much larger Mareep was barreling toward him muscular, fast, and furious. And trailing behind it… was the Mareep he just beat up.
"Oh? You brought backup?"
Kael's battle instincts flared. He lowered his head, white energy gathering at his horns again.
"[Tackle]!"
To his surprise, the strong Mareep hesitated.
"What's this guy's deal? He's charging me? Seriously?"
Angered, the bulky Mareep charged too, matching Kael's energy with its own glowing horns.
On the open green field, two yellow-furred figures, both lit with white power, raced toward each other.
Kael's hooves pounded the dirt as he picked up speed, the glow at his horns intensifying.
"Strong or not…"
"I'm stronger!"
He shouted internally, throwing his full weight into the charge.
But just before impact—
"Woof!"
A blur of deep blue fur shot between the two fighters.
Kael couldn't stop in time.
BANG!
Instead of knocking his opponent away, Kael felt himself hit a solid and immovable wall. The impact sent him flying backward, tumoring through the grass.
Groaning, he looked up.
Standing in front of him, perfectly still, was a canine Pokémon.
It had coffee-colored fur with a shimmering dark blue pelt draped across its back like armor. A cream-colored pattern stretched across its serious, expressive face like a mask, and its eyes gleamed with fierce resolve.
"Herdier?"
Kael blinked, startled.
The Herdier sniffed the air, crouched, and let out a low growl.
It turned to the strong Mareep and barked sharply twice.
Instantly, the once-bullying Mareep deflated, whining pitifully. It glanced at Kael, bleated a few times as if tattling, and stepped back submissively.
"...Huh?"
Kael could only stare, baffled by the sudden appearance of authority.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
Thank you so much for reading!