◉◉◉◉◉
[Ding!]
The familiar, crisp system chime echoed inside Kael's mind.
The first thing that popped into his field of vision was, naturally, the [Notifications] panel.
[Defeated Pokémon: Leavanny]
[+11 Experience Points]
[Defeated Pokémon: Nidoking]
[+9 Experience Points]
[Defeated Pokémon: Grumpig]
[+15 Experience Points]
"…Better than nothing, I guess."
Kael glanced at the pitiful amount of experience he'd earned and clicked his tongue.
The system's experience calculation formula was notoriously complex.
It didn't just account for the level gap between Kael and his opponents it also factored in real-time combat performance, environmental variables, and a variety of hidden modifiers.
After evolving into Machoke, Kael's overall strength had skyrocketed to an entirely new tier.
Those three Nightmare Pokémon might have seemed formidable to most Trainers, but compared to Kael's post-evolution combat power, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Given that disparity, earning so little experience was perfectly reasonable.
With Kael officially leaving behind his Machop stage and ascending further along his evolutionary line, it could be said that—
He had exited the phase of rapid, explosive growth.
Unless he encountered some extraordinary opportunity, his power progression would now enter a relatively stable, gradual period.
From this point on—
The harsh, repetitive training methods used in the Fighting Gym would yield diminishing returns for his Machoke's body.
At the same time, opponents capable of matching him in the wild would become increasingly rare.
After all, even Nightmare Pokémon squads like the one he'd just faced weren't something you encountered often.
Wild Pokémon on Kael's level were typically territorial apex monsters, each ruling over vast regions and they were few and far between.
Relying on grinding wild Pokémon for fast level gains?
Pure fantasy.
Of course, thinking this far ahead was unnecessary for now.
Kael's current focus was on understanding his new strength and exploring the world.
As for power?
His philosophy was simple:
"As long as it's enough."
He flicked through the notification panel once more. Seeing nothing else of interest, he mentally minimized it and shifted it to the corner of his vision.
Now—
The real highlight.
A faint glow burned in Kael's crimson eyes.
Raising the hand wrapped in the flowing pink psychic current, he lightly tapped the [Attributes] tab.
---
[Species]: Machoke
[Level]: 45 (7100 EXP)
[Ability]: Steadfast
[Moves]:
Low Kick, Leer, Focus Energy, Confuse Ray, Payback, Spite, Low Sweep, Knock Off, Scary Face, Seismic Toss, Phantom Force, Shadow Punch, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Aura Sphere, Superpower, Dual Chop, Bulk Up, Shadow Ball, Night Shade
[Evaluation]: A newly emerged species possessing both Fighting-type and Ghost-type attributes
[Held Items]:
Terrakion's Shatter-Shoulder Plate, Zamazenta's Heart (Fragmented)
---
Dense lines of glowing blue text filled Kael's vision, enough to make anyone dizzy.
He steadied himself.
Then—
Line by line, word by word, he examined everything carefully.
The first thing that caught his attention was the level.
Because he'd checked his status just the day before, Kael clearly remembered—
As a Machop stuck at level 28, he'd been sitting on roughly 1,400 stored experience points.
Even after evolving and defeating those three Nightmare Pokémon, by his estimates, he should've gained around fifteen levels at most.
Which meant—
His level should have landed somewhere around 43.
Yet the number displayed was unmistakable.
45.
"…That's weird."
"Where did those extra two levels come from?"
Kael frowned, genuinely puzzled.
What he didn't realize was that the source of those extra experience points lay within his own body.
Back in the research facility, the scientists determined to waste nothing before evacuating had injected Kael with concentrated Ghost-type energy extracts from numerous Pokémon species.
Some of that energy had been consumed naturally during battle.
Some had dissolved as Kael's system level and life tier increased, converting directly into experience.
But those portions were minor.
The majority—
Essence refined over countless years from elite Ghost-type Pokémon—
Had simply settled silently into Kael's bloodline, dormant and undisturbed.
To awaken that dormant power required a stimulus far greater than normal combat or passive growth.
Evolution was exactly that kind of stimulus.
When the strange evolutionary light ignited and Kael's ancient genes activated, the Ghost-type essence buried deep within his blood surged awake—
Feeding the flames of evolution like hidden fuel.
That was one of the reasons Kael's evolution had granted such an overwhelming boost.
Some of that energy fused into his skin, muscles, and bones, strengthening his physical body.
Some transformed into potent internal energy, circulating through his meridians for him to wield.
And, as always—
A portion was converted into invisible experience points within the system, elevating his life tier.
Those "extra" two levels had come from exactly there.
Of course—
Even now, not all of that Ghost-type essence had been fully activated.
It was like an iceberg.
Minor disturbances chipped away fragments.
Evolution cracked off massive chunks.
But the core—
the vast, sleeping mass beneath the surface—
Still drifted deep within Kael's bloodline, waiting for an even greater shock.
Perhaps only his next evolution, bathed in an even fiercer evolutionary light, would finally melt it entirely.
Staring at the glowing blue [Level 45], Kael pondered for a long while… and got nowhere.
Eventually, he shrugged internally.
Free levels were free levels.
Complaining about them would just be stupid.
Besides—
A Pokémon's level only represented its life tier, not its true combat strength.
Higher levels granted raw stat advantages, yes—
But actual battle outcomes depended on far more:
movesets, technique, instincts, adaptability, and real-time judgment.
Kael knew that better than anyone.
◉◉◉◉◉
~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
◉◉◉◉◉
For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access Patreon normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!