◉◉◉◉◉
Arbok was still twitching from the paralysis, its muscles locked, body unresponsive.
That's when Kael struck.
A deep, shimmering blue glow suddenly formed in the air.
A swirling aura of mystical energy radiated from Kael as he spun and flung it with precision toward his stunned opponent.
"[Hidden Power]!"
Shrrk!
Like a heated blade slicing through butter, the majestic dragon-blue ring slammed straight into Arbok's skull. Its brittle cranial plate cracked instantly under the pressure.
The dragon-type energy tore through its brain, leaving behind only destruction.
Thud.
The serpent's upright body collapsed in a boneless heap on the black floor.
A thick, metallic scent flooded the room the stench of fresh blood.
Huf~ Huf~
Kael stood over the corpse, breathing heavily. His muscles trembled not from fear, but from the adrenaline fading.
—
Crash!
Minwen jolted, knocking over her pen holder.
She stared wide-eyed at the livestream on her monitor.
For a brief moment, the usually chatty stream chat fell silent. It was as if everyone watching was too stunned to type.
Then—
"6666666666"
"That Mareep is insane!"
"What kind of move was that?! That damage is cracked!"
"DID IT JUST WIN? WTF??"
"I just got here—what happened?!"
"REWIND! REWIND!"
Minwen narrowed her eyes at the sheep on-screen, its innocent expression completely at odds with the carnage it had just caused.
Why was something like this even in the Shadow Pit?
She pulled up the internal Dark Star database she'd been managing all day.
After a few quick searches, she found the file.
---
ID: DH3926
Species: Mareep
Moves: Tackle, Growl, Thunder Wave, Hidden Power (Dragon)
Status: Assigned to Shadow Pit
---
"Dragon-type Hidden Power?" she muttered.
The glow from earlier… it matched.
"Still at your desk?"
A passing colleague raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, just about to finish."
The man leaned over and squinted at her screen.
"Oh, that Mareep? I remember logging it. Nothing weird. Good hidden power, yeah but it's still just a Mareep. Gentle nature, docile temperament. Not exactly built for combat."
Minwen frowned.
"So why was it sent to the Pit?"
Her coworker chuckled as he walked off.
"Because we don't breed for potential alone. No one's going to invest resources in a Pokémon that can't handle itself, no matter how talented it looks on paper. That thing probably just got lucky."
Minwen glanced back at the screen.
On the floor, the Arbok's headless corpse was still steaming.
Gentle?
Can't fight?
---
Back in the Shadow Pit…
Kael stared at the body for a while longer, then zapped it twice more with [Thunder Wave], just to be sure.
Only then did he relax.
He glanced at the floating system icon in front of him.
Beep!
[Defeated Pokémon: Arbok]
[+37 Experience Points]
His stats flickered.
---
[Species: Mareep]
[Level: 8 → 9 (6/100 XP)]
[Moves: Tackle, Growl, Thunder Wave, Hidden Power (Dragon), Thunder Shock]
[Rating: A surprisingly strong Mareep]
---
"Nice. Leveled up and learned a new move," Kael muttered.
Just as he was reading the new skill, definitely an Electric-type attack, the black-uniformed man returned.
He glanced at Arbok's corpse, face unreadable.
Without a word, he recalled Kael into his Poké Ball and left the arena.
---
Ten days later.
The Shadow Pit.
Two figures dashed across the blackened floor.
A sleek [Floatzel] zipped across the arena, effortlessly dodging yellow paralyzing waves. It locked eyes with its opponent.
Kael.
A Mareep that looked as harmless as ever.
But Floatzel knew better.
That innocent face masked power.
Another [Thunder Wave] shot toward it.
Floatzel's body shimmered with white light crackling around its frame.
"[Quick Attack]!"
A Z-pattern dash cut across the room as Floatzel narrowly avoided the pulse, then lunged straight for Kael.
But Kael was ready.
His horn sparked with matching white energy.
"[Tackle]!"
CRASH!
The two collided with enough force to ripple the air.
Kael was sent skidding back, legs nearly buckling.
Floatzel's eyes lit up. A chance!
But then—
Zzzap!
A hidden charge released from Kael's wool and shocked Floatzel mid-lunge.
Tiny arcs of electricity danced across its fur.
Paralysis.
Kael's feet slid, but he caught himself. The orange orb on his tail began to glow.
Floatzel grit its teeth, recovering from the shock. It gathered light between its paws.
"[Thunder Shock]!"
"[Swift]!"
Yellow lightning burst from Kael, while Floatzel launched a barrage of shimmering white stars.
The attacks collided, grinding against each other in midair like sparks crashing into a meteor shower.
They canceled out.
Both Pokémon panted, sweat and static dripping from their bodies.
Then Floatzel's body began to glow white again readying another [Quick Attack].
But something had changed.
The air was now filled with floating strands of white fluff from Kael's wool.
Zzzap!
Tiny jolts crackled wherever the fluff landed on Floatzel, slowing its movement further.
A second [Thunder Wave] came next, this time unavoidable.
Direct hit.
Electricity surged through Floatzel's limbs.
Paralyzed.
Then—
Whirrr…
That same deep, majestic blue light [Hidden Power: Dragon] returned to the air.
Slash!
Blood burst across the arena floor like a cruel painting.
Floatzel collapsed.
Kael stood victorious, his breath hissing with residual electricity.
The system icon opened again, glowing softly.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!