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Bali left his wife to care for Machoke and returned to the ranch with his son and Kael, the Mareep.
Although last night's life-and-death battle had drained him physically and emotionally, life had to go on. The Pokémon at the ranch still needed care.
Thankfully, the League had promised compensation for those affected by the incident, which could ease the financial pressure at least for a while.
As he thought about last night, Bali couldn't help but marvel at Kael's performance.
"I've raised a lot of Mareep, but I've never seen one with such exceptional talent."
Very few Pokémon could awaken the move [Hidden Power] on their own.
And this Mareep... had awakened [Hidden Power: Dragon].
That was rare ridiculously rare.
What's more, Mareep were known to be gentle and docile. They rarely sought battle, especially those raised in the peaceful environnt of a ranch.
Under those circumstances, any normal Mareep would have either frozen in fear or fainted outright.
But Kael? He had broken through the limitations of his species, seized the mont, and delivered the finishing blow that saved Machoke.
Even professional Trainers might struggle to raise a Pokémon like that.
Bali's heart burned.
"He's still young. If he's trained properly, the future he could reach would be limitless..."
But then reality struck.
The ranch was already struggling to cover Machoke's training. Adding a prodigious Mareep to the mix?
It would be impossible.
Like ice water over a fla, the fantasy vanished.
"Wasting that kind of potential... would be a cri. Even Kael wouldn't accept a fate like that."
Bali clenched his fists, a hard decision forming in his heart.
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anwhile, Kael was completely unaware of Bali's thoughts.
He stood in the open field, calmly channeling his new move.
Tiny sparks flickered across his yellow wool, dancing gently in the sunlight.
His tail's orange crystal glowed faintly.
Electric waves rippled outward.
"[Thunder Wave]!"
Unlike standard electricity, these waves weren't violent they were graceful and controlled.
They coiled through the grass, leaving faint burn marks before fading into the wind.
Kael wasn't discouraged.
He knew from his past life that [Thunder Wave] didn't deal damage. It was a paralyzing move.
He was still satisfied. After all, he already had [Hidden Power: Dragon] for offense.
Mareep didn't get many high-damage moves early on. Having a control-type move was far more valuable right now.
Then, Kael noticed sothing.
His wool had shrunk slightly.
"So Mareep stores electricity in its wool..."
"And that orange orb on the tail must regulate how much electricity gets released."
If Mareep could store more power in its wool, it might speed up developnt especially knowing that its evolution, Flaaffy, could store insane amounts of power in very little fluff.
If he trained those aspects early...
He'd be ahead of the curve.
His thoughts were interrupted by approaching footsteps.
"There you are! I've been looking for you. What are you doing out here?"
It was Bali.
Kael turned around, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"I saved his Machoke's life last night. He's gotta be here to reward , right?"
Bali knelt down and gently patted Kael's head.
Soft sparks tingled under his hand.
"Already storing power in your wool at this age... incredible."
Kael tried to stay calm, but he was practically vibrating with excitent.
Bali studied him for a mont, then spoke slowly.
"Mareep... you saved Machoke's life. For that, I promise you a peaceful ho here on this ranch for as long as you live."
"Does that sound good to you?"
Kael shook his head.
He didn't want peace.
He wants wa—
He wanted strength. Growth. Evolution.
He wanted to stand on par with legendaries.
Bali's eyes lit up with understanding. Follow current novᴇls on novęlfire
"You can understand ... just as I thought."
He took a deep breath.
"You're gifted more than any Pokémon I've seen. But... we can't give you the training you need here. We're stretched too thin."
"So I have a proposal."
"Join the Pokémon League. Beco the partner of a professional Trainer."
"With your potential, I know you'll be noticed. You won't be just another Pokémon you'll stand out."
Kael thought it over.
Pokémon League?
It sounded good.
If Bali had raised a Machoke that strong, he probably had connections. His praise wasn't baseless.
And if Kael landed with a decent Trainer, he could level up fast using the [System] and unlock more of his potential.
Sure, there'd be so restrictions.
But the trade-off?
Worth it.
He nodded firmly.
Bali smiled with a mix of relief and sorrow.
He unclipped a red-and-white Poké Ball from his belt, then hesitated for a mont before gently tapping it to Kael's forehead.
"Goodbye, Mareep."
"See you in the big leagues."
"Goodbye..." Kael whispered in his heart.
[Beep.]
Red light enveloped Kael's body, turning his form into shimring energy.
The ball dropped to the grass with a soft click.
It wobbled once.
Then stilled.
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Thank you so much for reading!
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