◉◉◉◉◉
Relying on the faint feedback from his limbs and body, Kael could roughly tell he was in the form of a humanoid Pokémon.
But specifics? Still unclear.
That's where a detailed System Status Panel beca indispensable.
At his thought, the familiar attribute screen unfolded before his eyes:
---
[Species: Machop]
[Level: 4 ( )]
[Ability: Steadfast]
[Moves: Low Kick, Leer, Focus Energy, Confuse Ray]
[Evaluation: A strange Machop. Sothing deep inside its body seems to be changing.]
[Held Items: (Small) IV Booster, (dium) IV Booster, Terrakion's Shatter-Shoulder Plate, Zamazenta's Heart (Incomplete)]
---
"Oh?"
Kael's eyes lit with surprise.
This ti, after his Ampharos' life, the System's attribute screen seed upgraded.
In addition to the old [Species], [Level], [Moves], and [Evaluation], two new fields appeared: [Ability] and [Held Items].
That discovery made Kael grin. "Does the System... level up with each reincarnation?"
The thought sparked wild speculation.
If true, maybe one day it would even show deeper stats: like [IVs] and [EVs], just like in the gas of his past life.
Kael carefully scanned the screen from top to bottom.
"Machop, huh?"
"Not bad at all."
Humanoid shape felt comfortable after all, Kael had lived over twenty years as a human before.
His Ampharos incarnation had been grand and colorful, but lasted less than two years.
Between the two, this body was closer to ho.
And the Machop line? Naturally gifted in physical combat a perfect fit with [Terrakion's Shatter-Shoulder Plate]. Three-stage evolution, just like Ampharos, and its final form, Machamp, was a top-tier Fighting-type even among its kind.
All told, Kael was satisfied with this new life.
---
His starting level also surprised him. Thanks to the mysterious bonus [EXP 328], he'd woken up already at [Level 4].
Enough to skip a fragile chunk of the early grind.
---
Then his gaze stopped on the ability line.
[Ability: Steadfast]
"...Steadfast?"
Kael frowned.
From his human days, he rembered raising Machop before. Most ca with [Guts] or [No Guard], but in rare cases... [Steadfast].
It was a hidden ability, but in the gas, honestly kind of lackluster. Effect: If flinched, Speed rises by one stage.
Kael rubbed his chin.
So... would it work literally in this reality?
Would he need to experience fear or hesitation?
Or was there another trigger?
He poked the [Ability] entry, hoping for more detail.
Nothing.
"Figures." He sighed. Still, a gut feeling told him this ability wouldn't stay simple.
Then his eyes moved to [Moves].
Low Kick. Leer. Focus Energy.
...Wait.
"Why does a Fighting-type Machop know [Confuse Ray]!?"
Kael's mouth twitched.
In the gas, Fighting-type moves couldn't even touch Ghosts, and Ghost and Fighting weren't exactly harmonious.
mory flashed the operating table, the eerie injection, and the System's cryptic "sothing's happening inside" line.
Unease gnawed at him.
He sank his awareness inward, probing his body's energy.
There beside the warm, vigorous Fighting-type flow, another current lurked: cold, shadowed, spectral.
Like oil and water separate, unmixed, yet sohow both are inside him. One lane for cars, one lane for pedestrians parallel, but undeniably linked.
"Yeah... that's Ghost-type energy." Which ant [Confuse Ray] ca from this.
Kael groaned. "Seriously? Having Ghost energy stuck inside this can't end well."
Even as Ampharos, wielding non-Electric power like Dragon-type energy had required years of training and genetic hints.
But here? He was a powder keg, a body jamd with two clashing elents.
For a heartbeat, he pictured himself exploding into gore one day when the energies finally tore each other apart.
"Phew..."
He forced slow breaths, steadying his nerves. What's done is done. He'd adapt or die trying.
---
Finally, his eyes fell to [Held Items]. Just a list of what he carried from the Reincarnation Store.
He chose not to equip [Terrakion's Shatter-Shoulder Plate] or [Zamazenta's Heart (Incomplete)] just yet. What if they caused visible changes?
In a place where scientists already saw him as a lab rat, that would spell dissection.
The [IV Boosters], though...
Kael's eyes glead.
In this world, humans didn't talk about
"IVs."
They called it "innate potential."
Which ant he could safely use them without drawing suspicion.
And maybe, just maybe, push this Machop body toward greatness.
◉◉◉◉◉
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!
User Comments
0 comments from readers