Pokemon: Reborn as a Pokemon

Chapter 322 322: 322. Escape

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If Gerald abandoned Lillipup and ran deeper into the jungle to track down Sobble, the outcome was obvious.

Even with the numbers advantage on their side, Lillipup and Sentret would be completely overwhelmed by Skarmory without a Trainer directing them.

At best, they would be driven into a desperate corner, At worst, they would be beaten into a near-death state and forcibly withdrawn back into the system inventory.

The materials needed to revive Lillipup were valuable, yes, but not so rare that Gerald could not afford them.

That was not what worried him.

What Gerald truly cared about was the crack that would form in Lillipup's heart if he left it behind in the middle of battle.

After all, Pokémon World was built around realism. The Pokémon in this game were not just piles of data. Driven by advanced AI, they had all been given distinct personalities, instincts, and emotional depth.

To recreate the bond between Trainers and Pokémon as faithfully as possible, the developers had poured enormous effort into that aspect of the experience, pushing it as far as they could.

If Gerald abandoned Lillipup to chase after Sobble, and Lillipup ended up dying because of it, then once it was revived, it would unquestionably begin to resent its Trainer.

That resentment may not show itself immediately. But as Lillipup grew stronger and more mature, it would become an invisible barrier between them, lodged in the middle of what should have been a close bond.

Perhaps it would manifest as an ignored command. Maybe as one reckless act.

But given enough time, dissatisfaction like that would build, slowly and quietly, until one day it erupted and became the seed of a true falling-out.

Gerald understood this perfectly well. With how difficult it was to obtain Pokémon in this game, if something went wrong with the bond he had with his starter, then his entire future plan would be thrown badly off course. His dream of becoming one of the top players in the first wave would become impossible.

That was something he could not accept.

Sobble was an incredible temptation.

But the risks that came with chasing it were just as deadly.

What if he abandoned Lillipup... and still failed to catch Sobble?

He did not dare gamble on that.

So after weighing everything together, Gerald chose to stay where he was and guide the still-inexperienced Lillipup through the fight against Skarmory.

As for Wendy.

That sweet girl who had only just stepped out of high school had forgotten all about Sobble the instant her partner, Sentret, let out a cry of pain. Her whole focus shifted immediately to the battle, driven by pure worry as she threw herself into directing her Pokémon.

And so, through a bizarre twist of fate, the two players who had originally come here to capture Kael ended up becoming the ones who saved him from disaster.

It was absurd.

Almost laughable.

Meanwhile, Kael, already invisible and sprinting through the deep forest at full speed, felt nothing but relief.

If he had really been an ordinary newborn Pokémon, then the players' sudden intervention might very well have moved him. A naïve, pure-hearted creature could easily have developed a sense of trust, maybe even gratitude, and willingly stepped forward to be captured.

But the Sobble body Kael now inhabited held a soul that had seen far more of life than any normal human ever would.

He had already decided long ago that he would never allow himself to be caught by a player. So even if they showed him kindness, the most it could change was his impression of them, or perhaps his attitude. Nothing more.

And besides, Kael understood their motives perfectly.

The only reason they had stepped in was that they were afraid he might die under Skarmory's claws before they had the chance to capture him.

Kael carried a human soul. He had once been a player himself. He knew very well that for most players in a game world like this, the line between good and evil was blurry at best.

Self-interest was the rule.

People who remained innocent and soft-hearted online in exactly the same way they were in real life were the rare exception.

The moment the players intervened, Kael had already finished running through his next move in his head.

First, if he stayed behind and fought Skarmory alongside them, then whether they could defeat it or not was one question. But for Kael, whose stamina had already been heavily drained, there was no way he believed the players would simply stand by and let him walk away afterward.

Which meant staying put was extremely dangerous.

Second, after that exchange just now, Kael had already gained a very clear understanding of Skarmory's strength, drawing on the experience he had accumulated across more than one life.

At least for now, it was absolutely not an opponent he could beat.

Even adding the two starter Pokémon the players had brought with them would not change that.

As Kael tore through the forest at full speed, he gave a slight shake of his head.

Not even enough to force a draw.

Skarmory could simply rely on its vastly superior stamina and wear them down one by one until all of them were dead.

So whether he looked at it emotionally or logically, there was only one choice left to him if he wanted to stay free and keep living.

Leave the endlessly revivable players behind to stall Skarmory.

And while they did, run.

Run as far as possible before Skarmory finishes wiping them out.

Every extra second he bought himself meant one more sliver of hope that he might survive.

"Rustle... rustle..."

Shrubs and branches scraped violently as he tore through the jungle. His rapid footsteps beat a frantic rhythm into the air, and every so often, a faint transparent outline flashed between the trees.

At this point, Kael had no real intention of staying hidden anymore.

He knew perfectly well that with Skarmory's sharp eyesight, a simple trick like this would be exposed in an instant.

Turning invisible was useful for escaping the players' pursuit.

But against Skarmory, only one thing truly mattered.

Distance.

"SKREEEEE!!!"

Then suddenly.

A sharp, piercing cry rang out from far behind him, so shrill that the vibrating air made even the canopy overhead tremble.

"It's coming."

Kael's heart tightened instantly. A rising sense of urgency flooded through him, and some instinct deep inside told him clearly that Skarmory had completely broken free of the players.

It was coming for him now.

"WHOOOSH!"

A violent shriek of torn air burst from the distant sky behind him like a crack of thunder.

Its purpose was unmistakable.

The sonic boom from above grew louder.

Closer.

Closer still.

So close that Kael began to feel as if Skarmory might drop from the sky onto him at any second.

A wave of extreme danger exploded through his mind.

By instinct, the straight-line sprint he had been maintaining twisted sharply.

His escape path changed at once into an erratic zigzag.

It slowed him slightly.

But it made his movements far harder to predict.

Far harder to catch.

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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter

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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:

P-atreon/iamxeno

(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)

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