"Ka-tah!"
A metallic snap echoed.
Nergigante's entire body flashed with silver-gray light.
The flickering lines assembled into the outline of a mechanical framework,
as if an intricate engine blueprint had been painted directly onto her scales.
Then—
A clear click of gears.
Nature energy surged toward her like a tidal wave.
A blood-red aura wrapped around Nergigante's body,
and the pale moonlight above was dyed a foreboding crimson.
She spread her wings.
The aura exploded outward in a wave.
And she lunged straight at Zinogre.
Zinogre's skill mastery was no worse than Nergigante's—
And at level 43, he out-leveled her by four.
But the moment First Gear activated—
He buckled.
Nergigante's power spiked dramatically.
Her attacks crashed against Zinogre like a storm,
overwhelming him in close quarters.
After three to four minutes of heavy combat,
Bai Chen sensed her consciousness slipping—her will drowned by killing instinct.
Immediately, he activated the Bond Stone,
dragging her forcibly out of the unstable state.
The red glow vanished.
Nergigante shook her head,
her eyes clearing.
Bai Chen exhaled—
even his own mind had been brushing the edges of bloodlust.
Shift Gear — The Perfect Fit
Shift Gear.
Steel-type.
Rarity ★★★★★★.
A move Nergigante could never naturally learn—
not even Basarios, who at least had steel-adjacent traits,
could touch something like this.
Every species had its own internal logic—
moves they could learn, and moves forever beyond them.
Nergigante learning Shift Gear didn't mean she became mechanical.
Because this Shift Gear wasn't real machinery—
It was the image, the "painting" that Sketch had copied.
Just like the silver projection that appeared earlier.
Shift Gear's original function was to increase Attack
and massively boost Speed.
But because Sketch created it,
those effects had completely disappeared.
Instead—
the ability transformed into something entirely new:
A key to unlock and regulate
Nergigante's hidden, destructive potential.
│ "Bad news: Shift Gear no longer boosts stats."
│ "Good news: it activates her sealed power.
And that boost surpasses any normal buff."
Bai Chen analyzed:
│ "First Gear draws in huge amounts of natural energy…
and releases roughly 10% of your hidden power.
All your stats rise drastically."
Right now, 10% was still enough to make her lose herself.
But—
For the first time, the level of release could be capped.
As long as the release stayed under that threshold,
Nergigante could eventually adapt
and wield First Gear without losing control.
He knelt, placing a hand atop her head.
│ "Your job now is simple—
master First Gear.
Stabilize it.
When you can stay fully conscious…
We'll develop Second Gear, Third Gear…
all the way up."
│ "Awoo!"
Nergigante nodded determinedly.
Bai Chen's envisioned tiers were clear:
• 1st Gear — 10% release
• 2nd Gear — ~30%
• 3rd Gear — ~50%
• …until 5th Gear, the apex—
Primal Reversion.
He had witnessed a glimpse of that power.
It was not a "stat boost" level.
It was world-breaking.
Sometimes he wondered if the system slipped
when creating Nergigante—
accidentally inserting something monstrous.
Comforting Zinogre
Bai Chen approached Zinogre, spray medicine in hand.
He could feel the wolf's frustration.
│ "Don't brood.
You'll get your one Sketch skill too—
I'll make sure it's the perfect one for you."
Zinogre snorted softly.
He wasn't angry at Bai Chen—
just bitter that he'd lost so decisively.
│ "Strong ones grow through frustration.
Being unwilling is good—
means you'll train harder."
Zinogre stayed silent.
Bai Chen finished treating him and patted his shoulder.
│ "Come on, cheer up.
I didn't come back with just one skill—
I brought four for you."
Zinogre's ears instantly perked.
Bai Chen grinned and transmitted all four.
Zinogre's New Arsenal
[Zinogre learned: Volt Tackle (Rare ★★★★★★)]
Detected overlap with Plasma Rush—
→ Upgraded to "Super Volt" (Rare ★★★★★★★)
[Zinogre learned: Thunder (Rare ★★★★★★)]
Detected overlap with Falling Thunder—
→ Upgraded to "Calamity Thunder" (Rare ★★★★★★★)
[Zinogre learned: Discharge (Rare ★★★★★★)]
Detected overlap with Thousandfold Thunderbolt—
→ Upgraded to "Megaton Discharge" (Rare ★★★★★★★)
[Zinogre learned: Electric Terrain (Rare ★★★★★★)]
All four were stolen from top-tier Electric Pokémon.
Bai Chen examined Zinogre's moveset—
and felt emotional.
This was no mere monster anymore.
This was battlefield artillery.
Current skill list includes:
• ★★★★★★★ — Supercharged State
• ★★★★★★★ — Elder Dragon Blood
• ★★★★★★★★ — Ultra Lightning Form
• ★★★★★★ — High-Voltage Lightning
• ★★★★★ — Thunderclap Palm
• ★★★★★★★ — Megaton Discharge
• ★★★★ — Thunderbug Shot
• ★★★★★★★ — Calamity Thunder
• ★★★★★★★ — Super Volt
• ★★★★★★ — Electric Terrain
• ★★★★★★★★ — Ultimate Energy Field
• ★★ — Minimize
Twelve skills.
Ten of them have a rarity of 6 or above.
Two rarity-8 skills.
Four rarity-7 skills.
If Zinogre met the Rathalos that once bully-ragged him—
He would obliterate it.
Zinogre stood tall, newly energized.
His wounds barely healed,
he launched back into self-training.
His determination moved Bai Chen.
│ "Should I use Sketch to give him rest…?
He'd get more training hours…"
He dismissed the thought.
Rest only improved efficiency.
Once he hit the level cap, it would be useless.
Sketch was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
It had to go toward something transcendent.
After reminding Zinogre not to overstrain,
Bai Chen began his own training.
The Next Morning — Olivia's Trial
Daybreak.
Time to challenge Olivia.
Bai Chen boarded a yacht with Lillie
and headed for the isolated trial island—
about the size of two football fields.
Olivia was already there waiting.
│ "Alola, Bai Chen. Lillie."
│ "Alola." Bai Chen bowed.
Lillie also greeted her respectfully.
He glanced at the spectators—
Lusamine, Gladion,
and inexplicably—
Hala and Nanu.
│ "Do these two really have nothing better to do
than watch someone else's trial…?"
He still greeted them politely.
Lillie took Little Nebula to the stands.
Olivia stepped forward.
│ "Are you ready for your Grand Trial?"
│ "Of course.
This is my last Z-Crystal."
Bai Chen raised a Monster Ball.
│ "Come forth—Basarios!"
The giant emerged,
now 36 meters long and radiating volcanic presence.
Olivia wasn't surprised—
She'd seen him before.
She pulled a Poké Ball from her waist.
│ "As we agreed—one non-ace vs. one non-ace.
One-on-one battle."
She threw.
│ "Show him the highest level of battle—
Go, Lycanroc!"
A Midday Lycanroc burst forth.
Level 52.
Three master-level techniques.
Comparable to Hala's Hariyama.
Hala himself stepped in as referee.
│ "Then… the Grand Trial begins!"
Basarios vs. Lycanroc
Bai Chen acted first.
│ "Unleash Ultimate Energy Field!
Then—Heavy Slam!"
A kingly aura exploded outward,
pressing down on Lycanroc and Olivia alike.
Lycanroc froze—
pinned by sheer presence.
│ "Don't be afraid!
We're stronger!"
Olivia's voice steadied her partner.
Lycanroc shook off the pressure.
│ "Quick Guard!"
Lycanroc crossed its arms,
catching the massive Heavy Slam
with a burst of protective force.
│ "Accelerock!"
A rock-type burst of lightning speed.
│ "Tank it—then use Toxic Gas!"
Basarios' defense was immense.
He endured easily—
and vents under his body opened, spewing poison gas.
│ "Hold your breath—Drill Run under his belly!"
Olivia had already analyzed the weakness—
Basarios' underside had thinner plating.
Drill Run struck true,
piercing the reinforced armor even after Iron Defense,
dealing solid damage.
│ "High-temperature gas—repel it."
Blazing hot air blasted downward,
forcing Lycanroc back.
│ "Basarios—Ultra Flame Cannon!"
Volcanic heat surged.
Flames filled the dragon's throat.
Olivia's instincts screamed.
│ "Quick Guard, NOW!"
Lycanroc's stance formed—
But the Ultra Flame Cannon fired—
The guard shattered in two seconds.
The beam carved across the island,
scorching the earth black
and forming a molten path that stretched into the distant sea.
Olivia stared, shocked.
Ultra Flame Cannon possessed unparalleled penetration among all Monster Hunter breath weapons.
Breaking through Protect wasn't surprising—
But Lycanroc enduring it physically
was proof of impressive toughness.
│ "Basarios—again!"
As the next command left his mouth—
│ "Wait! Pause!"
Olivia raised her hand.
Basarios halted.
Bai Chen frowned.
│ "Is something wrong?"
│ "I request to move to the spectator area for commanding."
A perfectly reasonable request—
That beam earlier had passed cleanly by her head.
Unlike formal arenas,
this island had no protective barriers for trainers.
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