The shadows in the cavern shifted as Kael and Serena moved deeper, the eerie atmosphere pressing in around them. The Moon Stone's energy pulsed, and Kael could feel its call drawing him forward. Yet something else stirred in the darkness—something ancient and hungry.
The growl from earlier had not been a fluke. Something larger, more powerful, and more sinister was waiting.
"Stay alert," Kael muttered, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the dark passageway ahead. His senses were on high alert, the bloodline within him awakening to something primal.
Serena stayed close, her Pokémon ready to fight, though she knew Kael would be the true force in this battle. She had learned that much in their short time together.
Then they saw it.
A massive, hulking figure emerged from the shadows. The creature was a terrifying fusion of both natural and supernatural, its body a towering mass of muscle and dark energy. It was a Gothitelle, but one so corrupted that its form was barely recognizable.
This was not a normal Pokémon—it had been twisted, its mind corrupted by dark energy and the Moon Stone's influence.
"It's a mutation," Serena whispered. "The Moon Stone… It's changing everything it touches."
Kael stepped forward, his crimson eyes locking onto the monstrous Gothitelle. "It's nothing I can't handle."
Without warning, the corrupted Gothitelle lunged. Its body moved with terrifying speed, swiping at Kael with claws that could rend steel.
Kael sidestepped the attack effortlessly. His power had grown exponentially since he had entered the cave, and he wasn't about to let a mutated Pokémon stand in his way.
The battle was brutal. Kael's punches sent shockwaves through the cavern, his movements so fast they were almost impossible to track. But the Gothitelle wasn't some ordinary foe. It adapted quickly, its body shifting and warping as it countered Kael's blows.
Kael's eyes glowed brighter as the energy from the Moon Stone infused his body.
[Sync Rate: 22.5%]
[New Trait Gained: Reality Warp – Ability to Manipulate Space Within Immediate Area]
He blurred forward, appearing behind the Gothitelle in an instant. With a single, devastating strike, he drove his fist into its back, sending it crashing into the stone floor.
The creature screamed, its form crumbling under the force of Kael's power. But it wasn't finished. It rose once more, its eyes glowing with dark energy.
"You're not done yet, huh?" Kael muttered. "Then let's end this."
With another flurry of blows, Kael shattered the creature's form, and it collapsed, its body flickering out of existence like smoke in the wind.
The cavern fell silent, save for Kael's heavy breathing.
"Good work," Serena said, her voice laced with awe.
Kael gave a short nod. "Let's keep going. The real trial is still ahead."
They continued their journey through the cavern until they reached the heart of it. There, in the center, lay a pedestal that held another Moon Stone, glowing with an unnatural, pulsating light.
Kael stepped forward, his hand reaching out toward the stone. The moment he touched it, a wave of energy coursed through him, filling him with knowledge of the stone's true power.
And then the voice came.
A whisper at first, then growing louder.
"You seek power beyond your understanding. But be warned: There is always a price for such strength."
Kael froze, his hand still on the Moon Stone. The voice was not just in his mind—it filled the entire cavern, resonating with the very rock around them.
He had no time to respond.
The ground beneath them shook as a new force emerged.
A Clefable, but not just any Clefable. This one was different—its fur gleamed with an ethereal light, its eyes shining with cosmic power.
This Clefable was the guardian of the Moon Stone, and it would not allow Kael to claim its power without a trial.