Chapter 166: The Red Trait—[Divine Concealment]
"Level-60 Nidoking and Nidoqueen…"
Near a rocky cliff by the World Tree, Hikaru sighed deeply.
It had been two days since he arrived at the World Tree.
During this time, he had circled the "tree," but everywhere he went, he encountered Pokémon of Elite Four-level strength.
Nidoking and Nidoqueen, Shiftry, Aerodactyl, Tropius, Serperior…
He had almost ended up fighting the Shiftry.
The Shiftry, at Level 61, was no joke.
If it came to a group battle, Hikaru wasn't too worried.
With Charizard's Mega Evolution and his other Pokémon supporting it, victory was possible.
But…
The area wasn't home to just one Shiftry.
There were many other Elite Four-level Pokémon nearby.
If the fight attracted them, they could easily swoop in and take advantage.
That would be disastrous.
Fortunately, Latias's speed left even Elite Four-level Shiftry helpless to catch them.
---
The current state of the World Tree was visibly deteriorating.
Through his Aura, Hikaru could sense its frailty and illness.
The situation was simple:
The strongest Salamence had claimed the best area, while the other Pokémon surrounded the tree, tightly enclosing it.
---
"What should we do, Hikaru?"
Latias, in her human form, whispered as she followed him.
No matter which direction they entered from, it would alert the Pokémon guarding the area.
---
"Wait a moment…"
Hikaru was at a loss as well.
He silently wished for a trait that could conceal his presence.
Previously, he had obtained a white [Invisibility] trait.
However, Hikaru doubted that such a basic trait could escape the detection of these Pokémon.
After all, it only hid one's physical form, not their Aura.
---
"Forget it, I'll use this."
Over the past two days, no new traits or items capable of concealing his presence had appeared.
With no better options, Hikaru pulled out the red [Trait Replica] and the white [Invisibility] trait from his system inventory.
"I originally wanted to wait for more choices before using this, but a concealment trait is pretty good too."
Gently bringing the two traits together, Hikaru watched as the [Invisibility] trait transformed.
The white light shifted to green, then blue, and finally settled into red.
---
[Red Trait—Divine Concealment]: Creates an independent circular field. Within the field, the user is both invisible and undetectable by Aura or energy senses. The field dissipates if the user is attacked or attacks. Usable only by Psychic-type Pokémon.
---
"Another Psychic-type skill?"
After reading the trait's description, Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
It was essentially an evolved version of [Invisibility], but far more effective.
Combined with Latias's speed, it would be a formidable tool—even in official battles!
Tapping lightly, Hikaru equipped the trait to Latias.
---
"Hm?"
Latias immediately felt the change, her expression lighting up with delight.
"Hikaru, I think I've just learned—"
"Shh!"
Before she could finish, Hikaru covered her mouth.
They were still in the Nidoking and Nidoqueen's territory.
"Mmm…"
Ever since learning to speak, Latias preferred talking over using telepathy.
---
"Sorry, sorry."
Seeing her pout, Hikaru quickly removed his hand.
"It's fine… Was it a skill you gave me?" Latias asked curiously via telepathy.
"Yeah."
Hikaru nodded.
There was no reason to hide it—most of his Pokémon were already aware of this ability.
---
"Great! Watch me use it!"
Latias's smile widened as she reverted to her original form. A crystalline barrier enveloped Hikaru and his two Pokémon.
The barrier had a diameter of five meters, large enough to comfortably cover all of them.
---
"Hop on, Hikaru, Lucario."
Latias gestured invitingly.
"Alright."
Hikaru responded as he and Lucario climbed onto her back.
---
Latias first flew to the sleeping Nidoking and Nidoqueen's den.
Circling them once, she confirmed that the affectionate pair, still entwined in sleep, hadn't noticed their presence.
Satisfied, Latias quietly turned toward the deeper parts of the World Tree's domain.
---
On the way, they passed Shiftry, Tropius, Serperior, Aerodactyl, and finally the Salamence guarding the World Tree itself.
None of them noticed the group soaring silently overhead.
---
Pokémon: Salamence
Ability: Moxie
Gender: Male
Talent: Elite Four
Level: 79
Moves: Roost, Dragon Tail, Dragon Pulse, Ember, Heat Wave, Scary Face, Crunch, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Leer...
As they passed the Salamence lying near the World Tree's roots, Hikaru used his Eye of Insight.
The result made him gasp.
A Level-79 Salamence.
Just one step away from Champion-level strength.
---
Hikaru took a deep breath.
If this Salamence detected them, escaping might be a problem.
But his cautious observation seemed to provoke the Salamence.
It spread its crimson wings and roared at the sky, its voice echoing across the region in frustration.
---
The roar startled countless Pokémon.
Even the sleeping Nidoking and Nidoqueen woke up in shock.
---
Recently, Salamence had been irritable.
It was on the verge of breaking through its current limits.
To prepare, it had been gathering energy and searching for rare treasures to achieve its breakthrough.
However, the treasures around the World Tree had begun to dwindle.
For example, the "Energy Water" that had once flowed from the tree was now gone.
Even the energy-infused berries in the area had stopped growing.
This scarcity left Salamence unable to take the decisive step toward advancing its strength.
---
Salamence had already driven away many Pokémon from the area.
Now, feeling another presence, it let out a deafening roar, venting its growing frustration.
Was someone trying to intrude on its territory again?
---
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