The afternoon sun hung high in the sky, casting golden beams over the training grounds. Heat shimmered in the distance as Ray stood shirtless under the blazing light, sweat glistening on his back. His arms crossed, legs firm, and expression sharp with focus. Charmander stood in front of him, panting slightly, its tail flame burning bright with anticipation.
"Alright, today is the day we get those two skills to five stars," Ray declared, his tone steady but intense. "Scratch and Ember. We're not leaving this field until it's done."
Charmander nodded eagerly, his claws glinting under the sun.
"Let's start with Scratch," Ray said. "You already know the process. Concentrate your mana, keep the flow sharp and stable, and don't just cut—rip through. We've practiced this a hundred times. Now show me your beast instincts."
Charmander let out a determined growl, stepping forward. He flexed his claws, the tips faintly glowing with mana. This time, however, he wasn't just focusing it into the claws—he was channeling through them.
Mana surged along his arms and condensed at the tips. Suddenly, extensions of chakra-like claws formed over his real ones—transparent but visibly dense and sharp.
With a roar, Charmander slashed.
SHHHRRRRRAKKK!
The boulder in front of him split clean down the middle—then again and again—until it crumbled into chunks. The chakra claws left deep gouges, and the edges of the rock were scorched slightly from the residual heat.
Charmander let out a victorious cry, spreading his arms and releasing a stream of flames upward into the sky like fireworks.
[Skill Update: Scratch has reached Five Stars.]
A notification rang softly in Ray's mind. He allowed himself a small grin.
"Nice. That's one," he said, walking over and patting Charmander's head. "Celebrate later tonight when you level up. For now… Ember."
Charmander's grin remained confident. He thumped his tail and nodded. But two hours passed.
And Ember still refused to budge.
Charmander had fired countless rounds—short bursts, long breaths, compressed streams. But nothing worked. He had nearly exhausted himself; his breathing was ragged, and even the flame on his tail flickered tiredly.
Charmander sat down, eyes downcast, flicking a small flame from his mouth only to watch it sputter out.
Ray knelt beside him.
"You're not doing anything wrong," he said softly. "You're just doing too much of what's already been done."
Charmander blinked, confused.
Ray looked up toward the sky. "We've always tried to control it. Compress it. Shape it. But fire… Fire isn't meant to be caged. There's a reason they call it wild and untamed. The strongest beasts in the jungle aren't the ones that obey—they're the ones that command the chaos."
Charmander's eyes widened.
"Don't suppress your flame anymore. Unleash it. Don't try to fit your power into a mold. Let it spill out. Let the world burn from your roar."
The words struck a chord. It was as if something inside Charmander clicked.
With sudden vigor, he spun around toward the broken boulder remains, took a wide stance, and growled. A pressure began to build around him—subtle at first, then thick like smoke.
His jaw opened, and the air rippled. Mana surged wildly, freely, no longer tight and compact. It gathered into his throat like a hurricane.
Then—ROAR!
A flame burst forth—not a clean beam, not a narrow shot—but a growing, living blaze. At first, it seemed like every other Ember. But mid-air, the fire expanded, stretching wide like a wild tide.
It engulfed the boulder pieces. The flames intensified. The rocks hissed. Then—they melted.
The very ground beneath turned molten. A puddle of glowing red lava sizzled where stone once stood.
Ray's eyes widened in awe.
Charmander swayed slightly, then collapsed with a soft thud.
[Skill Update: Ember has reached Five Stars.]
Ray rushed over and caught him gently, laying his head in his lap.
"You did it," he whispered. "You always make me proud."
Charmander stirred faintly, letting out a happy purr.
Charmander gave a victorious huff... and fainted on the spot.
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It was already night when Charmander finally stirred awake. His eyelids fluttered open to see a dark sky overhead and flickering orange light nearby.
Ray sat beside a small campfire, grilling thick slabs of meat on a stone slab, the rich aroma of roasted spices floating through the air.
Charmander blinked, and his stomach immediately growled.
Ray turned, noticing the stare. He laughed. "Hungry? This is all for you, buddy."
He tore a piece off and tossed it over. Charmander caught it mid-air and devoured it without hesitation, quickly licking his lips and eyeing the rest.
"Slow down," Ray said between chuckles. "No one's gonna steal it."
Charmander continued eating with joyful abandon until his stomach bulged slightly. He patted it with satisfaction and gave a low, pleased growl.
Ray smiled before reaching into his satchel and pulling something out. It glowed with a faint red light—an orb, swirling with heat and ancient power.
When Charmander's eyes landed on it, he froze.
"This…" Ray murmured, holding it up, "is a fire beast core."
Charmander stood on all fours, his body instinctively reacting to the item. His tail burned brighter, his heartbeat quickening.
Ray nodded. "My dad gave it to me last night. Said to feed it to you during the level-up. And yeah—I get it now. There's more to this world than card holders. Beasts like you weren't born from cards. The monsters we fight—the ones from the rifts—those are real. This fire core came from one of them."
He tossed it to Charmander, who caught it in his clawed hand. The moment he touched it, it pulsed warmly, resonating with his fire mana.
Ray continued, voice thoughtful. "They say those monsters came from another world. Some say it was an invasion. Others say it's a cycle—that every few hundred years, the planes overlap. Whatever it is, that core... it's their remnant. And now it's your power."
Charmander clutched the core tightly, eyes glowing. He took a deep breath before placing the core in his mouth while ray opened Charmander's stats.
Stats:
Attack: S → SS
Defense: A → SS
Speed: SS → SS
Magic: SSS → SSS
Skills:
Scratch: ★★★★ → ★★★★★ Now eligible to evolve
Ember: ★★★ → ★★★★★ Now eligible to evolve
Smokescreen: ★★★
Growl: ★★
Ray confidently looks at Charmander and shouts, "Initiate level up"