As soon as Su Wen stepped inside Charicific Valley, his eyes were drawn to the towering Charizard-shaped throne in the distance. It was unclear whether the Zhu family had built it or if it dated back to ancient times.
The Charizard Leader wasn't lounging on the throne at the moment. Instead, it lay lazily below, watching as humans tried to win over its precious offspring.
Zhang Yun and his daughter, Zhang Qian, had arrived at Charicific Valley the day before. After resting for a night, they had come today to attempt taming the Charmander.
Like Su Chuan, Zhang Yun naturally wanted his daughter to secure this "golden catch" of a Charmander first.
"Old Zhang, you're quick," Su Chuan said, clapping Zhang Yun on the shoulder.
Zhang Yun chuckled. "Same to you. Where's Xiao Wen?"
Su Chuan pointed to the side. "Right there."
Su Wen had already slipped away to observe the Charmander up close.
With a focused thought, Su Wen expanded his Aura Power outward, instantly analyzing the attributes of every Charmander in sight.
Gulp.
Hundreds of Charmander—it was a feast for the eyes. There was even a shiny one, its body gleaming gold instead of the usual orange-red. It was stunning.
But Su Wen's attention quickly locked onto the two Charmander with hidden abilities.
If he couldn't tame the leader's offspring, these two would be his top choices.
"Xiao Wen, what are you dawdling for? Come here," Su Chuan called, grabbing Su Wen by the collar and pulling him over.
"Hello, Uncle Zhang," Su Wen greeted awkwardly.
Zhang Yun was already familiar with Su Wen. Every time he challenged Su Chuan's gym, he brought small gifts for Su Wen—proof of his social finesse.
"Xiao Wen, you're applying for the Trainer program, right? Haha, your dad might be surpassed by you in a few years," Zhang Yun teased.
Su Wen forced a laugh. Uncle Zhang really didn't spare his dad any face. He then turned his attention to the particularly radiant Charmander in front of him, extending his Aura Power to analyze it.
This Charmander had only just passed its Infant Stage and was currently at the Amateur level.
The seven tiers of Pokémon strength were: Amateur, Novice, Elite, Champion, Master, Gym Leader, and Elite Four. Amateur was the starting point for all Pokémon.
Ability... Unfortunately, it was just the standard Blaze ability. When a Pokémon's HP dropped to about one-third, Blaze boosted the power of Fire-type moves.
Compared to the hidden ability Solar Power, it was indeed a step down.
Skills... Any inherited moves? Scratch, Growl, Ember... and more. Not just three moves—Dragon Dance, Dragon Rush, Dragon Claw, and... Outrage?
Four inherited moves!
Incredible!
Su Wen's initial nonchalance vanished. Even with an average ability, four powerful Dragon-type moves more than made up for it.
In this world, Pokémon weren't limited to four moves like in the games. The only constraints were whether they could learn the move and its source.
Outrage wasn't without its TM, but as a Dragon-type move with 120 power, its TM was almost as rare as a pseudo-legendary baby.
And with Dragon Dance and Dragon Rush thrown in, this was practically a jackpot.
Inheriting moves wasn't easy—it demanded exceptional parents.
Out of hundreds of Charmander in the valley, few had inherited moves, and even fewer had powerful ones. Three Dragon-type moves? That was practically protagonist material.
Instinctively, Su Wen extended his Aura Power toward the Charizard Leader, trying to discern whether these moves came from the father or mother.
But the next moment, the Charizard Leader's eyelids twitched slightly. Su Wen's Aura was forcefully repelled. If the leader hadn't held back, Su Wen might have been knocked flat on his back.
Even so, Su Wen felt dizzy, shaking his head to clear it.
If Su Wen had a status screen, it would probably look like this:
Pokémon: Charizard
Ability: ????
Moves: ????
Yikes. I underestimated it. This is definitely an Elite Four-level Charizard.
"Roar~~" The Charizard Leader scratched its ear and sat up, giving Su Wen a subtle glance before gently pushing Zhang Qian away from its offspring.
"Failed," Zhang Yun sighed regretfully. This Charmander was utterly indifferent—Zhang Qian hadn't managed to capture its interest at all.
Zhang Qian didn't seem too upset. Compared to Charizard, she preferred elegant Pokémon like Gardevoir.
"My turn?" Su Wen blinked.
With permission from Zhu Tianxing and the Charizard Leader, Su Wen pulled out the carefully crafted Pokéblocks he had prepared.
The Charmander didn't hold back, eyeing Su Wen before gobbling up four or five Pokéblocks in one bite.
Smacking its lips, the Charmander wore a satisfied smile—but showed no sign of indebtedness.
Even as Su Wen tried to communicate through his Aura, the Charmander barely acknowledged him, offering only a passing glance.
Sigh. Su Wen exhaled softly, standing up and shrugging. "Seems this little guy isn't interested in coming with me."
It was expected. The Zhu family undoubtedly had top-tier breeders. While Su Wen had exceptional culinary skills, they weren't enough to blindly win over the Charmander.
As for Aura communication? Su Wen felt like he'd hit a wall. The Charmander could sense his Aura, but his goodwill only earned him a slightly longer look.
Maybe Riolu, a Pokémon attuned to Aura, would be a better fit for me.
Su Wen patted his forehead and retreated to Su Chuan's side.
"Don't worry. Let's check out the other Charmander," Su Chuan reassured him.
Just as the group prepared to leave, the Charizard Leader suddenly blocked Zhu Tianxing's path with a low growl.
The Zhu family had lived alongside Charizard for generations, so communicating with the leader was effortless.
As the leader growled a series of instructions, Zhu Tianxing's expression grew increasingly peculiar.
"I understand," Zhu Tianxing nodded to the Charizard Leader before turning to Su Chuan and Zhang Yun.
"The leader wants to battle each of you in a 1v1. Whoever earns his approval can take the Charmander."
?????
Su Wen and the others were stunned. What kind of condition was this? A dad-off?
Su Chuan reacted fastest. "Deal."
In a one-on-one, Su Chuan feared no one. An Elite Four-level Charizard? His Slaking wouldn't back down.
Zhang Yun, however, looked troubled. In a solo match, he was at a disadvantage against Su Chuan. But he couldn't exactly say, "I don't do 1v1s—gang fights are more my style."
Given the valley full of burly Charizard, Zhang Yun would probably be carried out on a stretcher if he tried that.
"Fine," Zhang Yun grumbled. Annoyed as he was, he couldn't just hand the opportunity to Su Chuan.
With both agreeing, the Charizard Leader spread its wings and soared into the air with a mighty roar. Instantly, every Charizard, Charmeleon, and Charmander in the valley cleared a massive space in the center.
"We're battling here?" Su Wen was surprised. Peak Gym Leader-level battles were incredibly destructive—they usually required specially reinforced arenas.
Zhu Tianxing laughed. "Don't worry. The ground here has been saturated with Fire-type energy for ages. It's extremely sturdy. Even Elite Four-level battles won't easily damage it. I'll referee both matches. Who's going first?"
"Let's flip for it," Su Chuan said, picking up a few pebbles and looking at Zhang Yun.
The first to battle would be at a disadvantage. Neither Su Chuan nor Zhang Yun had a clear grasp of the Charizard Leader's strength—the first to test the waters would likely suffer.
"Odd number."
Su Chuan opened his palm with a grin, revealing two pebbles.
Zhang Yun's eye twitched. Muttering about his bad luck, he quickly steeled himself and took his position on the makeshift battlefield.
"Starmie."
One of Zhang Yun's three aces, Starmie, was at Peak Gym Leader level. Su Wen wasn't surprised by the choice—Water-type naturally countered Fire-type.
With Zhang Yun and the Charizard Leader ready, the spectators retreated to a safe distance. Su Chuan shielded Zhang Qian behind him as Zhu Tianxing gave the signal.
"Battle begin!"
"Use Light Screen!" Zhang Yun was hyper-focused. Even if he couldn't win, he couldn't afford to lose too badly—Su Chuan would never let him live it down.
Light Screen reduced special attack damage, and Zhang Yun knew he was at a disadvantage. Playing it safe was his only option.
But as soon as Starmie erected the barrier, the Charizard Leader shot forward like a fighter jet, closing the distance in an instant.
The faintly glowing Light Screen didn't slow it down at all. In the blink of an eye, Starmie and the Charizard Leader were practically nose-to-nose.
"Old Zhang underestimated it..." Zhu Tianxing facepalmed.
In theory, Zhang Yun's strategy wasn't wrong. But no one expected the leader of the Charizard—a species known for special attacks—to be a physical powerhouse.
The next moment, the Charizard Leader's claws gleamed with emerald light—the telltale sign of Dragon Claw.
"Rapid Spin!"
Bam!
Starmie was sent flying, but the spinning motion deflected some of the Dragon Claw's force, mitigating the damage.
Su Wen was amazed. He'd never seen Rapid Spin used like this—this move was probably Zhang Yun's counter for Su Chuan.
Zhang Yun, however, had no time to dwell on that. The pressure from the Charizard Leader was overwhelming—he was fully immersed in the battle.
"Use Scald to push it back, then Rain Dance!"
Starmie's red core glowed as it gathered Water-type energy, then unleashed a torrent of boiling water at the Charizard Leader.
While the leader enjoyed hot springs, it clearly despised Water-type attacks. Yet, to everyone's surprise, it charged straight through the scalding water.
Just as Su Wen thought the attack would land, a faint shimmer appeared before the Charizard Leader. The boiling water crashed against an invisible wall, unable to advance an inch.
"That Protect is masterfully executed," Su Chuan murmured in admiration.
Zhang Yun, meanwhile, was sweating bullets. His Starmie wasn't trained for physical defense—if the Charizard Leader got close, it was game over.
"Protect!"
With no other choice, Zhang Yun had Starmie play defensively. But the Charizard Leader showed no mercy, its claws slashing relentlessly at the fragile green barrier.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Crack!
The Protect shattered, and the Dragon Claw struck Starmie without hesitation.
This time, Starmie couldn't create distance. The Charizard Leader stuck to it like glue, chasing it down.
Attempts to use Water Gun's recoil to escape or Confuse Ray to disorient the leader were futile.
"Starmie is unable to battle. Charizard wins."
As Starmie lay on the ground, its core flickering weakly, Zhu Tianxing raised his hand to declare the Charizard Leader's victory.
"Brutal..."
"Absolutely brutal..."
"A complete massacre..."
The three spectators—two adults and one child—offered their merciless commentary.
This Starmie was one of Su Chuan's old rivals, and its strength was far from what it had shown today. Zhang Yun's luck had truly abandoned him.
Zhang Qian looked worriedly at Starmie. Even though the Charizard Leader had held back, the injuries were still severe.
As Zhang Yun recalled Starmie and walked back, Su Chuan cracked his knuckles. "Son, watch your dad win you that Charmander."
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