《CROWN-RANK TRAINER》 1.”New World” "Cross Scissor!" "Slash." Su Wen, who had just finished his high school entrance exam not long ago, lazily leaned on the railing, watching the battle below between a Scyther and a Linoone. The clash was intense, with gusts of wind sweeping across the battlefield, leaving occasional marks on the ground. "Thats a Scyther? Someones got money," Su Wen muttered as he scrutinized the well-trained Scyther. Scyther, being one of the top-tier Bug-type Pokmon, wasnt easy to obtain. Su Wens fondness for Pokmon was well-founded. Ever since he was four or five years old, Su Wen had been having fragmented dreams of strange events that felt like memories, yet they were things he had never experienced. By the time he was seven or eight, he dreamt of himself battling through the college entrance exams, drowning in endless practice papers like the infamous "Huanggang Exam Papers" and "Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulation." The stacks of papers were taller than he was, and the dark circles under his eyes rivaled those of a panda. In that moment, Su Wen remembered everythingthe fear of being dominated by subjects like Chinese, Math, English, Physics, and Chemistry in his past life. He remembered it all. Such a complete recollection couldnt be explained away as just a dream. It had to be his previous life, though it wasnt a particularly long one. How he parted ways with Earth, Su Wen didnt know. His last memory was completing the main story of Pokmon Sword and Shield. Ah, he had ultimately become one of the many talents Earth had sent to other worlds. The only difference was that while most people were directly transported through soul transmigration, he had undergone a proper reincarnation. If you had told his past self that he would reincarnate, he would have immediately called the policewhat kind of nonsense was that? Now, he realized he was wrong. Every time he thought about his reincarnation, Su Wen couldnt help but complain. So, reincarnation really exists But hey, Grandma Meng, when did your soup start getting watered down? Wasnt it supposed to make you forget all past grievances with just one bowl? What am I supposed to do now that I remember everything? Can I apply for after-sales service? The King of Hell must be skimping on employee wageswhat a shady business! The planet he now lived on, called Blue Star, was somewhat similar to Earth. The White Eagle Federation and the Xia Kingdom, where Su Wen resided, were constantly at odds, while the Western nations had merged into a large federation called the Western European Federation. Technologically, Blue Star was on par with Earth, with high-speed trains, airplanes, and all the expected advancements. However, due to the existence of Pokmon, a significant portion of the population had shifted their focus to studying them. As a result, Su Wen hadnt heard of nuclear weapons or other large-scale destructive arms. After all, the power of high-tier Pokmon was comparable to nuclear bombs, and they were controllable. Why bother with nukes when a Dragonite could just swoop in and blast it out of the sky with a Dragon Breath? Speaking of Pokmon, they had fully integrated into this world. Whether in daily life, work, entertainment, or exploration, Pokmon were everywhere. You might find a Pidgeot delivering takeout, a Chansey assisting in surgery, or a Sudowoodo used as a decorative plant at someones doorstep. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Honestly, I wanted to go to the world where becoming a Pokmon trainer meant free meals at Pokmon Centers, not one where I have to go through nine years of compulsory education again!" Su Wen thought, feeling a bit despairing as he remembered his recently concluded middle school life and the impending high school years. Despite his complaints, Su Wen quickly accepted reality and successfully latched onto his fathers coattails. The Linoone on the battlefield belonged to Su Chuan, the Normal-type Gym Leader of Jinming City and Su Wens father. The Scythers trainer was a student, though not a long-term onejust a passerby who had paid for some guidance from Su Chuan. Ever since Su Wens memories returned at the age of six or seven, his favorite pastime had been watching various challengers get thoroughly beaten by his father in the gym. Most of the time, these were instructional battles, like the current one. What could have been a one or two-minute fight was dragged out to nearly ten minutes so Su Chuan could thoroughly identify the students weaknesses and provide guidancea duty of every Gym Leader. Su Wen was still wondering when the battle would end when, under Su Chuans command, Linoone seized an opening and sent Scyther flying to the edge of the battlefield with a Hellish Claw. "Scyther!" As the challenger exclaimed, Su Wen lazily raised the red flag on his right, confirming that Scyther had fainted. "Scyther is unable to battle. Linoone wins." Before the challenger could return Scyther to its Pok Ball, Su Chuan had already stepped forward. "That was a good battle. Your Scyther is well-trained, but youve spread its focus too thin. Scythers greatest strengths are speed and attack, but youve also trained its defense, which is unnecessary" While Su Chuan was correcting the challengers training methods, Su Wen yawned in boredom. Su Wens lack of interest wasnt because the challenger was weak, but because he had seen too many high-level battles involving his father. This Linoone wasnt even in Su Chuans top-tier teamit was just used for sparring with novice trainers. Su Chuans strongest Pokmon was his Slaking, a Gym Leader-level Pokmon that had almost overcome the limitations of its Truant ability. If compared to game stats, Slakings base stats were a whopping 670, rivaling legendary Pokmon like Groudon and Kyogre. However, the Truant ability severely limited its potential. While this world wasnt as data-driven as the games, the game stats could still serve as a reference. Slakings innate potential was immense, but it was incredibly lazy, often lacking the will to fight due to its ability. Even if a trainer could motivate Slaking to fight, controlling its attack rhythm was difficult. The sudden pauses or refusal to follow commands caused by Truant often became the deciding factor in battles, which was why few trainers chose Slaking as their main Pokmon. Moreover, in this world, Slakings Truant couldnt be negated by abilities like Skill Swap or moves like Gastro Acid. It wasnt just an abilityit was an instinct. With such a significant limitation, no matter how strong Slakings base stats were, few trainers would choose it. However, Su Chuans Slaking could use the power of a Life Orb to overcome its ability and fight like a normal Pokmon. The Life Orb increased a Pokmons attack power but at the cost of draining its stamina. In game terms, while other Pokmon used MP to cast skills, Su Chuans Slaking burned both MP and HP. As a result, Su Chuans battles were incredibly "fast." While other Gym Leader-level Pokmon could fight for hoursor even days, in the case of tanky Pokmon like Shuckle and ChanseySu Chuans Slaking would end battles within fifteen minutes. In that time, either the opponents Pokmon would be crushed, or Slaking would burn through its HP and faint. Most of Su Chuans losses were due to Slaking burning itself out. However, a Slaking unhindered by its ability was a force to be reckoned with. During the "Ho-Oh Cup," one of Xia Kingdoms top tournaments, Su Chuans Slaking had withstood a Sandstorm and defeated a newly promoted Elite Four-level Tyranitar. That battle had nearly made Su Wens eyes pop out of his head. Even though the Tyranitar had just reached Elite Four level, it was still a tier above Gym Leader level, and as a pseudo-legendary Pokmon, it was shocking to see it get crushed by a Slaking. That victory had catapulted Su Chuan to fame, making him Jinming Citys top celebrity trainer. However, Su Chuans Slaking had been stuck at Gym Leader level for four or five years, and it was unclear when it would break through to Elite Four level. Su Wen hoped Slaking would advance soon, as it would elevate his status as a "trainers kid," or "trainer second generation" for short. Based on his past lifes memories, Su Wen had also researched this worlds history and found that all legendary Pokmon, whether primary or secondary, had been absent from the world for a long time. Why this was the case, Su Wen didnt know. He only knew that history had been largely lost during a great catastrophe six hundred years ago, and since then, the legendary Pokmon had disappeared. Still, the absence of legendary Pokmon wasnt entirely a bad thing. If Groudon and Kyogre decided to duke it out in the Pacific Ocean, coastal cities in the Xia Kingdom might be wiped out. As a standard feature for transmigrators, Su Wen also possessed a special ability: Aura. In theory, everyone had their own Aura, but few could harness it effectively. Even fewer could use it without formal training, like Su Wen. At first, Su Wen thought having such an ability made him a shoo-in for the protagonist role. However, he soon realized others had even more overpowered abilities. Some had innate telepathy, allowing them to communicate with Pokmon. Others had psychic powers that could rival a Kadabras. Even more outrageous were those who could communicate with the spirit world, with an affinity for Ghost-type Pokmon so high that they could instantly capture a Boss-level Gengar upon meeting it. Sorry, I thought I was the protagonist, but it turns out youre all cheaters. Im not worthy. In comparison, Su Wens purely supportive Aura ability seemed a bit underwhelming. However, over the years, Su Wen had become increasingly proficient with his Aura, developing several uses for it. One of them was sensing a Pokmons condition. Su Wen had now achieved a level of X-ray vision, allowing him to quickly assess a Pokmons abilities at a glance. For example, when he looked at his fathers Linoone, he could instantly see its ability, level, and the moves it knew. However, when it came to his fathers Slaking, Su Wens Aura couldnt penetrate it at all. It was as if Slakings Aura was actively resisting his intrusion. As for Elite Four-level Pokmon, Su Wen hadnt had the chance to test his ability on them, but he was certain he wouldnt be able to "spectate" their stats either. In this world, Pokmon werent limited to learning only four moves. If a trainer wanted, their Pokmon could learn twenty or thirty moves. However, Su Chuan had told Su Wen that top-tier trainers usually didnt have their Pokmon learn so many moves at once. Instead, they would focus on five or six, or maybe seven or eight, key moves and train them extensively. Other moves were learned as backups. After all, like humans, Pokmon had limited energy. Kids might want to learn everything, but adults knew their limits. "Su Wen, go hang the Closed for the Day sign at the entrance. Were heading home early todayits your birthday," Su Chuan said after finishing his explanation to the Scythers trainer. 2."Gift." "Alright," Su Wen replied. As he walked toward the entrance, he pondered. His 16th birthdaywhat kind of gift had his dad prepared? Most likely, it would be a Pokmon. Su Wen, who had decided to pursue the path of a Pokmon trainer, had applied to the Pokmon Studies program at Yundu City''s No. 1 High School. In the Xia Kingdom, 16 was the legal age to officially own your first Pokmon. Su Wen skillfully picked up a sign from behind the entrance and, under the watchful eyes of the challengers waiting in line, hung it on the door hook. "Closed for the Day?" The challengers behind him were stunned. What was going on? The Normal-type Gym usually closed around 8 or 9 PM, but today it was shutting down before 6 PM. "Ahem, the Gym Leader has some urgent matters to attend to today. Please make an appointment next time before coming," Su Wen explained. The people waiting in line hadnt made appointmentstheyd probably just had a spur-of-the-moment idea to come and get beaten up. But seeing the Gym closed, they could only shake their heads and leave. The Gym had security and management staff, so Su Chuan didnt need to clean up. He simply changed out of his Gym Leader robe and left through the back door with Su Wen, driving off. "Dad, whats the gift?" Su Wen asked from the passenger seat, pretending not to have any idea. Su Chuan played coy: "Youll definitely be satisfied with this gift." "Dad, you said the same thing before," Su Wen suddenly recalled past birthdays when his dad had given him things like stuffed animals, toy trains, and even a Barbie doll for his 8th birthday! Was that even something for him to play with? Su Wen gave his dad a suspicious look, making Su Chuan feel a bit awkward: "Uh, this time, son, youll definitely be satisfied." Su Wen subtly rolled his eyes: "Dad, why dont you just tell me? Im really starting to get nervous here." Su Chuan couldnt help but try to salvage his image in front of his son: "How about a Pokmon?" "Dad, is that even a gift?" Su Wen expressed his dissatisfaction strongly. "Im starting school in a month. If you dont get me a starter Pokmon soon, Ill just go to the Pokmon League and get an egg to hatch myself." The Xia Kingdoms Pokmon League had strict regulationsprivate ownership of Pokmon wasnt allowed. You could only capture Pokmon as a trainer, and there was no barrier to becoming a trainer. As long as you were 16, you could register with the Pokmon League, so pretty much everyone in the Xia Kingdom was a trainer. The stronger you were, the more Pokmon you were allowed to own. Gym Leaders like Su Chuan could raise over 25 Pokmon under the Gyms name. As for amateur trainers like Su Wens mom, they were only allowed to own one Pokmon. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "If Im calling it a gift, of course, it means you get to choose. Otherwise, Id have already gotten you a Slakoth," Su Chuan huffed, trying to show he hadnt forgotten about his sons upcoming school term. Su Wen didnt have any particular fondness for Slakoth. As the initial form of Slaking, Slakoth was even lazier than its evolution, and his dads Slaking was a one-of-a-kind case. Plus, Slakoths appearance wasnt exactly appealing... "I was planning to ask you after you blew out the candles, but since were already talking about it, go ahead and choose. What Pokmon do you want as your starter? Your dad will make it happen," Su Chuan said with great confidence. "Dratini, Larvitar, Bagon, Beldum, Gible, Dreepy, Goomy, Deino." Su Wen listed all the pseudo-legendary Pokmons initial forms in one breath, then looked at Su Chuan with a smile and shyly added, "Im fine with any of these." "..." After a long silence, Su Chuan said weakly, "Your dads been wanting a Gible for a long time..." The implication was clear: dream on. These eight Pokmon were in a league of their own. Among all known Pokmon, their potential was at the very top. Apart from Slaking, which had slightly higher potential stats than these pseudo-legendaries, its Truant ability had rendered it almost useless. Having a pseudo-legendary as a starter Pokmon would undoubtedly be a huge advantage, but Su Wen had looked into it. The only officially recorded habitat for pseudo-legendaries was in the Xia Kingdoms First Forbidden Zone: the Dragons Lair. All Dragon-type pseudo-legendaries, except for Goomy and Dreepy, had their own groups in the Dragons Lair. The inhabitants of the Dragons Lair had reached an agreement with the Xia Kingdoms Pokmon Leaguetrainers werent allowed to disturb the Lair, but behind-the-scenes deals were still happening. Any trainer who reached Elite Four level could enter the Dragons Lair to capture a Pokmon or request a specific Pokmon, and the Lair would provide the initial form or an egg. It was a blatant exchange of favors. And everyone was more than willing to owe this favor. Who wouldnt want a pseudo-legendary? Even if they didnt need it themselves, they could leave it for their children. As for the non-Dragon-type pseudo-legendaries, Larvitar and Beldum, they were also incredibly rare. Larvitar didnt have a fixed habitat, but wherever it was found, it was likely in deep, remote forests, often accompanied by two adult Tyranitar. Beldum was found deep in caves rich in Steel-type minerals, usually in forbidden zones, making it just as hard to come by. Su Chuan had also wanted a pseudo-legendary for a long time but hadnt managed to get one. Hed probably only be able to get one after breaking through to Elite Four level. For now, it was best not to think about it. Su Wen couldnt quite understand why the Dragons Lair wouldnt invest in his dad, who clearly had the strength of an Elite Four trainer. "How about Froakie, Charmander, Riolu, Eevee, or Torchic? Dad, can you find ones with good potential among these?" "Froakie, Charmander, Torchic, and Riolu should have their hidden abilities. Eevee should have the Adaptability ability." These five Pokmon were the result of Su Wens careful consideration. Leaving aside the elusive concepts of Mega Evolution, Bond Phenomenon, and Dynamax for now. Froakies hidden ability, Protean, allowed it to change its type. Torchics hidden ability, Speed Boost, was an incredibly powerful and practical battle ability, increasing its speed periodically during combat. Su Wens strong Aura would likely synergize well with Riolu, a Pokmon known for its Aura abilities. Charmander was a versatile Pokmon, capable of filling multiple roles. Its hidden ability, Solar Power, boosted its Special Attack by 50% in sunny weather, though it drained stamina rapidly. Still, it was an extremely potent ability. Eevee had multiple evolution paths, allowing Su Wen to choose based on how he wanted to train it. These five Pokmon were Su Wens top choices for a starter Pokmon. Most importantly, these Pokmon were all good-looking. Su Wen couldnt help but admit to himself that he was a bit of a sucker for aesthetics. Listening to Su Wens requirements, Su Chuan thought carefully. "Forget about Froakie. Theyre mostly in the Western European Federation. High-quality Froakie are hard to come by in the Xia Kingdom." "As for Riolu, theres a Fighting-type Gym in the capital. I know the Gym Leader there, and they have six or seven Lucario. But getting a Riolu with a hidden ability wont be easy." "I can try to pull some strings for Torchic and Eevee, though, and see if I can get one for you." "For Charmander, the Charicific Valley is the best option. Your Uncle Zhu owes me a favor, and its currently Charmander hatching season. Im sure a lot of people are already contacting him. Ill take you there tomorrow to see if theres a suitable one. If not, Ill help you look for Torchic or Eevee. Hows that?" With Su Chuans status, finding these five Pokmon wasnt difficult. The challenge was Su Wens requirement for hidden abilities, which were much rarer. Most Pokmon species had standard abilities and hidden abilities, like dominant and recessive genes. In any given group, most Pokmon had standard abilities. The probability of a hidden ability appearing was about one in several hundred, though it varied by species. But like pulling an SSR in a gacha game, every Pokmon with a hidden ability was a treasure. Most hidden abilities had incredibly powerful effects, though some were underwhelming. Seeing that Su Chuan had a detailed plan, Su Wen nodded. "That works." On the way home, Su Chuan chatted with Su Wen about various Pokmon-related topics, feeling quite satisfied. Su Wens theoretical knowledge was solid, and he showed great talent for Pokmon training. As a top-tier trainer, Su Chuan naturally hoped his son would grow into an even better trainer than himself. When they arrived home, Su Wen knocked on the door. Neither he nor Su Chuan carried keys. With a click, the door opened, and a small head peeked out. "Indeedee, is Mom done with dinner?" Su Wen wasnt surprised. This adorable Pokmon was his moms only Pokmon, an Indeedee. Indeedee wasnt his moms starter Pokmon, though. Her first Pokmon had been a Beedrill, which had long since... 3."Off to Charicific Valley" Bug-type Pokmon have short growth cycles, and correspondingly, their lifespans are generally not long. A Beedrill, if it doesnt break through its limits, typically lives only about three years. However, as its level increases and its energy accumulates, its lifespan can also extend. Some scholars have published papers on this topic, suggesting that if a Beedrill can reach the Elite Four level, its theoretical lifespan could extend to 150 yearsroughly matching the average human lifespan in this world. Perhaps due to differences in the worlds material composition, the average human lifespan here has long surpassed 100 years, reaching around 150. But Su Wen knew this was nothing special. If he could somehow gain the favor of the "Life God," Xerneas, eternal life might even be possible. After Su Wens moms Beedrill passed away, she hadnt kept any Pokmon until Su Chuan gifted her a female Indeedee as their first wedding anniversary present. Indeedee is a highly sought-after Pokmoncute, efficient, and capable of sensing human emotions. Since getting this Indeedee, Su Wens mom had experienced significantly less stress. Seeing Su Wen and Su Chuan return, Indeedee happily opened the door and immediately hugged Su Wen. "Indeedee, is that Ah Chuan and Wen?" Su Wens moms voice floated from the kitchen. Indeedee responded with a couple of chirps. Su Chuan, after changing his shoes, hurried to the backyard. It wasnt just a backyardit was more like a breeding area, covering nearly 200 square meters. Since the Gym and Su Wens home were located near the outskirts of Jinming City, property prices were relatively low. Su Chuan had bought over 300 square meters of land to build their house, with two-thirds of the space dedicated to housing Pokmon. The backyard was designed to simulate a grassland and forest environment, suitable for raising Su Chuans Normal-type Pokmon. "Come on out," Su Chuan said, taking eight Pok Balls from his belt and releasing the Pokmon inside. These eight Pokmon were all personally trained by Su Chuan and were always with him, including his Slaking. "Grumph," Slaking emerged and lumbered over to its designated tree, stretching lazily before lying down on its side, propping its head up with one hand. When not in battle, Slaking was no different from any other Slakinglazy to the core. If Su Wen had to guess how Slaking would eventually die, hed say it would probably be from sheer laziness. The other Pokmon gathered around Su Wen, eagerly watching him. A young Kangaskhan even climbed out of its mothers pouch and clung to Su Wens leg. Su Wen skillfully patted the little Kangaskhans head and then placed it back into its mothers pouch. "Alright, alright, Ill get to it." In the past, Su Chuan had always prepared Pokmon food based on recipes from master breeders. While the meals were nutritionally balanced, the taste was rather bland. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Perhaps due to his Aura abilities, Su Wen had a natural talent for making Pokmon food and energy blocks. He was largely self-taught and had reached a very high skill level. After Su Wen experimented with a meal for Kangaskhan once, the Pokmon began to turn their noses up at Su Chuans concoctions, eagerly waiting for Su Wens creations instead. "Dad, get the ingredients ready for me," Su Wen said without hesitation, ordering his dad around. "Right, right," Su Chuan was already used to playing the assistant. "This is for Kangaskhan and the little one." "This is for Linoone." "This is for Slaking." "This is for Pidgeot." ...... By the time Su Wen had prepared food for all the Pokmon, Su Wens mom and Indeedee had already brought all the dishes to the table. "Indeedee, this is yours." Su Wen didnt forget the familys little helper, placing a plate of Pokmon food in front of Indeedee, who had already set out a knife and fork and was sitting properly in its chair. It was said that in the Western European Federation, male Indeedee could become professional butlers, while female Indeedee made excellent attendants. With their high intelligence, Indeedee had developed a habit of mimicking humans after close contact. "Wen, have you ever considered becoming a breeder? I was chatting with Auntie Wang next door today, and she said the pay for breeders is really good now." Su Wens mom, Wang Xuan, had long noticed Su Wens talent for making Pokmon food. If he wanted to become a breeder, he could definitely become a master in the field. Being a Pokmon breeder was a lucrative and relatively easy professiontrainers were more than willing to spend money on their Pokmon. Of course, this wasnt the first time Su Wens mom had tried to convince him not to become a professional Pokmon trainer. Before Su Wen could respond, Su Chuan muttered, "Whats so great about being a breeder? Son, dont listen to your mom. Be a trainer." Smack. Wang Xuan, annoyed, slapped the back of Su Chuans head. "Who asked you to speak? You talk too much." Su Chuan immediately quieted down and sat obediently to eat. "Lets not talk about that now. Son, blow out the candles first." With that, Wang Xuan removed the cover from the largest plate in the center of the table, revealing the birthday cake. She carefully inserted candles shaped like the number "16" and lit them, smiling at Su Wen. "Make a wish before blowing out the candles." Su Wen obediently closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and silently wished, "I hope I can find a Pokmon thats right for me." Although this wasnt exactly a wish, Su Wen still opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and blew out all the candles in one go. "Son, what did you wish for?" Su Chuan asked curiously. Su Wen replied seriously, "If you say it out loud, it wont come true. By the way, Dad, when are we leaving for Charicific Valley tomorrow?" "Huh?" Wang Xuan frowned and looked at Su Chuan. "Why are you going to Charicific Valley? You didnt tell me about this." Su Chuan awkwardly explained, "We just decided. Son said he wants a Charmander as his starter Pokmon, so Im taking him to Charicific Valley to check it out." Wang Xuans brow furrowed, but just as Su Wen thought she might object, she sighed. "Fine, go ahead. But make sure you pick a good one for our son." After all, Su Wen had been adamant about becoming a trainer, and his high school application had already been submitted. Her objections were more symbolic than anything else. After dinner, Su Wen habitually opened a website and browsed the latest Pokmon-related topics. "Experts have discovered traces of Pokmon deep within the Yaji Mine. Analysis suggests a Metagross (the final evolution of Beldum) may be inhabiting the depths. Gym Leader Zhou Shou has led a team to explore the area." "Large schools of Wishiwashi have appeared in Ximin Lake. Professor Wang Ai is currently analyzing their origins." ...... Nothing particularly interesting caught his eye. Even the news about Metagross seemed likely to be falseover the years, there had been hundreds, if not thousands, of similar reports. Su Wen shut down his computer, leaped onto his bed, and sprawled out. "If I catch a Charmander, should I build a team around it? Hmm, maybe add a Torkoal, and perhaps a Cherrim..." After a series of random thoughts, Su Wen drifted off to sleep. The next day, before leaving, Su Wens mom carefully packed his luggage and repeatedly reminded Su Chuan to keep their son safe. "Dont worry. Even if the plane explodes, Ill bring our son back in one piece," Su Chuan declared, only to earn another smack on the back of his head. On the way to the airport, Su Wen asked curiously, "Dad, if the plane really exploded, could you actually get me down safely?" Su Chuan glanced at him. "Of course... not. I could ride Pidgeot down, but with your physical condition, tsk tsk, you probably wouldnt make it." Su Chuans physical fitness was exceptionally stronghe could even go toe-to-toe with Linoone. Not just Su Chuan, but everyone in this world had significantly better physical fitness than humans from Su Wens previous world. However, Su Wen was still a minor. Although he often exercised with Su Chuan, his physical condition wasnt nearly as good. As for the plane exploding... not only was the probability astronomically low, but even if something did go wrong, airlines had professional rescue teams composed of Flying-type and Psychic-type trainers. Their response times were impressively fast. Su Wen had once seen on TV how a team of over a dozen Gym-level Psychic-type Pokmon worked together to gently lower a malfunctioning plane to the ground. The ease with which they did it left Su Wen deeply aware that in this world, the only real science was Pokmon. If Su Wen hadnt been coming along, Su Chuan could have simply ridden Pidgeot to Charicific Valley. At the airport, they checked in, stored their luggage, waited, and boarded the planeeverything went smoothly. As the plane took off, Su Wen, sitting by the window, watched Yundu City grow smaller and smaller until the plane entered the clouds. He finally turned away, thinking: Charicific Valley, here I come! 4."Arrived." Less than two hours later, the plane was about to land. "Your Uncle Zhu will send someone to pick us up at the airport," Su Chuan said as he put away the newspaper provided by the flight attendant and placed it on the tray table. To be precise, Charicific Valley could also be considered a restricted area. The Alliance''s definition of a restricted area wasnt entirely clear, but one common factor was that the energy in such areas was usually extremely dense. As a result, powerful Pokmon often migrated there, while human cities, with their relatively sparse energy, rarely attracted strong Pokmon. In contrast, the habitats of these powerful Pokmon gradually became restricted areas. Charicific Valley was one such restricted area, rich in Fire-type energy and a paradise for various Fire-type Pokmon. Of course, the dominant species there was still Charizard. Conservative estimates suggested that nearly 60% of Charizard in the Xia Kingdom lived in Charicific Valley, with 20% in the Dragons Lair, 10% scattered in various breeding facilities, and the remaining 10% roaming the wilds across the country. As Su Chuan had said, a young man in a white shirt with slicked-back hair was waiting outside the airport, holding a sign with two large characters: "Su Chuan." "Xiao You," Su Chuan led Su Wen over and immediately ruffled the young mans hair with his large hand. He then introduced him to Su Wen, "This is your Uncle Zhus son, Zhu You. Hes six years older than you." "Hello, Brother Zhu," Su Wen greeted politely. "Uncle Su, you messed up my hair," Zhu You grinned. "So, youre Su Wen, huh? Dont worry, Ill make sure you get a top-quality Charmander this time." After a few pleasantries, Zhu You led Su Chuan and Su Wen to an SUV. "Xiao You, who else has come?" Su Chuan asked as he fastened his seatbelt. It was clear that Su Chuan wasnt the only one coming to Charicific Valley for a Pokmon. Parents always wanted the best for their children, and everyone was eager to secure a strong starter Pokmon for their kids. Aside from pseudo-legendaries, Charmander was considered one of the top-tier choices. "A few Gym Leaders have already come and gone. The one still here is an old acquaintance of yours, Gym Leader Zhang Yun," Zhu You said, a hint of amusement in his voice. Su Chuan paused, then chuckled, "Oh right, Zhang Yuns daughter is fifteen this year." He clicked his tongue, "Tsk tsk, that guys here too? His daughter is so delicatedoesnt seem like a good match for a Charizard." Su Wen agreed. Every time Zhang Yun came to challenge Su Chuan, his daughter, Zhang Qian, would quietly hide behind Su Wen like a timid kitten, not saying a word. Su Chuan only had one Gym Leader-level Slaking, while Zhang Yun had three Gym Leader-level Pokmon. Moreover, Zhang Yun was a battle fanatic. Over the past few years, hed come to challenge Su Chuan two or three times a year. The results were always similar: Su Chuans other five Pokmon would be defeated, leaving only his Slaking, while Zhang Yun still had two full-health Gym Leader-level Pokmon. The battles usually ended in a stalemate, largely because Zhang Yuns Snorlax was incredibly tankyboth durable and powerful, often using moves like Rest and Sleep Talk to stall. Essentially, Su Chuans Slaking would usually burn itself out before securing a win. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Su Chuan was clearly frustrated by this almost cheating strategy, which made Zhang Yuns challenges increasingly annoying. "How many newborn Charmander are there this time?" Su Chuan changed the subject, addressing Su Wens main concern. "Three hundred and twelve, all hatched within the last year and still in their infancy. Also..." Zhu You paused, "the Charizard leaders child has hatched." The infancy period for Pokmon was like a babys development phasea slow process of growth and energy accumulation. During this time, a Pokmons strength barely increased. The length of this period varied by species, from a few days for Bug-types to several years for Dragon-types. Although Charizard was a Fire/Flying-type Pokmon without the Dragon attribute, it likely had some Dragon lineage, as its infancy period was longer than most Fire-types, lasting about a year. Su Chuan raised an eyebrow, "That old dragons still got it, huh?" Zhu Yous expression was a bit odd. The Charizard leader was over 500 years old, which, for a Pokmon with Dragon lineage, was considered middle-aged. Two years ago, the Charizard leaders mate suddenly laid an egg, leading to some playful suspicions within the Zhu family about the eggs parentage. But these suspicions were just jokes. Pokmon had a strong sense of bloodline connection, and the Charizard leader would never mistake its own egg. A year ago, the Charmander hatched, and the Zhu family immediately sealed off the news, hoping to have one of their younger members tame it. After all, taming this Charmander would mean gaining the support of an Elite Four-level Charizard and, by extension, the entire Charicific Valley. The relationship between the Zhu family and Charicific Valley was unique. Hundreds of years ago, during the Great Cataclysm, the Zhu family was protected by the Charizard in the valley, and in return, the Zhu family became caretakers and guardians of the Charizard. It was a mutually beneficial coexistence, so naturally, the Zhu family didnt want to let an outsider tame the Charmander. However, this Charmander was particularly stubborn. After a year, none of the Zhu familys younger members had succeeded in taming it, and it was nearing the end of its infancy. As a result, Zhu Tianxing, the head of the Zhu family, had to compromise and see if any close friends children could tame it, thus building goodwill while still keeping it within the familys sphere of influence. Su Chuan wasnt upset that Zhu Tianxing had kept this secret. In large families, the familys interests always came before personal friendships. But since none of the Zhu familys younger members had succeeded, Su Chuan didnt expect his son to pull off a miracle. "Son, well try to tame the Charizard leaders child first. If that doesnt work, well pick a high-potential Charmander," Su Chuan instructed Su Wen, not bothering to hide the conversation from Zhu You. Su Wen rubbed his nose, not holding out much hope. However, Su Wen did have an advantagehis Aura could somewhat enhance his affinity with Pokmon. Zhu You chuckled, "Uncle Su, dont worry. My dads definitely on your side." Su Chuan laughed, "Of course Tianxing would help me!" Su Chuan and Zhu Tianxing had been teammates in their younger days, exploring secret realms together, and their bond was incredibly strong. In fact, Zhu Tianxings ace Pokmon, Volcarona, had been captured in a secret realm with Su Chuans help. Thats rightas the head of the Zhu family, Zhu Tianxings Charizard was only his second strongest Pokmon. In terms of rarity, Volcarona was even rarer than Charizard, as it wasnt a group Pokmon and had no fixed capture location, often found in various volcanoes. In terms of potential, while both were top-tier, Volcaronas potential was even higher than Charizards. Its deep movepool, including its unique move "Fiery Dance," made Volcarona incredibly valuable. Especially in a Fire-energy-rich place like Charicific Valley, Volcaronas growth speed was rapid, and its potential even surpassed that of most pseudo-legendaries. Despite being the fourth Pokmon to join Zhu Tianxings team, Volcarona had become his ace, a testament to its extraordinary potential. With Zhu You driving, they passed through numerous checkpoints without issue. As they progressed, the road became less crowded, and the surrounding forest grew denser, exuding a primal, natural atmosphere. The frequent checkpoints also gave Su Wen a new appreciation for how tightly guarded Charicific Valley was. "Its Charmander hatching season, so the valley is on high alert," Su Chuan explained, noticing Su Wens surprise. After all, this wasnt Su Chuans first visit. After their team disbanded, Zhu Tianxing returned to his family to become its head, while Su Chuan went back to Yundu City, got married, and became a Gym Leader. Although Su Chuan often visited Zhu Tianxing in Charicific Valley, hed never brought Su Wen before. "Dad, are there any other Fire-type Pokmon here?" Su Wens interest wasnt limited to Charmander. If there were better options, he wouldnt mind considering them. "There are other Fire-types, but theyre scattered and dont form large groups. Once you enter Charicific Valley, there are no wild Pokmon, so dont get your hopes up," Su Chuan explained. As they talked, Su Chuan grew more animated, sharing everything he knew, with Zhu You occasionally chiming in. Su Wen soon realized that Charicific Valley was truly dominated by Charizard. The time passed quickly as they chatted, and before Su Wen knew it, they had arrived inside Charicific Valley. "Ah Chuan, long time no see!" Zhu Tianxing, the head of the Zhu family, greeted them warmly with a bear hug, showing no airs. Su Chuan patted Zhu Tianxings back, teasing, "Youve definitely put on some weight." After a few jokes, Su Chuan introduced Su Wen, "This is my son, Su Wen." Su Wen raised his hand slightly in respect, "Hello, Uncle Zhu." "Su Wen, youve grown so much! I held you when you were born," Zhu Tianxing said, then turned to Su Chuan with a hint of reproach, "Youve never brought your wife and son here all these years." Su Chuan waved it off, "You know my wifes sensitive around Pokmon. Bringing her here wouldve been a nightmare." Su Wens mom, Wang Xuan, wasnt particularly fond of Pokmon, especially unfamiliar, powerful ones, which she avoided. "Should we rest first, or go see the Charmander right away?" Zhu Tianxing asked for Su Chuans opinion. "Zhang Yuns here with his daughter. I left him to come pick you up." Su Chuans eyes widened, "Hes already picking one? No way. Lets go, son, were heading over." Zhu Tianxing laughed, amused by his old friends unchanged temperament. Su Wen had no objections. He was eager to see the Charizard, as hed rarely encountered them in real life. Under Su Chuans urging, the group hurried to the area where the Charmander lived. "Everyone, move quietly. Dont scare the Charmander," Zhu Tianxing reminded them. Newborn Charmander were naturally timid, and startling them would be the Zhu familys responsibility. As they stepped into the inner circle of Charicific Valley, Su Wen was instantly charmed by the sight of the orange Pokmon scattered across the ground. Their cream-colored bellies, sapphire-blue eyes, and tiny fangs on both jaws made Su Wens hands itch with excitement. They were even cuter than in the games and anime! Charmander for the win! "Lets go. Ill take you to see the leaders child first," Zhu Tianxing said. 5."Special requirements." As soon as they entered the heart of Charicific Valley, Su Wen noticed the towering Charizard-shaped throne in the distance. He couldnt tell if it had been built by the Zhu family or if it dated back to ancient times. The Charizard leader wasnt lounging on the throne at the moment. Instead, it was lazily watching its precious child being courted by humans from below. Zhang Yun and his daughter, Zhang Qian, had arrived at Charicific Valley the day before but had rested for a day before attempting to tame the Charmander. Like Su Chuan, Zhang Yun naturally wanted his daughter to tame this "golden catch" of a Charmander first. "Old Zhang, youre quick," Su Chuan said, patting Zhang Yuns shoulder. Zhang Yun smiled, "Same to you. Wheres Su Wen?" Su Chuan pointed to the side, "Right there." Su Wen had already slipped away to observe the Charmander up close. With a thought, Su Wens Aura spread outward, instantly revealing the attributes of each Charmander. "Gulp." Hundreds of Charmander were a feast for the eyes. There was even a shiny oneits usual orange replaced by a striking golden hue. However, Su Wens focus was on the two Charmander with hidden abilities. If he couldnt tame the leaders child, these two would be his top choices. "Su Wen, what are you wandering around for? Come here," Su Chuan grabbed Su Wen and pulled him over. "Hello, Uncle Zhang," Su Wen greeted awkwardly. Zhang Yun was already familiar with Su Wen. Every time he visited to challenge Su Chuan, hed bring Su Wen small giftsa very thoughtful gesture. "Su Wen, youre applying for the Pokmon Trainer program, right? Haha, you might surpass your dad in a few years," Zhang Yun teased. Su Wen chuckled awkwardly. Uncle Zhang really didnt spare his dads feelings. Then, Su Wen turned his attention to the Charmander in front of him, which looked particularly vibrant. His Aura extended outward to analyze it. At the Novice level, there wasnt much to say. A newly hatched Charmander was at the lowest tier among the seven levels: Novice, Beginner, Elite, Professional, Master, Gym Leader, and Elite Four. Ability... Unfortunately, it was just the standard Blaze ability, which increased the power of Fire-type moves when the Pokmons health dropped to about one-third. Overall, this ability was indeed a step below Charmanders hidden ability, Solar Power. As for moves, were there any inherited moves? Scratch, Growl, Ember... Sure enough, there were more than three moves. There was also Dragon Dance, Dragon Rush, and... Outrage? Three inherited Dragon-type moves! Holy cow! Su Wens casual attitude vanished instantly. Although the ability was mediocre, three powerful inherited Dragon-type moves more than made up for it. In this world, Pokmon werent limited to four moves like in the games. The only constraints were whether the Pokmon could learn the move and the source of the move. Outrage wasnt unavailable as a TM, but as a Dragon-type move with 120 power, its rarity was almost on par with a pseudo-legendary. Not to mention, it came with Dragon Dance and Dragon Rush. This was practically hitting the jackpot. Inheriting moves wasnt easyit placed high demands on the parents. Out of the hundreds of Charmander in Charicific Valley, only a few had inherited moves, and even fewer had powerful ones. One with three Dragon-type inherited moves was practically protagonist material. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Instinctively, Su Wens Aura extended to the Charizard leader to see if these moves came from the father or mother. However, the next moment, the Charizard leaders eyelids twitched, and Su Wens Aura was forcefully pushed back. If the Charizard leader hadnt held back, Su Wen wouldve been knocked out. Even so, Su Wen felt dizzy and had to shake his head to clear it. If Su Wen had a status panel, it would probably look like this: Pokmon: Charizard Ability: ???? Moves: ???? Yikes, hed been careless. This was indeed an Elite Four-level Charizard. "Roar~~" The Charizard leader scratched its ear, sat up, and subtly glanced at Su Wen before gently pushing Zhang Qian, who was trying to bond with the Charmander, back. "Failed," Zhang Yun said with a hint of regret. This Charmander was stubborn, and Zhang Qian hadnt been able to capture its interest. Zhang Qian didnt seem too disappointed. Compared to Charizard, she preferred elegant Pokmon like Gardevoir. "My turn?" Su Wen blinked. With Zhu Tianxing and the Charizard leaders permission, Su Wen pulled out some carefully prepared Pokblocks from his bag. The Charmander wasnt shy. It glanced at Su Wen, then gobbled up four or five Pokblocks in one bite. After chewing and savoring the taste, the Charmander smiled contentedly but showed no sign of being swayed by the treat. Even as Su Wen tried to communicate with the Charmander using his Aura, it didnt express any desire to follow him. Sighing softly, Su Wen stood up and shrugged, admitting defeat. "Looks like this little guy doesnt want to come with me." It was expected. The Zhu family undoubtedly had top-tier breeders. While Su Wen had exceptional cooking skills, they werent enough to blindly charm the Charmander. As for his Aura communication abilities, Su Wen felt like hed hit a wall. Although the Charmander could connect with his Aura, it only gave him a slightly curious glance in response to his goodwill. Perhaps a Pokmon like Riolu, which also used Aura, would be a better fit for him. Su Wen patted his forehead and returned to Su Chuans side. "Its fine. Lets go check out the other Charmander," Su Chuan reassured him. Just as they were about to leave, the Charizard leader suddenly stopped Zhu Tianxing. "Roar roar." The Zhu family had lived with Charizard for generations and could communicate with the leader effortlessly. As the Charizard leader "roared" a series of instructions, Zhu Tianxings expression grew increasingly peculiar. "I understand," Zhu Tianxing nodded to the Charizard leader, then turned to Su Chuan and Zhang Yun. "The leader wants to have a 1v1 battle with both of you. Whoever earns his approval can take the Charmander." ???? Su Wen and the others were stunned. What was this? A dad-off? Su Chuan reacted the fastest. "Alright." In a one-on-one battle, Su Chuan wasnt afraid of anyone. An Elite Four-level Charizard? Sorry, but Slaking would teach it a lesson. Zhang Yun, however, was a bit frustrated. In a one-on-one, he definitely didnt have the advantage Su Chuan did. But he couldnt exactly say hed prefer a group battle instead. Looking at the valley full of burly Charizard, Zhang Yun feared hed be carried out on a stretcher if he suggested that. "Alright," Zhang Yun agreed, though reluctantly. He wasnt about to give up this opportunity. With both men agreeing, the Charizard leader flapped its wings, soared into the air, and let out a long roar. Instantly, all the Charizard, Charmeleon, and Charmander in the valley cleared out, creating a large open space. "Are they battling here?" Su Wen was surprised. Gym Leader-level battles were incredibly destructive and usually required a sturdy arena. Zhu Tianxing explained with a smile, "Dont worry. The ground here has been saturated with Fire energy for a long time, making it extremely stable. Even Elite Four-level battles would struggle to damage it. Ill act as the referee for these two battles. Whos going first?" "Lets flip for it," Su Chuan crouched down, picked up a few pebbles, and looked at Zhang Yun. The first to battle would be at a disadvantage. Neither Su Chuan nor Zhang Yun had a clear idea of the Charizard leaders strength, and the first to test the waters might suffer badly. "Odd number." As Su Chuan opened his hand, two pebbles lay quietly in his palm. Zhang Yuns mouth twitched, and he cursed his bad luck internally. But he quickly composed himself and took his position on the other side of the makeshift arena. "Go, Starmie!" One of Zhang Yuns three aces, Starmie, was at the peak Gym Leader level. Its choice wasnt surprisingWater-type had an advantage over Fire-type. Seeing that Zhang Yun and the Charizard leader were ready, Su Wen and the others backed away to a safe distance. Su Chuan shielded Zhang Qian behind him, and Zhu Tianxing nodded slightly. "Battle begin!" "Use Light Screen!" Zhang Yun was fully focused. Even if he couldnt win, he didnt want to lose too badly. Light Screen reduced the damage of special attacks. Knowing he was at a disadvantage, Zhang Yun didnt dare to attack recklessly and opted for a defensive strategy. However, as soon as Starmie finished setting up the Light Screen, the Charizard leader dove down like a fighter jet, closing the distance in an instant. The faint Light Screen didnt slow the Charizard leader in the slightest. In a flash, Starmie and the Charizard leader were practically face-to-face. "Old Zhang was too careless..." Zhu Tianxing couldnt help but facepalm. Theoretically, Zhang Yuns move wasnt wrong, but no one expected the Charizard leader, known for its special attacks, to be a physical powerhouse. In the next moment, the Charizard leaders claws glowed with a green light. Su Wen immediately recognized itDragon Claw. "Rapid Spin!" Boom! Starmie was sent flying by the Dragon Claw, but thanks to its timely Rapid Spin, which deflected some of the attacks force, the damage wasnt unbearable. Su Wen, meanwhile, was amazed. Rapid Spin could be used like that? This move was probably something Zhang Yun had prepared for Su Chuan. Zhang Yun, however, had no time to think about that. The pressure from the Charizard leader was unprecedented, and he was fully immersed in the battle. "Use Scald to push it back, then set up Rain Dance!" Starmies core quickly gathered Water energy, and a burst of scalding hot water shot toward the Charizard leader. Although the Charizard leader enjoyed hot springs, it clearly disliked this Water-energy-infused Scald. But to everyones surprise, it charged straight through the attack. Just as Su Wen thought the Scald would hit, a faint light flickered in front of the Charizard leader. The scalding water was blocked as if by an impenetrable wall. "That Protect was used to perfection," Su Chuan murmured in awe. While the Charizard leader remained calm, Zhang Yun was starting to panic. His Starmie hadnt been trained much in physical defense. If it got caught in close combat, it would be toast. "Protect!" Reluctantly, Zhang Yun had Starmie play defensively, but the Charizard leader showed no mercy. Its Dragon Claw relentlessly struck the fragile green barrier. One second, two seconds, three seconds... The Protect barrier shattered, and the Charizard leaders Dragon Claw mercilessly landed on Starmie. This time, Starmie didnt get a chance to create distance. It was relentlessly pursued by the Charizard leader. Whether it tried to use Water Guns recoil to push itself back or attempted to confuse the Charizard leader with Confuse Ray, nothing worked to turn the tide. "Starmie is unable to battle. Charizard wins." Seeing Starmie lying on the ground, its core flickering weakly, Zhu Tianxing raised his hand to declare the Charizard leaders victory. "Brutal..." "So brutal..." "Absolutely brutal..." The three spectators, Su Wen, Su Chuan, and Zhu Tianxing, mercilessly shared their thoughts. This Starmie was one of Su Chuans old rivals, and its strength was far from what it had shown today. It was clear that Zhang Yun had just been unlucky. Zhang Qian, meanwhile, looked worriedly at Starmie. Although the Charizard leader had held back, the injuries on Starmie were still significant. As Zhang Yun reluctantly recalled Starmie and walked back, Su Chuan stretched his limbs. "Son, watch your dad win you a Charmander." 6.Slaking vs. Charizard "Be careful, this Charizard hasn''t been going all out yet." Zhang Yun''s expression was grave. He had already subconsciously cast the Charizard in the role of an adversary, and his instincts as a Gym-level trainer were now focused on analyzing its weaknesses. Though Su Chuan was equally serious, his face still carried a nonchalant smirk as he teased, "It only used Dragon Claw and Protect the whole time, of course it wasn''t going all out. Old Zhang, your vanguard is really unreliable." Zhang Yun was left speechless, rolling his eyes before retreating to the "spectator seats." "Hey, Chief, do you need a break?" Though Su Chuan was eager to press the advantage and take down the Charizard chief after its recent battle, he couldn''t bring himself to be so shameless, especially since they were on its turf. The Charizard chief considered for a moment, then closed its eyes. Around it, the shimmering illusion of feathers began to appear. "Roost, huh? So the Charizard chief has a pretty diverse move pool," Su Wen remarked, feeling a bit tired from standing. He found a clean rock and sat down, motioning for Zhang Qian to join him. Zhang Qian thought for a moment before obediently sitting beside Su Wen. "Old Zhu, give me the lowdown. What exactly is going on here?" While the Charizard chief was recovering its strength, Zhang Yun seized the moment to vent his frustration. The situation was utterly baffling to him. They had come here to help the kids catch Pokmon, but now he found himself in a battle. And not just any battlehe had lost miserably, which was bound to tarnish his image in his daughter''s eyes. "Honestly, I''m not entirely sure either, but the chief must have its reasons for arranging things this way," Zhu Tianxing replied with a wry smile, though he had his own suspicions. The real issue, Zhu Tianxing suspected, lay with the Charizard chief''s mate. Normally, three months after hatching, a Charmander''s vital signs would stabilize. Though still in its infancy, it would be time for the parents to take it out for training or to find a suitable trainer. But this "crown prince" Charmander had been hatched for over a year and was still living a leisurely life. Every time the Charizard chief tried to take it out for training, its mate would intervene. When it did manage to train, it couldn''t handle any hardship or exhaustion. The Charizard chief, being a bit of a henpecked husband, had watched helplessly as its offspring was being spoiled into uselessness. This had eventually led the chief to change its stance on entrusting the Charmander to a trainer. With its mate away for a few days, the Charizard chief had seized the opportunity to find a trainer for its child. Though it was reluctant to part with its offspring, it was better than letting it become completely incompetent. As for choosing a trainer, the Charizard chief had a simple criterion: the stronger the parent, the more suitable they were to become its child''s trainer. But the intricacies of this situation were too complex to explain, and if the Charizard chief found out, it might make things difficult for Zhu Tianxing. "Roar~~" After a few dozen seconds, the Charizard chief opened its eyes and let out a soft roar, signaling that it was ready to continue. "Slaking." Su Chuan naturally brought out his Slaking! Normally, when summoned, Slaking would lie on its side, propping its head up with one hand like a sleeping Buddha. But now, it was completely different. Its body leaned slightly forward, its energy gradually becoming active, and the dormant power within it was like a volcano ready to erupt. Its eyes were fixed intently on the Charizard chief. Slaking clearly felt an unprecedented pressure from the Charizard chief. "Battle start," Zhu Tianxing announced with great interest, watching as Su Chuan and Slaking burned with fighting spirit. It had been a while since he''d seen his old friend this serious. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Rock Tomb!" With a quadruple type advantage against Charizard, how could it not be afraid? The ground suddenly shook as if an earthquake had struck, and countless stone spikes erupted from the earth, rushing toward the Charizard like dragons. But the Charizard chief stomped the ground, and stone pillars rose in front of it, blocking the incoming Rock Tomb. A direct counterRock Tomb versus Rock Tomb. In the next moment, the layers of stone pillars were shattered as Slaking swung its Hammer Arm and charged at the Charizard. Relentless assault was Slaking''s forte, overwhelming its opponent with a torrent of attacks. Sensing the ferocious power in those arms, the Charizard chief chose not to engage directly. Instead, it flapped its wings and took to the air, creating distance from Slaking. Seeing the Charizard firmly controlling the skies, Su Chuan remained calm and unflustered. "Use Aerial Ace to catch up, then Body Slam." Slaking leapt from one stone pillar to another, its seemingly heavy body moving with surprising agility. With a final leap, it launched itself into the air, using Aerial Ace to glide temporarily. In theory, Flying-type Pokmon had a natural advantage over most others in battle. But where there''s a will, there''s a way, and Slaking had a well-developed strategy for dealing with airborne opponents. Using Aerial Ace, the only Flying-type move it could learn, Slaking could briefly harness Flying-type energy to maneuver in the air and close in on its target. Then, with Body Slam or another move, it could force the opponent back to the ground. This was Slaking''s aerial combat tactic. Seeing Slaking charging toward it, the Charizard chief unleashed a torrent of searing flames from its mouth. The intense heat made Su Wen feel as if the air itself was distorting. But Slaking raised its left arm to shield itself, enduring the Flamethrower, and then burst through the flames, grabbing the Charizard chief by the ankle and dragging it down to the ground. "Su Chuan''s still got the details down. Aerial Ace into Body Slamif Slaking can pull the Charizard chief into close combat, even an Elite-level Charizard would struggle to gain the upper hand," Zhang Yun commented to Zhu Tianxing, as such an intense battle was a rare sight. "Su Wen, why didn''t the Charizard just fly away?" Zhang Qian tugged at Su Wen''s sleeve, feeling that the Charizard had been too easily caught by Slaking. Su Wen, who had been engrossed in the battle, was momentarily interrupted. After a moment''s thought, he replied, "Aerial Ace locks onto the target. Escaping it isn''t that simple. Plus, the speed at which Slaking leapt up was clearly faster than the Charizard''s movement speed. If it had tried to fly away, it might not only have failed to escape but also left itself wide open." He then added with a sigh, "Wild Pokmon may not have the same level of move coordination as trained ones, but their combat instincts are truly formidable." Zhang Qian asked, puzzled, "Then how did my dad beat Uncle Su?" Su Wen nearly laughed out loud, thinking to himself, "How did he win? Protect, Protect, Protect, Sleep, Sleep, Sleep, hahaha..." Every time Zhang Yun won, it was by using Snorlax''s Protect to stall, Sleep to recover, then Protect again, Sleep again, combined with moves like Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Yawn, and Sleep Talk. It was a strategy that wore down Slaking''s stamina. No wonder Su Chuan found Zhang Yun so annoying. Even Su Wen, in his past life when playing games, found such players utterly frustrating. But to avoid offending Zhang Yun, who was clearly eavesdropping on his daughter''s question, Su Wen coughed lightly and explained, "Pokmon battles aren''t just about who has the stronger attacks. Strategy plays a big part too." Meanwhile, the Charizard chief, having been dragged back to the ground, was furious. Its sapphire-blue eyes were instantly suffused with a blood-red hue. "Outrage? Old Zhu, this..." The signs of Outrage were unmistakablethe blood-red eyes and the sudden surge in energy. Zhang Yun recognized it immediately. But Charizard naturally didn''t learn Outrage. Was it a breeding move or taught via TM? Zhu Tianxing took a step back, shielding Su Wen from the potential fallout, and explained, "The chief''s mother is a Dragonite from the Dragon''s Den." Zhang Yun nodded in understanding. A breeding move, then. That made sense. But if the Charizard chief knew Outrage, could its offspring have inherited it as well? As Zhang Yun pondered this, the Charizard chief and Slaking were locked in close combat. Normally, the Charizard chief would avoid close-quarters fighting, but in the throes of Outrage, a Pokmon is consumed by rage, and its judgment is severely impaired. Yet, even now, with Dragon Claw carving arcs of emerald light, the Charizard chief was actually gaining the upper hand against Slaking. This was the terror of Outrage. Though Charizard itself wasn''t a Dragon-type, Outrage could significantly amplify its energy levels. However, most Pokmon using Outrage could only fight on instinct, unable to precisely control their energy or moves. The fact that the Charizard chief could channel the energy of Outrage into its Dragon Claw showed a high level of mastery. Su Chuan narrowed his eyes, biding his time with Slaking, waiting for the moment the Charizard chief''s Outrage would end. Suddenly, the Charizard chief''s onslaught faltered slightly, and the blood-red hue in its eyes began to fade. In that instant, Su Chuan seized the opportunitythe downside of Outrage had kicked in! The impaired judgment caused by rage was just a minor aspect. The true drawback of Outrage was the confusion that followed once it ended. "Counter!" Counter was a move that could return double the damage taken over a period of time. Slaking''s right fist glowed with a faint aura as it swung with thunderous force, the punch generating sonic booms as it connected with the Charizard chief''s abdomen. The impact sent the Charizard chief flying like a shooting star, crashing into the stone wall. Su Chuan was about to press his advantage, but the Charizard chief let out a roar, and Zhu Tianxing immediately raised his hand. "Battle over!" Seeing everyone''s eyes on him, Zhu Tianxing smiled. "The chief has recognized your strength. It must have agreed to entrust the Charmander to you and Su Wen." Su Wen''s eyes lit up. Was it really that simple? It had been easier than he expected. Su Chuan, however, seemed a bit disappointed that the battle was over. After all, such a fight was truly exhilarating. But he quickly recalled Slaking, still wary of the Charizard chief. "After that last hit from Slaking, the Charizard chief was still able to call the battle off immediately. It clearly wasn''t seriously injured." In Su Chuan''s view, Charizard wasn''t exactly a tank. Even at the peak of the Gym level, three Hammer Arms would probably be enough to take one down. But this was an Elite-level Charizard chief, after all. Having decided on a trainer for its offspring, the Charizard chief began working on convincing the Charmander. At first, the Charmander was reluctant to go with Su Wen, but after two swift knocks on the head from the chief, it finally saw reason and tearfully stood before Su Wen. Taking out a Pok Ball he had prepared earlier, Su Wen gently tapped the Charmander''s head, and it was drawn into the ball in a flash of red light. After three flashes, the Pok Ball stabilized, signaling that Su Wen had successfully caught his first Pokmon. "Whew!" Seeing Su Wen''s success, both Su Chuan and the Charizard chief let out a sigh of relief. They exchanged a glance, both feeling the weight of parental concern. Zhang Yun patted Su Chuan on the back sincerely. "Congratulations, Su Wen." Zhang Qian was also happy for Su Wen, though she hadn''t managed to catch the Charmander herself. At least now she could try to catch a Ralts. Su Wen''s face was beaming with joy. There was something uniquely satisfying about catching a Pokmon himself. Pressing the button on the Pok Ball, he released the Charmander, which emerged with a shake of its head, still a bit disoriented. "Roar roar~~" The Charizard chief let out a couple of urgent roars, signaling Zhu Tianxing to escort Zhang Yun and Zhang Qian out. The next step was for the chief to give its offspring a crash course in power-leveling. 7.Resources and Heirlooms Under the Charizard chiefs urging, Zhu Tianxing had to escort Zhang Yun and his daughter, Zhang Qian, out of the inner valley of Charizard Mountain. He arranged for some clan members to show them other Pokmon, even though it was unlikely Zhang Qian would choose her starter here. Still, they had to go through the formalities. Zhang Yun could guess what was coming next. After all, this was the chiefs own offspringits treatment would be far from ordinary. Though curious, Zhang Yun didnt insist on staying and bid farewell to Su Chuan and Su Wen before leaving the inner valley. After settling Zhang Yun and his daughter, Zhu Tianxing hurried back to act as a translator. Su Chuan, let me first explain the chiefs conditions. It wants Su Wen to bring the Charmander back once a year for evaluation. If the training results dont meet its expectations, it will take the Charmander back. As compensation, Su Wen can choose another Pokmon. Hearing this, both Su Wen and Su Chuans expressions darkened. Su Chuan frowned. Old Zhu, this is ridiculous. The idea of the Charmander being taken back if it didnt meet expectations felt like a slap in the face. What if, after years of hard work, the Charizard chief simply decided it wasnt satisfied and took the Pokmon back? Let me finish. When have I ever steered you wrong? Zhu Tianxing continued. The chief said that as long as the Charmander reaches the second tierOrdinary Levelby this time next year, it will pass the first evaluation. Once it reaches the fifth tierMaster Levelthe chief wont require any further evaluations. At this, Su Chuan and Su Wens faces grew even more troubled. Ordinary Level? Breaking through two tiers in a year seemed almost impossible. In the Pokmon training hierarchy, there were seven main levels: Novice, Ordinary, Elite, Champion, Master, Gym, and Elite Four. However, these corresponded to tiers zero through seven. Tiers zero and one were grouped under Novice Level, as Pokmon below Ordinary Level were considered too weak to warrant further distinction. Reaching Ordinary Level meant taking the Charmander, currently at the early zero tier, all the way to the second tier. Dont worry. Charizard Mountain will provide the highest-level resources for the chiefs offspring. These resources will be sent to Su Wen every month. Heres the list. Seeing the Su familys displeasure, Zhu Tianxing quickly added, pulling out his phone to send the pre-prepared list to Su Chuan. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. These resources werent provided by the Zhu family but by Charizard Mountainor rather, the Charizard chief itself. The same resources would have been given to any Zhu family member who captured the Charmander, though the Zhu family might have added extra support. Two Fire Stones, one Charcoal, ten Fire Gems, fifteen Flame Berries per month. Su Chuans eyes widened at the sheer value of the resources. Su Wen, looking over the list on his fathers phone, gasped. The total worth of these items had to be in the millions. Fire Stones, depending on quality, ranged from 50,000 to 500,000 yuan on the market. Most people bought them for Pokmon evolution, though their fire energy could also be directly absorbeda practice considered wasteful. The Charcoal listed wasnt the kind used for burning but a special item that enhanced Fire-type moves when absorbed by a Pokmon. Absorption was a term unique to Pokmon items. When an item was absorbed, it didnt disappear but bonded with the Pokmon in a special way, allowing it to be ?separated later. This meant items could be temporarily used to boost a Pokmons strength, though a Pokmon could only absorb one item at a time. Fire Gems, though less valuable, were typically used as one-time boosts in battle. However, with ten provided monthly, it was clear they were meant for training, helping the Charmander quickly master Fire-type moves. Su Wens eyes gleamed as he looked at the Charmander. This wasnt just a Pokmonit was a walking goldmine. The resources are for Su Wen to use as he sees fit, but with this much, Im sure hell succeed, Zhu Tianxing said, patting Su Wens shoulder. Ill also send you the Zhu familys Charizard training guide. While the core secrets cant be shared, its more than enough for Su Wen. Just keep it confidential. Thank you, Uncle Zhu, Su Wen said gratefully. The guides value likely surpassed even the resource list. Centuries of Zhu family knowledge on raising Charizards represented the pinnacle of Charizard training. Su Chuan thumped his chest. Dont worry, Tianxing. If Su Wen doesnt train this Charmander properly, Ill give him a good beating. Real father energy With the details settled, the Charizard chief signaled for a moment and flew off into the back of the valley. Zhu Tianxing chuckled. The chief really cares about its child. Su Chuan asked, Whats it doing? After a moments hesitation, Zhu Tianxing explained, You know how Charizard Mountains fire energy concentration is far higher than most places? For example, Yun Citys fire energy is only a fraction of whats here. Su Chuan sighed. In cities, theres too much demand and too little supply. With so many Pokmon, the energy concentration naturally thins out. Zhu Tianxing nodded. Charizard Mountain has three heirlooms. One is the Charizard Stone Carving, essential for fire rituals. The other two are the Crimson Flame Orb and the Indigo Flame Orb. These orbs are rich in energy and help concentrate fire energy. Su Chuan was stunned. Thats incredibly generous. But wont taking one weaken the valley? Zhu Tianxing smiled. Not really. Charizard Mountain is an extinct volcano. After millennia, its fire energy is naturally dense. The orbs effects only extend a few meters, and theyre most effective on Charmanderslike theyre a perfect match. Su Chuan relaxed, but Su Wen was puzzled. Charizard Stone Carving? Crimson and Indigo Flame Orbs? This was completely new to him. As a die-hard Pokmon fan, hed never heard of these. Had he somehow become out of touch with this world? Meanwhile, the Charmander circled Su Wen, eager to get to know its new chef. Before long, the Charizard chief returned, clutching the so-called Indigo Flame Orb. Seeing it, Su Wens mind was blown. So this was the Indigo Flame Orb. 8.The Promise of Mega Evolution This is clearly the Charizard X Mega Stone, so is the Red-Orange Fire Orb the Charizard Y Mega Stone? When Pokmon reach their final evolution stage, their life forms generally dont change anymore. However, there are a few Pokmon that, under the influence of Mega Stones, can temporarily enter a Mega Evolution state, undergoing another transformation in their life form. Ive been in this world for quite some time now and havent seen any information about Mega Evolution. I thought this world didnt have Mega Stones, but it turns out thats not the case. Its just that no one has discovered their use, or perhaps someone has but hasnt revealed it. Wow, Mega Stones are being used to store energy? Thats like using a cannon to kill a mosquitosuch a waste of potential. Ive hit the jackpot! This is what you call starting with a Charmander and having divine artifacts handed to you. The Charizard clan leader pressed the Charizard X Mega Stone onto the Charmanders forehead, and the Mega Stone seemed to sink into the Charmanders body as if it had melted into water. This is absorption. Since Mega Stones are also a type of item, they can naturally be absorbed into the body. However, for a Pokmon to Mega Evolve, not only is a Mega Stone required, but the Pokmon must also have reached its final evolution stage, and there must be a Key Stone to activate the Mega Stone. If a Pokmon merely holds a Mega Stone, it cannot achieve Mega Evolution because the Pokmon cannot harness the energy within the Mega Stone to unlock its genetic potential. To achieve Mega Evolution, a trainer must use a Key Stone to help the Pokmon activate the Mega Stone and unlock its genetic potential, allowing for a temporary Mega Evolution. But where can I find a Key Stone? After all, theres no information about Mega Evolution in this world. Could it be that the method of Mega Evolution was lost during that great catastrophe? Su Wen fell into a new wave of frustration. But regardless, at least I now know that Mega Evolution is possible in this world, and Ive already obtained the Charizard X Mega Stone. As for the Key Stone, if I come across it, great; if not, I cant force it. After absorbing the Mega Stone, the Charmander felt a warm, soothing sensation throughout its body, as if it were soaking in a hot spring. It couldnt help but let out a couple of soft cries. A-Chuan, the Charmander is now Xiao Wens partner. Let me take you and Old Zhang around the Charizard Valley so I can be a good host, Zhu Tianxing said, seeing that the matter was settled. Im fine with that, but Old Zhang might still need to find a suitable Pokmon for his daughter, Su Chuan replied. It had been a while since he last caught up with Zhu Tianxing, so he was happy to spend some time together. Su Wen crouched down and gently rubbed the Charmanders round head. Dad, you and Uncle Zhu go ahead. I want to spend some time getting to know my Charmander. Hahaha, this kid. Zhu Tianxing and Su Chuan exchanged a knowing smile, remembering how excited they were when they first got their Pokmon. They could totally relate. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Alright, son, your Uncle Zhu and I are off to grab a drink, Su Chuan said, noticing that Su Wen was completely focused on his Charmander and had no intention of paying attention to him. Go ahead, go ahead, Su Wen waved them off, eager to spend some alone time with his Charmander and also to study the Charizards in the valley more closely. Roar~ Roar roar! The Charizard clan leader, seeing that Su Wen wasnt in a hurry to leave, grew anxious. If its wife returned and found out about its plan to push their son to greatness, its hopes would surely be dashed. Su Wen sensed the Charizard leaders impatience and asked curiously, Whats the clan leader saying? Uh, Zhu Tianxing hesitated, feeling a bit awkward. The clan leader said: Get the hell out of here, all of you. ??? A parent whos eager to send their own child away? Thats a first. Not knowing the backstory, Su Wen and Su Chuan could only assume that this Charmander might not be the clan leaders biological child. After communicating further with the Charizard leader, Zhu Tianxing finally said, Lets go, lets go. Well talk as we walk. Su Wen took out a Pok Ball, intending to return the Charmander to it, but the Charmander seemed reluctant to go inside. After a moment of consideration, Su Wen simply picked up the Charmander. Despite it weighing over ten pounds, Su Wen didnt feel any strainperhaps due to his naturally good physical condition in this life. He then said to Su Chuan and Zhu Tianxing, Uncle Zhu, lets head out. Roar~ The Charizard leader nodded, as if saying, If you dont leave now, Ill throw you out myself. Once they were out of the inner valley, Zhu Tianxing explained his theory to Su Chuan and Su Wen. Makes sense, Su Chuan said, nodding in agreement. Being afraid of your wife has nothing to do with your strength. Dad, should we head straight back to Yun City? A month should be enough time for the Charmander to reach its first stage of evolution, Su Wen said. Although he would have liked to spend a few more days in the natural beauty of Charizard Valley, he didnt want to risk losing his first Pokmon due to his own laziness. Zhu Tianxing frowned at Su Wens words. Xiao Wen, raising a Pokmon requires patience and a solid foundation. If you want to become a qualified trainer, you must take it step by step and not rush things. Su Wen had based his estimate on the training speed of the students at the gym, but after hearing Zhu Tianxings advice, he realized hed been mistaken. Everyones training methods are different, and a Pokmons growth should be tailored to the individual. I understand, Uncle Zhu. Ill go back and study the Charmander training materials you sent me carefully. The 40+ GB of materials had already been uploaded to Su Chuans cloud storage, and Su Wen planned to print them out as soon as he got home. Seeing that Su Wen was still relatively level-headed, Zhu Tianxing felt reassured. Over the years, Zhu Tianxing had seen countless cases of trainers ruining their Pokmons potential by rushing their evolution. For trainers, it might just be a temporary setback, but for the Pokmon, it could mean a lifetime of limitations. Because hed witnessed so many tragedies, Zhu Tianxing was strict with both his family members and the students at his gym. On the way out, Zhu Tianxing handed Su Wen a suitcase containing the resources for the month and explained that the resources would be delivered to him on time every month by a designated person. Not long after, Su Wen met Zhang Yun and his daughter, Zhang Qian, who were waiting for them. A-Chuan, are you leaving too? Zhang Yun had originally planned to leave with his daughter, but after receiving a message from Su Chuan saying they were also leaving, he decided to wait a bit longer. Su Chuan replied, The Charizard leader is kicking us out. If we dont leave, we might get thrown out. Zhang Yun glanced at the suitcase in Su Chuans hand, wondering, Is this the reward from the Charizard leader? How much could fit in such a small case If Zhang Yun knew just how many resources Su Wen had received, he would probably have done everything in his power to try his luck again. Shaking off the thought, Zhang Yun asked, Im taking Qian to Kunling City next. Do you want to come along, A-Chuan? Since Su Wen had already obtained his Pokmon, Su Chuan had no reason to wander around and politely declined. After saying their goodbyes, Su Chuan and Zhang Yun bid farewell to Zhu Tianxing. Kunling City wasnt far from Huofeng City, where Charizard Valley was located, so Zhang Yun planned to rent a couple of Corviknight from the Corviknight base. Corviknight, originally trained by the Dep Company in the Western Federation as flying mounts, had once been referred to as sky taxis. Decades ago, Tengfeng Group in Xia Country introduced Corviknight, and by now, Corviknight riding stations had been established in major cities, making travel extremely convenient. Su Wen and Su Chuan, on the other hand, would still be taking a flight back. Originally, Su Chuan had wanted to spend a couple more days in Huofeng City with Su Wen, but Su Wen declined. He was eager to return and show off his new Charmander to his best friend, Chen You. Chen Yous father was a good friend Su Chuan had made after moving to Yun City. He was also a gym-level trainer, but instead of running a gym, he preferred to join Xia Countrys exploration teams with Chen Yous mother. However, when Chen You was seven, his fathers exploration team accidentally trespassed into the territory of a Champion-level Duraludon and attempted to steal its egg. The enraged Duraludon wiped out the entire team, and only Chen Yous mother managed to escape with her life, thanks to her husbands desperate efforts to protect her. But due to her severe injuries, Chen Yous mother passed away not long after entrusting Chen You to his grandmother. Although both of his parents had passed away, Chen You lived a relatively comfortable life thanks to the subsidies from Xia Country and the care of Su Chuan and another friend of his fathers, Zhou Li. After Chen Yous grandmother passed away a hundred years ago, both Su Chuan and Zhou Li had offered to take Chen You in, but he refused. This year, both Chen You and Su Wen had applied to Yun Citys First High School, though it was unclear if theyd be in the same class. Su Chuan had prepared several high-quality Normal-type Pokmon for Chen You to choose from, while Zhou Li had prepared some Fighting-type Pokmon. However, after looking at the options, Chen You said he had his own ideas and declined Su Chuan and Zhou Lis offers to help him find his starter Pokmon. Although Su Wen wasnt sure what Chen You was thinking, he knew his best friend had always been full of ideas. And if Su Wen had to guess, Chen Yous favorite Pokmon was probably 9."The Special Dispatch Order and the Aura Shift" Chen Yous favorite Pokmon were probably Ghost-types. It was unclear when it started, but Chen You had developed a fascination for all sorts of strange and eerie supernatural events, to the point where Su Wen once felt that Chen You had become somewhat... unnerving. Su Wen had left Yun City in the morning, completed his trainer registration in Huofeng City in the afternoon, and returned home by midnight. Wang Xuan, who had received the news early, had prepared a meal at home for Su Chuan and Su Wen. Watching Su Wen wolf down his food, Wang Xuan couldnt help but laugh. Why didnt you have dinner in Huofeng City before coming back? Su Chuan looked at Su Wen helplessly. Having dinner there wouldve meant staying overnight. Su Wen wanted to come back early to bond with his Charmander. Wang Xuan glanced at the Charmander, leisurely enjoying the special meal Su Wen had prepared for it, and couldnt resist reaching out to pat its head. Look at how happily its tail is wagging, Wang Xuan said, watching the Charmander practically lick the plate clean. She didnt mind at allafter all, who could resist something so adorable? The breeder from the Zhu family had provided top-tier Pokmon food for the Charmander, perfectly balanced in both energy and nutrition. However, to maintain this balance, the taste of the food was inevitably compromised. To quickly improve his bond with the Charmander, Su Wen had consulted the materials Zhu Tianxing had given him and made some adjustments. He sacrificed some ingredients that would enhance the Charmanders energy growth in favor of creating a meal that was, for the Charmander, an unprecedented culinary delight. Under the temptation of such delicious food, the Charmander had even shaken off the slight melancholy of leaving Charizard Valley, now thoroughly enjoying its new life. With the abundance of resources at his disposal, Su Wen wasnt worried that the change in diet would hinder the Charmanders growth. As the family enjoyed their peaceful evening, Su Chuans phone suddenly emitted a sharp, piercing sound. Special dispatch: Su Chuan, gym-level trainer of Yun City, report to the Yun City Pokmon Center immediately! Repeat: Su Chuan, gym-level trainer of Yun City, report to the Yun City Pokmon League Center immediately! The faces of Su Wen, Su Chuan, and Wang Xuan all turned pale. It was a special dispatch order! A special dispatch order was a unique requirement for all trainers in Xia Country. Once issued, the targeted trainer had to comply unconditionally and immediately. Failure to do so without a valid reason would result in severe consequences. In Su Wens memory, Su Chuan had only received two special dispatch orders. The first was when Su Wen was five years old, and the Sakura Country, under the influence of the White Eagle Federation, had crossed the border and provoked Xia Countrys territorial sovereignty. At that time, all master-level trainers and above in the eastern region had been summoned, and they had annihilated the Sakura Country trainers who had crossed the maritime border. The second time was when Su Wen was nine. A wild Champion-level Salamence had suddenly appeared and showed signs of heading toward Yun City. Su Chuan had been dispatched to intercept it. Both incidents had been major events that threatened the entire city, if not the nation. In all these years, there had only been these two special dispatches. So, what could this one be about? If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Without a second thought, Su Chuan rushed to the backyard, gathering his Pokmon, including his Slaking, into their Pok Balls. Wang Xuan quickly grabbed his coat and waited at the door. Dad, be careful, Su Wen called out as Su Chuan hurried out. Su Chuan didnt look back, simply waving as he mounted his Pidgeot and flew toward the Yun City Pokmon Center. After watching Su Chuan leave, Wang Xuan immediately turned on the TV to check for any news updates, while Su Wen opened a forum to look for any reports of unusual activity near Yun City. A suspected portal to a secret realm has been discovered 13 miles south of Yun City. Some trainers and a few civilians have already been pulled in. My grandfather lives there. If anyone has the latest information, please DM me. Thank you! ... The forum, which should have been quiet at this hour, was flooded with messages. Su Wen quickly realized the reason for the special dispatch. Mom, its a secret realm! Su Wen said, feeling a bit relieved. If it was just a secret realm, his dad should be fine. Wang Xuan, still waiting for news on the TV, took Su Wens phone and skimmed through the forum. Her expression didnt lighten. Your Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen died because of a secret realm. Your dad will definitely be on the front lines. I just hope this secret realm doesnt have any dangerous Pokmon. Yun City didnt have any Champion-level trainersafter all, there were fewer than 200 in all of Xia Country. Su Chuan was already at the top of the hierarchy in Yun City. As the strongest, he would undoubtedly be at the forefront of any mission. Dont worry, Mom. With Slakings strength, even if they cant win, theyll be able to retreat safely, Su Wen reassured her. Secret realms were like water droplets clinging to a piece of paper, connected to the main world but not entirely part of it. The most famous secret realm in Xia Country was the Spirit World, a sanctuary for Ghost-type Pokmon. It was said that every Ghost-type Pokmon could be found there, and trainers who could communicate with the Spirit World were considered favorites of Ghost-type Pokmon. Even now, Su Wens knowledge of the Spirit World was limited to fragments of information online. One reliable theory was that Xia Country had encountered Pokmon too powerful to handle during the development of the Spirit World and had ultimately abandoned the project. Su Wen didnt believe there were any Pokmon that could withstand the full force of Xia Country. It was more likely that the cost of developing the Spirit World simply outweighed the benefits. As one of the few top-tier secret realms, the only beings that could deter Xia Country from developing it were likely the legendary gods. Giratina, the Renegade Pokmon? Marshadow, the Gloomdweller Pokmon? Spectrier, the Swift Steed Pokmon? Or perhaps even Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests? Which oneor which onesresided in the Spirit World? There were no records of these legendary Pokmon in existing documents, but Su Wen didnt believe they didnt exist. In some ancient texts, he could vaguely trace their presence. As for the secret realm near Yun City, Su Wen guessed it couldnt be more than a mid-level secret realm. If it were a large one, the League Center would have sealed off the information, not allowed it to be discussed openly on forums. Shaking off his thoughts, Su Wen comforted Wang Xuan before taking the Charmander, which was happily chasing its own tail, into his room. Whether it was secret realms or legendary Pokmon, these things were far beyond the reach of a rookie trainer like him. All he could do now was familiarize himself with the Charmanders abilities and plan its training carefully. Charmander, be careful with your tail. Dont burn the furniture, Su Wen reminded the Pokmon as he patted its head. The flame at the end of the Charmanders tail symbolized its vitality. If the flame went out, it meant the Charmanders life was nearing its end. Conversely, the brighter and more intense the flame, the better the Charmanders condition. The Charmander could control the temperature of its tail flame, as it was more like a life flame than an ordinary fire. Hearing Su Wens reminder, the Charmander proudly held up its tail, showing off the flame that had turned from red to a radiant white. Su Wen reached out and felt the flameit was comfortably warm, around 20 to 30 degrees Celsius. After feeding the Charmander an energy cube, Su Wen sat cross-legged on the carpet, placing his right hand on the Charmanders head and extending his Aura. Ever since successfully bonding with the Charmander, Su Wen had felt something differenta sensation he had never experienced in his 15 years of life. It was as if a key had finally found its lock. That was why he had been so eager to return home, to quietly study his Aura in peace. Sure enough, when his Aura touched the Charmanders, it no longer merely hovered on the surface, as it had with other Pokmon. Instead, Su Wens Aura began to merge with the Charmanders, albeit clumsily, like sugar slowly dissolving in water. Even this small amount of fusion opened up a whole new world in Su Wens mind. It felt as if Su Wen and the Charmander had become one. Su Wen could sense not only his own body but also the Charmanders. As the fusion deepened, Su Wen even vaguely felt the flow of energy within the Charmanders body, as if he could use the Charmanders six moves. His Aura seemed capable of guiding this energy. It was as if he had always known these moves but couldnt use them smoothly for some reason. However, Su Wen quickly realized this was just an illusion. What he was feeling and understanding were the Charmanders abilities, not his own. Roar! The Charmander let out a soft cry, abruptly breaking the connection. Su Wen felt a strong repulsion, and his Aura could no longer merge with the Charmanders. Too unfamiliar? Su Wen mused, watching the Charmander nuzzle his hand. He could sense that the Charmander had grown even more attached to him. As he played with the Charmander, Su Wen pondered the changes in his Aura. First, this change in Aura likely only worked with his own Pokmon. After all, his fathers Pokmon were also close to him, but they lacked this kind of connection. Second, if he could use his Aura to guide the Charmanders energy, did that mean he could help the Charmander grow in a different way? Of course, these were just speculations. But over the next week, Su Wen was confident he would figure out whether these ideas were valid. Meanwhile, Su Chuan had already arrived at the Yun City Pokmon Center. 10."The Secret Realm and the Champion" Since Su Chuans residence was quite far from the Pokmon Center, even riding his Pidgeot, he arrived to find a group of trainers already gathered there. Old Su is here! A sharp-eyed trainer immediately recognized Su Chuans Pidgeot, and a crowd came forward to greet him. After dismounting and returning his Pidgeot to its Pok Ball, Su Chuan clasped his hands in greeting to the trainers who had come to meet him. He then turned to a middle-aged man with a beer belly and asked, Director Wang, whats the situation? The head of the Yun City Pokmon Center was Wang Qing, a master-level trainer who had been coasting through his career. The sweat on his forehead made it clear that Wang Qing was internally cursing his luck. When the survey team had detected anomalies in the southern suburbs, they had immediately notified Wang Qing, and the police departments alert had followed shortly after. Upon learning the situation, Wang Qings heart sank. With only four years left until retirement, his son had already started a family, and Wang Qing had been looking forward to a peaceful retirement. But now, he might end up ruined in this final stretch. Despite his usual complacency, Wang Qing had enough professionalism to issue the special dispatch order without delay. Wang Qing grabbed Su Chuans hand and pulled him into the Pokmon Center as if clutching a lifeline. Gym Leader Su, lets talk inside. He then called out to the surrounding trainers, Everyone, please come in. Time is of the essence. Inside the Pokmon Center, the main hall had been temporarily converted into a command center. Once all eleven gym-level trainers from Yun City had arrived, Wang Qing led them to a large screen. Take a look, everyone. This is footage from the vanguard team, Wang Qing said, pointing at the screen. The screen showed the southern suburbs, which should have been lush and green, now enveloped in a shimmering curtain of water. Within the curtain, mountain ranges rose, and unfamiliar flora and fauna could be faintly seen. Su Chuan, drawing on his years of experience exploring secret realms, spoke up. This is nearing the initial stages of fusion! Secret realms were supposed to exist in separate spaces, but if a secret realm fused with the main world, it would stabilize and likely be marked as a restricted area. Wang Qings expression was grave. Gym Leader Su is correct. According to the research institutes analysis, the secret realm will stabilize and fuse with the main world in approximately 186 hours. 186 hoursless than eight days! Everyone in the room was stunned. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. One gym-level trainer exclaimed, Impossible! A secret realm of this size would take at least two months to fully fuse with the main world! The other trainers nodded in agreement. This was common knowledge; it was impossible for the fusion to stabilize in less than eight days. Su Chuan, however, had a sudden realization. Could this be related to that Salamence from a few years ago? The sudden appearance and disappearance of that Salamence had left a deep impression on all the trainers in Yun City. Wang Qing sighed bitterly. Exactly. According to the analysis, that Salamence likely came from this secret realm. Since then, the stability of the secret realms space has been declining, and it has been gradually fusing with the main world. There was no time for regret. After briefly explaining the situation, Wang Qing divided the eleven gym-level trainers into five teams, each leading a group of master-level trainers to carry out specific tasks. Everyone, our primary objective is to rescue the trapped civilians. Second, we need to gather as much information as possible about Champion-level Pokmon. Finally, if any Pokmon attempt to cross the barrier into the main world, you must stop them. The safety of Yun City is in your hands! Wang Qing bowed deeply to the trainers in the room. Led by Su Chuan, the trainers thumped their chests with their right hands. We have no regrets, and we will protect our homeland. The teams then entered the secret realm through several points where the spatial stability had already reached acceptable levels. As the strongest trainer, Su Chuan naturally led a team alone and took the central route to facilitate quick support for the other teams. The Dragon and Fire-type energy here is incredibly dense! Su Chuan exclaimed as soon as he entered the secret realm, watching the readings on his wrist monitor skyrocket. In such an environment, it was no surprise that a Champion-level Salamence had emerged. All the master-level trainers had already dispersed with their squads to carry out rescue missions, while Su Chuan patrolled the skies on his Pidgeot. Secret realms were feared because the Pokmon within might have never encountered humans, making them far more aggressive than those in the main world. If Pokmon from a secret realm were released into the main world without caution, it could lead to a surge in Pokmon attacks on humans. However, after some time interacting with humans, most Pokmon, being highly intelligent, would establish a relative peace, coexisting with humans without conflict. C3 area, three civilians found, one injured. Returning to base. B5 area, rare berries discovered, under attack by a fifth-tier Primeape. Requesting backup! Requesting backup! Secret realms didnt just bring risksthey also offered abundant resources. Under the current circumstances, no one was actively seeking resources, but if they stumbled upon any, they certainly wouldnt pass them up. Most of these resources would be used to cover the expenses of the operation and as rewards for the special dispatch order. ...... While the rescue operation was in full swing, Su Wen had already woken up. Upon waking, Su Wen noticed that the Charmander had somehow climbed from the small bed he had prepared for it onto his own bed, sleeping soundly while hugging its tail. After washing up, Su Wen prepared breakfast for the Pokmon at home, including a portion for the Charmander, and then roused the little fire lizard. Mom, any news from the Pokmon Center? Su Wen asked, stirring the steaming honey porridge in his bowl. Wang Xuan was busy discussing the lunch menu with her Indeedee and didnt look up. Director Wang sent a message. Hes reported it to the League Center, and a Champion is on the way. Your dad should be back in two or three days. A Champion? Su Wen was genuinely surprised. He had expected a Champion-level trainer at most, but now an actual Champion was coming. In Xia Country, with a population of nearly two billion, there were fewer than three hundred Champion-level trainers. Among these three hundred, only eighteen held the title of Champion, each representing one of the eighteen types: Normal, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Ice, Bug, Flying, Ground, Rock, Fighting, Psychic, Ghost, Poison, Dark, Steel, Dragon, and Fairy. In a sense, these eighteen were the strongest in Xia Country. The conditions for earning the title of Champion were extremely stringent. For example, if Su Wen wanted to apply for the title of Fire-type Champion in the future, he would first need to win the 1v1 championship in the Champion Challenge Tournament, held every three years, using a Fire-type Pokmon. After that, Su Wen would need to defeat the reigning Fire-type Champion in both 1v1 Fire-type battles and 6v6 battles using any type of Pokmon to claim the title. As a result, every change in the Champion title was a major event that shook not only Xia Country but the entire world. 11.Long Xu. Due to the immense strength of each Heavenly King, almost all of them are assigned their own taskswhether its guarding the borders or suppressing top-tier forbidden zones. Pulling a Heavenly King away from their duties is no small matter. What kind of value does this secret realm hold that it warrants the Alliance Center to dispatch a Heavenly King? Though Im not sure which Heavenly King will come, my father should be able to meet them. Wang Xuan finalized the lunch menu and noticed Su Wen absentmindedly stirring the porridge in his bowl. She chuckled, "Hurry up and eat. If you keep stirring, the porridge will get cold." Only then did Su Wen realize that even Charmander had finished eating and was now waving its claws around, seemingly trying to execute a Dragon Claw move. Su Wen quickly slurped down the porridge, accompanied by some pickled radish, and then led Charmander to the backyard. After a nights rest, Su Wen found that his Aura could once again merge with Charmanders. He first turned on the only detector at home and said to Charmander, "Charmander, its time to start training. Lets try absorbing the Fire-type energy in the air first." During yesterdays Aura fusion, Su Wen had already gotten a basic grasp of Charmanders subconscious energy absorption speed. Once Charmander understood Su Wens intention, it began actively gathering the surrounding Fire-type energy. Thanks to the Charizardite X, the concentration of Fire-type energy around Charmander was almost comparable to that of the Charicific Valley. Under such energy density, Charmanders active absorption speed was about six to seven times faster than its passive absorption. However, after less than five minutes of absorption, Charmander relaxed its focus and started slacking off. Su Wen took a deep breath, suppressing his frustration. He had known that Charmander was spoiled, but this was just ridiculous. After all, his fathers Pokmon trained for hours at a time. Watching Charmander sprawled on the ground, pretending to be dead, Su Wen rolled his eyes. He concentrated the Aura flowing through Charmanders body, guiding the surrounding Fire-type energy to gather into Charmander. Charmanders eyes widened in confusion as it felt the energy within its body rapidly expanding, filling every corner of its being. The extreme discomfort forced Charmander to work hard to absorb and contain this energy. Su Wen stroked his chin, a hint of amusement in his eyes. While he could use his Aura to channel Fire-type energy into Charmanders body, he couldnt help it absorb the energy. Now, this little guy had no choice but to stop slacking off. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. To avoid harming Charmanders body, Su Wen adjusted the energy infusion speed to a level Charmander could handle after a few tests. Based on Charmanders energy absorption rate, Su Wen roughly calculated that if Charmanders passive absorption speed was 1, its active absorption speed during training was about 5, and with his Aura guidance, it reached around 10. After half an hour of training, Su Wen looked at Charmander, which was now rolling its eyes, clearly signaling that it would rather explode from energy overload than continue training. Su Wen scratched his head. Since his Aura was also reaching its limit, he disconnected and took out an energy cube. He brought the energy cube to Charmanders mouth, and Charmander eagerly chomped down on it, wagging its tail contentedly. The way it sprawled on the ground, wagging its tail, resembled a Slowpoke. The energy cube didnt contain much energy, but its taste was exceptional, like candy used to soothe a crying child. Leaving Charmander to bask in the sun in the backyard, Su Wen returned to his room to retrieve the resources he had obtained from Zhu Tianxing the previous month. "Lets start with the Fire Stone," Su Wen muttered, holding the Fire Stone up to the sunlight. The stone glowed with a warm yellow-red hue, its center seemingly flowing with flames, making it a beautiful sight. Although Su Wen wasnt sure about the exact purity of this Fire Stone, according to online sources, such a pristine stone must be of high quality. Returning to the backyard, Su Wen found Charmander chasing after a Butterfree, scaring it so much that the Butterfree folded its wings and trembled on a tree branch. "Charmander," Su Wen called, beckoning Charmander over. He then pressed the Fire Stone against Charmanders body. "Try absorbing the energy from this," Su Wen said, releasing his Aura but not guiding the energy from the Fire Stone, instead letting Charmander absorb it on its own. Charmander initially resisted, but after Su Wen promised an unlimited supply of energy cubes once todays training was over, it reluctantly closed its eyes. The energy within the Fire Stone was incredibly dense, which was why it could trigger the evolution of certain Pokmon. However, absorbing this energy wasnt easy for Charmander. It was like trying to suck water through layers of sponge, as evident from Charmanders strained expression. After less than two minutes, Charmander collapsed, exhausted, while the Fire Stones color remained unchanged. Still, the energy absorption efficiency was much higher than absorbing Fire-type energy from the air, likely because the energy within the Fire Stone was far more concentrated. After letting Charmander rest for a while, Su Wen used his Aura to help Charmander absorb the energy from the Fire Stone. With Su Wens assistance, the difficulty of absorbing energy went from sucking water through a sponge to drinking through a straw. Charmanders entire body relaxed. Su Wen, however, was shocked by the terrifying speed. The efficiency of absorbing energy from the Fire Stone was more than three times faster than guiding Charmander to absorb energy from the air. And this was under the condition that Charmanders surroundings were already saturated with Fire-type energy due to the Charizardite X. In other words, if Fire Stones could be supplied consistently, Charmanders one hour of training could surpass dozens of hours of training for other Pokmon. Is this the power of spending money? With this kind of training speed, even if Charmander wasnt particularly fond of training, Su Wen could still surpass other trainers. However, using Aura to absorb energy from the Fire Stone was also extremely taxing on Su Wens stamina and focus. This time, it was Su Wen who couldnt keep up. Seeing Su Wen lying on the ground, gasping for breath, Charmander looked at the energy cube in its hand and, after some consideration, offered it to Su Wen. "Char~" (?w?) Seeing Charmanders concerned expression, Su Wen sat up cross-legged, smiling as he rubbed Charmanders cheeks. "You eat it. I have plenty more." Once Su Wen declined, Charmander happily popped the energy cube into its mouth c()? and, with Su Wens permission, went back to tormenting the other Pokmon in the backyard. Leaning against a large transplanted Sitrus tree, with sunlight filtering through the lush leaves and dappling his body, Su Wen recorded the data from the tests in his notebook while pondering some questions. "Charmanders upper limit hasnt been determined yet, but it definitely exists. Once my Aura recovers, well continue training. Today, I must figure out Charmanders daily absorption limit." "As for whether my Aura has this special effect only on my Pokmon or if Charmander is the unique one, Ill have to wait until I capture a second Pokmon to find out." "Skill training... Forget it. Dont rush things. Lets not start that on the first day." Just as Su Wen was wondering if he had missed anything, his phone rang. The screen displayed the name "Chen You" in bold letters. Su Wen raised an eyebrow. This guy hadnt replied to messages or answered calls, and now he finally shows up? As soon as Su Wen answered the call, Chen You blurted out in a frantic rush, "Su Wen, Long Xu has come to Cloud City!" 12."Dragon-Type Heavenly King" The name ?Long Xu is known to everyone, even internationally. At the age of 26, he led his team to win the World Championship. At 29, he successfully challenged the previous Dragon-Type Heavenly King, becoming the only trainer in Xia Kingdom''s history to achieve the title of Heavenly King before turning 30. By 36, he had defeated all Heavenly Kings except the Fairy-Type Heavenly King, Xia Lingdi. Even Xia Lingdi admitted that if it werent for Dragon-type moves being completely ineffective against Fairy-types, she would have had no chance of defeating Long Xu. Since then, Long Xu has been crowned the ?Strongest Heavenly King. Such a legendary figure is actually coming to Cloud City? "Su Wen? Su Wen? Su Huzi! Are you listening to me?" Chen You, hearing no response, couldnt help but shout Su Wens childhood nickname, snapping him out of his shock. Annoyed, Su Wen shot back, "If you dont know how to talk, just shut up. Im listening!" Seeing Su Wen respond, Chen You quickly changed the subject. "Do you know why Long Xu is coming to Cloud City?" "Besides the suddenly opened secret realm, what else could attract Long Xu here?" Su Wen countered. "How did you even know Long Xu is coming to Cloud City?" Chen You sounded puzzled. "Secret realm? What secret realm? Long Xus visit to Cloud City is all over the forums. His fans are going crazy since hes rarely seen in public." Su Wen noticed something was off. "Youre not in Cloud City? Where are you?" If Chen You were in Cloud City, he couldnt have missed the news about the secret realm opening. Chen You immediately stammered, "Uh... Ive got something to do. Gotta go!" Faced with Chen Yous sudden exit, Su Wen didnt have time to figure out what he was up to. He quickly opened the Trainer Forum and, sure enough, the entire platform was flooded with news about Long Xu. After scrolling for a while, Su Wen found the source. A fan of Long Xu, while riding a Corviknight, spotted Long Xu on his Dragonite. The fan abandoned their mission and chased Long Xu, eventually losing track of him but deducing he had entered Cloud City. When the fan posted this on the forum, Long Xus fan army mobilized, analyzing every detail. Finally, when a trainer at the Pokmon Center posted a sneaky photo of Long Xu, it was confirmed. Sigh, these fanatics are terrifying... Su Wen muttered to himself, shaking his head. Putting his phone away, Su Wen didnt dwell too much on Long Xus arrival. His father would eventually cross paths with Long Xu, and he could ask him then. If it was something his father couldnt share, overthinking it wouldnt help. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. As for Chen You, he was being all mysterious now, but Su Wen thought, Lets see where you run when school starts. Su Wen stretched, feeling sufficiently rested. He plucked a Sitrus Berry from the tree, wiped it on his shirt, took a bite, and called Charmander over. "Charmander, back to training!" Meanwhile, the Pokmon Center in Cloud City was in chaos. Long Xus fans had surrounded the building, even monitoring the airspace. "Hubby, I love you!" "Long Xu, please give me your autograph!" "Long Xu, my baby, mommy loves you!" "Wait, youre a dude!" Behind the third-floor window of the Pokmon Center, a young man with a delicate appearance leaned on the railing. "Wow, Uncle Xu, you really have fans from 18 to 88, huh?" Long Xu, sitting on the couch with a cup of tea, choked on his drink and put the cup down, exasperated. "Long Ming, youre getting more and more disrespectful." The Pokmon Centers manager, Mr. Wang, sat across from Long Xu, pretending not to hear the exchange. "Manager Wang," Long Xu turned to him with a smile, "when can we enter the secret realm?" Mr. Wang hurriedly replied, "Everythings ready. Its just that, Heavenly King Long..." He glanced out the window, hinting at the crowd outside. Long Xu understood. These fans were the most troublesomethey wouldnt leave, and they couldnt be treated like criminals and forcibly removed. With a sigh, Long Xu asked, "Manager Wang, is there a back door here?" "The back doors open!" someone suddenly shouted, and the crowd surged toward the back door. But they didnt find Long Xu. Instead, a middle-aged man in a janitors uniform stood awkwardly, pushing a slightly dirty utility cart, surrounded by the crowd. "Ugh!" The crowd dispersed, scattering to various spots to stake out again. When the janitor turned the corner, he casually tossed the utility cart into the garbage area and left. The followers trailing him shook their heads, not even bothering to search the cart, and hurried back to the Pokmon Center. About six or seven minutes later, two slightly disheveled figures crawled out from under the carts tarp. "Wait, why did I have to crawl through a garbage cart too?" Long Ming complained, patting his clothes in disgust. Long Xu, wearing a mask, scanned the area before smacking Long Mings head. "If it werent for helping you find your starter Pokmon, would I need to crawl through a garbage cart?" Long Ming grinned. "Yes, yes, Uncle Xu is the best. Uncle Xu, are you sure theres a Bagon in that secret realm?" Bagon is the initial form of Salamence, and Long Ming had his heart set on one as his starter Pokmon. He had no interest in other Pokmon, not even other pseudo-legendaries. When Long Xu heard about the Salamence sightings and the secret realm in Cloud City, he volunteered to oversee the situation. Long Xu smiled. "Dont worry. If theres no Bagon here, Ill post a task on the international market. Ill definitely find you a suitable Bagon." The usually cold, determined, and ruthless Long Xu on the battlefield had such a gentle side, which would drive his fans even crazier if they knew. After walking for a while, the vehicle arranged by Mr. Wang appeared as planned. To stay discreet, Long Xu decided against using Dragonite to transport himself and Long Ming to the secret realm. As Long Xu headed to the secret realm, Su Chuan and the others finally ran into trouble. "This Salamence is even more terrifying than it was a few years ago," one of the Gym Leaders beside Su Chuan said, looking nervously at the Salamence surrounded by a group of Pokmon. After a team spotted this Salamence, the Gym Leaders quickly gathered. Its red wings were deeper in color, and its body was more robust than before. If it werent for the scar on its left eye, they might have thought it was a different Pokmon. One confident Gym Leader suggested testing its strength and sent out his Gallade to engage, even attempting a preemptive strike. But in just one encounter, the Gallade was incapacitated. If Su Chuan hadnt intervened, sending out his Slaking to hold off the Salamence, the Gallade might have been killed on the spot. "Its the ?Intimidate ability," Su Chuan explained. The Gym Leader had underestimated the Salamence and overestimated his Gallade. The ?Intimidate ability caused surrounding Pokmon to feel a certain level of suppression, reducing their physical attack power. Combined with Gallades inherent fragility, one hit was all it took to take it out. Even Slaking, with the support of other Pokmon, could barely hold the Salamence back. "Looks like we cant handle this Salamence. Even with Chansey constantly healing Slaking, we cant keep this up. Lets retreat," one trainer suggested. Su Chuan frowned. "Its not easy. This Salamence is sticking too close. Itll be hard for us to retreat unscathed." Just as they were at a loss, their earpieces crackled to life. "Please hold on for another half hour. Heavenly King Long Xu is on his way to the secret realm." Who? They thought theyd misheard, but when the message repeated, the trainers erupted in excitement. "Long Xu is coming? Hold on, hold on! In half an hour, well teach this Salamence a lesson!" The trainers were already imagining the Salamence being ground into the dirt. Su Chuan exhaled softly. As the temporary leader, hed been under immense pressure. Hearing this news was a huge relief. But Su Chuan still warned, "Dont let your guard down. Stay alert in case the Salamence counterattacks!" 13."The Power of the Heavenly Kings" The half-hour passed quickly, but the area where Salamence had been residing was now in ruins, with broken roots and scattered rubble everywhere. "Watch out for its ?Double-Edge!" Su Chuan, sharp-eyed, caught Salamences charging stance and shouted a warning. Already, three Gym-level Pokmon had fallen to Salamences ?Double-Edge, its ultimate move. The attack was devastating, and while it caused recoil damage to Salamence, the impact on Gym-level Pokmon was far more severe. The fact that Salamence could use ?Double-Edge was proof that its strength was nearing the mid-stage of Heavenly King level. "Has Heavenly King Long Xu arrived yet?" a trainer asked into his earpiece. They had expended significant effort to keep Salamence confined to this area. If not for their coordinated teamwork and the fact that Salamence lacked a trainers guidance, they would have been overwhelmed long ago. "Hes here." The response didnt come through the earpiece but from behind them. Su Chuan and the others turned in surprise to see Long Xu nodding slightly. He then smiled at Su Chuan and said, "Senior Su Chuan, its been a while." The trainers around them were stunned. Su Chuan was actually Long Xus senior? Who knew they had such a connection? Su Chuan waved it off. "Well catch up later. Now that youre here, its your show. Well back you up." Long Xu took a Pok Ball from his belt and shook his head. "No need, Senior. Just have everyone pull back." His tone was brimming with confidence. He then lightly tossed the ball and said, "Go, Dragonite." Unlike the usual cream-colored Dragonite, Long Xus was a shiny variant, its body a soft green. The two long antennae on its head floated in the air, swaying up and down as Dragonites wings flapped, making it look almost whimsical. Compared to the menacing Salamence, Dragonite seemed downright adorable, appearing harmless at first glance. But those who had seen Long Xus battles knew just how terrifying this Dragonite could be. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Use ?Extreme Speed!" Long Xu pointed at Salamence, aiming to end the fight in one move. Dragonites speed wasnt particularly outstanding among pseudo-legendaries, let alone all Pokmon. But a Dragonite that had mastered ?Extreme Speed was a completely different beast. The trainers could barely see a faint glow surrounding Dragonite before a streak of green light shot through the air, leaving a trailing emerald tail behind. The sharp sound of breaking air reached Su Chuans ears just as Dragonite closed in on Salamence. Salamences triangular eyes widened in shock, but instinct kicked in, and it twisted its body slightly, causing the attack to miss its vitals and only graze its left forelimb. Salamence reacted quickly, its mouth already glowing with the energy of ?Hyper Beam. But Dragonite was faster. Using the momentum of its charge, Dragonite swung its tail, striking Salamences jaw. "Ugh!" Salamences mouth erupted with thick smoke as the ?Hyper Beam exploded inside, forcing it to stagger back in pain. Fear flickered in its eyes, but its killer instinct only grew stronger. As its eyes turned crimson, Salamences aura surged like a rising tower, pressing down on the trainers, some of whom struggled to withstand the pressure. "Its ?Outrage," Su Chuan said, recognizing the move from the Charizard leaders recent use of it. However, Salamences mastery of ?Outrage was clearly not as refined as the Charizard leaders. Salamences rationality had crumbled, and it flapped its wings, pinning Dragonite against a cliff as rocks scattered everywhere. "Use ?Protect." The trainers quickly had their Pokmon use ?Protect to shield themselves, while Long Xu summoned an Altaria to guard himself and Long Ming, eliminating Su Chuans need to protect him. Salamence, of course, paid no attention to these "spectators." Its fangs crackled with electricity, and it clamped down on Dragonites left shoulder, the lightning masking its injuries. "Use ?Hyper Beam." While ?Thunder Fang was super effective against Dragonite due to its Flying typing, Long Xus Dragonite had the ability ?Multiscale. Multiscale acted like heavy armor, significantly reducing damage when Dragonite was at full health. So Long Xus plan was to strike first. But this time, Long Xu miscalculated. When Salamences ?Thunder Fang bit into Dragonites left shoulder, electricity surged through Dragonites body, causing paralysis. The ?Hyper Beam Dragonite had been charging dissipated silently. "This luck..." Su Chuans lips twitched. Thunder Fang had a small chance to inflict paralysis, which would drastically reduce a Pokmons speed and occasionally render it unable to move due to internal electrical surges. Instinctively, Su Chuan glanced at Long Xu, who remained calm. In Long Xus battles, unexpected turns were common. For him, Salamences actions only delayed its inevitable defeat. "Use ?Thunder Punch," Long Xu commanded. His first priority was to separate Dragonite from Salamence, as Salamence was still clamping down on Dragonites left shoulder. Dragonite endured the pain and raised its right claw, electricity crackling as it struck Salamences left cheek. If Salamence had a trainer, they would have had it continue using ?Thunder Fang, as Dragonite had the upper hand in this exchange. But for Salamence, which shared the Dragon and Flying typing, ?Thunder Punch was equally devastating. And it didnt have ?Multiscale for protection. So even in its ?Outrage state, Salamence instinctively released its grip and was kicked away by Dragonite. "Use ?Extreme Speed to create distance, then ?Rest." Paralysis had severely hindered Dragonites speed, which was now visibly slower even in ?Extreme Speed mode. In this state, using ?Rest to recover health and remove the paralysis was the best option. But Salamence wouldnt give Dragonite a chance to breathe. Though still disoriented from ?Outrage, Salamence immediately flapped its wings and charged at Dragonite. With its eyes closed and hovering in place, Dragonite seemed vulnerable as it drifted into sleep. But Su Chuan and the others werent worried. Because Long Xus Dragonite had another trait: its mastery of the move ?Sleep Talk. Sleep Talk allowed a sleeping Pokmon to use random moves. However, this Dragonite reportedly had a history of sleepwalking, giving it an innate talent for ?Sleep Talk. Thus, being asleep didnt hinder its combat effectiveness. "Dodge left, then use ?Dragon Dance!" 14."Awaken" It was as if Dragonite didnt even need the command for ?Sleep Talkthe move seemed ingrained in its DNA. Even in its sleep, Dragonite could accurately follow Long Xus orders. Salamence hadnt expected a sleeping Dragonite to still be capable of action. Its seemingly ferocious ?Dragon Claw was gracefully dodged as Dragonite danced through ?Dragon Dance. Under Long Xus command, Salamence was completely drawn into Dragonites rhythm. Every attack Salamence launched felt half-hearted, like a child being toyed with. This infuriated Salamence, which had long prided itself as the dominant force in the area. Abandoning attempts to tear Dragonite apart with ?Dragon Claw or ?Thunder Fang, Salamence suddenly stopped. The sky above it churned, dark clouds swirling together in an instant. "Everyone, retreat! All Gym-level trainers, protect the surroundings!" For the first time, Long Xus expression changed. This was the precursor to ?Draco Meteor, one of the most powerful Dragon-type moves known. With its immense power, ?Draco Meteor also had an incredibly wide area of effect. Salamence had given up on close combat, deciding instead to use this all-encompassing move to leave Dragonite with nowhere to hide. What made Long Xu uneasy wasnt the sheer power of ?Draco Meteor, but the fact that a wild Salamence shouldnt have been able to learn this move in the first place. The same went for ?Thunder Fang earlier. Trainers generally categorized moves into three types:?Level-Up Moves: Moves that Pokmon naturally learn as they reach certain levels, as if unlocking an innate ability.?Egg Moves: Moves inherited from a Pokmons parents, like Charmander, which could have up to three egg moves.?Taught Moves: Moves that trainers teach their Pokmon through TMs or other methods to cover weaknesses or enhance their strength.The biggest difference between wild Pokmon and those raised by trainers was that wild Pokmon, aside from a few with egg moves, could only learn their level-up moves. This Salamence, which had lived in the secret realm for years, was nothing like the Charizard leader, who had close contact with humans. So, by all logic, this Salamence shouldnt have been able to learn ?Thunder Fang and ?Draco Meteor, which werent level-up moves. Unless they were egg moveshad this Salamences parents been raised by a trainer? For some reason, Long Xu felt a faint sense of pressure. "Hydreigon, Haxorus, Noivern, Sceptile, go!" The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Including Dragonite, which was already battling Salamence, and Altaria, which was protecting Long Xu, these six Pokmon were all Heavenly King-level, with four of them being pseudo-legendaries. The luxurious lineup left the trainers in awe and envy, but also with a sense of unease. Why had Long Xu suddenly brought out all six of his Pokmon? The battle rhythm had already been in Dragonites control. "Senior Su Chuan, have everyone evacuate the secret realm immediately," Long Xu said gravely. He now needed to subdue Salamence as quickly as possible and reinvestigate this secret realm. This secret realm was far from simple. However, just as everyone except Su Chuan, Long Xu, and a researcher had evacuated, Salamence, already overwhelmed by the five Heavenly King-level Pokmon, exchanged injuries for a chance to soar into the sky and let out a piercing, mournful roar that echoed endlessly throughout the secret realm. Though the five Heavenly King-level Pokmons attacks hit Salamence moments later, and it fell to the ground, battered and bruised, in less than a minute, the researcher by Su Chuans side noticed something unusual. "Heavenly King Long Xu! The energy density of the secret realm is rapidly increasing!" Long Xu didnt have time to capture or even take Salamence with him. He quickly led the group toward the exit. "Whats the alert level?" "Its... almost reaching Level One!" A Level Three alert indicated a high probability of Heavenly King-level Pokmon activity. What did it mean to be nearing Level One? Su Chuans back was drenched in cold sweat, and the researchers forehead was beaded with sweat as he frantically typed on his laptop while riding Altaria. "The data shows the energy source is at the center of the secret realm!" The researcher instinctively looked west, the origin of the energy fluctuations. Without needing a reminder, Long Xu and Su Chuan felt the shockwaves of energy moments later. Centered around a towering, snow-capped mountain in the heart of the secret realm, the clouds were pushed aside, and the trees swayed violently. Yet, all the Pokmon in the area fell silent. Whether flying in the sky, swimming in the water, or cautiously watching from the forest, every Pokmon turned toward the mountain and fell into a reverent silence. This eerie sense of pilgrimage, accompanied by the continuous shockwaves, felt profoundly unsettling. "Reshiram~" A clear, ethereal voice rang out, piercing the unnatural silence of the secret realm. If it werent for the ominous atmosphere, Su Chuan might have found the voice beautiful. But now, he just wanted to escape the secret realm as quickly as possible. He even hoped the owner of the voice would just call out a few times and not appear. As if deliberately defying Su Chuans wishes, a Pokmon soared out of the mountain, breaking through the clouds and gliding through the sky. This pristine Pokmon, without a single blemish, could only be described as "sacred" in Su Chuans mind. Its appearance was a blend of a white bird and a Western dragon with massive wings and claws. Its body was covered in soft, feather-like white fur. Its icy blue eyes and black sclera added to its mystique. Long, cloud-like fur extended from its head, resembling the tassels on a spear, giving it an ethereal grace. Its face resembled a white wolf, with two metallic rings around its neck. Its belly was wrapped in soft white fur. Its legs had distinct, hard protrusions with clear textures, and its hind legs were shaped like high heels, giving its overall form a sharp, predatory look. Like its neck, Reshirams tail base was encircled by two metallic rings, beneath which was a structure resembling an engine. The tails end resembled a flame or wisp of smoke, reminding Su Chuan of the sacred torch from the Ho-Oh Cup. "Reshiram, the White Dragon of Truth..." Long Xu murmured as he watched Reshiram cut through the clouds like a fighter jet. Su Chuan had never seen such a complex expression on Long Xus facea mix of desire, fear, eagerness, and confusion. But Reshiram didnt give Long Xu and Su Chuan time to reflect. It quickly spotted the two intruders daring to fly through its domain. Blue flames erupted from Reshirams moutha move Su Chuan had never seen before. Long Xu snapped out of his daze and immediately entered battle mode. "Protect!" Apart from Altaria, which carried Long Xu and the researcher, the other five Pokmon formed a defensive line, raising emerald-green barriers. Su Chuan and Long Xu urged Pidgeot and Altaria to retreat. The green barriers met the blue flames and melted away like snow under fire, disappearing without a sound. The first layer... The second layer... By the fourth layer, the blue flames finally dissipated. Strangely, Reshiram didnt seem intent on finishing them off. It simply watched from the sky as Long Xu and Su Chuan fled. The moment Long Xu and Su Chuan exited the secret realm, the spatial portal vanished as if a gate had been slammed shut. If it werent for the countless staff and trainers scattered across the mountains, it would have seemed as if the secret realm had never existed. "Heavenly King Long Xu, whats going on?" Manager Wang, who had rushed to the secret realm, approached with a group of higher-ups. "Well discuss it back at headquarters," Long Xu said, signaling Su Chuan and the researcher to follow. Su Chuan took a deep breath, realizing that some mysteries might finally be unveiled. 15."Move Selection" In Su Chuans eyes, the past two days had been the most thrilling experience of his life, truly a brush with death. However, because of this, he had also learned many things he wasnt supposed to know. If it werent for this unexpected turn of events, he probably wouldnt have been privy to this information until he reached the Heavenly King-level as a trainer. As for the researcher, he had been transferred to the capital to work on related projects. But for Su Wen, it seemed like his father had just gone out for a couple of days. He hadnt even had much time to explore Charmanders moves before Su Chuan returned. Seeing Su Chuans exhausted and dusty appearance, Wang Xuan immediately went to prepare hot water and lunch, wanting him to rest properly. Su Wen sat down beside Su Chuan. "Dad, what happened? Why did the secret realm suddenly close?" The forums were already devoid of any news about the Cloud City secret realm. Su Wen knew the Alliance must have intervened. A secret realm that was supposed to merge with the real world suddenly disappearingit was the kind of thing that felt shrouded in mystery. However, Su Chuan just ruffled Su Wens hair. "Nothing happened. The secret realm closed because it was unstable." Su Chuan didnt reveal anything about the secret realm to Su Wen, but Su Wen just pursed his lips, knowing his father wasnt telling the whole truth. Chen You had sent him a message saying that someone on the forums claimed to have seen Heavenly King Long Xu fleeing the secret realm with two others. If even the strongest Heavenly King had to flee, the secret realm must have been far from ordinary. But the post had been deleted within a minute, and only someone like Chen You, who practically lived on the forums, could have caught it. Understanding that his father wouldnt tell him, Su Wen didnt press the matter. Once he was strong enough, his father would eventually share the details. After confirming that Su Chuan wasnt injured, Su Wen returned to the backyard to interact with Charmander. That morning, Su Wen had wanted to see how many of Charmanders three inherited moves it could actually use. It turned out that, apart from ?Dragon Claw, which could barely manifest as a faint green glow on its claws, ?Outrage and ?Dragon Rush were completely unusable. There was still a long way to go. However, Su Wen was pleasantly surprised to find that while Charmander disliked training, it was quite enthusiastic about practicing moves. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! In the mere ten minutes Su Wen had spent asking Su Chuan questions, Charmander, who he thought would slack off, had been diligently practicing ?Dragon Claw on thin air. "Take a break," Su Wen said with a smile. Charmander walked over to Su Wen, looking frustrated. It couldnt even properly condense the energy for ?Dragon Claw, let alone use it. Su Wen reassured it, "Dragon Claw is one of the top-tier claw-based moves. Its not easy to master. Lets start with the basic move, ?Scratch." When it came to using moves, there was something called ?STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus). This meant that when a Pokmon used a move of its own type, the moves power would be significantly boosted. Charmander didnt have the Dragon type, so even if it mastered ?Dragon Claw, it wouldnt be able to unleash its full power. But Su Wen already had the Charizardite X. If he could find a Key Stone, Mega Charizard X would gain the Dragon type. Even if Mega Evolution wasnt possible, mastering Dragon-type moves would expand Charmanders coverage. If Charmander ever faced a Dragon-type Pokmon, Fire-type moves would be less effective, making Dragon-type moves a valuable asset. So Su Wen decided to focus on Fire and Flying-type moves, which were Charizards natural types, with Dragon-type moves as a secondary priority. Other moves would be added based on coverage. Apart from its inherited moves, Charmander currently only knew three moves: ?Scratch, ?Growl, and ?Ember. Scratch and ?Growl didnt need much training. These starting moves were like a babys flailing punches or noise attacksthey had almost no training value. Or rather, they were of no use to Charmander at this stage. A babys punch and a martial arts masters punch were worlds apart. Only when Charmander reached Tier 1 would Su Wen start teaching it combat techniques. After merging his Aura with Charmander, Su Wen entered that unified perspective again. Through experimentation, Su Wen found that this unified state was the most draining, while simply guiding energy to assist Charmanders training could be maintained for a longer period. Once again, Su Wen felt the six stars representing Charmanders six moves. "Charmander, use ?Ember." Without needing to speak, Su Wen directly conveyed his thoughts to Charmander through Aura. Charmander was momentarily startled, curious about how Su Wen was communicating with it, but it quickly complied. The flame on its tail flared up, the temperature rising sharply, and then it flicked its tail, sending out a small flame. Along with the flame, Su Wens consciousness was also flung out. "Ugh~" Su Wen instinctively rubbed his tailbone. For a moment, Su Wen had even thought he was the one using ?Ember. Startled, his Aura fluctuated violently, instantly disconnecting from Charmander. After calming down, Su Wen merged his Aura with Charmander again. "Charmander, use ?Ember again." Su Wen had never heard of this state before, so he had no experience and could only slowly figure it out himself. And so, it went: merging Aura, being flung out, merging Aura, being flung out. Even after exhausting his energy, Su Wen still hadnt gotten used to this state. "Gulp gulp gulp~ burp~" Completely drained, Su Wen downed half a bottle of ice-cold cola. Charmander was also exhausted, absorbing energy from the Charcoal while giving Su Wen a reproachful look, making Su Wen feel a bit guilty. "Lets stop the move practice for today. Well start training now," Su Wen suggested to Charmander. "Char char~" `(n) Charmander quickly staggered to its feet, waving its little arms to show it was still okay. Su Wen couldnt help but laugh. He hadnt expected the little guy to be so averse to training. But there was no escaping it. To reduce Charmanders resistance, Su Wen broke the training time into smaller segments spread throughout the day. In total, Su Wen scheduled two hours of training for Charmander each day. With Su Wens assistance and the Fire Stone, two hours were enough for Charmander to reach its daily energy absorption limit. For other Pokmon, relying solely on the sparse energy in the city, even training 24 hours a day without eating or drinking wouldnt be enough to reach the limit. After forcing Charmander to train for fifteen minutes, Su Wen and Charmander returned to practicing moves. "Try ?Scratch. Use that target as your goal." The results of repeatedly using ?Ember were slow progress, so Su Wen decided to try a different move. Charmander looked at the wooden target, which had been specially processed to be quite sturdy. Raising its right claw, a faint grayish-white glow barely visible to the naked eye enveloped its short claws. "Clang." The friction with the target produced a metallic sound, and unsurprisingly, only three white marks were left on the wooden target. This time, however, Su Wen wasnt flung out, and his Aura didnt disconnect. In fact, Su Wen felt that Charmanders method of exerting force wasnt quite right. When Su Wen was younger, he had trained in martial arts for a while with Uncle Zhou Li, but he eventually gave it up for various reasons. However, during that time, Su Wen had learned a straight punch technique. The legs had to push, the waist had to twist, the shoulders had to drive, and the force had to focus on the fist. With one strike, nothing could withstand it. In a daze, Su Wen subconsciously activated his Aura. Then, Charmander twisted its waist, turned its body, and delivered a straight ?Scratch to the target. This time, instead of a metallic clang, there was a dull thud as Charmanders claws pierced into the wooden target. 16."The Unluckiest Trainer" As Charmanders claws pierced into the wooden target, Su Wens consciousness was forcefully ejected for the first timeby Charmander itself. This indicated a significant emotional upheaval in Charmanders mind. Staring at the three claw marks on the wooden target, Charmander and Su Wen exchanged glances, speechless. "Char~" Charmander was both curious and eager, urging Su Wen to reconnect his Aura. That moment of sudden enlightenment had instantly hooked Charmander. If they could get results without effort, who wouldnt take the shortcut? Su Wen chuckled awkwardly. "Ahem, thats the only move I know." () Charmanders eyes darted around before it looked at Su Wen with a mix of pleading and expectation. "Char char~" (w?*)? Su Wens eyes widened as he pointed at himself. "You want me to go learn more moves?" Sigh, in that moment, Su Wen caught a glimpse of his future. While all the other trainers were busy training their Pokmon, hed be the one being trained by his Pokmon... No! Absolutely not! But seeing the look in Charmanders eyes40% pleading, 30% expectation, and 30% menaceSu Wen knew there was no way to refuse. If he rejected Charmander now, future training sessions would be out of the question unless he changed his mind and became a breeder. Well... his mom might be thrilled about that. Gritting his teeth, Su Wen said with a pained expression, "Fine, but Charmander, you have to take training seriously too." At the same time, Su Wen made up his mind: in the future, when catching more Pokmon, hed have to be cautious about using this Aura ability. With just Charmander, it was manageable. But if he ended up with five or six Pokmon, each demanding he learn moves for them, his life would be over. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. After some negotiation with Charmander, they reached an agreement: whenever Charmander practiced moves, Su Wen would learn alongside it, while Su Wen would handle all the combat training, with Charmander supervising. In exchange, Charmander had to follow Su Wens training schedule without complaints. "Su Wen, time for dinner!" Wang Xuan called from the backyard entrance. Su Wen realized it was already dinnertime. As usual, Su Wen prepared food for the household Pokmon while Wang Xuan and Indeedee finished cooking dinner. During dinner, both Su Wen and Su Chuan were unusually silent, each lost in their own thoughts. What was usually a warm and lively mealtime had turned into an awkward silence. Indeedee, sensing the strange atmosphere, drooped its twin tails and quietly sipped its milk, not daring to speak. Only Charmander remained blissfully unaware, happily wagging its tail as it ate. Wang Xuan gently tapped the table. "Whats going on with you two? Big and small, both silent. Are we playing The Silence of the Lambs here? If the foods not good, just say so." Seeing his wife upset, Su Chuan quickly smiled and said, "No, no, your cooking is the best, honey. After dinner, I have something to discuss with you." Su Wen scratched his head. "I was just wondering when Uncle Zhou and Sister Wan will be back." Uncle Zhou was Su Chuans close friend, Zhou Li, also a Gym-level trainer. A month and a half ago, Zhou Li had left Cloud City with his daughter, Zhou Wan, to find a suitable starter Pokmon, cutting off Su Wens contact with Zhou Wan. This was also why Zhou Li hadnt been summoned during the secret realm incident. Now that Su Wen wanted to learn combat techniques from Zhou Li, he was wondering when theyd return. Su Chuan thought for a moment. "Your Uncle Zhou mentioned last week that hed be back soon. It should be in the next few days." "Whats Sister Wans starter Pokmon?" Su Wen asked. Su Chuan chuckled. "Why dont you ask her yourself when shes back? Miss her already?" Su Wen shuddered. Miss Zhou Wan? Not a chance. That girl was a force of nature. Zhou Wan had been the undisputed leader of Su Wen and Chen Yous group since childhood, a title shed earned through sheer physical dominance. In the trainer community, there wasnt a kid who didnt respect Zhou Wan. "No, no, I just want to learn some combat techniques from Uncle Zhou," Su Wen quickly clarified. "Is that so?" Su Chuan seemed to recall something, barely suppressing a laugh. "Well, go talk to him when hes back." Wang Xuan frowned. "This child, you gave up on martial arts when you were younger. Why the sudden interest now?" Su Wen clenched his fist. "Just trying to build up some manly strength." Once the topic was broached, the dinner atmosphere lightened up. Indeedee perked up and even washed an apple for Su Wen after dinner. After dinner, Su Wen took Charmander back to their room, while Wang Xuan cleaned up before joining Su Chuan in theirs. After some quiet moments, Wang Xuan, lying in Su Chuans arms, asked, "What did you want to discuss, Ah Chuan?" Su Chuan hesitated before finally blurting out, "Honey, I want to go out and train for a while." The secret realm incident had made Su Chuan realize that his title as the strongest Gym-level trainer wasnt all that impressive. If even Long Xu, the so-called strongest Heavenly King, could only flee from Reshirams attacks, how could he protect his family? So, he needed to find a way to grow stronger. But instead of the expected storm, Wang Xuan simply replied softly, "Okay." Su Chuan was stunned. "Youre not against it?" Wang Xuan tapped Su Chuans forehead. "Do you think Im that unreasonable? Youre a trainer. You stayed in Cloud City because of me back then, right? If you want to go exploring again, you must have your reasons." She paused before adding, "Su Wens so mature now. I have no worries. Why would I hold you back?" Su Chuan was speechless. "Wait, honey, are you saying youre coming with me?" Wang Xuans words implied that the couple would leave Su Wen at home, essentially making him a "left-behind child." Wang Xuan rolled her eyes. "What? Did you make plans with some female trainer?" Her tone carried a hidden threat, making Su Chuan quickly agree. After discussing, they decided to leave Cloud City once Su Wen settled into the new school term, seeking a way for Slaking to break through to the Heavenly King level. Su Wen had no idea that his parents had already deemed him capable of living independently before he even reached adulthood. In the following days, Su Wen and Charmander continued their steady training. Charmanders strength grew noticeably, and it even learned a new move, ?Smokescreen. Finally, a week before school started, Zhou Wan sent a message. "Just got home. Call if you need anything." Short and to the pointvery Zhou Wan. Su Wen nodded and immediately made the call. 17."Double the Joy" "Sister Wan~" Su Wens voice turned unusually gentle the moment the call connected, with a hint of flattery in his tone. "Whats up? Youve called me like 17 or 18 times while I was away, and your messages were so long I didnt even bother reading them," came the voice on the other end, carrying a sense of decisiveness that clearly belonged to a strong-willed girl. Su Wen thought for a moment before asking, "Is Uncle Zhou home? I want to learn martial arts from him." Zhou Wan sounded surprised. "You werent interested in martial arts before. I had to drag you to practice for a month back then. Whats changed now?" Su Wen felt a bit awkward. "Well, times are different now, Sister Wan. I need to toughen up this little body of mine." But in his heart, Su Wen was wailing, "If it werent for Charmander, Id never touch martial arts in my life." Zhou Wan let out an ambiguous laugh on the other end. "Hehe, my dad dropped me off and then left for some business. Youll just have to train with me." Su Wen was stunned. He instantly realized why his dad had been grinning so weirdly yesterdayhe must have known Uncle Zhou would be busy, leaving Su Wen with no choice but to train with Zhou Wan. Licking his dry lips, Su Wen steeled himself and replied before Zhou Wan could get impatient, "Alright, Sister Wan, Ill come over this afternoon." Zhou Wan responded, "Ill be at the gym in the afternoon. Come by the training field at 6:30 tonight, and dont forget to bring your Charmander. I want to see it." "Sister Wan, whats your starter Pokmon?" Su Wen wasnt surprised that Zhou Wan knew about Charmander. His dad must have bragged to Uncle Zhou about it, considering it was a Pokmon hed earned through the recognition of a Heavenly King-level Charizard. Before hanging up, Zhou Wan dropped a line, "Youll find out when you get here." Looking at Charmander, who was still training, Su Wen stepped forward and playfully squished its cheeks. "Charmander, oh Charmander, Ive sacrificed so much for you." (??) Charmander had no idea what its trainer was talking about, tilting its head in confusion. At 6:30 PM, Su Wen arrived at the training field of Zhou Wans family gym. The students had all left, leaving only Zhou Wan, dressed in loose white training clothes, her hair tied into a ponytail, sitting cross-legged on the floor, waiting for Su Wen. Beside her, also sitting calmly, was a Pokmon Su Wen recognized instantly. "Farfetchd!" But this Farfetchd was different from the ones commonly found in Xia Kingdom. Xia Kingdoms Farfetchd had brownish-gray feathers covering their bodies, with cream-colored chests and bellies, and triangular serrated patterns separating their bellies and beaks. Their feet were yellow, and they had three tufts of hair on their heads. A black "V" shaped mark on their foreheads and a leek carried in one wing were their defining features. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. This Farfetchd, however, was more robust, with darker feathers, sharper eyes, and a "V" shaped mark that looked more like eyebrows. The leek it carried was thicker and sturdier, resembling a long spear slung over its shoulder. This was an England-exclusive Farfetchd! No wonder Zhou Wan had taken so long to find her starter Pokmon. Charmander, in an unfamiliar place, timidly stuck close to Su Wen, clutching the hem of his shirt with one little claw. "Change into these." Zhou Wan tossed a clean set of training clothes shed prepared earlier to Su Wen, who fumbled to catch them. After changing, Su Wen adjusted his belt and asked, "Sister Wan, where did you find this England Farfetchd? Its not easy to catch one." Countries were always wary of each other, making it difficult for Pokmon from England to circulate in Xia Kingdom, just as Xia Kingdom controlled the outflow of its Pokmon to prevent other countries from studying them. Catching this Farfetchd was no less challenging than Su Wen catching Charmander. But with so many Fighting-type Pokmon in Xia Kingdom, and Uncle Zhou being a Gym-level Fighting-type trainer, why had Zhou Wan specifically chosen Farfetchd? Zhou Wan patted Farfetchds back. "Because this little guy is the only one who resonates with me." Su Wen suddenly understood. The reason Zhou Li had become such an exceptional Fighting-type trainer was due to his unique ability: he could rapidly impart his martial arts experience to Pokmon that resonated with him. Thus, Fighting-type Pokmon became Zhou Lis first choice when capturing new Pokmon. As Zhou Lis daughter, Zhou Wan had naturally inherited this ability. However, her resonance ability paled in comparison to her fathers. None of the gyms Pokmon, including the starter Pokmon, could resonate with her. After a long heart-to-heart with her father, Zhou Wan had even given up on capturing a Machop, which shed originally considered. Zhou Li and Zhou Wans resonance ability was somewhat similar to a part of Su Wens Aura ability. However, their ability was far more limited, only allowing them to impart martial arts experience. Su Wen felt that he could potentially transfer everything he mastered to his Pokmon through Aura. In other words, if Su Wen thoroughly understood the mechanics of ?Flamethrower and could use it himself, he could teach Charmander to use ?Flamethrower quickly through Aura, even if he couldnt perform it himself. "What about you? Why the sudden interest in martial arts? Does it have something to do with your Charmander?" Zhou Wan had tried to pet Charmander, but it dodged her hand, leaving her to awkwardly retract it. Su Wen scratched his head. "Actually, Ive awakened an ability similar to yours, Sister Wan." "Oh?" Zhou Wan looked at Su Wen as if he were a fascinating new creature, sizing him up before sighing. "Did you awaken it after catching Charmander? You might want to consider switching to a Fighting-type starter Pokmon. That would help you the most." Zhou Wan clearly assumed Su Wens ability worked the same way as hers. Charmander, whod been hiding behind Su Wen, seemed to understand her meaning, peeking out half its head to glare at Zhou Wan. "Char char!" (p) Charmander waved its claws in protest. Su Wen chuckled and reassured it, "Of course, my Charmander is the best." Zhou Wan stood up, flicking her ponytail behind her. "School starts in a week, and we wont have much time to train after that. Lets make the most of the time we have now. Charmander and Farfetchd will join us too." Since Su Wen had some basics, Zhou Wan decided to jump straight into advanced training. And she wasnt about to let Charmander off the hook either, especially since it had refused to let her pet it. A sly smile played on Zhou Wans lips, sending shivers down Su Wen and Charmanders spines. Charmander, in particular, hadnt expected to be roped into training. What happened to Su Wen handling the martial arts while Charmander focused on training? Charmander didnt dare challenge Zhou Wan, so it could only look pleadingly at Su Wen. Su Wen, however, raised Charmanders hand and stifled a laugh. "Its fine, lets do it. Double the training, double the fun!" Although Su Wen had originally planned to start combat training after Charmander reached Tier 1, seeing that Zhou Wans Farfetchd was only at the peak of Tier 0, he figured it wouldnt hurt for Charmander to start now. After all, under his care, Charmanders growth had been steady. "Char!" In the end, Charmander had no choice but to join Su Wen in training under Zhou Wans intimidating presence. While Su Wen endured a beating, Charmander and Farfetchds training was much gentler, focusing on the basics. It had to be said, Zhou Wan had truly absorbed her fathers training methods over the years. "Sister Wan! Take it easy!" Su Wen thought to himself, Next time, Im dragging Chen You into this mess with me. After all these years, the taste of these fists hasnt changed a bit. Meanwhile, in a dark, distant place, Chen You sneezed. "Achoo!" Wiping his nose, Chen You muttered to himself, "Probably Su Wen talking about me. Hes definitely up to no good. Ill just wait until school starts to go back." 18."Su Guaren, the Left-Behind Child" The week before school started was one of the most fulfilling weeks Su Wen had ever experienced. He and Charmander would sleep in until 9 or 10 in the morning, then get up to brush their teeth, wash up, and have lunch. After a short break in the backyard, theyd spend two hours training and another two hours practicing moves. At 6:30 PM sharp, Su Wen would head to Zhou Wans place for two and a half hours of martial arts training. There was a small incident during the week: a peak Gym-level trainer came to challenge Su Chuans Slaking, wanting to test the strength of this so-called "strongest Gym-level Pokmon." Naturally, he was thoroughly crushed. Under Zhou Wans rigorous coaching, Su Wen made rapid progress. As Zhou Wan put it, this was "cultivating combat instincts." With Su Wens Aura and Zhou Wans resonance ability, Charmander and Farfetchd also saw significant improvements in their combat skills, quickly progressing to sparring mode. However, since Zhou Wans martial arts experience wasnt something Su Wen could learn overnight, Charmander lost more often than it won. On the last day before school started, Charmander naturally progressed to Tier 1. After finishing their martial arts training that evening, Su Wen didnt rush to leave. Instead, he asked, "Sister Wan, the class assignments are out. Which class are you in?" Zhou Wan blinked. "Havent checked yet. Let me see." She pulled out her phone and started scrolling. It wasnt that Zhou Wan was completely disconnected from the world, but with Zhou Li away on business, she didnt want to close the gym againher students were already complaining. So, she took on the role of temporary martial arts instructor. Of course, Pokmon-related training would have to wait until Zhou Li returned. But just teaching martial arts kept Zhou Wan so busy she barely had time to check her phone during the day. "Im in Class 3. What about you?" Zhou Wan found the email from Cloud City High School among the flood of notifications. Su Wen shrugged. "Same as Chen You, Class 2." Chen You had called Su Wen the moment the email was sent, making Su Wen wonder how the guy managed to stay so plugged in 24/7. Mentioning Chen You, Zhou Wan crossed her arms and grinned. "That guy hasnt met up with us all summer. Wonder what hes been up to. Maybe he got swept off his feet by some girl." This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Su Wen instinctively denied it. "No way. That guys too cunning. Wait..." Thinking about it, Chen You, despite being cunning, was also smooth-talking and had been dubbed the "womens best friend" since childhood. It wasnt impossible that hed charmed some girl. Zhou Wan slung an arm over Su Wens shoulder, leaning in. "If you hear anything, let me know ASAP." Su Wen chuckled inwardly. Despite her tough demeanor, Zhou Wans love for gossip hadnt changed a bit. Out loud, he said, "Dont worry, Sister Wan. If you ask Chen You, he wont dare not tell you." Zhou Wan rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. That guys only sent me a few messages all summer, not a single call. Lets meet at the school gate tomorrow morning. My dads not home, so if theres anything that needs a parent, I might have to trouble Uncle Su." "No problem," Su Wen gave a thumbs-up, then headed home with Charmander to rest. But when he got home, he was hit with another bombshell. "Dad, youre saying you and Mom are going on a trip?" Su Wen stared at Su Chuan and Wang Xuan in disbelief. Su Chuan corrected him, "To be precise, were taking all the Pokmon, including Indeedee, with us. The gym will be temporarily closed, and youll be the only one left at home." "What?! At least leave Indeedee behind!" Su Wen couldnt help but curse. Taking Indeedee too? He was really being left to fend for himself. As for the gym closing, Su Wen didnt mind. Su Chuans gym didnt have any special programsit was just Pokmon training. Unlike Zhou Wan, who could keep part of her gym running, Su Wen couldnt handle it at all. Su Chuan waved his hand dismissively. "Dont even think about it. Im just informing you, not asking for your opinion." Su Wen looked to Wang Xuan for help, but she just stood to the side, stifling a laugh. "Fine, fine, go ahead," Su Wen gave in. Hed lived alone in his past life, but hed gotten used to having someone take care of him. Now, it felt a bit uncomfortable. Su Chuan wasnt surprised by Su Wens quick acceptance. After all, Su Wen had always been mature for his age. Otherwise, he wouldnt have felt comfortable leaving him alone at home. After giving Su Wen a few reminders, Su Chuan and Wang Xuan started packing. Judging by the looks of it, theyd be leaving as soon as Su Wen started school the next day. The ones who would miss Su Wen the most were Su Chuans Pokmon. Without Su Wen, theyd have to go a long time without enjoying his cooking. The next day, Su Wen woke up early, neatly packed his bag, and slung it over one shoulder. "I wonder how high school will be different from middle school," Su Wen thought, munching on a piece of bread. The difference between middle and high school in the Pokmon world was significant. In middle school, students hadnt received their starter Pokmon yet, so the focus was on academics. In high school, with Pokmon in hand, the curriculum was entirely different. As soon as Su Wen arrived at the school gate, he saw Zhou Wan holding Chen You by the scruff of his neck, smiling sweetly while saying something. "Sister Wan, Im sorry, Im sorry, Ill never do it again," Chen You pleaded, hands clasped together. Then he spotted Su Wen walking over. "Su Wen, Su Wen, help me out here!" Su Wen ignored him and instead asked Zhou Wan, "Sister Wan, what did this guy do now?" Zhou Wan smirked. "This idiot tried to flirt with the deans daughter at the gate. Almost got expelled on the spot." "Yikes," Su Wen sucked in a breath and gave Chen You a thumbs-up. "Brave move." Chen You looked like he was about to cry. "How was I supposed to know that random girl had such a big background?" "You three, stop fooling around and get inside," Su Chuan said cheerfully as he strolled over. Zhou Wan finally let go of Chen You, and the two greeted Su Chuan. "Good morning, Uncle Su." Then the three of them walked into Cloud City High School together. A father standing nearby smiled and said, "Youre lucky to have two sons and a daughter." Su Chuan didnt correct him, just smiled and nodded. "Class 2 and Class 3 seem to have the same homeroom teacher," Su Wen said, surprised as he looked at the notice posted on a pillar. Homeroom teachers usually only handled one class. Chen You sighed. "Bro, look closer. Thats the trainer-specific course homeroom teacher, not the academic one." Su Wen noticed the footnote below: high school had separate homeroom teachers for academics and Pokmon training, clearly designed for people like him. "To be precise, all five classes in the Pokmon Trainer program share the same homeroom teacher," Zhou Wan pointed out, correcting him. 19.Wu Yan. Su Wens knowledge of Wu Yan came about quite unexpectedly. When Su Wen was about six or seven years old, he remembered a highly talented trainer visiting the gym, using a Jolteon as his main Pokmon. After that trainer left, Su Chuan, unusually, muttered to himself, "If Wu Yan hadnt had that accident, maybe the Electric-type Heavenly King wouldve been replaced by now." Later, Su Wen specifically searched for Wu Yan on the forums and found that people were still discussing this trainer who had been active twenty years ago. Twenty years ago, Wu Yan was one of Xia Kingdoms most talented trainers, with his Jolteon as his signature Pokmon. Wu Yans Jolteon had the ability ?Quick Feet, which, combined with his paralysis tactics, made him a dominant force in Xia Kingdoms competitive scene. But during that years World Cup team competition, multiple countries conspired against Xia Kingdom. To cover the retreat of Xia Kingdoms elite, Wu Yan decided to hold the line alone. In the end, all three of Wu Yans Pokmon were killed, including his Jolteon, which was already half a step into the Heavenly King level. After that, Wu Yan disappeared from the public eye, never to be seen in the Pokmon world again. Who wouldve thought that Wu Yan would become their trainer homeroom teacher at Cloud City High School? No wonder he was the homeroom teacher for all five classes. Su Wen had no doubt that Wu Yan had the strength for it. But a trainer from over twenty years ago, who hadnt made any noise in so longit was only natural for the world to forget him. "Dad, do you know why Wu Yan is our homeroom teacher?" Su Wen asked, noticing that Su Chuan didnt seem surprised, so he figured his dad must know something. Su Chuan shook his head. "I have some guesses, but Im not entirely sure. You dont need to know why. Just focus on learning as much as you can from Wu Yan." Chen You, not understanding Su Chuans seriousness, retorted, "Uncle Su, youre a Gym-level trainer too. Could this Wu Yan really be stronger than you?" Su Chuan felt a bit embarrassed but didnt try to inflate his ego. He gently smacked Chen You on the back of the head. "Kid, dont say that in front of others. Your Uncle Su might get scolded into resigning in shame." After all, Wu Yan had sacrificed so much for Xia Kingdom and his teammates. And his fans from back then were still alive and well. If word got out, some Heavenly King-level trainer might come knocking on Su Chuans door. Chen You awkwardly said, "Got it, Uncle Su." Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. After sending Su Wen and the others to their respective classes, Su Chuan gave Su Wen a final reminder before leaving the school. Su Wen watched Su Chuans retreating figure, knowing it might be a long time before he saw his father again. "Dad, when we meet again, lets both be stronger," Su Wen silently vowed. He knew his father wouldnt just leave him alone at home for something as simple as a vacation. Even if his dad had such an idea, his mom would make sure Su Chuan understood why the flowers were so red. If both his parents were leaving, Su Wen figured his dad must be trying to break through to the Heavenly King level. Chen You, now aware that Su Chuan was leaving, slung an arm over Su Wens shoulder and sighed, "Looks like the three of us are really left to fend for ourselves now." Su Wen pushed aside his melancholy and locked Chen You in a headlock. "Spill it. Whats your starter Pokmon? Youve been so secretive all summer, disappearing without a trace." Chen You frantically patted Su Wens arm, begging for mercy. "Alright, alright, let go and Ill tell you." Su Wen released him, flexing his wrist as he waited for Chen Yous answer. Chen You pulled out his phone, and just as Su Wen was wondering what was going on, two eyes suddenly opened on the screen. "What the!" Su Wen was so startled he nearly fell backward, but Chen You quickly grabbed him. "Tsk tsk, so uncultured," Chen You teased mercilessly. Su Wen, recovering, locked eyes with the two eyes on the screen and immediately understood. "Rotom!" Rotom is an incredibly rare Pokmon, an Electric/Ghost-type, with a body made of plasma. Its orange core is surrounded by a semi-transparent blue plasma, which can solidify to form Rotoms hands. What makes Rotom so special is its ability to possess various electrical appliances, transforming into different forms. Currently, five appliances have been discovered that grant Rotom combat abilities: microwave, washing machine, refrigerator, fan, and lawnmower. These five appliances correspond to Heat Rotom, Wash Rotom, Frost Rotom, Fan Rotom, and Mow Rotom. When Rotom possesses these appliances, its form and typing change. Even if it doesnt possess these five appliances, entering devices like phones, computers, or tablets can add various functionalities to the electronics. "You lucky jerk," Su Wen said, his eyes green with envy. Hed always wanted a Rotom in his phoneautomatically replying to messages, updating apps, and waking him up with a cute voice. Wait a minute... Su Wen stared at Chen You, his gaze piercing. "Was it Rotom chatting with me all summer?" Chen You quickly shook his head. "No, no, Rotom was just helping me keep track of messages." Su Wen finally understood why Chen You always seemed to be the first to notice everything, even posts that were deleted within a minute. He had the ultimate assistant. "Where did you catch this Rotom?" Su Wen gently touched the red lightning-shaped protrusion on Chen Yous phone, which was Rotoms sensory organ. "Thats a long story," Chen You sighed, though his eyes gleamed with pride. "I awakened a special ability." Su Wen, seeing Chen Yous smugness, decided to bring him down a notch. "So did I and Sister Wan." "Huh? What are your abilities? Wait, Sister Wans is probably martial arts resonance, right? Whats yours?" Chen You had thought he was the protagonist with a unique ability, only to find his friends had their own special powers. Su Wens ability was complicated to explain, so he kept it simple. "Its similar to Sister Wans, so Ive been training with her in martial arts lately. Now, tell me what youve been up to all summer." "It all started when I awakened my ability at the beginning of summer," Chen You began, still a bit shaken by the memory. "I was at home thinking about where to work during the break when a Gengar suddenly phased through the wall and scared me unconscious. When I woke up, I was in a dark forest." "You went to the Spirit World?" Su Wen frowned. Chen You looked stunned. "How do you know about that?" Su Wen shrugged. "I do use the internet, you know. Theres a girl in the capital with max affinity for Ghost-type Pokmon. Your story sounds just like hers, except she walked in on her own." Chen You thought about it and decided not to dwell on it. "Anyway, I was terrified. I had no idea where I was, my phone was dead, and I couldnt contact you guys. It was like heaven and earth had abandoned me." "Just when I was about to give up, I ran into Rotom. At the time, I wasnt thinking about catching itI just wanted some company," Chen You said, patting his phone. "Later, I calmed down and guessed I was in the Spirit World. So, I asked Rotom how to get out. Rotom took me to a short little Pokmon, who used telepathy to tell me it could send me back if I wanted." "But it also told me that Id awakened a Ghost-type related ability and suggested I stay in the Spirit World a bit longer to stabilize it," Chen You finished, spreading his hands. "A short little Pokmon?" Su Wen, now less interested in Chen Yous ability, was more curious about that Pokmon. 20.Chen Yous Ability "Uh, how do I describe it?" Chen You scratched his head, trying to give a comprehensive description of the Pokmon. "Its a humanoid Pokmon, about 70 cm tall, and it seems to be made of smoky gray shadows." "The area around its face looks like a helmet. The top of the helmet has two curved horns, and theres a small horn between its ears. Its eyes are orange-red with yellow pupils, and theres a yellow oval mark above each eye. Theres a small bump on each wrist, and it has a smoking collar around its neck. Each foot has a shadowy aura." As Su Wen listened to Chen Yous description, he quickly ran through all the Pokmon he knew in his mind and soon came to a conclusion. "Marshadow!" Su Wen thought to himself. Chen You nudged Su Wen with his elbow. "Ive never seen this Pokmon before. Maybe you should ask your dad about it." Su Wen shook his head. "My dad probably doesnt know either. There must be some agreement between the Spirit World and the Alliance. Otherwise, the Alliance wouldve made it public by now." Chen You looked disappointed. "Oh, I see." "So, whats your ability?" Su Wen asked, knowing that an ability that required two months in the Spirit World to stabilize must be extraordinary. Chen You glanced around and whispered mysteriously, "Let me show you." With that, he sneaked to the door and shouted, "The homeroom teacher is here!" Even though they hadnt yet developed a fear of their new homeroom teacher, the innate sense of authority instantly silenced the previously noisy classroom. Then, Chen You grinned mischievously. "Relax, just kidding." If looks could kill, Chen You wouldve been buried by now. A girl sitting behind Su Wen muttered, "Is this what they call social fearlessness?" Ignoring the strange looks from his classmates, Chen You slipped back to Su Wens side. "Watch this," Chen You said, holding his index finger above his phone where Rotom was. A thread-like shadow slowly descended and merged into Rotom. Although it was hard to believe, Su Wens Aura sense clearly told him that this black thread was solidified Ghost-type energy. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Chen You lowered his voice, speaking like a thief. "This is my ability. I can absorb negative emotions from nearby creatures and turn them into solidified Ghost-type energy. The negative emotions I just caused are enough to create this one thread." "Impressive," Su Wen said sincerely. Although the prerequisites were a bit strict, the payoff was incredibly high compared to the effort. The fiery substance flowing inside a Fire Stone was essentially solidified Fire-type energy. Chen Yous ability not only allowed him to essentially create a Dusk Stone out of thin air but also to directly infuse this energy into Pokmon. Without Su Wens assistance, Charmander wouldve struggled to absorb the energy from a Fire Stone. So, Chen Yous ability was indeed incredibly powerful. "Right?" Chen You said, beaming. "How does it compare to that girl from the capital?" Su Wen actually thought about it seriously before analyzing, "Its hard to compare. From what we know, her starter Pokmon was a Tier 4 Gengar, which alone puts her on par with your talent. And I suspect shes hiding other abilities." Chen You, unusually, didnt argue. Instead, he crossed his arms. "True. Just the fact that her high affinity made the Alliance break the rule of only allowing Tier 0 starter Pokmon means I probably cant compete with her." But then, Chen You confidently declared, "But no worries. Watch me reach Professional level in a year, Master level in two, Gym level in three, and Heavenly King level in four." Su Wen facepalmed, pretending he hadnt heard. Just then, someone shouted again, "The teachers here!" Someone snapped without looking back, "Enough already! Joke once and thats it." But the next moment, the classmate he was talking to coughed twice, signaling him to turn around. "This student seems a bit dissatisfied with me," a slightly balding middle-aged man said, his face almost pressed against the students, startling him. Ignoring the student, the homeroom teacher walked to the podium and wrote three bold characters on the blackboard: "Mu Han Zhi." After brushing off the chalk dust, he said, "My name is Mu Han Zhi. Barring any surprises, Ill be with you for the next three years. I hope we can all get along." The student whod been startled by Mu Han Zhi started clapping, and the class followed with scattered applause. Mr. Mu raised his hand to stop them. "Let me lay down a few rules. First, youre not allowed to release your Pokmon outside of training classes. For example, that Rotom." Mr. Mu glanced at Chen You, and Su Wen had no idea how hed noticed. Mu Han Zhi added, "Of course, keeping Rotom inside the phone is fine, but technically, phones arent allowed in school either." "Technically?" a bold student repeated. Mr. Mu looked at him and smiled. "This rule will be explained by your training class homeroom teacher. I wont overstep. But until thenand this is only for todayI dont want to see any phones in class tomorrow." "Second, even though youre all in the Trainer program, theory classes are equally important. The college entrance exam has two parts: practical and theory, each worth 300 points, totaling 600 points. You all know this, right?" "Yes~" came the scattered replies. Mu Han Zhi nodded. "Then let me tell you something you might not know. Since the college entrance exam was reformed eight years ago, the highest and lowest average scores for the practical exam have differed by 120 points, while the highest and lowest average scores for the theory exam have only differed by 35 points. Do you understand what this means?" "It means that, compared to the practical exam, the theory exam is a section where you absolutely cannot afford to lose points. If your practical score is low, it might just be because the exam was hard that year. But if your theory score is low, youll truly fall behind others." Seeing the silent students, Mr. Mu adjusted his glasses. "I know many of you probably think Im exaggerating the importance of theory and downplaying training. But you can look it up for yourselves. I dont want any of you starting the school year with the wrong mindset..." Su Wen realized that his homeroom teacher was really good at talkingand what he said made sense. While other classes were already moving books, Mr. Mu was still going on. Su Wen raised his right hand slightly. "This student, do you have a question?" Mr. Mus glasses seemed to glint. He didnt like being interrupted. Su Wen pointed out the window. "Teacher, I think if we dont go get the books now, we might miss the opening ceremony." Mr. Mu paused, glanced at his watch, and his mouth twitched imperceptibly. "Whats your name?" "Su Wen." Mr. Mu nodded. "Youre the temporary class monitor now. Take the class to get the books, then head straight to the playground. Dont miss the opening ceremony, or Ill deduct a point from your performance score." Su Wens mind was instantly flooded with a stampede of alpacas. This was definitely him passing the buck, right? Absolutely passing the buck! Suppressing the urge to sweep away the few remaining hairs on Mr. Mus head, Su Wen hurriedly called the class to get the books. 21."Yungao Takes the Bold Leap" For Su Wen, this was nothing short of an unexpected disaster. Thankfully, his classmates were cooperative, and with Chen Yous help, they managed not to miss the opening ceremony. "Ive figured it out," Chen You whispered to Su Wen during the principals speech. "This homeroom teacher not only loves giving speeches but also holds grudges." Su Wen, still tired from moving the books, sighed. "We have to deal with this teacher for three years. Im already considering switching classes." It wasnt just Su Wen and Chen Youall the students had formed a negative impression of Mu Hanzhi. But Mu Hanzhi didnt seem to notice the whispers in the crowd. Instead, he was chatting happily with a female teacher from Class 3. Thus, the students gave Mu Hanzhi another nickname: "The Greasy Middle-Aged Pervert." The first day of school didnt have any classes scheduled, so it turned out to be possibly the most relaxed day of Su Wens entire high school life. By the time everyone finished their self-introductions, it wasnt even 11 AM. Compared to the introduction sessions Su Wen had experienced before, this time everyone inevitably mentioned not only their names but also their Pokmon. However, apart from one girls Bulbasaur, there wasnt much worth noting. On the other hand, when Chen You mentioned that his Pokmon was Rotom, it sparked a lot of interest. Some boys even started chanting for Chen You to release Rotom, but they were quickly silenced by a glare from Mu Hanzhi. Mu Hanzhi checked the time and said, "We still have forty minutes before class ends. Lets dismiss at 11:30 so everyone can go eat, alright?" The class erupted in cheers. Finally, the homeroom teacher had done something decent. "In these last thirty minutes, lets decide on a class monitor," Mu Hanzhi said, his gaze subtly drifting toward Su Wen. The students exchanged confused looks. It was only the first dayhow were they supposed to choose a class monitor? A girl sitting in the front row timidly suggested, "How about Su Wen?" Su Wen was stunned. Hed been a class monitor in his past life, and this time he just wanted to coast through school. But before Su Wen could refuse, the class unanimously agreed. Before Su Wen could voice his opinion, he was thrust into the role of class monitor. Under Mu Hanzhis insistence, Su Wen had to go up and give a speech, promising to work hard and serve his classmates, and so on. After barely surviving the thirty minutes, Su Wen thought he could finally go eat, but Mu Hanzhi let all the students leave except for him, saying he needed to discuss class monitor duties. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Chen You gave Su Wen a "good luck" look and quickly ditched him, leaving Su Wen to fend for himself. Walking beside the silent Su Wen, Mu Hanzhi lightly smacked the back of his head. "Say something." Su Wen looked at him incredulously. "Mr. Mu, didnt you say you had things to discuss?" "Did I?" Mu Hanzhi shrugged and changed the subject. "Did you know your father originally planned for you to attend high school in the capital?" ? Su Wens mind was filled with question marks. Sending me to school in the capital? Mu Hanzhi glanced at Su Wens bewildered expression and shook his head. "Your father really didnt tell you." "Mr. Mu, do you know my father?" "Your father was part of my first graduating class." Before this, Su Wen had no idea his father had also attended Cloud City High School. Before Su Wen could ask, Mu Hanzhi continued, "The high schools in the capital are far superior to Cloud City High School. I was the one who asked your father to let you stay here." "You asked? Why?" Su Wen was confused. Mu Hanzhis expression turned somber for the first time. "Do you know about the Ho-Oh Cup?" Su Wen nodded. "Its the largest collegiate trainer competition in our country, held every four years. I remember last years winner was a team from Capital University." "Do you know about the Little Ho-Oh Cup?" "Uh..." Su Wen had no idea there was a Little Ho-Oh Cup. Mu Hanzhi didnt keep him in suspense. "If the Ho-Oh Cup is the largest collegiate trainer competition, then the Little Ho-Oh Cup is the largest high school trainer competition, held in the same year as the Ho-Oh Cup." Su Wen wasnt surprised he hadnt heard of it. With the Ho-Oh Cup being so prominent, it was natural that the Little Ho-Oh Cup, being a high school competition, didnt get much attention. "What does this have to do with me staying at Cloud City High School?" Su Wen suddenly thought of something and slowed his pace. Seeing Su Wens reaction, Mu Hanzhi guessed hed figured it out. "Thats right. Im hoping youll place in the top three in the Little Ho-Oh Cup during your senior year." "Mr. Mu, youre really overestimating me," Su Wen said, utterly baffled. Did he really have that much charisma? Mu Hanzhi chuckled. "Of course, its not just you. Your friends Zhou Wan, Chen You, Ni Xuanyawho ranked second in the entrance examand other promising students, were doing our best to keep them all here." It was normal for schools to try to retain top students, but Cloud City High Schools approach was unusually aggressive. "What did the school offer the others?" Su Wen felt a bit uneasy. Zhou Wan and Chen You probably didnt know about this, meaning the three of them hadnt received any benefits. "Three years of the highest-level scholarships, one opportunity to enter a high-level restricted area, and the school covering all Pokmon training costs up to one million," Mu Hanzhi said, noticing Su Wens discomfort. "Dont worry, your treatment will be the same. However, there are only five spots for the restricted area." "Five spots?" Su Wen, having experienced the Charizard leaders financial bombardment, was unfazed by the one million. But Mu Hanzhis implication was that these five spots would require competition. Mu Hanzhi smoothed the few remaining hairs on his head. "Of course, theres competition. Money is trivial, but do you think access to a restricted area is easy to come by?" "Why is Cloud City High School going to such lengths? I dont believe its just for a top-three finish," Su Wen said, thinking of Wu Yan. "Even Wu Yan was brought in. Who are you trying to compete against?" Either Cloud City High School was aiming higher, but it was already the best high school in Cloud Cityhow much higher could it go? Or it was about to be overtaken by someone. Su Wen thought mischievously. Hearing Su Wens words, Mu Hanzhis expression grew even more bitter. "Cloud City High School hasnt qualified for the Little Ho-Oh Cup in the last two competitions, while Cloud City Second High School and Cloud City Haixu High School have both achieved decent results in recent years." "Two consecutive failures?" Su Wen did the maththat meant Cloud City High School hadnt officially entered the Little Ho-Oh Cup in nearly a decade. "Yes. This time, the higher-ups have given a strict order: if Cloud City High School doesnt achieve good results, the resource allocation for high schools in Cloud City will be reassigned," Mu Hanzhi finally revealed the truth. Su Wen finally understood why Cloud City High School was going all outit was truly on the verge of being overtaken. "Shouldnt this depend more on college entrance exam results?" Su Wen was incredulous. "Dont tell me Cloud City High School is also falling behind Second High and Haixu in the college entrance exams." Mu Hanzhi shook his head. "Not yet, but theres already talk that Cloud City High School, with the best students, is failing in trainer development and no longer deserves the best resources." "It is failing," Su Wen nodded unconsciously, earning another smack to the back of his head. Seeing the murderous look in Mr. Mus eyes, Su Wen quickly admitted he was wrong. Mu Hanzhi snorted coldly. For him, Cloud City High School was a place hed devoted half his life to, and he wouldnt tolerate anyone belittling it. "Your father said your Aura talent is exceptional, and that Charmander of yours has the best resources. Thats why I swallowed my pride and convinced him to let you stay," Mu Hanzhi said, his gaze filled with expectation, making Su Wen feel a bit embarrassed. "Can I tell Zhou Wan and Chen You about this?" Su Wen hadnt planned to ask, but he was afraid of repercussions later. Better to ask, especially with Mr. Mus reputation for holding grudges. Mu Hanzhi thought for a moment. "No need. Theyll find out eventually anyway." With that, Su Wen knew what to do. Hed deal with Chen You later. Su Wen thought gleefully. 22.Personality Su Wen finally managed to see off his homeroom teacher at the entrance of the cafeteria. He immediately turned around to contact Chen You, taking advantage of the last day they could still bring their phones. "Where are you?" Su Wen asked as soon as the call connected, scanning the cafeteria while walking. "Cafeteria 3, Window 5. Hurry over, theres a show!" Chen Yous slightly hushed tone conveyed his excitement, and Su Wen could hear the sounds of a scuffle through the phone. "On my way!" Su Wen hung up, asked a senior for directions to Cafeteria 3, and took off running. Su Wen wasnt the only one whod gotten the news. As he headed toward Cafeteria 3, he noticed the crowd around him growing. By the time he reached Cafeteria 3, it was already packed. Su Wen had to squeeze his way through the crowd. "Over here!" Chen You waved frantically to get Su Wens attention. Chen You had secured a prime spot, and Zhou Wan was standing right beside him. When Su Wen reached them, he saw two Pokmon facing off in the center of the crowd: a Spearow and a Snorunt, with their trainers standing behind them. "Whats going on?" Su Wen was astonished. Mr. Mu had just said Pokmon werent allowed on campus, and here someone was breaking the rules. Were they seniors? Chen You, his eyes glued to the slender girl in a sky-blue dress, answered absentmindedly, "Not sure if theyre seniors. Apparently, that guy groped a girls butt while they were in line. Her friend confronted him, but he denied it and even tried to get physical when things got heated." "Classmate, lets just drop this, okay?" The guy, seeing the crowd growing, started to panic. The girl in the sky-blue dress glared at him. "You think you can just grope my friend in a crowd and get away with it? Apologize now." The guy was desperate. With so many people around, if he apologized, hed be labeled a pervert for the next three years and might even get disciplinary action. "Im telling you, dont slander me. If you want, we can check the surveillance footage," the guy said confidently, making the crowd nod in agreement. But Su Wen glanced around and noticed there wasnt a single security camera in the cafeteria. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Soon, others realized this too, and their expressions turned to disdain. The guy had clearly picked this spot deliberately. "Momomo, maybe lets just drop it," the girl beside the one in the sky-blue dress whispered, her face flushed as she tugged at her friends sleeve. "No way. I, Wang Momomo, have seen it all. If you let someone like this off, theyll only get worse," the girl in the sky-blue dress said, glaring at the smug guy, refusing to back down. Chen Yous eyes lit up. "So her names Wang Momomo." Zhou Wan, unable to stand Chen Yous infatuation, stepped forward. "Classmate, if he did grope you, there should be fingerprints. You can get a forensic analysis done. If its confirmed, he could be charged with sexual harassment, detained, and expelled from school." "Yikes," Su Wen felt the temperature in the air drop. The crowd looked at Zhou Wan with a mix of awe and fear. She was going for the kill. Leaning against the wall, Su Wen muttered, "Even if its a bit of a bluff, Sister Wan is ruthless. Look at that guyhes pale as a ghost." Chen You followed Su Wens gaze and saw the guy trembling like a leaf, looking at Zhou Wan as if she were a demon. Without hesitation, the guy recalled his Spearow and bowed almost 90 degrees. "Im sorry, it was my fault. I shouldnt have touched your butt. Please forgive me." Instantly, the crowd erupted in condemnation. "Disgusting. He should be expelled." "What a scumbag. How does someone like this get into our school?" "Ugh, hes in my class. Im staying far away from him." ... Even though the guy knew his reputation was ruined, all he cared about now was avoiding criminal charges and a permanent record. The girl beside Wang Momomo, clearly soft-hearted, nodded, and the matter was settled. Wang Momomo recalled her Snorunt. With the drama over, the crowd quickly dispersed, eager to get back to their lunch. "Wow, youre amazing," Wang Momomo said, linking arms with Zhou Wan in admiration. Zhou Wan, feeling a bit embarrassed, replied, "Not really. I was just bluffing to scare him." Su Wen was about to leave, but when he turned around, he saw Chen You already asking Wang Momomo for her contact information. Meanwhile, on the second floor of the cafeteria, someone had been watching the entire scene unfold. "The four seed candidates have crossed paths. What are your thoughts?" The speaker was a silver-haired, bespectacled gentleman who, if not introduced, no one would guess was the former principal of Cloud City High School. To be precise, he was the retired principal whod been brought back after the current principal was swiftly ousted by the board. The schools recent aggressive moves were all orchestrated by this veteran. Seated with him were the homeroom teachers of the five Trainer program classes, including Mr. Mu Hanzhi. The reason no teacher had intervened during the Pokmon confrontation was that trainers had been monitoring the situation. If things had escalated, the students wouldve been immediately detained and expelled. The relatively young homeroom teacher of Class 5 mused, "From what weve seen, Wang Momomo and Zhou Wan both have a strong sense of justice. Wang Momomo seems a bit fiery, while Zhou Wan is more composed. Chen Yous harder to read, and Su Wen seems like the type to stay out of trouble unless it involves him." Mr. Mu Hanzhi added, "Chen Yous quite slick. During the book-moving this morning, hed already gotten familiar with some classmates. As for Su Wen, if I hadnt forced him into the class monitor role, he probably wouldnt have interacted with anyone except Chen You today." Zhou Wans homeroom teacher, an elderly woman, had high praise for her. "Zhou Wan has the makings of a great leader." Wang Momomos homeroom teacher sighed. "Wang Momomos talent is undeniable, but her temper... Ill keep an eye on her." "What about the other seeds? Lets hear your thoughts," the former principal said with a warm, approachable smile. "Principal, its only been one morning. Lets observe a bit longer," the Class 1 homeroom teacher said helplessly. "Take Ni Xuanya, for example. She seems polite, but you know how high her ambitions are. Its too early to judge anything on the first day." The former principal gently tapped the table with his middle finger. "Is this the attitude youre taking toward the Little Ho-Oh Cup three years from now? Let me tell you, this years Little Ho-Oh Cup will be different from previous ones. Ive heard from a friend that the Alliance is making some changes to the competition. The official announcement will come in six months, which means our challenge will be tougher than ever." He sighed softly and looked at the group. "I know some of you still believe that practical and theoretical skills are equally important, but everyone, times have changed." 23.?? "First Encounter" As for the conversation between the principal and others, Su Wen naturally knew nothing about it. After Chen You was rejected by Wang Momomo, Su Wen and Zhou Wen dragged Chen You away from her. During lunch, Su Wen wasted no time sharing the news hed learned from Mu Hanzhi with Chen You and Zhou Wan. "Three years of the highest-level scholarship and one million in training funds!" Chen Yous eyes lit up. For him, the scholarship was a significant sum. Zhou Wan, knowing Chen Yous situation, didnt say much. She put down her chopsticks and thought, "Compared to the scholarship, the restricted area access is the most important. And its probably an opportunity-type restricted area." Restricted areas generally fall into three categories: unknown, trial, and opportunity. Unknown-type restricted areas are newly discovered and usually the most dangerous, as its unclear what level of Pokmon are active inside. Their danger level is guessed based on energy concentration. Trial-type and opportunity-type restricted areas are developed and modified by humans. The former is used for various assessments and competitions, while the latter is primarily for rewards. Su Wen had already searched online but found nothing. "You probably have to sign a confidentiality agreement before entering, right? No leaks allowed." Chen You, still down about not getting Wang Momomos contact information, said listlessly, "I dont care. At most, its some resources or high-quality Pokmon. I can provide for Rotom myself." Zhou Wan couldnt help but laugh at Chen Yous naivety. Shed already learned about Chen Yous ability during lunch but scolded him, "Did you fail middle school biology? You can only provide Ghost-type energy to Rotom, but you cant enhance its overall abilities." In the Pokmon world, a Pokmons physical abilities can be broadly categorized into six areas: HP, Attack, Special Attack, Defense, Special Defense, and Speed. While these six attributes dont fully represent a Pokmons strength, they provide a rough guideline for trainers to focus on training and development. For example, Su Wens Charmander has higher potential in Special Attack than in Attack. Su Wen remained silent. According to his agreement with the Charizard Valley, resources to enhance abilities were too precious and would only be provided once Charmander reached Tier 2, the Advanced level. Of course, these abilities could be trained, but compared to using berries or other resources, self-training was much slower. Chen You blinked. "Forgot about that!" Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. He straightened up. "Then we definitely have to secure that spot." "Lets do our best," Su Wen said, not believing the school would hand over the spot so easily. Based on what Mu Hanzhi had said, theyd likely have to sign a performance-based agreement with the school. "Lets not talk about this anymore. Its too heavy. What are you guys planning to do this afternoon?" Chen You, thinking it was better not to overthink, asked about Su Wen and Zhou Wans plans. Cloud City High School had free time in the afternoon. Students could go home, stay on campus, or train at the training grounds. Classes resumed at 2:30 PM. Su Wen already had plans. "Im heading to the training grounds. Charmander hasnt started todays training yet, and since we have practical classes this afternoon, Ill go early and wait there." Zhou Wan had originally planned to get to know her classmates but changed her mind after hearing Su Wens plan. "Then Ill go to the training grounds too." Chen You grimaced. "Seriously? Do you have to be so hardworking? Its the first day of school. Cant you let people live?" "You think everyones like you? By the way, have you gathered enough energy for Rotoms training today?" Su Wen felt Chen You hadnt done anything outrageous today. Chen You glanced around mysteriously, then whispered with a sly grin, "Already done. I bought some stinky tofu before getting on the bus this morning." The bus driver alone had provided a quarter of the energy. If Chen You hadnt avoided eating the stinky tofu, the driver wouldve kicked him off. Zhou Wan looked disgusted. "Let me make this clear: dont use those tricks on me or Su Wen." Su Wen agreed. "If you want to try mixed doubles, we can arrange that." The group joked as they left the cafeteria and asked a cleaning lady for directions to the training grounds. "The training grounds are so luxurious. Cloud City High School really has money. My familys gym is like a bathroom compared to this," Su Wen was amazed. The training grounds were at least five to six times larger than his familys gym. Zhou Wan looked at the sign at the entrance. "Thats to be expected. Gyms usually focus on training one type of Pokmon, but schools train them comprehensively." She found the Fighting-type training area on the sign. "Im heading to the Fighting-type training grounds. Su Wen, Chen You, where are you going?" Chen You didnt hesitate. "Im going to the Electric-type training area." Rotom is an Electric/Ghost-type. While Chen You could provide Ghost-type energy, Electric-type training still needed to be done. "Ill go to the Fire-type area," Su Wen said. Charmander is a pure Fire-type and only gains the Flying-type upon evolving into Charizard. Training Flying-type now would be inefficient. The three had their plans and parted ways after swiping their student IDs. Zhou Wan reminded Su Wen and Chen You to meet at the training grounds entrance before 2:30 PM. The Fire-type training area had a large screen displaying not the time but the concentration of Fire-type energy inside. "It fluctuates around 30,000 Cal." Su Wen released Charmander from its Pok Ball and watched the numbers. The Fire-type energy concentration inside was about four times that of the outside. Of course, it couldnt compare to the Charizard Valley, where the minimum concentration was around 150,000 Cal. After all, the Charizard Valley was originally a volcano before it became a training ground. But maintaining twice the outside energy concentration was still impressive. However, when Su Wen received the training ground usage guidelines from the staff, he realized he was wrong. The training grounds only opened at noon and closed at 6 PM. From 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM, during Cloud City High Schools practical classes, the energy concentration would increase to around 50,000 Cal. Su Wen wasnt the first to arrive at the training grounds. Several trainers were already inside with their Pokmon. Su Wen had originally thought that since Charmander carried the Charizardite X, it could passively gather Fire-type energy. After testing, the concentration around Charmander was already high, around 160,000 Cal, so there was no need to train here, and it might even reveal Charmanders uniqueness. But according to the Zhu familys research, the higher the environmental Fire-type energy concentration, the greater the benefits for Pokmon. So, Su Wen decided to give it a try. Indeed, when Su Wen connected his Aura to Charmander in a quiet corner, he found that the Charizardite Xs Fire-type energy gathering had increased slightly, roughly around 180,000 Cal. "An efficiency increase of less than 20%. Not bad," Su Wen nodded in satisfaction and began the days training. Charmander, initially restless in the unfamiliar environment, obediently sat down at Su Wens request. But the training was interrupted after less than five minutes. "That Charmander of yours is quite interesting." The speaker was a scruffy-looking man in his late thirties, unkempt and disheveled. Werent the training grounds only for school personnel? Is he a teacher? Su Wen and Charmander were both annoyed by the interruption. Charmander waved its claws at the man in irritation. "Char~" أ Su Wen calmed Charmander and smiled. "Can I help you, Mr. Wu Yan?" 24."Challenge" Wu Yan was momentarily stunned and instinctively looked down at his chest, puzzled. "Im not wearing a name tag, though." "Ive seen pictures of you online, so I recognized you," Su Wen replied, though he didnt mention how different Wu Yan looked now compared to his dashing appearance in the past. Wu Yan seemed quite pleased. "I didnt expect to still be so famous after all these years out of the spotlight." This time, it was Su Wens turn to be speechless. He had assumed Wu Yan had retired from being a trainer due to the heavy blow hed suffered back then, but now it seemed that wasnt the whole story. "Do you need anything else, Teacher? If not, Id like to continue Charmanders training," Su Wen said, feeling that Wu Yan was just here to waste his time. "Why are you in such a hurry, young man?" Wu Yan took out a Pok Ball and said, "I started training a Cyndaquil last week. How about a battle?" Cyndaquil? Su Wens interest was piqued. Cyndaquil and Charmander were both Fire-type starter Pokmon, but their connection went deeper than that. Whether its Cyndaquil and Charmander, their evolved forms Quilava and Charmeleon, or their final evolutions Typhlosion and Charizard, their base stats in the games are identical. Another interesting point is that Charmanders hidden ability, ?Solar Power, is stronger than Cyndaquils hidden ability, ?Flash Fire. Meanwhile, Cyndaquil can learn the most powerful Fire-type area attack, ?Eruption, while Charizard, despite having "blast" in its name, cannot learn ?Eruption. This has led to endless debates among fans about which Pokmon is stronger. One of the most famous battles in this world was during the World Championships two years ago, when the previous Fire-type Heavenly King faced off against a Fire-type trainer from the White Eagle Federation. They used Charizard and Typhlosion, respectively. The result was a rare double knockout, ending in a draw, which left countless fans crying out for justice. But Su Wen was only mildly interested. Battles were still too early for Charmander. "Sorry, Teacher Wu, I think Charmanders training is still too early for battles..." "If you win, Ill give you a Muscle Wing." "Deal!" Su Wens eyes locked onto the pristine white feather with a ruby-like center that Wu Yan pulled from his pocket. He immediately changed his tune, as if he hadnt just been about to refuse Wu Yan. Wu Yan was caught off guard by Su Wens sudden shift but then laughed. "Not bad, not bad. I like students with thick skin." The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Su Wen pretended not to hear the comment. Being teased a little was nothing compared to the value of a Muscle Wing. Aside from some extremely rare berries, the only publicly available items in Xia Kingdom that can enhance a Pokmons potential are the "Feather Series" products from Tengfeng Group. The "Feather Series" consists of six types of feathers:?Health Wing: Enhances HP potential.?Muscle Wing: Enhances Attack potential.?Resist Wing: Enhances Defense potential.?Genius Wing: Enhances Special Attack potential.?Clever Wing: Enhances Special Defense potential.?Swift Wing: Enhances Speed potential.Even with Tengfeng Groups resources, only about ten sets are auctioned off each year, with each set valued at nearly 100 million yuan. Truly rare and hard to come by. Wu Yan held the Muscle Wing by its stem, gently fanning himself as if it were an ordinary fan rather than a priceless treasure. Su Wens heart skipped a beat every time he saw it. "Teacher Wu, when are we starting the battle?" Su Wen urged. Facing a Cyndaquil that had only been trained for a week, even if the trainer was a former legend, he wasnt intimidatedespecially with a treasure like the Muscle Wing on the line. Wu Yan glanced at Su Wens eager expression and chuckled. "Dont get too fixated on the Muscle Wing. Charmander, like Cyndaquil, has higher potential in Special Attack. Dont lose sight of the main focus." Su Wen responded confidently, "Even if I dont use it, selling it would be great." Wu Yan was left speechless and could only smile wryly as he put the Muscle Wing away. "Follow me." Their departure didnt attract much attention, as Wu Yan had kept the Muscle Wing hidden from view. After a series of twists and turns, Su Wen finally arrived at an open rocky battlefield. "Good afternoon, Teacher Wu," a staff member greeted Wu Yan, clearly familiar with him. Wu Yan nodded in response. "Thanks for opening the field, Master Niu." "No problem," Master Niu replied, then glanced at Su Wen. "And this is?" "My student. He insisted on battling me," Wu Yan said, feigning helplessness, which even the usually calm Su Wen found hard to swallow. Master Niu shook his head and turned to operate the equipment while offering some advice. "Young people these days dont know their limits. Teacher Wu, youd better teach him a lesson." Wu Yan smiled. "Of course, of course." Once they stepped onto the battlefield, Su Wen muttered, "Teacher Wu, how did this become my idea?" Wu Yan pretended to be surprised. "Oh, wasnt it your idea? Then forget it. The Muscle Wing is off the table..." Wu Yan deliberately dragged out his words, and Su Wen quickly interjected, "Yes, yes, it was my idea." With that, Su Wen gritted his teeth and took his position on the opposite side of the battlefield. He crouched down and whispered to Charmander, "Do your best, Charmander. Lets show him what were made of." Charmander waved its claws, its eyes burning with determination. The flame on its tail even grew brighter, signaling its readiness to teach this annoying guy a lesson. "Such fighting spirit," Wu Yan remarked from across the field. He then released his Cyndaquil. Cyndaquils coloration could be divided into two parts: its back and the top of its head were a deep navy blue, while the lower part of its head, chest, belly, and limbs were a creamy yellow. Its back had four small red holes that would emit flames when it was in battle, attacked, or startled. Trainers had to be careful not to touch its back when they first caught it, or theyd risk getting burned. The most distinctive feature of Cyndaquil was its eyes, which were always narrowed into slits, as if it were perpetually sleepy. It reminded Su Wen of a certain Li-surnamed singer hed liked in his past life. Su Wen released his Aura to check Cyndaquils ability and moves. Since Cyndaquils hidden ability, ?Flash Fire, allowed it to absorb Fire-type moves and enhance its own power, Su Wen couldnt use ?Ember if Cyndaquil had this ability. But before his Aura could reach Cyndaquil, it was blocked by an unseen force. "Using hacks in a game is cheating, you know," Wu Yan said with a smile. Su Wen was stunned. What kind of power was this? It felt like a wave, but it definitely wasnt Aura. At that moment, a pleasant female electronic voice came from the speakers on the wall: "Battle countdown begins: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Begin!" As soon as the countdown ended, Su Wen issued his first command. "Use ?Smokescreen!" "Char~" The smoke Charmander exhaled instantly enveloped its body, then spread across the battlefield. Thanks to the protective barrier, the smoke stopped just before reaching Su Wen. As the smoke began to engulf Cyndaquil, Wu Yan calmly said, "Use ?Quick Attack to disperse it." Su Wen watched as Cyndaquil darted across half the battlefield like a bolt of lightning, the wind pressure from its movement thinning the smoke significantly. "Teacher Wu! I remember Cyndaquil only learns ?Quick Attack when its close to Tier 1 Mid! You said you just started training it last week?" Su Wen barely held back the urge to curse. Wu Yan responded earnestly, "Thats right. When I got Cyndaquil, it already knew ?Quick Attack." Su Wens heart sank. Hed assumed Wu Yan, like him, had started training Cyndaquil right after it hatched. Hed been careless. At this point, it was clear Cyndaquils level was higher than Charmanders. So, what was their advantage? Before Su Wen could figure out a strategy, Wu Yan had already begun his attack. "Use ?Ember!" Wu Yan didnt have Su Wens concerns. Whether Charmanders ability was ?Blaze or ?Solar Power, it posed no threat to Cyndaquil at this stage. 25.?? "Outcome" Cyndaquils back suddenly erupted with blazing flames, like a burst of fireworks. This was Cyndaquils unique battle state. Su Wens heart tightened as he focused on Cyndaquils movements, trying to predict its next move. "Quick Attack!" In the next moment, Wu Yan revealed that the flames on Cyndaquils back were just a distraction. After closing the distance with ?Quick Attack, Cyndaquil unleashed a burst of flames from its mouth. Caught off guard, Charmander instinctively crossed its claws in front of its face to block the attack. "Use ?Scratch," Su Wen commanded, feeling a surge of excitement rather than panic. Su Wen knew that, without being able to use ?Ember, ?Scratch was one of the few moves Charmander could use to deal damage to Cyndaquil. However, landing a hit on Cyndaquil, which had ?Quick Attack, was as difficult as convincing Zhou Wan to wear a gown and dance a waltz with Su Wen. Moreover, the effectiveness of ?Ember was significantly reduced against another Fire-type like Charmander. Combined with the fact that Charmander was constantly surrounded by dense Fire-type energy, the damage from ?Ember was much lower than Wu Yan had anticipated. Now that Cyndaquil had closed the distance, Su Wen had no reason not to take advantage of the situation. But Wu Yan was no rookie trainer. Seeing Charmanders claws gleam with readiness, he immediately ordered, "Use ?Fury Swipes!" Charmanders claws and Cyndaquils paws clashed in an instant, producing a grating, metallic screech. "Is that an inherited move?" Su Wen wondered, unsure if it was an inherited move or a TM. Thanks to a week of training with Zhou Wan, Charmanders ?Scratch had taken on a more polished form. However, Cyndaquils reactions were even sharper and more precise. Fury Swipes was a continuous move with an extremely fast attack speed. Combined with Cyndaquils superior experience, Charmander wouldve been left wide open if not for Su Wens timely interventions. "Left! Above!" Su Wen accurately predicted Cyndaquils attacks, and with his guidance, Charmander narrowly managed to block each strike. Wu Yan suddenly spoke up, offering praise. "Not bad. Is this your first battle?" Su Wen ignored Wu Yans question. Charmander was walking a tightropeif it missed even one block, the entire defense could collapse. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Seeing Su Wens silence, Wu Yan wasnt offended. He continued as if talking to himself, "Too bad. While you can keep up with Cyndaquils attacks, Charmander is starting to fall behind." Su Wens eyes were beginning to feel dry. He knew Wu Yan was right. There was a delay between his commands and Charmanders reactions, and Charmander was struggling to keep up. Under Cyndaquils relentless assault, Charmander was becoming increasingly overwhelmed. It was only a matter of time before it was defeated. But Su Wen didnt give up. He and Charmander continued to hold on, enduring the pressure. Then, in the next moment, Su Wen noticed a slight hesitation in Cyndaquils attacks. "Dont hold back! Use ?Dragon Claw!" Su Wen understood that even a continuous move like ?Fury Swipes had an end point. Although he hadnt expected Cyndaquils ?Fury Swipes to last this long, now was the time to counterattack. A true ?Dragon Claw should use Dragon-type energy as the foundation, with the Pokmons claws as the base, transforming the energy into a tangible, indestructible claw. Despite a month of training, Charmander hadnt reached that level yet. But Su Wen found a workaround. Instead of extending the Dragon-type energy, he simply coated Charmanders claws with it. Though it only extended a few centimeters, the power it contained far surpassed that of ?Scratch. Wu Yan hadnt expected Su Wen to have this trick up his sleeve. "Get back!" But just as Charmander struggled to keep up with Su Wens commands, Cyndaquil couldnt fully follow Wu Yans orders either. It had no choice but to block with its left paw. As expected, with a pained cry, Cyndaquils block was easily shattered, and it took the full brunt of the attack. However, after taking the hit, Cyndaquil quickly retreated. The damage from ?Dragon Claw didnt meet Su Wens expectations. In his mind, that attack shouldve left Cyndaquil half-dead. Cyndaquils left paw was twitching from the blow, and three distinct claw marks were visible on its body, causing it to stagger as if it had drunk too much. But the flames on its back burned even brighter, signaling its growing determination. "Seriously?" Su Wen was shocked but remained calm. "Charmander, keep going! Dont give it a chance to recover." Wu Yan, however, no longer underestimated Su Wen. "Use ?Flame Wheel!" With a cry, Cyndaquil leaped into the air, curling into a ball and spinning rapidly. The flames on its back created the illusion of a fiery wheel enveloping its body. Charmander, attempting to press its advantage, couldnt dodge in time and was sent flying by ?Flame Wheel, crashing into the protective barrier in front of Su Wen. Cyndaquil moved in to finish with ?Fury Swipes, but Su Wen stepped through the barrier and picked up Charmander. "No need to continue. I concede." The damage from that attack wasnt too severe, but Su Wen knew there was no point in continuing this one-sided battle. Although his Aura hadnt been able to gauge Cyndaquils exact strength, the ?Flame Wheel alone suggested it was nearing the peak of the Amateur level. Normally, Cyndaquil would evolve into Quilava by the mid-Amateur level unless it was holding an Everstone. Even though Charmanders foundation was solid, Su Wen knew better than to think it could match a Pokmon close to the Advanced level. Rather than let Charmander suffer more damage, conceding was the best choice. At this point, Su Wen didnt care whether Wu Yan had really only started training Cyndaquil last week. He comforted the slightly aggrieved Charmander and decided to take it to the schools medical room for treatment. Su Wen had some healing spray on him, but the medical room was equipped with Chansey and professional Pokmon doctors. He wanted a thorough checkup. "Dont leave yet. You havent claimed your prize," Wu Yan called out after praising Cyndaquil, noticing Su Wen was already at the door without even a goodbye. Su Wen turned around, a polite smile on his face. "Teacher Wu, I conceded." Wu Yan waved his hand. "I lost. I did start training this Cyndaquil last week, but a friend had been raising it for half a year before that. Youve only had Charmander for less than a month. The moment I let Cyndaquil use its full strength, I lost. I just wanted to test your limits." Su Wen stroked Charmanders back. "A loss is a loss. If you feel bad about it, keep the Muscle Wing for now. You can give it to me when Charmander defeats Cyndaquil." With that, Su Wen checked the time. It was almost 1 PM, and if he didnt hurry, Charmander might miss the afternoon class. Without another word to Wu Yan, Su Wen carried Charmander and asked the staff for directions to the medical room. At the entrance, Old Man Niu, lounging in a rocking chair and lazily fanning himself, watched Su Wen rush off while Wu Yan followed at a leisurely pace. "Did you teach him a lesson?" Old Man Niu asked, eyes closed. Wu Yan sighed. "I was the one who got taught." "What?" Old Man Nius eyes snapped open, and he stopped rocking. "You lost?" "Not exactly," Wu Yan said, sitting on a small stool next to Old Man Niu and downing a glass of water. "I wanted to show Su Wen that theres always someone better, but he surprised me. I almost lost." He glanced in the direction Su Wen had left and smiled. "But I guess the goal was achieved anyway." Old Man Niu closed his eyes again and resumed rocking. "Be careful next time. Dont really fall into the river. I cant afford the embarrassment." "Right, right. Your advice is always spot on." 26."Turns out weve all been schooled!" When Su Wen finally made it to the medical room, he found that a male and female Pokmon were already being treated. A beautiful doctor in a white coat and a mask looked up in surprise. "Another one? Which class? What happened? Bring the Pokmon over and let me take a look." Su Wen placed Charmander on the bed the doctor indicated and explained, "Class 2, Grade 1. We just had a battle. Its probably some burns and scrapes. Could you check it, please?" The doctor examined Charmander thoroughly and nodded. "There are indeed some burns, but theyre not serious. Chansey will treat you after its done with the Sandile over there." Su Wen followed the doctors gaze and saw a Sandile lying on the adjacent bed, its injuries far more severe than Charmanders. The male student beside it looked anxious. Chanseys short hands emitted a pure white light, which Su Wen found oddly soothing. "Is that ?Heal Pulse?" Su Wen asked curiously. The doctor, still checking Charmander for any overlooked injuries, replied, "Yes, my Chansey is more skilled with ?Heal Pulse than ?Life Dew, so we usually use ?Heal Pulse for treatment." On another bed lay a Nidoran, listlessly lying on its stomach with some ointment applied to its back, making soft whimpering noises. The final evolutions of Sandile (Krookodile) and Nidoran (Nidoqueen) were both incredibly powerful Pokmon. Especially Krookodile, with its three highly practical abilities. Su Wen wondered what ability this Sandile had. Wait a minute... Su Wen realized that since Wu Yan wasnt here, he could use his Aura to check. Just as he was about to activate his Aura, the doctor scolded him, "You three freshmen, battling on the first day of school! Do you know how to take care of your Pokmon? And all of you have burns! Dont you know how serious burns can be?" Su Wen was berated mercilessly and could only nod repeatedly, promising to take better care of Charmander in the future. But when the doctor mentioned that all three had burns, Su Wen couldnt help but wonder if Wu Yan was behind it. The doctor didnt let Su Wen off the hook, continuing to lecture him while the other two students stifled their laughter, clearly having been through the same ordeal. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Just as Su Wen was starting to feel the time drag, the light from Chanseys hands gradually faded, and Sandile regained its energy. "Thank you, Doctor!" the male student said gratefully. The doctor smiled. "Dont thank me. Thank Chansey." "Thank you, Chansey," the student said earnestly, bowing to the nurse-hat-wearing Chansey, who happily waved its small hands. "Now, lets treat this little one," the doctor said, positioning Charmanders wounds toward Chansey. Su Wen asked, "Does Chansey need a break after treating Sandile?" "No need. The injuries from you freshmen arent severe. It wont take much energy," the doctor replied, full of confidence in Chansey. Charmander, enveloped in ?Heal Pulse, let out a couple of comfortable hums and closed its eyes, clearly enjoying the treatment. While the doctor and Chansey treated Charmander, Su Wen quietly approached the male student who was about to leave. "Hi, Im Su Wen from Class 2, Grade 1. Who did you battle?" The student, curious about Su Wens interest, recalled, "A scruffy guy in casual clothes with a beard?" Before Su Wen could respond, the female student chimed in, "Did you battle him too?" Su Wen and the male student turned to look at the girl with a ponytail. The girl, slightly embarrassed for interrupting, blushed and explained, "Im Ni Xuanya. I also battled that guy. He said he was a teacher and offered me a Muscle Wing if I won. I couldnt resist the temptation." The male students eyes widened. "Thats exactly what he said to me! Then my Sandile got destroyed by his Cyndaquils ?Fury Swipes. Oh, Im Dai Shan from Class 4. Do you know who that guy is?" Ni Xuanya shook her head, clueless. Su Wen sighed. "Thats our Trainer Class homeroom teacher, Wu Yan." "What?!" Ni Xuanya and Dai Shan exclaimed in unison. Dai Shan groaned, "No wonder we got wrecked. Hes our homeroom teacher." Ni Xuanya nodded in agreement, clearly still shaken. It seemed neither Dai Shan nor Ni Xuanya knew Wu Yans true identity. At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway, and Chen You burst through the door. Seeing Su Wen, Chen You was puzzled. "Why are you here, Su Wen?" Su Wen, looking at the Pok Ball in Chen Yous hand, facepalmed. "Let me guess, a scruffy guy lured you into a battle with a Muscle Wing, right?" Chen You was stunned. "Not a Muscle Wing, a Genius Wing. But how did you know?" Then, noticing the sympathetic looks from Ni Xuanya and Dai Shan, he realized, "Wait, you guys too...?" The doctor, having noticed the commotion, was angry. "Which teacher has the audacity to bully students? Ill report him to the principal this afternoon." Su Wen forced a smile. "Uh, thanks, but its fine. Hes our Trainer Class teacher. He was probably just testing our skills. Besides, our Pokmons injuries arent serious." The others also managed to calm the doctor down, dissuading her from filing a complaint. Soon, Charmander was fully healed, but Su Wen didnt return it to its Pok Ball. According to Charmander, while the Pok Ball was comfortable, it preferred to stay outside. Dai Shan, who had planned to leave, decided to stay, curious if anyone else would show up at the medical room. Seeing Chen Yous Rotom, the doctor was slightly surprised. "This Rotom doesnt have burns. Its damage from an Electric-type move, right?" She was relieved to finally see something different. "Huh?" Su Wen looked at Chen You. "Didnt you battle Cyndaquil?" Chen You shook his head. "No, it was a Helioptile." Helioptile, an Electric/Normal-type Pokmon, could evolve into Heliolisk with a Sun Stone. Its standard abilities were ?Dry Skin or ?Sand Veil, while its hidden ability, like Charmanders, was ?Solar Power. Su Wen felt a bit relieved. Cyndaquil must have been injured after battling Charmander, so Wu Yan didnt dare to use it recklessly. Chen You began to vent his frustration. "I thought since Rotom has the Ghost-type, and were both at Tier 0, Normal-type moves wouldnt affect it. That left it with no usable moves." "But that Helioptile first used ?Mud-Slap to block Rotoms vision, then two ?Thunder Shocks knocked it out. Damn, even with Rotoms Electric-type reducing the damage, it was terrifying! How did you lose, Su Wen?" Su Wen shrugged. "I conceded. That Cyndaquils strength was clearly close to Tier 2. There was no point in continuing." The doctor backed him up. "Indeed, Charmanders injuries were the mildest among the four of you." "Close to Tier 2? I didnt even notice..." Dai Shan was speechless. Ni Xuanya sighed. "That Cyndaquil didnt even exert much effort against us. It only used ?Fury Swipes against my Sandile and ?Ember against my Nidoran. Su Wen, how many moves did you force it to use?" Su Wen thought for a moment and answered honestly, "Quick Attack, ?Fury Swipes, ?Ember, and it finished with ?Flame Wheel." 27."Full squad ready." Dai Shan and Ni Xuanya fell silent, realizing that Su Wens Charmander was stronger than their Sandile and Nidoran. "Uh, Su Wen, what tier is your Charmander at now?" Ni Xuanya asked, her competitive spirit flaring up. Su Wen sighed inwardly, knowing Ni Xuanyas competitive nature. "It just broke through to Tier 1 a couple of days ago." Dai Shan, feeling a bit indignant, said, "My Sandile is almost Tier 1 too. How could it not even force out a second move?" Ni Xuanya didnt speak, but the look in her eyes was telling. Su Wen smiled, not interested in arguing. "Probably because Cyndaquil had already battled you two before facing Charmander, so it was pretty worn out." Charmander, however, wasnt happy with Su Wens humble explanation. It waved its claws, wanting to set Dai Shan straight, but Su Wen quickly stuffed an energy block into its mouth to shut it up. The atmosphere among the group became a bit awkward, but Su Wen didnt mind. He turned to Chen You and made a bet about whether Zhou Wan would show up. "One dinnerI bet Sister Wan will come," Chen You said confidently. Su Wen raised an eyebrow. "Then I cant bet. I think shell come too." Not long after, a gloomy-looking boy walked in. Dai Shan tried to strike up a conversation, but the boy ignored him completely, addressing the doctor instead. "Please treat my Murkrow." Since Rotom was still being treated, the doctor gestured for the boy to place Murkrow on another bed and wait. A while later, Zhou Wan stormed in with her Farfetchd, looking furious. "Sister Wan," "Sister Wan," Su Wen and Chen You greeted her in unison, making her seem like a gang leader. Zhou Wan smacked both of them on the head. "Cant you act normal?" Chen You rubbed his head and grinned. "So, how did it go?" "How did what go?" Zhou Wan asked, confused. "The battle, Sister Wan, the battle!" Chen You urged, while Su Wen filled her in on the details. "So thats Wu Yan," Zhou Wan said, her anger subsiding as she understood the situation. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Su Wen noticed that Farfetchds injuries were similar to Charmandersnot too severe. In fact, Farfetchds sharp eyes were filled with fighting spirit, as if it wanted to whack Su Wen with its leek. It was clear that while Farfetchd in Xia Kingdom were just ingredients, in England, they were warriors for a reason. While Chansey was treating Murkrow, Zhou Wan wasnt in a hurry to see the doctor. She first shared the details of her battle with Su Wen and Chen You. "That Helioptile was about the same level as Farfetchdearly Tier 1but the difference in strength was huge. It used ?Quick Attack to kite Farfetchd, then paralyzed it with ?Thunder Shock. I had to concede. There was no chance to fight back," Zhou Wan said, still shaken. This was the first time Zhou Wan, who had always been fiercely competitive in both martial arts and academics, had been completely outclassed by someone of the same level. It was a huge blow to her. Chen You, on the other hand, was more laid-back than Su Wen and Zhou Wan. "Its fine. Teacher Wu Yan was a Gym-level trainer over a decade ago. Itd be weird if we could beat him." Zhou Wan glanced at him, showing a rare moment of vulnerability. "But that Swift Wing... I really wanted it." "Muscle Wing, Genius Wing, Swift Wing... Do you think Teacher Wu Yan has a full set?" Chen You counted on his fingers, realizing Wu Yan had quite a few feathers. Su Wen nodded. "Probably. The Feather Series is usually sold as a set. Im not pickyId take any of the six feathers." The gloomy boy nearby scoffed. "Forget it. That Wu Yan guy never intended to give us the feathers. He was just messing with us." Dai Shan crossed his arms and remained silent. Though he was honest and straightforward, he wasnt stupid. After this brief interaction, he knew everyone in this room was elite. His father wasnt a trainer but a scientist, so Dai Shan had a sharper eye than most. For example, the mud ointment on Ni Xuanyas Nidoran was likely a rare substance that enhanced its Poison-type power. Or the Rotom, which was extremely rare in Xia Kingdomeven his fathers research lab had been trying to acquire one for experiments, without success. Or Zhou Wans Farfetchd, the English version, which had immense potential. Its evolution, Sirfetchd, could more easily land critical hits with its signature leek. And then there was Su Wen... Dai Shan had always thought he was too good for Cloud City High School. Hed wanted to attend Magic City Foreign Language High School but was forced to come here by his father. Now, Dai Shan suddenly realized hed been a frog in a well. Every classmate in this room, whether in current strength or future potential, was likely no less capable than him. Without a word, Dai Shan turned to leave. He felt a sense of urgencyhe needed to train harder. As Dai Shan opened the door, two girls walked in together. "Dai Shan?" "Wang Momomo?" After a brief moment of surprise, Dai Shan quickly realized Wang Momomo had also been taught a lesson by Wu Yan. "What are you doing here?" Wang Momomo asked, then noticed the small medical room was already packed with six people, including the "friend" shed just met at noon. "Sister Wan~ Why are you guys here too?" Wang Momomo ignored Dai Shan and rushed to Zhou Wan. Zhou Wan, Chen You, and the others exchanged glances, and Zhou Wan explained the situation. "So only Han Meng and I had a double battle?" Wang Momomo exclaimed in surprise. The girl who came in with Wang Momomo introduced herself, "Hi, Im Deng Hanmeng from Class 5." Wu Yan, to save time, hadnt approached Wang Momomo and Deng Hanmeng individually but had challenged them to a double battle. Though it was called a double battle, Wang Momomo and Deng Hanmeng had zero synergy and were completely outplayed by Wu Yan. "Stop chatting. Come get treated. Class is starting soon, and those whove finished treatment, please leave. This is a medical room, not a marketplace," the doctor said, annoyed by the growing crowd and noise. "Sorry, sorry, well leave now," Su Wen and the others apologized and filed out of the medical room. Su Wen and Chen You decided to wait outside for Zhou Wan, while Dai Shan and the gloomy boy left separately. "Su Wen, have you noticed? The girls at Cloud City High School are really something," Chen You said, giving Su Wen a knowing look. Su Wen thought about it and had to agree. Among the four girls in the medical room, each was a top-tier beauty with their own unique style. It seemed that when God opened a door for some people, He also left the window wide open. "Youre not falling for Wang Momomo, are you?" Su Wen glanced at Chen You. Chen You, unusually shy, said, "Maybe its love at first sight." "Pfft," Su Wen laughed. "Youre just being shallow. And let me tell you, three years minimum, life sentence maximum." "Three years is worth it, and a life sentence isnt a loss!" Chen You declared with a look of heroic determination. As they joked around, the earlier frustration seemed to fade away. Charmander and Rotom chased each other playfully until Zhou Wan finally emerged from the medical room. "What are you two talking about?" Zhou Wan asked, noticing their cheerful expressions. Her Farfetchd had also regained its energy. "Nothing much. Whats the plan now, Sister Wan?" Chen You quickly changed the subject. Zhou Wan said, "Its almost time. Lets head to the training grounds entrance and wait." Su Wen and Chen You had no objections. Although they hadnt trained much during lunch, they could easily make up for it in the evening. However, the thought of facing Wu Yan again soon made them itch to give him a taste of his own medicine. 28.Arrange When Su Wen and the others arrived at the training hall entrance, some students were already waiting. However, due to the scorching heat, everyone instinctively stayed in the shade. "Sister Wan, are you organizing your class?" Su Wen guessed that, given Zhou Wans personality, she had likely taken on the role of class monitor. Zhou Wan glanced around and sighed, "Lets wait until everyones here. I dont even know all their names yet." Su Wen suggested, "How about we gather everyone inside the hall? Its too hot out here." "Agreed," Chen You said, raising both hands and feet in support as he looked at the blazing sun outside. Zhou Wan, noticing the heat distorting the air, nodded. "Lets wait until most people are here." By around 2:20 PM, Su Wen and Zhou Wan led their respective classes into the training halls lobby to organize the groups. Seeing this, Classes 1, 4, and 5 naturally followed, unwilling to stay in the sun. However, to everyones surprise, Wu Yan was late. Even more shocking was that Wu Yan had shaved his beard and changed his clothes, completely transforming his appearance. His slightly weathered gaze and sharp features even drew soft gasps from some of the female students. "...Didnt expect him to be a handsome uncle," Su Wen muttered, comparing him to the scruffy man from noon and seriously wondering if Wu Yan had a twin brother. "Everyones lined up? Good, good. Ill take you to your dedicated training area," Wu Yan said, waving for the class monitors to follow. After a short walk, the group entered a massive training field roughly the size of a sports field. "This is Training Field No. 1. Unless something unexpected happens, this is where your indoor training classes for the next three years will take place. Do we need to re-elect the class representatives for training, or will the monitors take on the role?" Wu Yan seemed to be asking for everyones opinion, but Su Wen sensed laziness in his tone. Seeing that no one had strong feelings either way, Wu Yan smiled. "Looks like youre not too familiar with this. I dont know what perks the monitors get, but in my class, the training representative gets an extra 15 points on the final practical exam. Oh, and the full score is 100 points." This caused an uproar. An extra 15 points on a 100-point exam meant that scoring 85 would be enough for a perfect grade. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Su Wen immediately felt the gazes of his classmates shift, now filled with intensity and ambition. In Class 3s line, a boy raised his hand. "I think the training representative should be the strongest in battles." When personal interests were at stake, some things had to be fought for. Most students believed that since theyd all gotten into Cloud City High School, no one considered themselves inferior to others. Even if their entrance exam scores were lower, they were now on equal footing with their new Pokmon. Wu Yan didnt comment but looked around. "Anyone else have an opinion?" Others chimed in, suggesting the representative position should be contested. With so many conflicting opinions, Wu Yan crossed his arms and signaled for silence. "Let me make a suggestion. At noon today, I had a little spar with eight students the school recommended as the most promising among you. Most of the results... werent very satisfying," Wu Yan said, his gaze sweeping the crowd, causing students to look around, guessing who those eight might be. Zhou Wan, Wang Momomo, and others with straightforward personalities immediately felt embarrassed, imagining themselves as the disappointing ones. This felt like public humiliation. Chen You, on the other hand, blended into the crowd, enthusiastically discussing with a boy next to him about who those eight students might be. Su Wen, as the temporary leader, stood at the front. Without Chen You to chat with, he didnt feel like talking to the students behind him. Instead, he wondered what Wu Yan was planning. After a dramatic pause, Wu Yan continued, "But since the school recommended them, I cant completely ignore them. So heres my idea: well use ą (challenge system). Ill first name five (challengers). Until the end of the semester, everyone will have one chance to challenge them. If you win, you take their place. If you lose, you cant compete for the representative position again. Does that work? Of course, if a representative is challenged later and loses, theyll be replaced until no one hasս (challenge opportunities) or no oneս (challenges). Does that make sense?" Someone raised their hand. "Teacher, doesnt that make it unfair for the first challengers?" Wu Yan stretched lazily. "You could all choose not to challenge, and the (challengers) would win by default." "What about the first (challengers)? Do they get another chance if they lose?" The speaker was the Murkrow trainer Su Wen had seen at noon. Wu Yan shook his head. "Nope. If the first (challengers) lose, theyre out for good." "Eww~" The crowd collectively groaned, shrinking back, not wanting to be the first ones chosen. Wu Yan scanned the group. "Seems like there are no more questions. Lets begin. Ni Xuanya from Class 1, Su Wen from Class 2, Zhou Wan from Class 3, Wang Momomo from Class 4, and Deng Hanmeng from Class 5. You five are the first (challengers). Swap places with your monitors and come to the front to lead." Su Wen instantly felt a wave of sympathy directed at him. Moreover, out of the five (challengers), Su Wen was the only male, which made many boys eager to challenge immediately. This kind of spotlight, with the added bonus of securing their dating prospects for the next three years, was enough to make many boys impulsive. Meanwhile, Su Wen was thinking about what Chen You would do if he were the representative. Would he auction off the position beforehand? Yeah... that was totally something Chen You would do. Seeing the representatives take their places at the front, Wu Yan nodded and continued, "Ill also explain this semesters final exam." He released his Helioptile from its Pok Ball. "This Helioptile has just broken through to Tier 1. Ill be training it alongside you. By the end of the semester, each of you will battle it. Lasting one minute earns you 60 points (a pass), two minutes earns 70, five minutes earns 80, ten minutes earns 90, and defeating it earns a perfect score. I doubt any of you will fail, right?" The crowd burst into laughter, all claiming it would be a breezeexcept for the students who had battled Wu Yan at noon. Su Wen, however, knew they were in trouble. This Helioptile could wipe the floor with Chen You right now, and most students likely didnt grasp how terrifying it was. Without warning, at least a third of the class would likely be blindsided by this Helioptile. And that was without considering its evolution into Heliolisk using a Sun Stone. Su Wen could only imagine how terrifying a Heliolisk under Wu Yans command would be. In the end, how many students passed wouldnt depend on their own strength but on how much effort Wu Yan decided to put in. By setting up Su Wen, Zhou Wan, and the others as targets, Wu Yan was clearly trying to divert the students attention toward them, making them overlook the Helioptile, which was currently at a similar level to their own Pokmon. Exchanging a glance with Zhou Wan at the front of the line, Su Wen understood her thoughts: Wu Yan was indeed a sly old fox. But Su Wen had no intention of letting Wu Yan have his way. He needed to discuss with the other representatives how to turn the tables on Wu Yan in the end.