Tian Lin arrived at the mountain the man had mentioned.
The terrain here wasn’t very high, but the mountain paths were rugged and the air was extremely hot and stifling.
It was indeed a place Fire-type Pokémon would like.
It seemed he hadn’t come to the wrong place.
“Hey, who are you?
Entry is forbidden here.” An old man walked over and said.
“Hello, sir.
We heard there are quite a lot of Charmander here, so we came to see if we could catch one,” Tian Lin replied.
“No, no.
The Charmander here were specially entrusted to me by the League for breeding.
They are meant to be sent to various regions as starter Pokémon.
How could I let you capture them?” the old man said.
“That’s strange… someone told me before that he caught his Charmander around here,” Tian Lin said in confusion.
“Ah… no wonder one was missing when I did my count two days ago.
So it was actually caught and taken away…” the old man sighed.
“That guy was quite lucky.
The Charmander he took was one of the best here in terms of potential.
Fortunately, it wasn’t poaching—he probably just happened to find a lone Charmander.
In that case, we can’t take it back.
I just hope he raises it well.”
“Heh… raises it well?
That guy abandoned that Charmander,” Sundae said from the side.
“What?!
Where is that bastard?
I’m going to beat him up!” the old man shouted angrily.
He clearly had a fiery temper.
“Sir, please don’t worry,” Tian Lin said quickly.
“Even though that person didn’t recognize its value and abandoned it, the real Trainer meant for that Charmander is about to arrive.
It will be well taken care of, so please rest assured.”
“Is that true?” the old man still looked uneasy.
“Yes.
If you don’t believe me, you can leave me your contact information.
Next time I meet him, I’ll have him show Charmander to you via video call.
That way you can see for yourself.”
“Alright.
But if you’re lying, I’ll report you to the League!” the old man threatened fiercely.
Tian Lin noted down his contact information.
“Sir, since this is a Charmander breeding area, I won’t insist,” Tian Lin said a bit regretfully.
“We’ll be leaving then.
Goodbye.”
“Wait.” The old man suddenly stopped him.
“You said you came here to catch Charmander, right?
I can’t give you one—but I can give you a chance to capture a Charmeleon.
Do you want it?”
“What?!
A Charmeleon?
Do you really have one here?” Tian Lin asked in surprise.
“Yes.
That Charmeleon was raised by me.
Its talent and potential are among the very best.
However, its personality is too aggressive—it constantly challenges other Charmander and kept winning battles until it evolved into Charmeleon without me noticing.
Now it’s far beyond what a beginner Trainer can handle.
You seem quite capable, so I’ll let you try.”
“That’s amazing!
Thank you so much, sir!” Tian Lin said gratefully.
“Come with me.”
Tian Lin followed the old man to the back mountain.
There were many Charmander there—newborns, and others being trained before being sent to various regions as starter Pokémon.
But what drew Tian Lin’s attention most was the strong Charmeleon standing in the center.
“Charmeleon, come here.
A Trainer will challenge you for a capture battle.
Will you accept?” the old man asked.
The Charmeleon looked at Tian Lin.
“Your talent and potential are outstanding, but staying here won’t let you grow.
If you want to become the strongest, you should go out into the wider world,” the old man said.
After a moment of silence, the Charmeleon nodded firmly.
Charmeleon — Male
Flame Pokémon
Ability: Solar Power
Personality: Lively (Speed ↑, Sp.
Atk ↓)
Height: 1.3 m | Weight: 21 kg
Potential: Top-tier Qualifications, Potential is Champion
Current Strength: Elite Mid-tier
Moves: Dragon Dance, Flamethrower, Fire Fang, Smokescreen, Dragon Claw
It was actually a Charmeleon with the Hidden Ability Solar Power.
It even had inherited moves like Dragon Dance and Dragon Claw, which normally require tutoring or Technical Machines.
It was clear the old man had specially trained it.
With Champion-level potential, Tian Lin became even more determined to obtain it.
“Go, Scyther!” Tian Lin sent out Scyther.
There was no choice.
On this rocky terrain, Feebas couldn’t move at all, and the other three Pokémon were all at a disadvantage against Charmeleon.
Tian Lin felt like he was gradually walking the same path as Ash—becoming a master of unfavorable type matchups.
But it wasn’t unwinnable.
Scyther could fly, had excellent mobility, and had reached Elite High-tier peak strength—half a step into Gym-level.
It had recently trained hard and learned two new moves, perfect for this battle.
Charmeleon struck first with Flamethrower.
Scyther swung its twin scythes and split the flames apart.
Then Charmeleon used Smokescreen, instantly covering the battlefield. Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
“Scyther, use Swords Dance in rotation to blow away the smoke!” Tian Lin commanded.
Scyther spun rapidly, generating strong airflow that dispersed the smoke—but Charmeleon was gone.
It had used the terrain to hide.
However, Scyther could fly.
It immediately took to the air to search for Charmeleon’s position.
But the moment it rose—
A huge rock suddenly came crashing down!
It was a trap.
Charmeleon had lured it into the air and used the terrain as a weapon.
Though not a Rock-type move, the sheer mass made it extremely dangerous.
Its raw strength was not to be underestimated.
“Scyther, use Brick Break!” Tian Lin ordered.
Scyther gathered Fighting-type energy and shattered the rock with full force.
Charmeleon failed to land its attack and immediately gathered Dragon energy, spinning in place—Dragon Dance.
It was preparing for close combat.
Scyther was never afraid of close combat, especially after boosting its attack with Swords Dance.
After Dragon Dance, Charmeleon’s speed increased dramatically.
It rushed forward with Dragon Claw, while Scyther met it head-on with Cross Scissors.
The clash of power was electrifying.
Then Charmeleon bit down with Fire Fang onto Scyther’s scythe.
The burning pain surged through it, but Scyther did not retreat—instead, it pressed forward, lifting Charmeleon and slamming it into a rock.
Charmeleon took heavy damage and retaliated with Flamethrower.
“Scyther, use Double Team!” Tian Lin commanded.
Scyther created over a dozen clones.
With no Trainer experience and only battling within this small valley, Charmeleon panicked.
It couldn’t tell which one was real.
“Now’s the chance—finish it with Brick Break!” Tian Lin shouted.
Dozens of Scyther rushed forward.
Only one was real—but Charmeleon couldn’t tell.
It was hit cleanly.
“Go, Ultra Ball!”
The Ultra Ball struck Charmeleon and absorbed it inside.
After a tense moment of shaking—
Ding!
The capture was successful.
Tian Lin had successfully caught Charmeleon, and his team grew stronger once again.
“Success!
Congratulations, Tian Lin, you caught Charmeleon!” Sundae said happily.
“Sigh… Charmeleon was always destined for a wider world,” the old man said with reluctance.
“I just hope you raise it well.”
“Don’t worry, sir.
I’ve saved your contact information.
I’ll keep you updated on Charmeleon’s growth—and also that Charmander,” Tian Lin said sincerely.
“Thank you very much.”
The old man nodded, visibly moved.
After healing Charmeleon, Tian Lin said goodbye to the old man and left the valley together with his new partner.