After leaving Cerulean City, Ash’s group bathed in the morning sunlight as they headed toward Vermilion City.
After traveling for a while, they arrived at what looked like an unremarkable unofficial Gym.
“So this is that unofficial Gym?” Misty frowned slightly, a trace of confusion in her eyes.
“It looks kind of run-down.”
The reason they had come here was because, on the road to Vermilion City, Ash’s group had constantly encountered challenges from other Trainers.
Every battle helped their Pokémon improve through real combat.
Later, during a heated battle with a passing Trainer, Ash’s Metapod was suddenly enveloped in dazzling light.
When the light faded, a Butterfree spread its wings before everyone.
Afterward, Ash used TMs to teach it several moves.
Butterfree’s current data was:
[Pokémon: Butterfree]
[Gender: Male]
[Type: Bug, Flying]
[Introduction: The Butterfly Pokémon and the evolved form of Metapod.
It can bounce across the surface of water using the scales on its wings.
The poisonous scales on its wings repel water, allowing it to fly even on rainy days.]
[Base Stat Total: 395]
[Ability: Compound Eyes — Because it has compound eyes, the accuracy of its moves increases.]
[Hidden Ability: Tinted Lens — Allows not very effective moves to be used at normal power.]
[Current Strength: Gym Level]
[Potential: Elite Four Level]
[Moves: String Shot; Tackle; Harden; Gust; Bug Bite; Supersonic; Confusion; Poison Powder; Sleep Powder; Stun Spore; Psybeam; Whirlwind; Air Slash; Quiver Dance; Solar Beam; Psychic; Double Team; Dream Eater; Flash; Hyper Beam; Protect]
[Status: Healthy]
After the battle ended, that passing Trainer took the initiative to mention that there was a rather unique unofficial Gym nearby.
After hearing this, Ash and the others decided to check it out, which was how they ended up here.
Misty looked up at the signboard by the Gym entrance, surprise in her eyes.
“Ninety-eight consecutive wins?
That’s pretty amazing.”
The number on the sign was especially eye-catching beneath the sunlight.
“That’s only because he hasn’t met me.
If he’d met me earlier, he would’ve lost already.” The corner of Ash’s mouth lifted into a confident smile.
“You want to test that?” A slightly provocative voice came from the side.
Everyone followed the voice and saw a young man with dark green spiky hair walking over.
“Yes.
Please accept my challenge.” Ash did not back down at all.
This person was A.J., known as the “Beast Tamer.”
“All right.
Come inside first.” A.J.
nodded slightly and turned to walk into the Gym.
As soon as they entered, a Butterfree fluttered over and quickly picked up the backpack A.J.
had placed on the ground.
Seeing this, Brock frowned slightly and asked, “That backpack just now was…”
“It contains the Poké Balls of the Pokémon I caught.
There are plenty more inside the tent,” A.J.
answered casually, clearly long used to the sight.
A.J.
walked onto the ring, swept his gaze across everyone, and curled his mouth into a contemptuous smile.
“All right, then.
Who’s the fertilizer planning to help me reach my ninety-ninth win?”
His tone was full of disdain.
No one would be happy being called “fertilizer.”
Ash’s expression darkened, and he stepped onto the ring.
He stared at A.J.
with a sharp gaze and sighed.
“You really don’t know your place.
Let me show you the gap in our strength.”
“Stop bragging over there.
You and I are on completely different levels.” A.J.
waved the whip in his hand, his eyes filled with confidence.
“Once I get one hundred wins, I’ll set off on a journey to collect Badges.”
“So he’s about to reach his goal,” Brock said quietly.
“That’s right.
The gap between us isn’t something you can imagine.” Ash’s mouth lifted slightly into a teasing smile, as though responding to A.J.’s provocation.
Let the duel begin!
Go, Sandshrew!” A.J.
shouted, throwing his Poké Ball first.
Red light flashed, and a Sandshrew covered in sharp spines appeared on the ring.
It let out a low growl and took a battle stance.
“Heh.
Charmander, fight for me.” Ash sent out Charmander without hesitation.
As soon as Charmander appeared, it spat out a burst of blazing fire, its eyes showing fierce determination.
“You’re using a Fire-type Charmander against my Ground-type Sandshrew?
Looks like you really are a rookie.” Seeing Ash’s choice, A.J.
showed a mocking smile.
“I’m only trying to tell you that, in the face of absolute strength, type matchups don’t matter at all,” Ash said confidently.
Sandshrew kicked off the ground with its hind legs, sending gravel flying as it charged toward Charmander like an arrow from a bow.
A.J.
cracked his whip and shouted, “Use Dig!”
Sandshrew’s sharp front claws instantly tore into the ground, and in the blink of an eye, it vanished into a hole.
Ash remained calm and raised his hand.
“Charmander, Protect!”
A green barrier appeared around Charmander.
Suddenly, the ground beneath Charmander exploded open.
Sandshrew burst out of the earth and slammed into the barrier, only to be thrown backward.
“Flamethrower!” Ash ordered.
The moment the command fell, the flames in Charmander’s mouth surged violently.
Sandshrew was blasted away by the scorching heat wave.
When it landed, its body had already been burned black, yet it still shook its head and staggered back up.
“Hmph, nothing but a dying struggle!” A.J.
sneered.
“Drill Run!”
Sandshrew spun its body and charged toward Charmander.
Ash raised his arm high.
“Charmander, use Fire Spin!”
Sandshrew was trapped by the sudden vortex of flames.
The orange-red pillar of fire wrapped around it and spun wildly, filling the arena with sparks and the scorched smell of burning flesh.
“Finish it!
Use Fire Fang!” Ash shouted.
Charmander dove forward, its fangs wrapped in flames, and bit down hard on Sandshrew’s neck.
Sandshrew cried out in pain, collapsed onto the ground, and lost its ability to battle.
The entire arena fell into dead silence.
A.J.’s hand trembled slightly around his whip as he stared at the mighty Charmander on the stage in disbelief.
“H-how is that possible…” he muttered.
Ash’s tone was calm.
“Type advantage has never been everything in battle.
You didn’t really think you could beat me just because you had the type advantage, did you?
Ridiculous.”
[Congratulations, host, on your victory.
You have obtained 10,000 points.]
At that moment, Charmander’s body suddenly shone with dazzling orange-gold light.
The light surged like something tangible, completely wrapping around its figure.
Heat waves spread outward in visible ripples, even lifting the dust along the edge of the ring.
Ash’s pupils shrank, and he instinctively raised a hand to shield his forehead.
“This is… evolution?!”
Within the light, Charmander’s body began to stretch.
Its forelimbs and hind limbs grew rapidly like bamboo shoots after rain.
Its once-round claws became sharp as hooks, and a raised bony crest on its head pierced through the glow like a horn.
Its tail grew to half the height of a person, and the flame at the tip burned brighter and brighter.
Its originally orange-red scales gradually deepened into a rich crimson, like lava tempered by fierce fire.
Even its once-small snout grew longer and sharper, faintly revealing white fangs.
“Roar—!”
With a deafening roar, the light suddenly vanished.
A mighty Charmeleon stood proudly on the spot.
It straightened its body, now nearly two meters tall, and breathed scorching air from its nostrils.
Its scarlet vertical pupils swept across the arena, and its claws unconsciously scraped five charred marks into the ground.
Then it spat a burst of blazing fire toward the distance.
A.J.
He stared at the flame dancing at the end of Charmeleon’s tail, his throat bobbing with difficulty.
“H-how did it evolve so suddenly after the battle…”
Ash smiled and stroked Charmeleon’s neck, feeling the hot pulse beneath its skin.
“This is proof that we’ve become stronger together!”
Charmeleon turned its head and rubbed against Ash’s palm, letting out a low purr from its throat like a rolling war drum.
At that moment, through the broken ceiling, the afterglow of the setting sun happened to fall in, coating Charmeleon in a golden-red halo.
It lifted its head and let out a victorious cry, the sound waves making the entire Gym hum.
Charmeleon stood there majestically, the flame on its tail leaping and dancing, yet when Ash reached out, it obediently lowered its head and allowed him to stroke it.
Compared to Charmander’s unruly attitude after evolving in the original story, the sight of Charmeleon affectionately nuzzling Ash’s palm now formed a sharp contrast.
“As expected of Ash.
Even his evolved Charmeleon is this obedient!” Misty exclaimed.
Brock’s gaze was full of relief.
“It seems Ash’s training during this time hasn’t just improved his and his Pokémon’s strength.
It has also deepened the bonds between them.”
Ash smiled and withdrew his hand, anticipation shining in his eyes.
He aimed the scanner at Charmeleon.
As blue light flashed, detailed data appeared on the screen.
[Pokémon: Charmeleon]
[Gender: Male]
[Type: Fire]
[Introduction: The Flame Pokémon and the evolved form of Charmander.
When battling powerful opponents, if it becomes excited, it may sometimes spit blue-white flames.]
[Base Stat Total: 405]
[Ability: Blaze — When HP is low, the power of Fire-type moves increases.]
[Current Strength: Gym Level]
[Potential: Champion Level]
[Moves: Scratch; Growl; Ember; Smokescreen; Dragon Breath; Fire Fang; Slash; Flamethrower; Brick Break; Crunch; Dig; Dragon Claw; Dragon Dance; Dragon Pulse; Dragon Tail; Fire Punch; Thunder Punch; Fire Spin; Swords Dance; Sunny Day; Protect; Heat Wave]
[Status: Healthy]
Charmeleon raised its head and let out a thunderous roar.
The flame on its tail surged instantly, sending a wave of scorching heat across the arena.
A.J., standing to the side, had already recovered from his shock.
The arrogance on his face had completely disappeared, replaced by deep unwillingness.
The setting sun spilled through the damaged roof of the Gym, stretching Charmeleon’s shadow long across the floor.
Ash turned off the scanner and looked back at his companions.
“Let’s go!
Time to keep moving.”
Misty and Brock exchanged a smile and answered together.
The figures of the three people and two Pokémon gradually moved away, leaving only A.J.
behind, still questioning his entire life.
At the moment Charmeleon’s evolution light erupted, the Team Rocket trio was sneaking around the outside of the Gym.
Jessie held up a telescope.
“That Pokémon Egg and that newly evolved Charmeleon will both be ours!”
James toyed with a Poké Ball and licked his lips.
“Once they finish battling, we can swoop in and reap the rewards.”
Meowth crouched nearby, his tail swaying excitedly.
“This time, we’ll definitely catch Pikachu too, meow!”
However, the instant Charmeleon roared toward the sky and its tail flame surged, a pillar of fire shot straight upward like an arrow released from a bow.
The bushes where Team Rocket was hiding were instantly ignited.
The flames licked at the trio’s backsides, and their hair curled black in an instant.
“Ah!
Help!
My hair!” Jessie screamed, rolling on the ground as she tried to put out the flames on her body.
James clutched his head and ran around wildly, crying, “My beautiful face!”
Meowth’s burned tail puffed up like a feather duster as he rolled and crawled, shouting, “Meow!
Meow-meow!”
When the flames finally faded, the trio lay on the ground covered in ash and dirt.
Their clothes were ragged, and their faces were smeared with black soot.
Jessie raised a trembling finger toward the Gym.
“T-too terrifying… Maybe we should…”
Before she could finish, James had already scrambled away.
“N-next time… We’ll talk about it next time!”
Meowth followed closely behind, wailing as he ran.
“Team Rocket really got burned this time, meow!”
Meanwhile, Ash and the others knew nothing of this and continued toward their next destination.