After leaving Cerulean City, Ash, Misty, and Brock walked beneath the morning sun as they headed toward Vermilion City.
After traveling for a while, they arrived at what appeared to be an ordinary, unofficial Gym.
“So this is that unofficial Gym?” Misty frowned in confusion.
“It looks kind of run-down.”
They had come here because, on the road to Vermilion City, Ash and his friends had repeatedly been challenged by other Trainers.
Every battle gave their Pokémon valuable experience in real combat.
Later, during a particularly intense battle with a passing Trainer, Ash’s Metapod was enveloped in a brilliant light.
When the light faded, Butterfree emerged and spread its wings before the group.
Afterward, Ash used several TMs to teach Butterfree new moves.
Butterfree’s current data appeared as follows:
[Pokémon: Butterfree]
[Gender: Male]
[Types: Bug, Flying]
[Introduction: The Butterfly Pokémon and the evolved form of Metapod.
The scales on its wings allow it to skim across the surface of water.
Those poisonous scales also repel water, allowing it to keep flying even on rainy days.]
[Base Stat Total: 395]
[Ability: Compound Eyes — Its compound eyes boost its accuracy.]
[Hidden Ability: Tinted Lens — The Pokémon can use “not very effective” moves to deal regular damage.]
[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, the passing Trainer mentioned a rather unusual unofficial Gym nearby.
Curious, Ash, Misty, and Brock decided to check it out, which was how they had ended up here.
Misty looked up at the sign by the Gym entrance in surprise.
“Ninety-eight consecutive wins?
That’s pretty amazing.”
The number stood out on the sunlit sign.
“That’s only because he hasn’t met me.
If he’d met me earlier, he would’ve lost already.” Ash smiled.
“You want to test that?” a challenging voice called from nearby.
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw A.J., a Trainer with dark green spiky hair, walking over to them.
Ash looked at A.J.
with a confident smile.
“Yes.
Please accept my challenge.”
It was A.J., known as the “Beast Tamer.”
“All right.
Come inside first.” A.J.
nodded and led them into the Gym.
The moment they stepped inside, a Butterfree flew over and picked up the backpack A.J.
had left on the ground.
Brock watched Butterfree carry the backpack away and frowned.
“What was in that backpack?”
“It contains the Poké Balls of the Pokémon I caught.
There are plenty more inside the tent,” A.J.
replied as if this were perfectly routine.
A.J.
stepped into the ring, looked over the group, and smirked.
“So, which one of you is going to be the loser in my ninety-ninth win?”
He spoke with contempt.
Being called a loser was enough to irritate anyone.
Ash’s face darkened as he stepped into the ring.
He stared at A.J.
and sighed.
“You’re getting ahead of yourself.
I’ll show you the difference between us.”
“You’re the one bragging.
We’re not even on the same level.” A.J.
waved the whip in his hand, confident as ever.
“Once I reach one hundred wins, I’ll set out 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 gave him a teasing smile, returning A.J.’s provocation.
“Fine.
Let the battle begin!
shouted as he threw his Poké Ball first.
Red light flashed, and a Sandshrew with tough, segmented hide appeared in the ring.
It let out a low growl and took a battle stance.
“Heh.
Charmander, you’re up!” Ash answered at once, throwing his Poké Ball.
As soon as Charmander appeared, it spat a burst of fire and glared at Sandshrew with fierce determination.
“You’re using a Fire-type Charmander against my Ground-type Sandshrew?
You really are a rookie.” A.J.
smirked at Ash’s choice.
“I’m only trying to tell you that when the difference in strength is great enough, type matchups stop mattering,” Ash replied with confidence.
Sandshrew kicked off the ground with its hind legs, sending gravel flying behind it as it shot toward Charmander.
A.J.
cracked his whip.
“Use Dig!”
Sandshrew tore into the ground with its sharp front claws and disappeared in an instant, vanishing into the hole it had dug.
Ash calmly raised a hand.
“Charmander, Protect!”
A green barrier appeared around Charmander.
The ground beneath Charmander exploded.
Sandshrew burst out of the earth and slammed into the barrier, only to be thrown backward.
“Flamethrower!” Ash ordered.
The instant Ash gave the command, flames surged violently inside Charmander’s mouth.
The scorching blast sent Sandshrew flying.
It hit the ground with its body scorched black, shook its head, and staggered back to its feet.
“Hmph!
You’re only delaying the inevitable!” A.J.
sneered.
“Drill Run!”
Sandshrew spun like a drill and charged toward Charmander.
Ash thrust an arm high into the air.
“Charmander, use Fire Spin!”
A vortex of flames erupted around Sandshrew, trapping it.
The orange-red pillar spun around its body, showering the arena with sparks and filling the air with the smell of scorched flesh.
“Finish it!
Use Fire Fang!” Ash shouted.
Charmander lunged forward, its fangs wrapped in flames, and bit down hard on Sandshrew’s neck.
Sandshrew cried out in pain, collapsed to the ground, and was unable to battle.
A.J.’s grip on the whip trembled as he stared at the powerful Charmander in the ring, unable to believe what had happened.
“H-how is that possible…?” he muttered.
Ash spoke calmly.
“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 began glowing with bright orange-gold light.
The light thickened around it until its entire body vanished from sight.
Waves of heat rippled outward, lifting the dust along the edge of the ring.
Ash’s pupils contracted, 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.
Its once-rounded claws became as sharp as hooks, and the raised bony crest on its head pierced through the glow like a horn.
Its tail lengthened until it reached half a person’s height, while the flame at its tip burned brighter with every passing second.
Its orange-red scales gradually darkened to a rich crimson.
Its once-small snout also grew longer and sharper, revealing pale fangs beneath it.
“Roar—!”
With a deafening roar, the light vanished.
A powerful Charmeleon stood proudly in the ring.
It straightened its body, now nearly two meters tall, and exhaled scorching air through its nostrils.
Its blue eyes swept across the arena as its claws scraped five charred marks into the ground.
Then it threw back its head and spat a burst of fire through a gap in the Gym’s damaged roof.
A.J.
froze in place.
The whip slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a slap.
“H-how did it evolve right after the battle…?”
Ash smiled as he stroked Charmeleon’s neck, feeling the hot pulse beneath its skin.
“This is proof that we’ve become stronger together!”
Charmeleon turned its head, rubbed against Ash’s palm, and let out a deep, rumbling purr.
The afterglow of the setting sun streamed through a gap in the damaged roof, covering Charmeleon in a golden-red light.
It raised its head and let out a victorious cry that made the entire Gym vibrate.
Charmeleon stood proudly with the flame on its tail flickering behind it, yet when Ash reached out, it obediently lowered its head and allowed him to stroke it.
Unlike Ash’s disobedient Charmeleon in the original story, this Charmeleon affectionately nuzzled Ash’s palm.
“Just what I’d expect from Ash!
Even after evolving, Charmeleon still listens to him!” Misty exclaimed.
Brock looked relieved.
“It seems Ash’s training hasn’t just made him and his Pokémon stronger.
It has also deepened the bonds between them.”
Ash smiled and withdrew his hand, eager to see Charmeleon’s new data.
He activated the Pokémon Data Scouter.
Blue light flashed, and detailed data appeared on the small display in front of his eye.
[Pokémon: Charmeleon]
[Gender: Male]
[Type: Fire]
[Introduction: The Flame Pokémon and the evolved form of Charmander.
When battling a powerful opponent, it can become so excited that it spits bluish-white flames.]
[Base Stat Total: 405]
[Ability: Blaze — Powers up Fire-type moves when the Pokémon’s HP is low.]
[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, sending a wave of intense heat across the arena.
A.J., who stood off to the side, had already recovered from his shock.
The arrogance had vanished from his face, but he still seemed unwilling to accept his defeat.
The setting sun shone through the Gym’s damaged roof, stretching Charmeleon’s shadow long across the floor.
Ash switched off the Pokémon Data Scouter and looked back at his companions.
“Let’s go!
Time to keep moving.”
Misty and Brock exchanged a smile and agreed.
The three Trainers and two Pokémon gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving only A.J.
behind to question everything he thought he knew.
Earlier, at the moment Charmeleon’s evolution light erupted, the Team Rocket trio had been sneaking around outside the Gym.
Jessie held up a telescope.
“That Pokémon Egg and that newly evolved Charmeleon will both be ours!”
James rolled a Poké Ball between his fingers and licked his lips.
“Once they finish battling, we can swoop in and take them.”
Meowth crouched nearby, his tail swaying with excitement.
“This time, we’ll definitely catch Pikachu too, meow!”
However, the instant Charmeleon roared toward the sky and the flame on its tail surged, a pillar of fire shot through the damaged roof.
The flames spilled outside and hurtled toward the bushes where Team Rocket was hiding.
The bushes burst into flames.
Fire licked at the trio’s backsides, and their hair curled and turned black in an instant.
“Ah!
Help!
My hair!” Jessie screamed, rolling across the ground as she tried to smother the flames on her body.
James clutched his head and ran in circles, crying, “My beautiful face!”
Meowth’s burned tail puffed up like a feather duster as he rolled and crawled across the ground, shouting, “Meow!
Meow-meow!”
When the flames finally died down, the trio lay on the ground covered in ash and dirt.
Their clothes were ragged, and black soot covered their faces.
Jessie raised a trembling finger toward the Gym.
“T-too terrifying… Maybe we should…”
Before she could finish, James was already scrambling away.
“N-next time… We’ll talk about it next time!”
Meowth ran after him, wailing as he fled.
“Team Rocket really got burned this time, meow!”
Ash and the others knew nothing about what had happened and continued toward their next destination.