Mr. Fuji had been sitting quietly on the park bench for most of the morning, but now the stillness was beginning to itch at him. The crowd of trainers who had bought "predictions" from Ethan Carter earlier were scattered across the field, each with their Pokémon locked in focused practice. Curiosity tugged him to his feet.
With his notebook tucked under one arm, Fuji strolled into the training grounds, weaving between groups. He watched carefully, noting the ways each trainer adapted their Pokémon's practice based on Ethan's precise instructions.
About fifty minutes later, he stopped short. In one corner, a Bulbasaur stood braced on its squat legs, eyes narrowed, its bud trembling slightly. A faint green shimmer began to draw in from the surrounding air—an almost visible pull of nature itself.
Then, with a sudden surge, it released the gathered energy in a brilliant green sphere. The Energy Ball shot forward, humming with power before bursting against the practice target in a shower of sparks.
The trainer threw his arms up, grinning from ear to ear. "It's done! My Bulbasaur's learned Energy Ball—exactly on the thirty-fifth try, just like he said! Incredible!"
Fuji jotted down the result in his small notebook, nodding to himself.
He continued to wander, taking in other pockets of intense focus. Time slipped past almost without notice. By the time the sun stood high overhead, Fuji had four complete case studies written down.
In every single one, Ethan's prediction had been exact—down to the last repetition. The trainers who were still working hadn't yet hit their target counts, but they called out encouragement with a kind of giddy certainty:
"Come on, Nidorino! Only two hundred and fifty-one more times and you'll nail Poison Sting!"
"Hang in there, Mareep—you've got sixty-one tries left before you learn Electro Ball!"
"Raticate, keep going! One hundred and five more swings and we'll have Sword Dance!"
Fuji shook his head in amazement. It's not luck. There's a method here… something I've never seen before.
Not far away, Ethan was busy with his own mission—putting Charmander through real battle experience.
Their current opponent was an Arbok, its purple coils gleaming in the sun. At its trainer's shout, it lunged forward, mouth opening wide to spew a torrent of shimmering, corrosive liquid.
From the sidelines, Fuji's heart lurched. Charmander was in mid-charge, Dragon Breath gathering in his throat. The angle was wrong; he wouldn't finish the attack in time to block or dodge.
If that hits him… Fuji's thoughts darkened.
Both Pokémon were already battered, scales and skin bearing the marks of earlier exchanges. A direct hit from Dissolving Liquid would end this battle—and possibly hospitalize the Fire-type.
Then Ethan's voice cut through the air, calm but sharp.
"Charmander—aim Dragon Breath at the ground!"
There was no hesitation. Charmander snapped his head down and unleashed the black-and-scorching stream point-blank at the earth. The blast's recoil launched him upward, flipping his small body over the edge of Arbok's attack.
"Now—Spark!" Ethan called.
"Rua~!"
Still airborne, Charmander expelled a compact ball of flame.
Across the field, the opposing trainer's eyes widened. "Arbok! Move!"
But Arbok's body was sluggish, its wounds slowing its reaction. The fire struck true, igniting across its scales. The snake let out a strangled cry before collapsing in defeat.
Charmander bounded straight to Ethan, eyes shining with triumph.
Ethan dropped to one knee, pulling him into a fierce hug. "That was brilliant! This morning alone, you've won eight matches in a row. You've really surprised me today."
"Rua~ Rua~!" Charmander puffed his chest out, then jabbed a claw toward the battle ring as if to say, Let's keep going!
Ethan chuckled. "Easy there. Take a breather."
Until now, he'd chosen opponents one or two levels below Charmander to build confidence. This Arbok had been their first equal-level test—and they'd passed. But with the park's available opponents, there weren't many "safe" matches left for today. Better to wait until the afternoon to hunt for the next challenge.
Glancing up at Charmander, Ethan's eyes lit. His system interface had updated:
Pokémon: Charmander (Shiny)Level: 15 (Winning streak active—positive mood boosts battle eagerness. Leveling much faster. 198 days until next level.)Qualification: EliteIntimacy: 10 (–25 → 10)Ability: BlazeGender: MaleSkills: Scratch (26%), Growl (18%), Ember (21%), Smokescreen (16%), Dragon Breath (11%)Description:A Charmander who has regained his fighting spirit…
The leap from Level 14 to 15 was satisfying enough—but the winning streak buff was priceless. Losing it now to a poorly chosen battle would be a disaster.
The real focus now is skill proficiency, Ethan thought. At Level 15, the maximum for any move was 30%. None of Charmander's skills were there yet.
He remembered the Ember duel earlier that morning—Charmander's opponent had been seven proficiency points behind. That difference alone had meant slower casting, weaker flames, and an easy win. If all of Charmander's moves hit their peak, they could push far beyond their weight class.
Lena's voice broke his thoughts. "Ethan! Lunch at the Pokémon House? Grandpa and I are heading back."
Ethan looked down at his partner. "What do you say, Charmander? Back for lunch?"
"Rua~." The answer was immediate—a firm shake of the head.
Ethan's smile deepened. "Still hungry for battles, huh?"
Charmander's gaze burned with quiet resolve. He wasn't just fighting for strength anymore—he had a vision. One day, he'd face the trainer who abandoned him, and that person would see what they had thrown away.
I was never weak. You just didn't know how to train me.
Ethan reached down to ruffle his head. "All right. We'll eat here. That place—" he pointed to an upscale Pokémon restaurant nearby "—looks perfect."
Meanwhile, on their walk back, Lena glanced sideways at her grandfather. "You've been watching all morning. What do you think?"
Fuji exhaled slowly. "Last night I still doubted you. But after today… I believe it.
"He's perfect for being a trainer. Beyond his unusual ability, he understands Pokémon psychology on a level I've rarely seen. In one afternoon, he's made Charmander more cheerful than I've ever seen him.
"Most trainers, when a Pokémon makes a mistake or loses, scold them, blame them… sometimes even abandon them. Ethan is different. All I've seen from him is encouragement. Maybe the praise sounds exaggerated to us—but to a Pokémon, it's gold."
He looked at Lena meaningfully. "Did you see Charmander's expression when Ethan praised him? That joy was real. I've never seen it before he arrived. I'm even considering apologizing to him—yesterday I thought about asking him to leave the Pokémon House."
Fuji's voice softened. "Lena, find Charmander's Poké Ball this afternoon. Give it to Ethan when the time feels right. Charmander deserves a trainer like him."
"Okay, Grandpa." She hesitated, then smiled slyly. "So… whose gift is better? Ethan's ability, or your old friend's Viridian Power?"
Fuji's eyes drifted to the horizon, memories flickering behind them. "…That's a harder question than you think."