Deep within the redwood forest, a Pokémon appeared with what looked like twin blades in its hands.
Or rather—its arms themselves were razor-sharp weapons.
Scyther.
It had two pairs of small wings, though it rarely relied on them for flight. Its powerful thighs were edged with sharp ridges, and each foot ended in three hooked claws capable of tearing through flesh and bark alike.
---
Scyther
Level: Lv.16
Type: Bug / Flying
Ability: None
Individual Values:
HP: 14
Attack: 22
Defense: 12
Special Attack: 18
Special Defense: 9
Speed: 26
Talent: Normal
Moves: Quick Attack, Leer, Fury Cutter, Wing Attack, Double Team
---
A Level 16 Scyther.
No Ability.
Chen Ran made his judgment instantly.
Against his Charmeleon—this fight would be decided in one move.
"Charmeleon," Chen Ran said calmly.
"Finish it."
The effects of the Silver Whistle were undeniable.
The moment it took effect, a 500-point Pokémon had appeared.
"Char—!"
Charmeleon had been itching for a real fight. At Chen Ran's command, flames surged around its claws as it lunged forward.
Its speed was astonishing.
Watching through the live feed, Counselor Chen Ning froze for a moment.
"That speed—!"
Charmander had never been known for agility. Even Charizard typically gained speed only after acquiring the Flying type.
But Charmeleon—
Its movement was crisp, explosive, and clean.
Flames erupted.
Boom—!
A torrent of scarlet fire engulfed Scyther in an instant.
Before it could even react, its body was sent crashing to the ground, smoke rising from scorched armor. Its eyes spun, star-shaped patterns appearing as it lost consciousness completely.
At the same moment, system notifications rang out.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host. Charmeleon defeated Scyther and gained 100 EXP. Due to the experience multiplier, total EXP gained: 200."
"Ding! Congratulations to the host. Charmeleon has reached Level 16."
"Ding! Charmeleon has reached the evolutionary threshold and is beginning to evolve."
"…!"
White light burst forth.
Chen Ran's eyes widened.
This was the first time he had ever personally witnessed a Pokémon evolution.
He quickly took out his phone, recording the moment.
"Evolution…?"
Watching from the monitoring room, Chen Ning smiled unconsciously.
If it were still Charmander, breaking into the top ranks during the freshman training camp would be difficult.
But Charmeleon was different.
Its potential skyrocketed.
"Come on, Chen Ran," Chen Ning murmured.
"You're the genius even Elite Lance believes in."
Within the redwood forest, Charmeleon's silhouette shifted inside the brilliant white glow.
Moments later, a taller, sharper figure emerged.
When the light finally faded—
Charmander had evolved into Charmeleon.
A horn-like protrusion rose from the back of its head. Its snout sharpened into a more angular shape, its eyes burning with confidence and strength.
"It's taller," Chen Ran said softly.
"And… much stronger."
Charmander had barely reached a meter tall.
Charmeleon now stood well over 1.5 meters, its body lean, powerful, and intimidating.
What Chen Ran didn't immediately notice—
This Charmeleon was far larger than average.
Chen Ning noticed instantly.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the screen.
"Perfect muscle structure."
"Flawless skeletal growth."
"Bright eyes. Violent tail flame."
"This is a top-tier Charmeleon."
Despite her youth, Chen Ning was already a quasi–Gym-level Trainer, and she had majored in Pokémon Breeding during university.
Her evaluation carried real weight.
"No wonder Elite Lance values him so highly…"
This Charmeleon alone was enough to carry Chen Ran to Gym level, or even beyond.
Back in the Sequoia Secret Realm, Chen Ran fed Charmeleon an Energy Cube as a reward.
"Well done," he said, patting its head.
Then, he activated the Eye of Insight.
---
Charmeleon
Level: Lv.16
Type: Fire
Ability 1: Solar Power (details omitted)
Ability 2: Water Absorb (details omitted)
Talent: God-Level
Individual Values: Slightly Above Average
Moves:
Scratch
Growl
Ember
Fire Punch
Blaze Kick
Bulldoze
Dragon Breath
---
On the surface, not much had changed.
But Charmeleon's base stats had surged dramatically.
Its total combat strength exceeded 400, with Special Attack and Speed both climbing past 80.
This would make further exploration far smoother.
"Charmeleon," Chen Ran said firmly.
"Let's keep going."
His pace wouldn't slow here.
His goal was first place.
And the reward—
That quasi-legendary Pokémon—
He intended to take it from the Champion's son.
"Char—roar!"
Charmeleon surged forward, energized by the violent power coursing through its body.
After evolving, it craved battle.
Wild Pokémon continued to appear in rapid succession.
Within a single hour, Chen Ran accumulated 3,000 points, instantly claiming first place on the real-time freshman rankings.
"Chen Ran, keep it up!"
Watching the feed, Chen Ning cheered unconsciously.
For a moment, she even felt—
That Chen Ran might truly eclipse the Champion's son.
In the monitoring room, however, several faculty members remained unconvinced.
"He's just lucky."
"He ran into too many wild Pokémon early."
"He won't last."
Their attention remained fixed on Ye Feng, the Champion's son.
Deep inside the secret realm, Chen Ran knew none of this.
As he continued pushing deeper—
A system prompt suddenly appeared.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host. The Champion-Talent Pokémon Egg is about to hatch."
-------------Author---------------
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