Having a Squirtle as a starter already said something about Wang Miao's background.
The Secret Realms had descended only two centuries ago. Pokémon were widespread now—but not to the point where every household casually owned a starter.
For most ordinary families, beginning with a regional bird Pokémon was already considered a good start.
Know your enemy, know yourself—victory is assured.
This was Charmander's first real battle.
There was no way Lin Yu could afford to lose.
He immediately activated Eye of Insight.
[Pokémon: Squirtle]
[Ability: Torrent]
[Gender: Male]
[Talent: Gym-tier]
[Level: 9]
[Moves: Tackle, Water Gun, Tail Whip, Bubble]
Four moves.
Level 9.
And Water-type.
A natural counter to Charmander.
If this guy was a freshman, he was definitely among the top of his batch.
But Lin Yu wanted to win.
And Wang Miao wanted it just as badly.
He had partnered with Squirtle nearly three months ago. It had reached the peak of Beginner-tier. Just one step away from breaking into Standard-tier.
But that final step refused to come.
He needed a fierce battle.
A real fight to trigger a breakthrough.
After a short rest, the two sides took their positions.
Lin Yu had watched countless Pokémon battles on TV.
But commanding one himself?
His blood was boiling.
The match began.
Wang Miao struck first—his voice sharp and decisive, nothing like his earlier shyness.
Clearly a battle enthusiast.
"Squirtle! Water Gun!"
The jet of water shot forward at high speed—evidence of solid training.
"Circle behind the concrete pillar!"
Lin Yu responded instantly.
In real battles, shouting "Dodge!" wasn't enough.
You had to tell them where to dodge.
Water Gun smashed into the pillar, splintering stone and spraying debris.
Charmander slipped behind cover flawlessly.
"Good! Charmander—Flame Rain!"
"Flame Rain?"
Wang Miao blinked—
Just as Charmander's mouth filled with surging fire.
A basketball-sized fireball launched into the air above Squirtle—
Then exploded.
Flames fanned outward like a blazing arc.
"What?! Advanced move application?!"
Wang Miao's voice cracked.
This was coming from a Charmander?
"Squirtle! Withdraw into your shell!"
He reacted quickly.
There was no dodging that wide-area attack.
Better to turtle up.
Boom!
The scattered embers slammed into Squirtle's shell.
Steam burst outward as moisture evaporated instantly.
All three pairs of eyes locked onto the white mist.
When it cleared—
The shell was glowing red.
Then—
A pair of eyes popped out.
Swirling with stars.
Wang Miao's eyes widened.
"One move? One move?!"
Squirtle was Water-type.
It had type advantage.
And still—
One-shot.
That didn't make sense.
Was this Charmander already Standard-tier?
"Incredible, Charmander!"
Lin Yu and Charmander bumped fists in celebration.
He had prepared for a tough fight—even braced himself for injuries.
But he hadn't expected—
Their first coordinated battle to flow so perfectly.
[Ding. Congratulations. Charmander has won its first battle. Reward: One Monthly Trait. Open now?]
The translucent interface appeared.
Lin Yu grinned.
Good things really did come in pairs.
Monthly refreshes usually meant high odds of Blue-tier traits.
He decided not to open it immediately.
"Thank you," Wang Miao said sincerely after recalling Squirtle. "You and your Charmander are really strong."
Both the command execution and Pokémon strength had surpassed him.
He had always considered himself among the top freshmen.
But compared to upperclassmen—
There was still a gap.
He had already assumed Lin Yu was at least a second- or third-year student.
There was no way someone who had just obtained a Pokémon could be this strong.
That Charmander had to be Standard-tier already.
If Lin Yu could hear his thoughts—
He'd probably smile modestly and say:
It's barely a month old. Still just a baby~
Wang Miao clearly wanted to ask more, but Squirtle needed treatment. He hurried off.
"Charrr~!"
Charmander stood there, completely unscathed, eyes still burning with excitement.
Victory hadn't fully sunk in yet.
Lin Yu finally opened the Monthly Trait.
A streak of purple light flashed.
His eyes widened.
Purple.
From a Monthly refresh.
His luck today was absurd.
[Purple Trait — Fairy Wings]
Young one, do you wish to soar through the skies? Equip this trait to instantly learn Fairy Wings.
A flying trait?
Lin Yu blinked.
So "can't learn Fly" had a solution.
He crouched and looked at Charmander.
"Charmander… want to fly?"
"Char?"
Charmander tilted its head.
Master isn't delirious from happiness, right?
I'm a Charmander.
Not a Charizard.
I can't fly.
Yet somehow—
Lin Yu felt like he understood that exact thought.
Without hesitation, he swapped out [Thick Hide] and equipped [Fairy Wings].
A pair of shimmering, translucent wings formed on Charmander's back.
"Char?!"
I'm flying?!
Master wasn't joking?!
Dragon's going airborne?!
Charmander lifted awkwardly into the air, wobbling slightly—but unmistakably airborne.
The wings responded to its will.
"Charrr~!"
For any Pokémon that couldn't normally fly—
This trait was a hidden trump card.
Watching Charmander carefully hover, Lin Yu sighed.
Great.
Another skill to train.
Thankfully, Charmander was a workaholic.
He barely needed reminders.
Sometimes Lin Yu had to remind it to go home and rest.
Since it was still early, Lin Yu decided to open today's refresh.
[Weekly Trait available. Open now?]
"Ah. New week already."
That explained his absurd luck today.
"Open it. Please be something good."
He tapped the interface.
[Blue Trait — Food Supply Station]
When equipped, for 30 minutes after consuming food, the Pokémon gains a random buff.
Lin Yu's grin widened.
Blue-tier.
And useful.
Another strong trait added to the arsenal.