There's another chapter tonight. I'm working hard at home to add it.
Qing Wu stayed in Chimney Mountain for almost half a month. Only when Magmortar could adapt to the immense Fire-type energy did Qing Wu withdraw from Chimney Mountain and enjoy a hot spring in Lavaridge Town.
For almost half a month, Qing Wu had to drink nearly 5 kg of water every day.
The herbs sold in Lavaridge Town's herbal medicine shop were of very good quality, but the taste of the medicine was very bitter, and even Pokémon didn't want to drink it.
"Grandpa, someone is here to visit you," Asha said, running in front of Norman.
"It's someone named Qing Wu, who reports that his parents are very familiar with you," Asha reported.
"Qing Wu, I seem to have heard that name somewhere. Let me see him." Norman rubbed his temples; he just couldn't remember. He leaned on his cane and walked towards the Gym's entrance.
The Gym had been heavily booby-trapped by Norman. A normal trainer had to break through layers of traps to see Norman, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Petalburg Region.
Norman was also fed up with some "brainless" trainers.
These trainers, fresh from acquiring Pokémon, ignorantly wanted to challenge him, a recently retired Elite Four member. They truly didn't know the immensity of the world.
Our family doesn't need to put on airs!!!
So, Norman set up a large number of traps. He also had quite a few disciples, and he issued an order that anyone who wanted to battle him must first defeat those disciples.
Not long after, Norman saw a young Qing Wu with black hair, holding a lively Charmander.
"Hello, Grandpa Norman, I am Qing Wu from Qing Wu's Pokémon Day Care," Qing Wu said politely.
"Oh, so it's this kid," Norman recalled. Isn't this the child of the daycare owner I used to frequent?
"Long time no see, Qing Wu. You've grown so big." Norman recalled Qing Wu's background, and he directly let him pass.
"I'd like to ask Grandpa Norman for some training techniques for Charmander," Qing Wu said. He had techniques for raising Dragon-type Pokémon, but for raising Fire-type Pokémon like Charmander, Qing Wu still wanted to ask an expert.
"This is my tuition." Qing Wu still very sensibly took out a small box.
Norman took the box and opened it. Inside were two pieces of untouched, high-quality Fire Stone.
"Do you want to become my disciple? If you do, I can pass on my Charmander training techniques to you," Norman suddenly asked.
"If you don't want to, then take the things in this box back." Norman felt a little tempted, but Norman was a man of principle.
"No, I don't want to become anyone's disciple." Becoming a disciple meant being bound by various rules. For Qing Wu, who was accustomed to being free in the wild, he didn't want such restrictions.
"Then please leave." Norman directly put on a stern face and was about to leave with his cane.
Just when Qing Wu thought it was hopeless, Asha suddenly spoke to Qing Wu.
"Can you battle me? If you win the battle, I can give you Charmander's training techniques. If you lose, you have to become my grandpa's disciple." This suggestion surprised Norman.
Granddaughter, what are you doing?
Norman immediately sensed the Elite Four aura on Qing Wu. He knew Qing Wu was definitely no ordinary person. Battling Qing Wu was different from battling a novice.
"A battle is fine, but you can only use Pokémon of a similar level," Norman said, fearing his granddaughter would lose badly.
Qing Wu originally thought that given their families' relationship and the two excellent Fire Stones, he should be able to get the Charmander training techniques without a fight.
He didn't expect Norman to directly serve tea and see him off after he refused to become a disciple.
Just when Qing Wu thought it was hopeless, he saw a glimmer of hope.
Qing Wu, naturally, wouldn't lose in a battle.
"Coincidentally, I have a Torkoal with the Drought ability. I only recently caught it, and it's a low level, only level 15," Asha suggested.
"Good." Qing Wu was about to send out Charmander.
Charmander had just reached level 10 after training, so battling a level 15 Torkoal shouldn't be too big a problem.
Asha saw Qing Wu nod, then led Qing Wu towards the Lavaridge Gym's battle arena.
Norman's main Pokémon, a Torkoal, followed behind Norman, protecting him.
Looking at this magnificent Torkoal, Qing Wu knew Norman trained it very well. His desire to obtain the Charmander training manual burned even hotter.
"The battle will use a 1-on-1 format. If a Pokémon loses its ability to battle, the other party automatically wins." Norman had no choice but to act as referee, directing the battle.
"Go, Torkoal. Let them see our prowess," a Torkoal with a magnificent shell appeared on the battlefield.
Although Torkoal hadn't woken up yet, it couldn't be bothered by that.
"Torkoal!" Asha stomped her foot impatiently, exerting great effort to wake Torkoal up.
Torkoal yawned, stretched out from its shell, and opened its eyes.
Norman stroked his chin. This large-scale socially awkward scene was unbearable.
"Charmander, prepare for battle, charge!" Charmander had the Speed Boost ability, so a charging Charmander was more suited to its battle style.
Charmander had a wild personality. The more intense the battle, the more excited it became.
"Torkoal, use Smog." Torkoal directly exhaled a large cloud of dark smoke onto the battlefield, concealing its figure in the black mist.
"Charmander, high-speed movement, then Double Team!" Charmander, while moving at high speed, created several copies of itself.
Just then, a continuously spinning shell rushed out from the black mist.
This high-speed spinning Torkoal was similar to a high-speed spinning hitmonchan. The tactic was the same: offense and defense in one.
However, one spray, two sprays.
The spinning shell continuously hit several Double Team copies, but each time one was hit, Charmander recreated a Double Team copy.
"Torkoal, use Flamethrower." Countless pillars of fire swept across the entire battlefield, but Charmander skillfully dodged them all.
Qing Wu definitely doesn't know that I deliberately made the entire battle heat up like this, so I can directly trap Charmander on the battlefield, Asha thought secretly.
This Charmander clearly isn't Fire-type. This time, Asha is confident. If he can make Grandpa accept a talented disciple, Grandpa will definitely look at him differently. Qing Wu will understand with one look, not to mention Norman.
"Ugh, such simple tactics. How can Qing Wu not see through it? This Charmander is indeed unusual; it can absorb flames. So, the training techniques need to be handed over." This is a bit embarrassing.
Charmander ran around the field, not stopping, its goal being to find Torkoal's weak point.
Qing Wu had taught them that when training small Pokémon, such as Sandshrew, Torkoal, and Pineco, to use defensive tactics like high-speed spin, one should look for the center of rotation when trying to break it.
Once the center of gravity was broken, these small Pokémon would lose their balance.
"Torkoal, use Sunny Day!" Torkoal, with its Drought ability, automatically activated Sunny Day the moment it released its Poké Ball.
Torkoal used Sunny Day without needing to charge. Sunny Day was immediately unleashed on the field.
Asha's Torkoal must have been specially trained, its purpose being to counter Grass-type Pokémon. The Sunny Day's duration was extremely long, and Torkoal only stopped releasing Sunny Day after a long time.
The shell continued to spin at high speed in mid-air.
After a burst of smoke passed, Charmander emerged unharmed, yawning. It seemed to be having a lot of fun.
Charmander had just used its keen senses and calm analysis to confirm Torkoal's center of gravity.
So, Charmander stomped on the ground, leaped high, and a white light flashed from its mouth. This was a bite attack.
With the aid of its accelerated state, Charmander successfully struck a point on Torkoal's shell.
Torkoal immediately felt its body losing balance, spinning uncontrollably in the air.
It quickly fell to the ground, helpless.
The high-speed spin tactic was broken. Asha's face was ashen as she sat on the ground.
Charmander was still full of vigor at this moment, showing no signs of fatigue.
"Asha, it seems I won." Qing Wu said to Asha, but his eyes were fixed on Norman.
"I concede, I concede." Norman took out a book of Fire-type secret techniques from his chest.
"This contains all my Fire-type Pokémon training techniques. You can look through it. It contains the small Pokémon I'm good at: Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard, Blaziken, Magmar, and Magmortar. These are all training methods for them. Use them as a reference," Norman said, feigning generosity.
Qing Wu, however, ignored Norman. He opened the pages for Charmander and read them seriously.
After a while, Qing Wu returned the secret technique book to Norman.
"Mr. Norman, you said earlier that you wouldn't look at other Pokémon's training methods when you asked about Charmander's training method," Qing Wu said righteously.
In reality, the moment Qing Wu received the secret technique, he had directly used the system to scan all its contents.
"Did I... act like a gentleman with a villain's heart?" Norman stammered, taking the secret technique back.
Qing Wu didn't stay too long at the Lavaridge Gym. After getting the secret technique, he exchanged a few more polite words with Norman, then walked out of the Lavaridge Gym.
At this moment, Qing Wu had an extra Gym Badge in his hand. If Qing Wu collected eight Gym Badges, he could participate in the Pokémon League. Participating in the Pokémon League would give him a chance to become a Gym Leader.
At that time, if Qing Wu could become the Gym Leader of Kanto, that place would be very close to Qing Wu's Pokémon Day Care. If anything happened at the Day Care, Qing Wu could arrive in minutes.
The Lavaridge Gym was directly down a small path, leading to the entrance of Flannery's tramway.
Qing Wu walked down this small path and, upon reaching the bottom, was not far from Sootopolis City.
Qing Wu looked at the distant desert area. This was the only desert in the Petalburg Region, covering an area of several tens of square kilometers.
There were quite a few veteran fossil enthusiasts who would come here to excavate fossils.
Just then, Qing Wu saw a huge stone-piled tall tower standing in the distant desert. The tall tower was hidden and visible in the sandstorm.
"I hope I'm not that lucky," Qing Wu muttered.
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