Lucas narrowed his eyes as he read the description.
He then walked past Jally and approached Charizard.
Looking down on its own Trainer? Showing no mercy to weak Pokémon?
Lucas let out a soft chuckle in his heart, then lightly kicked Charizard with his foot.
Meeting Charizard's furious gaze, the corner of Lucas's mouth curled up slightly.
"I heard you think you're very strong?"
Charizard's nostrils flared, and it immediately unleashed a Flamethrower.
Gothitelle instantly appeared in front of Lucas and blocked the Flamethrower.
Loke's Dragonite felt the surrounding temperature drop. It looked at Lilligant and the others as they surrounded Charizard.
It recalled its own battle with Lilligant back then.
You're on your own now.
Dragonite said silently in its heart, then shook its head.
Lucas looked at the standing Charizard and said, "Do you want to have a battle? Let's see if you're truly powerful or just an arrogant fraud with a hollow reputation."
After he spoke, Gengar, Lilligant, and the others covered their mouths and started snickering.
For Charizard, this was a great humiliation. It blasted flames into the sky.
Feeling Charizard's emotions beginning to boil over, Lucas continued to provoke it: "Come on, pick any Pokémon you want."
Charizard glanced at the Pokémon behind Lucas. Seeing weak Pokémon like Vulpix, Lilligant, and Snorunt, it gave a disdainful smirk.
Lucas returned the smile in kind.
He looked back at Gengar and the others; every one of them was raring to go.
"Lickitung."
Lucas called out softly.
Lickitung slammed its four fists together heavily, creating a shockwave that blew Lucas's hair back.
Lucas went over to Lance and the others. Jally asked worriedly, "Manager—"
Lucas gave her a look that said not to worry. Staring at Charizard on the field, he spoke slowly, "Don't worry. For a brat like this who doesn't know his place, the best method is to give him a beating first."
Before Jally could say anything, Loke suddenly spoke up from the side: "Ah?! Another beating?!"
His Dragonite, standing nearby, shuddered as if recalling some bad memory, and nodded its head in agreement.
Lance didn't look worried at all. He snatched some snacks from Dragonite's arms and began eating leisurely.
Dragonite looked at him with a resentful expression.
Gengar went over to Erika and took out some snacks to give to her.
Erika said thank you, took the snacks, and went straight to Lilligant. She crouched down to share the snacks with it, then spoke to Lilligant gently.
Gengar: ————
(≥≤)
Lucas pinched its large face and then walked onto the field.
Without a referee, Charizard flew directly into the sky, its wings bursting with white light.
Wing Attack.
Lucas smiled faintly.
"Lickitung, catch it."
Lickitung's four arms caught Charizard's wings, the muscles on its arms bulging high.
Its feet didn't budge an inch as it caught Charizard's Wing Attack.
Seeing this, Jally couldn't help but let out a 'wow'.
Erika looked at the Machamp whose muscles were constantly surging and couldn't help but marvel in her heart.
What a powerful Machamp.
"Throw it out."
Lickitung threw Charizard straight out, but Charizard flew back again.
"Dynamic Punch!"
Lickitung lowered its stance, and its four fists began to build up power.
Then, they all slammed into Charizard's stomach.
"Awoo! Roar————"
From outside the field, Loke's Dragonite watched with bulging eyes as Charizard collapsed to the ground, spitting up bile.
Its body shuddered once more.
This—
It's too brutal—
After a while, Charizard shakily tried to stand up.
"Give it another punch to clear its head."
Lickitung nodded and approached Charizard.
Then, a Dynamic Punch landed squarely on Charizard's head.
Charizard was knocked flat into the dirt, its tongue lolling out.
Lucas: ————
I don't know if Dynamic Punch caused confusion, but I feel like it definitely caused a concussion this time—
Loke and Dragonite looked at each other.
Dragonite acted even more well-behaved and obedient.
Lance brought his Dragonite over to Lucas and glanced at Lickitung.
"It seems Lickitung's strength has increased again."
Lance's Dragonite placed its thick Dragon Claw on Lickitung's arm. Feeling the power within the arm, it nodded repeatedly.
It wasn't for nothing that it constantly dragged Lickitung, Machoke, and Vex into battle practice at the Breeding House.
"You know how much it eats in one meal; it's not surprising at all that it has such great strength."
Lucas said with a weary heart.
The one with the biggest appetite in the Breeding House now was Lickitung. Even Gengar with its four-dimensional stomach couldn't compare. It ate more than Dash and Vex combined, plus half again.
Truly, the Breeding House has a girl all grown up, with strength to pull up mountains and spirit to cover the world!
Jally came to Lucas's side, looking worriedly at Charizard lying on the ground.
Lucas signaled for her to go over, while he stood aside to discuss with Lance and Erika where they should go for dinner tonight.
After a long time, Charizard regained consciousness. It opened its eyes to see the azure sky and clouds like cotton.
And a very familiar face.
At this moment, that face was filled with deep concern.
Wasn't it teaching a lesson to the humans and Pokémon that provoked it? How did it lose consciousness?
Charizard was dazed for a long time before it remembered that it seemed to have been knocked out by a single punch from Machamp.
Am I... just like what he said, a piece of trash?
Charizard's eyes were vacant.
Jally looked at Lucas with even more worry. Lucas saw that Charizard had woken up.
He spoke: "Are you thinking about whether you really are very weak?"
Charizard tilted its head and looked at Lucas.
He was holding a very cute Vulpix in his arms, which was currently looking at it.
Lucas ignored Charizard's gaze and began his 'Talk-no-Jutsu'.
"Do you still remember why you chose to evolve in the first place?"
Lucas had just learned from Jally about her and Charizard's history of growing up together.
Why did I choose to evolve—
Charizard turned its head back and continued to lie on the ground, looking at the sky and the Spearow and Pidgeotto that flew by from time to time.
"Charmander, thank you. You did your best."
"Charmander, go for it! We can definitely do this."
"Charmander, I believe in you!"
"Charmeleon, that's great! You finally evolved."
"Charmeleon, let's go."
"Charmeleon, hurry and get out of here!!!"
Charizard remembered. Back then, it was because it wanted to protect Jally, as well as Beedrill and the others who were still Weedle. They gave it the courage to evolve, and so did—she, the person it wanted to protect most.
—
—
Recalling why it stopped following her commands—
Perhaps it was because it had been invincible, but then encountered an opponent it had lost to as a Charmander. It thought it could win, but ended up losing again. It listened to that opponent's words and felt that its Trainer was the problem.
But—Charizard, didn't you love her the most in the beginning?
Charizard's eyes felt a bit warm.
Jally's tears of heartache fell incessantly, splashing onto Charizard. Jally wiped away Charizard's tears and helped it up.
Lucas came to Charizard's side, crouched down, took a Potion from Gengar, and handed it to Jally, letting her help treat Charizard.
He sat down on the ground and looked at Charizard.
۞۞۞۞
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