In the blink of an eye, all the Pokémon had awakened. This time, each one emerged from their rest with newfound progress from their training.
Yet as the stats were tallied, everyone's attention inevitably shifted to the newest member of the team—the little monkey.
Like a Torchic thrown into a flock of Mareep, Chimchar instantly became the object of overwhelming affection. Training techniques came flying at him from every direction, nearly more than he could handle.
Garchomp's killer instinct. Aggron's thunderous roars. Electivire's intense electromagnetic fields. Torterra's life-giving aura. Ninetales' gravity training. Froslass' ghostly illusions. Drapion's nerve-point strikes. Mewtwo's oppressive presence…
In their own unique ways, every Pokémon welcomed Chimchar into the family—ensuring the little one understood just how "warm and loving" this household could be.
And from there, Chimchar became the nucleus—his intense training experience used as an excuse to try new methods on the others, under the noble banner of "collective growth." Painful growth, of course.
Paul's Pokémon had ample experience in this kind of thing. Ruthless as always, each one executed their part with brutal precision.
But unlike in the past, this time they had to hold back—Chimchar was special. Injuring him during training was strictly off-limits.
—
Days had passed.
Having completed their recovery training under the Tree of Beginning, Paul bid farewell to Mew and walked with Chimchar now fully healed, back toward civilization. But when they crossed the forest's threshold and turned back, the tree was nowhere in sight, as if it had never existed.
Still, Paul didn't stop walking. His path remained clear.
—
One day later , inside the Pokémon Center near Viridian City…
"Chimchar is doing great." Nurse Joy said with a cheerful smile as she handed over the Poké Ball. "Keep up the good work!"
"Thanks."
Paul took the Poké Ball, released Chimchar, and headed out of the center.
"Yah~!"
Chimchar followed closely, his eyes sparkling with memories of the dreamlike days that had just passed.
He had been hunted, cornered, pushed to the brink, and then captured. Now he had a Trainer. Strong companions. A clearer sense of the world.
Life was still tough, training was grueling, and injuries were daily occurrences—but at least he no longer had to scavenge for food or fear being attacked for trespassing. Chimchar was already more than content.
More importantly, all the pain he endured now had purpose. Each session, each battle made him stronger. To him, this life was a dream come true.
A gleam of hope burned bright in Chimchar's eyes.
"Hey bro, what's up?"
While walking, Paul answered a call from Reggie.
"How's it been lately? Made any progress?"
Reggie's gentle smile appeared on the screen, his eyes focused warmly on his younger brother.
"Not bad. My team's improving steadily. Most Trainers aren't much of a threat anymore."
Paul answered calmly, then turned the camera slightly to show Chimchar.
"This one's a new addition."
"Hi there, Chimchar! I'll be counting on you to help take care of Paul from now on."
Reggie waved cheerfully at the screen.
"Yahh~!"
Chimchar imitated Reggie's wave and gave a bright thumbs-up, as if to say:
'Leave it to me!'
"Don't get ahead of yourself." Paul said coolly. "Beat me first."
"Yahh…"
Just that single line made Chimchar visibly shiver.
He remembered vividly—back at the Tree of Beginning, he had gone all out with Flame Wheel, only for Paul to stop it cold with a single punch.
'Weren't humans supposed to be weak?
Why was my Trainer this strong, able to take an attack head-on without flinching?'
"Ahaha… Paul really is something else." Reggie chuckled. "Don't feel down, though. Just keep getting stronger. You've got a bright future, Chimchar."
"Yahh~!"
Reassured, Chimchar perked up instantly.
'Of course! With a Trainer this amazing, there was no reason to despair.
If anything, it meant his own potential for growth was even greater.'
"This guy's got powerful fire within." Paul said. "Any training ideas, bro?"
Although Reggie wasn't as battle-hardened as Paul, his advice was always valuable—he had a unique way of seeing things that Paul respected deeply.
"Fire, huh…" Reggie paused. "Nothing comes to mind off the top of my head. You've probably already thought of everything I could suggest, like Ursaluna's Rage State or Drapion's pressure-point strikes."
Reggie sometimes felt a bit helpless. His brother was too smart. Half the time, Paul had already explored all the routes Reggie might bring up.
"Though, I can give you some suggestions regarding one of your other Pokémon."
"Other Pokémon?" Paul raised an eyebrow.
Most of his team already had clear development paths. What could be missing?
"Ninetales," Reggie said simply. "The others are fine, but I feel like your vision for Ninetales isn't as defined."
"You think so?"
In Paul's mind, Ninetales shared a similar role to Electivire—versatile and capable.
Melee, ranged, control, harassment, speed, psychic abilities… She could handle just about any opponent. No glaring weaknesses.
"But look, Chimchar has greater raw fire potential than Ninetales. As for psychic powers, your team already includes several potent users. Metagross, for example, has far superior mental force and tactical ability. Froslass surpasses her in trickery and illusions."
"In terms of versatility, Electivire's better. Defensively…"
Reggie laid out his analysis swiftly.
Ninetales was powerful—but in Paul's team of monsters, she was starting to feel redundant. Beyond Gravity, her strengths were ordinary.
She still outclassed Pokémon like Aggron or Drapion in combat power. But when it came to future growth, she lacked a clear edge.
Especially now, with Chimchar in the mix, Ninetales' role was more ambiguous than ever.
"So what's your recommendation?"
Paul asked directly.
"Gravity and psychic synergy."
"I've raised multiple Vulpix to learn Gravity." Reggie explained. "Even used the same methods as you. But very few succeeded. And even those who did, none were nearly as fluid or intuitive with the move as your Ninetales back when she was still a Vulpix."
"Maybe she could use Gravity more dynamically in battles—to enhance her speed and power, disrupt enemies, and even change the flow of combat."
"Think about it, what happens if she alters Gravity by several multiples right as she slams down with Iron Tail? Wouldn't that dramatically boost the impact?"
"Maybe it's time for Ninetales to specialize in close-quarters combat."
Reggie's tone turned serious.
Yes, Ninetales had powerful fire and psychic moves. Most would lean into special attacks. But people often overlooked the physical potential of a fox with nine tails.
In the past, she had easily overpowered Gallade when his blade skills were still immature, and even held her ground against Heatran.
So what if she could fuse Gravity, Psychic energy, and Fire to carve a new hybrid melee path?
"I get it now."
Paul's eyes lit up with sudden clarity.
And not just for Ninetales. If energy allowed, Metagross could experiment with similar ideas—adding Gravity to momentarily spike its physical attacks.
"You've still got one Frontier Brain left, right? Mr. Brandon?" Reggie asked with a grin.
"You must work hard in the next battle."
"Yes, I will."
Paul clenched his fist, confidence blazing in his eyes like never before.
(End of Chapter)
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