With three Pokémon whose compatibility had reached its peak, Ash easily defeated the Violet City Gym and earned the Feather Badge.
Spending a few exchange points, he asked the system to trade for a badge case—because pinning badges inside his shirt just felt kind of silly.
To his surprise, the bond level with Charizard had already surpassed 200!
For comparison, even Pikachu only had a bond level of 210 at the moment.
Of course, it wasn't exactly a fair comparison—Pikachu hadn't even evolved yet.
Besides, once the bond value crosses 200, the rate of increase starts to slow down significantly.
After securing the Zephyr Badge, Ash remembered something. There was a place nearby...
"Misty, Brock—I think I need to take a break here and start some special training with Charizard!" Ash stopped on a vast, open plain just outside Violet City.
His sudden declaration caught Misty and Brock off guard.
"Huh? Why the urgency?" Misty asked in confusion. "Charizard's already strong enough, isn't it?"
Ash shook his head firmly. "It's not even close! I want to get stronger. Stronger!Stronger!!"
The plain stretched far and wide, free from wild Pokémon—perfect for Charizard to move freely.
Seeing the determination in Ash's eyes, Misty and Brock exchanged a knowing smile.
"If you've made up your mind, then of course we'll support you!" Brock said with a grin.
"I'll get the food ready!" he added, raising a frying pan like a promise.
Ash nodded gratefully. The three of them soon found a large tree atop a hill—an ideal spot to camp.
The tree's shade shielded them from the sun, and a warm breeze rustled the leaves. The view was wide open.
Ash called out all of his Pokémon. Misty, with the help of Chikorita, climbed onto the belly of the sleeping Snorlax.
The perfect mattress, truly.
Ash chuckled and turned to Charizard. The time spent training together had changed the Fire-type Pokémon. Its frame was sturdier now, and its presence felt calm and composed—no longer wild and unruly like before.
"Charizard, this time… I want to learn how to fly with you."
The old Charizard might've been shocked to hear such a request.
But now? It nodded solemnly.
After all, even that Pidgeot it once battled could carry its Trainer through the sky—there was no reason it couldn't.
"Teaching Charizard to carry someone? That's a great idea!" Misty beamed.
Of course it was! What could be cooler than flying on the back of a Charizard?
And more importantly, it was bound to boost their bond level dramatically!
"Then let's start simple—just a walk for now."
Ash's Aura powers had given his physique a huge boost. Riding Charizard shouldn't be a problem.
But in reality, riding a Charizard wasn't as simple as sitting on its back and letting it fly. Just like riding a horse, it required coordination—matching the rider's posture and rhythm to the creature's movements.
So really, this was less about training Charizard, and more about training himself.
Ash swung onto Charizard's back. "No rushing. Just walk slowly, alright? Let's sync our breathing first."
Charizard nodded and took a step forward.
"That's it. Just like that. Keep going." Ash gently stroked its neck.
Watching the scene unfold, Misty and Brock both smiled.
"Ash has gotten more patient," Misty said. "He's not blindly rushing forward anymore."
"Yeah," Brock's small eyes glinted. "He's becoming reliable… slowly but surely."
Brock was reminded of how his father had patiently taught him to ride his Onix—it had been way easier than this, honestly.
Misty yawned and stretched out on Snorlax's belly. "Brock, keep an eye on Ash and Charizard for me, okay? I'm taking a nap."
She hugged Togepi, curling up. The warmth of the Snorlax mattress was irresistible.
Togepi, now in its egg-like sleep form, rolled off Snorlax's belly and encountered… a curious young Sentret.
….
"Good, can you try jogging now?"
Ash was hearing system notifications in his ears!
Charizard: 205/255
Charizard: 210/255
Charizard: 215/255
…
Their synchronization was improving steadily. Ash gave the signal, and Charizard began to trot.
Its heavy footsteps thudded across the open field. Sentret, Diglett, and Sandshrew poked their heads out in curiosity.
Then—something amazing happened.
The wild Pokémon… began to cheer! As if giving Ash and Charizard their full support!
Charizard: 230/255
Charizard: 235/255
"Perfect! Charizard, let's fly!!"
At Ash's command, Charizard flapped its mighty wings and soared into the sky—with Ash riding on its back!
"Haha! Awesome, Charizard! Let's go! Let's see how fast you can go!"
The wind roared past him. Ash felt his heart pounding with exhilaration.
Just this one experience… made all the hardship of coming to this world completely worth it.
"Ash! Come back!!"
Suddenly, Misty's voice called out to him.
"What's wrong? Charizard—over there!"
Charizard responded instantly, zooming toward the source of the voice.
And what Ash saw next shocked him to the core.
A massive Arbok-shaped war machine was tearing through a thick stone wall using drills and battering rams.
From the sky, Ash could clearly see—the machine was headed straight for the next town on their route!
If they didn't stop it… disaster was inevitable.
"Do something, you brat!" shouted Misty from below. She and Brock were chasing after the Arbok Tank on Onix, with Team Rocket clinging to its tail!
"Ash! Pikachu and Togepi are inside!" Misty yelled desperately as Ash approached.
"What?!"
Apparently, the mischievous Togepi and the young Sentret had somehow stumbled into the heavily funded Arbok Tank and accidentally activated it. Pikachu, trying to help, had also fallen inside.
Misty and Brock had tried everything—but they couldn't stop it. And now the Pokémon were trapped!
"Then I'll destroy it!" Ash's eyes turned cold, and Charizard's tail flame erupted.
Charizard blocked the war machine's path, slashing down with Dragon Claw to bring it to a halt.
"Charizard, Flamethrower! Pikachu, now's your chance!"
The flames opened a way—Pikachu grabbed Togepi and the Sentret and dashed out!
"Raaaah!!"
Charizard unleashed another Flamethrower. Sparks exploded across the war machine's surface. The entire contraption burst into flames—and exploded.
Team Rocket, who had tried to sneak inside to regain control, was caught in the blast and launched high into the sky.
"Looks like we're blasting off agaaaaain!"
Charizard: 245/255