"Rooaaar!"
Charizard suddenly stood up, raising its head to the sky, unleashing a roar filled with unwillingness.
Liza spread her hands and said to the Charizard, "No need to be so down. You've already done well—losing only to the King of the Valley isn't shameful at all."
But Yozora shook his head. "My Charizard dreams of becoming the strongest Charizard in the world. If it can't even conquer a mere valley, of course it's frustrated."
He understood.
This was only the Charizard Valley of Johto.
Across the entire world, there wouldn't be just one Charizard Valley.
And those truly powerful Charizard valleys—how could they possibly be managed by humans like Liza?
Would wild, untamed Charizard ever allow humans to control them?
"Oh, here we go again. Another Charizard aiming for the title of world's strongest…" Liza rubbed her forehead helplessly. The reason she said another was clear—Ash's Charizard shared that same dream.
"In that case, Yozora, why don't you leave your Charizard here as well?" Liza suggested.
At those words, Yozora and his Charizard locked eyes. Within seconds, Yozora understood its heart and resolve.
"Alright then, Charizard. Stay here and grow stronger. We'll meet again in two years!" Yozora pressed his fist against Charizard's claw, sealing their promise.
In this valley, Yozora wasn't worried about Charizard failing to grow.
After all—
Without Yozora's help, Charizard could not undergo Mega Evolution. And without Mega Evolution, defeating not only the Valley's King or Scarface…
Even the Elite Four–level Charizard in the central region would be overwhelming challenges.
Two years.
Yozora firmly believed that in two years, Charizard would become far stronger.
And by then, he would be eighteen years old. He would set off on a journey around the world to compete in the World Championships, chasing his ultimate goal: becoming the strongest Trainer in the world. At that time, he would need Charizard's strength at his side.
To Yozora, Charizard was invaluable—nearly on par with Beedrill in importance.
Its potential was staggering as well. Charizard carried the possibility of reaching the power of a Tier 3 Legendary—potential even more terrifying than the King of the Valley itself!
With his decision made, Yozora prepared to leave. Liza and Charizard escorted him to the entrance.
"Goodbye, Charizard. I believe when we meet again, you'll be much stronger than today!" Yozora said simply, patting Charizard's shoulder before walking away. No dramatic farewells, just quiet trust.
Charizard watched him go. Only when Yozora's silhouette completely disappeared did it lift its head and breathe out a blazing stream of fire.
The Charizard Valley wasn't far from Johto's second Gym. In just a week, Yozora arrived at his destination.
Azalea Town.
This small town was located on the southern peninsula of Johto. Surrounding it were wide, beautiful grasslands, and to the northwest stretched a dense, thriving forest.
Azalea was filled with birdsong and flowers. Many of its residents were shepherds. As Yozora walked down the road, he saw flocks of Mareep grazing across the pastures.
Mareep's fleece was a high-grade material, valuable when sold. With Azalea's environment being perfect for herding, it was no wonder the townsfolk lived by this trade.
"Hm?" While walking and observing, Yozora suddenly noticed a commotion up ahead. He rushed toward it.
"Team Rocket, don't you dare!"
At a nearby ranch, a Rocket grunt was attempting to capture Mareep. Two rookie Trainers happened to pass by, and out of a sense of justice, they immediately stepped forward to shield the rancher, facing down the Rocket.
"Go, Cyndaquil!"
"Go, Sentret!" the two rookies cried, releasing their proudest partners.
But they were still green—barely two months into their journey. Their Cyndaquil and Sentret were weak, only at the Junior tier.
"Heh. You brats think you can stop me?"
The Rocket grunt sneered. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed out two Poké Balls. "Go, Geodude! Zubat!"
Two ordinary Pokémon appeared.
But something about them was not ordinary.
Both wore strange devices strapped to their heads.
"Now—evolve, Geodude! Evolve, Zubat!" the Rocket barked, pulling out a remote control and pressing a button.
"Zzzzt—!"
Before the stunned rookies and the horrified rancher's eyes, Geodude and Zubat suddenly began evolving—
Not once, but twice!
Geodude evolved straight into Graveler, then immediately into Golem. Zubat transformed into Golbat, then into Crobat. Yet their bodies were thin and frail, riddled with signs of malnutrition, far weaker than their species should be.
A forced evolution device!
Team Rocket had developed such a vile invention!
Forced evolution was nothing less than mutilation—cutting off a Pokémon's growth, dooming it to never truly mature or reach its full potential.
But right now…
Despite the permanent damage, these Golem and Crobat were undeniably stronger than before.
From ordinary, low-tier Pokémon—after two forced evolutions—they had reached the Senior tier, at the very least the entry level of Elite Trainers' Pokémon.
Their eyes glowed blood-red, faces twisted in a feral snarl as they glared at the Trainers and their Pokémon.
"N-no way! They evolved just like that?!"
"This is too despicable!" the rookies gasped in horror.
"Ha ha ha! Impressive, isn't it? We of Team Rocket can do anything!" the grunt boasted with a crooked grin. "So, what do you say, kids? If you join us, I'll evolve your Pokémon too! Don't you want to get stronger? Keh keh keh…"
The two rookies exchanged looks, hesitation flickering in their eyes.
They were desperate for strength. They wanted to be stronger.
Seeing that hesitation, the rancher paled, trembling in fear.
"Don't even think about it. Using that device to force evolution will cripple your Pokémon forever!" At that crucial moment, Yozora arrived, pulling the two boys back from the brink.
His words snapped them out of it. They clenched their fists, faces firm.
"You're right! We'll evolve our Pokémon with our own strength. We don't need any device!"
"Go, Cyndaquil—use Ember!"
"Sentret, use Tackle!" the boys shouted.
The battle erupted instantly.
(End of Chapter)