"It looks like you're ready. I suppose these ten days of training have given you quite a bit of confidence."
"But you should know, if your progress doesn't satisfy me, you'll have to face the consequences."
At the battlefield, Shadow eyed Gu Yuan and his eager Charmander, exuding pressure on both of them.
"I know. But I believe my performance will be enough to impress you."
Nodding slightly, Gu Yuan showed no fear, on the contrary, he looked even more eager to fight.
Seeing this, Shadow said nothing more. With a flick of the wrist, he released his Zubat.
"Charmander, use Ember!"
The moment Zubat appeared, Gu Yuan gave the order to strike, unlike before, when he'd foolishly waited for the opponent to be ready.
Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to have Charmander attack Shadow directly.
Although Shadow's teaching had always been rooted in battling to kill the opponent, Gu Yuan knew very well that if he really tried that, Shadow's response wouldn't be praise. More likely, it would be sending him on a one-way ticket to another world.
The burst of Ember flew out, and Gu Yuan could see Zubat panicking. Clearly, Shadow hadn't done much to train it these past ten days.
Indeed, with such a short time, Shadow hadn't expected Gu Yuan to improve Charmander by much, maybe just raise the proficiency of a move or two.
Normally, Shadow could make up for that gap with sheer battle experience and command. What he didn't know was that Gu Yuan had a secret cheat, his ability to "add points" to his Pokémon.
"Zubat, take to the skies and dodge it! Use Supersonic!"
"Charmander, use Growl! Then follow up with Ember again!"
Not giving Shadow the chance to repeat his tricks, Gu Yuan ordered a second attack immediately.
As Zubat rose higher, Charmander's Growl disrupted its focus before letting off another wave of fire.
Shadow nodded with approval at the sight.
In just ten days, Gu Yuan had raised Charmander's proficiency with Ember and Growl considerably. Impressive work.
No, it's not just the trainer; this Charmander may also be quite special himself. Maybe I should… No, I already have my Team to train, and these two seem to already share a deep bond.
What Shadow didn't know was that Gu Yuan hadn't done anything too extraordinary, just applied the training methods he'd learned from him, made a plan for Charmander, and offered support where needed. Most of the progress came from Charmander's own hard work.
"Zubat, use Gust!"
Now Shadow was starting to take things seriously.
Winds gathered, forming a strong gust meant to snuff out the flames.
But Shadow had underestimated Charmander's strength.
Even in the face of the gale, the fireball endured and shot toward Zubat.
The flames had lost some of their power, but the fact that they survived proved Charmander was far stronger than Zubat.
"Charmander, keep firing Embers! Force Zubat down!"
Without missing a beat, Gu Yuan pressed the assault.
As the scorching flames flew again, Shadow ordered Zubat to retaliate, but inside, his satisfaction with Gu Yuan grew.
In his opinion, he had found a prodigy, someone who had the potential to maybe even become a Cadre in the future.
Shadow's eyes narrowed, a suspicion forming. But he needed to test it further.
"Zubat, lower your altitude! Stay sharp and avoid the flames."
At the command, Zubat beat its wings and descended.
"Charmander, Ember!"
Once again, fire shot forth, yet Zubat dodged it with nimble movements.
"How interesting. Leaving an opening, trying to bait my Zubat in close range? But Scratch alone won't stop it."
Shadow had quickly guessed Gu Yuan's intention, but didn't alter Zubat's approach. He wanted to see what surprise Gu Yuan had in store.
"Zubat, speed up! Use Astonish, then Absorb!"
At the familiar command, Zubat's confidence surged, remembering the last time it had beaten Charmander. It flapped its wings harder, regaining vigor.
Gu Yuan watched the bat draw near, holding his breath, waiting.
"Now! Charmander, use Bite!"
The order rang out. Charmander reacted instantly.
Dark energy wreathed its fangs as it lunged forward, chomping down on Zubat before it could even unleash Astonish.
Zubat shrieked in pain, thrashing helplessly in Charmander's jaws.
"Throw it, Charmander! Then end this with Ember!"
Charmander hurled Zubat to the side, then blasted it point-blank with fire.
Before the flames even cleared, Zubat collapsed, unable to battle.
Charmander froze for a moment, then broke into ecstatic joy, dashing toward Gu Yuan with a wide grin.
"That's right, Charmander! You did it, you defeated Zubat!"
Gu Yuan took his partner into his arms, stroking its head, unable to hide his own happiness.
Shadow, silently, returned Zubat to its Poké Ball.
"Not bad. Keep this up. One month from now, you'll face a trial."
He paused, then added with a thin smile: "A friendly warning, it's the kind of trial that can kill you. Be prepared."
When Gu Yuan finally calmed down, Shadow spoke those words and turned to leave.
Gu Yuan knew Shadow well enough, he'd have the rest of the day off. But he had no plans to waste it. There were still quests to complete.
Opening the panel, seven Quests appeared before his eyes:
Quest 1: Train Charmander until its strength rises by two levels.
Reward: 30 points.
Quest 2: Train Charmander until it reaches the Junior Rank.
Reward: 50 points.
Quest 3: Raise five of Charmander's moves to Intermediate proficiency.
Reward: 30 points. (Progress: 3/5)
Quest 4: Raise one of Charmander's moves to Advanced proficiency.
Reward: 100 points.
Quest 5: Capture a second Pokémon.
Reward: 100 points.
Quest 6: Train the second Pokémon until its strength rises by one level.
Reward: 15 points.
Quest 7: Raise one move of the second Pokémon to Intermediate proficiency.
Reward: 10 points.
Looking at the list, Gu Yuan knew the system was urging him to catch another Pokémon.
But he wasn't in a rush. Shadow had already warned him about the deadly trial ahead, meaning Shadow would have to give him the chance to pick a second Pokémon, one that could fight in his place while another guarded him.
Closing the panel, Gu Yuan wasted no time. Instead of resting, he took Charmander back into training.