Chapter 6: Slaking vs. Charizard

"Be careful, that Charizard wasn't going all out earlier."

Zhang Yun's expression was grave. He had already subconsciously cast the Charizard Leader in the role of an adversary, and his instincts as a Gym Leader had him analyzing its weaknesses.

Though Su Chuan was equally serious internally, his face remained nonchalant as he teased, "It only used Dragon Claw and Protect—of course it wasn't going all out. Old Zhang, your vanguard was way too unreliable."

Zhang Yun was left speechless, rolling his eyes before retreating to the "spectator stands."

"Hey, Leader, do you need a break?"

Though Su Chuan would have preferred to strike while the iron was hot—taking advantage of the Charizard Leader's recent battle—this wasn't his turf, and he couldn't afford to be shameless.

The Charizard Leader considered for a moment before closing its eyes. Feather-like light began shimmering around it.

"Roost... So the Charizard Leader's movepool is pretty extensive too."

Su Wen, tired from standing, found a relatively clean rock to sit on, motioning for Zhang Qian to join him. After a brief hesitation, she obediently took a seat beside him.

"Old Zhu, give it to me straight—what's really going on here?"

While the Charizard Leader recovered, Zhang Yun couldn't help but vent his confusion. The situation had spiraled from bringing their kids to tame Pokémon to him getting stomped in battle—hardly a great look in front of his daughter.

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure either," Zhu Tianxing admitted with a wry smile. "But the Leader must have its reasons."

Though he played dumb, Zhu Tianxing had his suspicions. The real issue lay with the Charizard Leader's mate.

Normally, three months after hatching, a Charmander's vital signs would stabilize. Even during its Infant Stage, it should start training with its parents or seek a Trainer.

But this "crown prince" of a Charmander had lazed around for over a year. Every time the Leader tried to take it out to train, its mate intervened. When it did train, it couldn't handle hardship or fatigue.

And the Charizard Leader? A total henpecked husband.

Watching its offspring waste away, the Leader had finally relented—while its mate was away, it decided to find a Trainer for the Charmander.

Better to let it go than let it rot.

As for who to choose? Simple: the stronger the parent, the more worthy the Trainer.

But explaining all this would only earn Zhu Tianxing the Leader's ire.

"Roar~~"

After a few dozen seconds, the Charizard Leader reopened its eyes, growling softly to signal it was ready.

"Slaking."

Su Chuan naturally sent out his Slaking.

Normally, Slaking would sprawl lazily on the ground, propping its head up like a sleeping Buddha. But now, it leaned forward slightly, energy stirring within it like a dormant volcano ready to erupt. Its eyes locked onto the Charizard Leader with unprecedented intensity.

Slaking could sense the immense pressure radiating from its opponent.

"Battle begin!" Zhu Tianxing declared, watching with keen interest as Su Chuan and Slaking burned with fighting spirit. It had been a while since he'd seen his old friend this serious.

"Rock Tomb!"

Quadruple super-effective against Charizard—how could it not fear this?

The ground trembled as countless stone spikes erupted like dragons lunging at the Charizard Leader.

But the Leader stomped down, summoning its own pillars of rock to intercept the attack.

A direct clash—Rock Tomb vs. Rock Tomb.

The next moment, the layered stone columns shattered as Slaking charged forward, swinging a devastating Hammer Arm.

Relentless offense was Slaking's forte, drowning opponents in a storm of attacks.

Sensing the terrifying power in those arms, the Charizard Leader wisely avoided a direct clash, taking to the skies with a flap of its wings.

Yet Su Chuan remained unshaken despite the enemy's aerial advantage. "Use Aerial Ace to chase it down, then Body Slam."

Slaking bounded between the remaining stone pillars, its bulky frame moving with surprising agility. With one final leap, it soared into the air, riding the momentum of Aerial Ace to briefly glide.

While Flying-types held an innate advantage in most battles, Trainers had developed counters. By leveraging Aerial Ace—Slaking's only Flying-type move—it could briefly harness Flying-type energy to maneuver midair, then use Body Slam or Knock Off to force foes back to the ground. This was Slaking's aerial combat strategy.

As Slaking closed in, the Charizard Leader unleashed a searing Flamethrower, the intense heat distorting the air.

But Slaking shielded its face with one arm, enduring the flames before bursting through to seize the Charizard Leader's ankle, dragging it back to earth.

"Ah Chuan's attention to detail is impressive. Aerial Ace into Body Slam—once Slaking pulls it into close combat, even an Elite Four-level Charizard Leader would struggle," Zhang Yun remarked to Zhu Tianxing. Battles of this caliber were rare.

"Brother Su Wen, why didn't the Charizard just fly away?" Zhang Qian tugged at Su Wen's sleeve, puzzled by how easily Slaking had caught it.

Distracted by the fight, Su Wen took a moment to respond. "Aerial Ace locks onto the target—escaping isn't easy. Plus, Slaking's final leap was faster than the Charizard's movement. Trying to flee would've left it wide open."

He added thoughtfully, "Wild Pokémon might lack coordinated move combinations, but their combat instincts are terrifying."

Zhang Qian tilted her head. "Then how does my dad beat Uncle Su?"

Su Wen nearly laughed aloud. How? By spamming Protect, Rest, and every other stalling move under the sun—paralysis powder, sleep powder, Yawn, Sleep Talk... No wonder Su Chuan found Zhang Yun so annoying. Even in his past life, players like that had driven him up the wall.

But with Zhang Yun clearly eavesdropping, Su Wen coughed lightly and offered a diplomatic answer. "Battles aren't just about raw power—strategy matters too."

Meanwhile, forced onto the ground, the Charizard Leader erupted in fury. Its sapphire eyes flooded crimson.

"Outrage? Old Zhu, this—"

The signs were unmistakable—crimson eyes and surging energy. Zhang Yun recognized it instantly.

But Charizard couldn't naturally learn Outrage. Was this inherited or from a TM?

Zhu Tianxing took a step back, shielding Su Wen from potential backlash as he explained, "The Leader's mother was a Charizard from the Dragon's Den."

Zhang Yun understood—inherited, then. That explained it. If the Leader had Outrage, could the Charmander have inherited it too?

As Zhang Yun pondered, the Charizard Leader and Slaking engaged in brutal close combat.

Normally, the Leader would avoid melee, but Outrage flooded it with rage, dulling its judgment.

Yet even now, its Dragon Claw slashed emerald arcs through the air, actually pressuring Slaking.

This was the terror of Outrage—despite lacking the Dragon typing, the move drastically amplified the Charizard's energy output.

Most Pokémon could only fight on instinct during Outrage, unable to control their power. That the Leader could channel it into Dragon Claw spoke volumes about its mastery.

Su Chuan narrowed his eyes, biding his time with Slaking as they waited for Outrage to end.

Suddenly, the Charizard Leader's assault faltered. The crimson in its eyes faded—just for an instant, but Su Chuan seized the moment. The backlash of Outrage had arrived—confusion!

"Counter!"

An eye for an eye—Counter returned double the damage taken.

Slaking's right fist glowed faintly as it lashed out like thunder, the punch generating sonic booms. The impact struck the Charizard Leader's abdomen, sending it flying like a meteor into the stone wall.

Su Chuan moved to press his advantage, but the Charizard Leader roared sharply. Zhu Tianxing immediately raised a hand. "Battle over!"

As everyone turned to him, Zhu Tianxing smiled. "The Leader recognizes your strength. It agrees to let Su Wen have the Charmander."

Su Wen's eyes lit up. That's it? Pretty smooth sailing.

Su Chuan, though disappointed the fight had ended, recalled Slaking, eyeing the Charizard Leader warily.

"After a hit like that, the Leader could still call the match—it wasn't seriously hurt."

In Su Chuan's view, Charizard were far from tanky. A Peak Gym Leader-level one would fold in three Hammer Arms. This was truly an Elite Four-level monster.

With its child's Trainer decided, the Charizard Leader began "convincing" the Charmander. Initially reluctant, the little fire lizard tearfully conceded after two solid flicks to the forehead.

Pulling out a Poké Ball, Su Wen tapped it lightly against the Charmander's head. In a flash of red light, the Charmander vanished inside.

Three shakes later, the ball stilled—Su Wen had successfully caught his first Pokémon.

"Whew!"

Watching the successful capture, both Su Chuan and the Charizard Leader exhaled in relief, sharing a look of mutual understanding. The struggles of parenthood transcended species.

Zhang Yun patted Su Wen's head sincerely. "Congratulations, kid."

Zhang Qian was happy for him too. Though she hadn't gotten the Charmander, she could now focus on finding a Ralts.

Su Wen's grin threatened to split his face. This feeling of catching a Pokémon myself is just different.

Pressing the Poké Ball's button, he released the Charmander, which blinked dizzily, still adjusting.

"Roar roar~~" The Charizard Leader growled urgently at Zhu Tianxing, signaling him to escort Zhang Yun and Zhang Qian out. What followed was a discussion of... compensation.

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