With Helping Hand's boost, Ember grew stronger.
Charmeleon was already far stronger than the Spearow flock. Even casual attacks were hard for them to resist, let alone a strengthened Ember. Each burst of flame knocked down another Spearow.
Eevee didn't stay idle. It fired Swift in rapid succession. Though not as devastating as Charmeleon's attacks, it was still very effective.
Under their combined firepower, the Spearow never even had a chance to approach Gu Yuan. Soon, many Spearow collapsed, unable to fight.
When more than half were down, the flock lost its ferocity and no longer had the courage to keep attacking. Another blast of Ember mixed with Swift tore through them, shattering what little spirit they had left.
The rest scattered in panic. Gu Yuan didn't order Charmeleon and Eevee to chase. They couldn't catch them anyway. Neither Charmeleon nor Eevee could fly, and the flock had fled deeper into an unfamiliar forest. Gu Yuan wouldn't take that risk.
"You did great. Here's your reward."
He smiled and fed them Pokéblocks that matched their tastes. Whether ordinary Pokémon food or Pokéblocks, both were good for their growth. What Gu Yuan had now were the best available at this stage, resources prepared for him by Shadow.
He pulled out several Poké Balls and captured the defeated Spearows, then set them to be sent to Shadow. Shadow would exchange them for points and deposit them into Gu Yuan's account, just as with the Pokémon Gu Yuan had captured during the trial.
At first, Gu Yuan thought Shadow would simply keep those points as his contribution. But Shadow had dismissed the amount as worthless. Gu Yuan couldn't say anything back. All he could do was wait until he caught truly rare Pokémon.
"Let's go. More battles are waiting for us. Let's do our best."
He stroked Charmeleon and Eevee's heads, giving them all his gentleness. Charmeleon grew excited at once. Maybe it was because of its Fire-type nature, or maybe it was Gu Yuan's training, but it loved battles, especially against powerful opponents.
Eevee, in contrast, just wanted to curl up in Gu Yuan's arms like a sweet little girl.
With no other choice, Gu Yuan picked Eevee up and carried it, while Charmeleon followed at his side into the forest.
Unlike when Ash would one day travel, the wilds now were still dangerous. Threats came not only from wild Pokémon but also from unknown people. By the time Ash started his journey, Team Rocket and Pokémon hunters would already be suppressed by the League's efforts.
As they walked deeper, Charmeleon's mood dropped. The wild Pokémon on the forest edge were all Rookie Rank, far too weak to satisfy its fighting spirit. Based on Gu Yuan's training, in another day or two, Charmeleon would likely break through to Intermediate Rank.
"It's fine, Charmeleon. Once we keep going, we'll find stronger opponents. These are just appetizers."
He patted its shoulder in encouragement. Trusting Gu Yuan, Charmeleon's spirit burned again, the flame on its tail blazing higher.
To find worthy opponents, Gu Yuan quickened his pace. Wild Pokémon had strong territorial instincts. The stronger they were, the deeper the place they chose to live in. The forest's center suffered less from humans, with fresher air, more peace, and abundant food.
As Gu Yuan pressed on, Rookie Rank Pokémon became scarce, while Junior Rank Pokémon appeared more often, which greatly pleased Charmeleon.
After defeating two Junior Rank Pokémon, Charmeleon didn't feel tired. Instead, it grew more excited.
"Looks like we finally found someone strong enough. He'll be your last opponent before lunch."
Gu Yuan's eyes lit up as he spotted a Scyther. If the opponent was too weak, he barely had to command, which was no fun at all.
Sensing Charmeleon's hostility, Scyther lunged at once. With Quick Attack, it closed the distance in a flash, ready to chain into Fury Cutter.
"Charmeleon, lock onto Scyther and use Ember to break its charge, then follow with Flamethrower!"
Bursts of flame forced Scyther to slow down. In that instant, a pillar of fire roared forward, slamming into its chest. That was the advantage of Advanced proficiency. Charmeleon could unleash moves with speed too great to counter.
"Keep using Flamethrower until it's finished!"
Charmeleon was good in close combat, but Gu Yuan had no intention of letting it fight a Pokémon born with natural blades for arms.
Once the flames struck, Scyther lost its chance. Successive bursts of Flamethrower engulfed it until it fell.
Gu Yuan threw a Poké Ball and captured the weakened Scyther without resistance.
"Who's there!?"
He snapped his gaze toward a nearby bush.
"Don't attack! My name is Bin. I'm a trainer training here."
A nervous boy stepped out with a Beedrill, afraid Gu Yuan might strike.
"Sorry, I wasn't spying on purpose. I often challenge that Scyther. I've tried many times to catch it, but I always failed. I never thought it would lose so easily to you."
As he explained, his eyes kept flicking to the Poké Ball holding Scyther, burning with desire.
Gu Yuan nodded and put the Poké Ball away, then turned to leave.
Watching his back, Bin couldn't help but remember all his hardships. How hard he'd worked to get his first Pokémon. How much he'd struggled to raise it. How much effort he'd poured into trying to catch that Scyther.
Suddenly, Bin's gaze changed.