Summer in Jiangnan was unbearably hot.
The air was thick, humid, and suffocating.
And to make matters worse—
There was now a Fire-type Pokémon living in the dormitory.
To prevent his roommates from being roasted alive, Chen Ran usually kept Charmander inside a high-grade Fire Poké Ball, only releasing it when they went to the university's specialized training facilities.
—
Jiangnan Pokémon University.
As one of the Five Elite Pokémon Universities of the Dragon Kingdom, its strength, resources, and facilities were all top-tier.
The massive training complex alone contained seventeen separate halls, capable of providing battlefields for Trainers of every level.
This time, Chen Ran had reserved one of the Elemental Training Halls.
Specifically—
The Fire Training Area.
The reason was simple.
"Senior, I've reserved a beginner-level training room."
Chen Ran handed over his student card to the staff member on duty.
—Beep—
"Student card verified."
After checking the system, the senior student handed the card back and pointed to the right.
"Go straight, then turn left. Training Room 1032. Good luck."
"Thank you."
—
Soon, Chen Ran arrived at Training Room 1032.
There were quite a few freshmen nearby, all preparing for the upcoming freshman field training.
The room itself was spacious—over one hundred square meters.
The walls were reinforced with special materials capable of withstanding attacks from low- to mid-level Pokémon.
Inside were various training tools, including wooden dummies and strength-testing equipment.
"This place is perfect."
Satisfied, Chen Ran immediately released his Pokémon.
"Come out, Charmander!"
"Char!"
Charmander was brimming with energy, curiously surveying its surroundings.
After confirming there was no danger, it trotted over and stood proudly at Chen Ran's feet.
"Char~"
Its large eyes sparkled, as if asking something.
"Charmander, I brought you here today to check what moves you can use right now."
Chen Ran knelt down and gently rubbed Charmander's head.
The smooth, warm sensation made him smile.
The freshman field training was approaching fast.
If he didn't clearly understand Charmander's current combat abilities, it would be extremely disadvantageous during real-world exploration.
Before that—
He had to be fully prepared.
"Char!"
Charmander tilted its head, seemingly understanding.
Then—
Its claws suddenly glowed as it lunged forward, slashing fiercely at a wooden dummy.
—Boom!
The strike looked simple.
But the result was terrifying.
The wooden dummy—already reinforced and slightly worn from past use—was completely shattered.
"..."
Chen Ran froze.
That power—
Way too strong.
As expected of a Pokémon with god-tier potential.
"Even a basic move like Scratch has this level of destructive force…"
Chen Ran smiled broadly and gave Charmander a thumbs-up.
"Nice job, Charmander!"
At first, Charmander looked a little guilty for breaking the equipment.
But upon hearing the praise, it immediately grinned.
"Char!"
I'm strong!
Confidence radiated from its small body.
Next, Charmander demonstrated its other moves.
Scratch.
Growl.
Ember.
Chen Ran carefully recorded everything.
"Not just Scratch—every move is far stronger than that of a normal Charmander."
This wasn't just a slight boost.
It was multiplicative.
"In game terms, an ordinary Charmander's Scratch has around 40 base power."
"A talented one might reach 50."
"But this Charmander…"
"Just one Scratch easily exceeds 100."
Shock quickly turned into excitement.
The stronger Charmander was, the brighter Chen Ran's future became.
After all—
A Trainer's ceiling was directly determined by the strength of their ace Pokémon.
Data didn't lie.
The rarer and stronger a Trainer's core Pokémon, the higher their chances of becoming a Professional Trainer—and the greater the odds of reaching the upper ranks.
Additionally—
"The decibel level of Growl exceeded 120."
The training room had real-time monitoring equipment, and Chen Ran had noticed it immediately.
"In the human world, sounds above 120 decibels can damage eardrums."
"150 can cause permanent deafness."
"And beyond 240…"
"It can be lethal."
Chen Ran felt both delighted and uneasy.
"I'm not some Pallet Town superhuman."
"Without absurd physical stats, even collateral damage from battles could be dangerous."
He made a mental note—
In real combat, he should minimize wide-area and sound-based moves.
Just recalling that Growl made his scalp tingle.
Finally, there was Ember.
"Anyone watching would think you were using Flamethrower."
Chen Ran laughed as he praised Charmander again.
Charmander was visibly pleased.
"Alright. I've still got three TMs here."
"Let's see if you can learn them."
Once he confirmed Charmander's natural moveset, Chen Ran took out the three TMs he'd purchased earlier.
The system-produced TMs were incredibly convenient.
Just press them against the Pokémon's head—and learning was instantaneous.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host."
"Charmander learned Fire Punch."
"Charmander learned Blaze Kick."
"Charmander learned Bulldoze."
All three learned successfully.
Not a single failure.
Chen Ran was ecstatic.
He immediately tested the new moves.
As expected—
Their power was terrifying.
"Bulldoze almost feels like a weakened Earthquake…"
Chen Ran didn't dare stay any longer.
If he kept testing, he might end up demolishing the entire training room.
He quickly recalled Charmander and left.
—
Not long after—
A group of staff members rushed into Training Room 1032.
They stared at the shattered wooden dummies, cracked flooring, and the alarming red data still flashing on the monitors.
Recalling the terrifying power readings recorded moments ago—
The person in charge swallowed hard.
"Who exactly reserved this training room just now…?"