Pokemon Battle System: I Reincarnated As A Charmander

A crisp morning dawned.

Lian lay motionless amidst the soft grass, feeling like a lethargic fish out of water. The past two days had been sheer torment; every time he ventured slightly farther, he encountered people—more than just one or two.

After hiding for two days, surely there shouldn't be anyone around now?

He hadn't eaten for forty-eight hours, his stomach nearly hollow from hunger. If not for a nearby river providing some water to quench his thirst, he would have starved to death by now.

Assuming no one remained outside after these two days, Lian decided it was time to venture forth, both to assess the situation and search for food.

However, he felt somewhat uncertain. Was this how his life would truly be from now on, constantly unsure where his next meal would come from? Why couldn't the system include a food exchange feature, allowing him to trade Combat Points for delicious meals? That would be ideal.

This useless system only pushed him to fight incessantly without offering any sustenance. Without proper nourishment, how could he gather energy for battles?

Unsure if he'd find anything edible on this outing, Lian grew concerned but had little choice.

Emerging from the bushes, he cautiously scanned the surroundings. As expected, no one was in sight; they seemed to have moved on.

Lian planned to first explore the area thoroughly, hoping someone might have left behind some food. Only when starving does one realize that having something to eat makes all other concerns seem trivial.

If unable to find sustenance, Lian even considered returning to pick a few Chesto Berries. Despite their unpleasant taste, at least they would prevent him from starving to death.

As he walked, encountering hardly anyone, Lian gradually relaxed his vigilance and focused intently on searching for food.

***

As the Pokemon competition commenced, most Trainers gathered at the western edge of Kanah Forest for the event.

Since yesterday, over fifty new Trainers had congregated within the forest. Don't underestimate this seemingly small number; becoming a Trainer is not easily accessible to many families due to various factors.

Firstly, safety concerns arise as each year, the League provides only a limited number of potential starter Pokémon. These initial Pokémon tend to have gentle natures and do not actively attack Trainers.

However, the availability of these starter Pokémon from the League is restricted, making them unaffordable for most individuals. Consequently, many aspiring Trainers must resort to capturing wild Pokémon to obtain their first companion.

Wild Pokémon often exhibit aggressive tendencies, posing significant risks when attempting to capture them with young trainers aged around eleven or twelve years old.

Every year, numerous novice Trainers suffer injuries from encounters with hostile wild Pokémon, some even resulting in fatalities.

Of course, capturing weaker Pokémon like Caterpie would be relatively straightforward and safe, requiring minimal concern.

However, who wouldn't desire a Pokémon with immense potential? Caterpies may be easy to catch, but they are incredibly weak, rendering them practically useless for battles in the early stages.

Capturing such a Pokémon holds little significance. Some might argue that it can evolve into Butterfree, which is true, but choosing a starter Pokémon as a Trainer's first companion is crucial. A Caterpie would severely limit a Trainer's ability to engage competitively in initial battles.

At this moment, there was still some time before the Pokémon competition began, as setting up the arena required preparation. Most Trainers gathered together, chatting casually, and occasionally challenging each other to impromptu battles scheduled during the event.

Kalia stood amidst the crowd, persistently inquiring about Charmanders. Her sole purpose for attending today was to find one.

Unfortunately, most people hadn't even caught a glimpse of a Charmander, leading many to dismiss the rumors as false.

Kalia felt disheartened; if only a handful had seen a Charmander, it seemed likely that the rumors were indeed untrue. As for the Pokémon competition itself, she showed no interest whatsoever, considering it merely a minor skirmish among novice Trainers.

Kalia, the former Grass-type gym leader, primarily inherited her father's Pokemon. However, she had been exposed to various species from a young age and received extensive training under her father. As a novice Trainer for nearly two years now, her skills in both battling and nurturing Pokemon far surpassed those of most beginners. Participating in this competition would be akin to bullying them.

If not for her duty to inherit her father's gym, within just over a year, she could have already conquered three Red Star-rated gyms and even challenged Silver Star-rated ones.

"Let's wait a few more days and see what wild Pokemon are available in Kanah Forest. To challenge the Kana City Gym, I'll need at least two Pokémon, and Treecko's strength is currently insufficient," Kalia murmured to herself.

As per her plan, the Kana City Gym was supposed to be her second challenge, but since she was already here, there was no need to detour to Pearl City.

While Red Star-rated gyms varied in strength, they were not significant enough to warrant Kalia strictly adhering to their difficulty levels in her challenges.

She then left the crowd, heading deeper into the forest, ready to capture some Pokémon.

***

Aaron concealed himself within the undergrowth, with a picnic blanket and some food laid out ahead of him, appearing as if someone had left unfinished meals behind.

Over these past few days, his search for the Charmander yielded no results, but Aaron remained determined. His intuition told him that the elusive Charmander was still hidden somewhere in Kanah Forest.

He managed to track down the man who uploaded the photo, paying a price to gather more information.

The wild Charmander stole food due to extreme hunger. Fire-type Pokémon were likely ostracized by other species in this forest, making it difficult for them to secure sustenance.

Realizing this, using food as bait could potentially attract the Charmander. Although the chances were slim, it was entirely worth it for Aaron's goal of capturing the Charmander.

Having waited already for a full day and night, he possessed ample patience. He planned to endure two more days before considering giving up if unsuccessful.

The food he prepared was specially crafted; once the Charmander appeared, it would undoubtedly be drawn towards it.

Meanwhile, Lian wandered through the forest, gradually approaching Aaron's location.

Hmm?

What's that enticing aroma?

Lian sniffed deeply, feeling drawn to something exceptionally appealing and irresistible. The alluring scent captivated him, pulling him closer involuntarily.

Hungry and disoriented, Lian followed his instincts towards the fragrance. Soon, he spotted remnants of uneaten food scattered on the grass.

The captivating smell emanated from these leftovers, bringing delight to Lian's face. With hunger clouding his thoughts, he eagerly pounced on the food.

Aaron's chubby cheeks trembled with excitement as his eyes widened in surprise—he saw it! A real Charmander, just like in the photos, entwined by vines with its tail ablaze.

His specially prepared bait was nearly irresistible to Fire-type Pokémon, although other species could also be attracted. However, the local Pokémon had experienced this trick countless times before.

Only the newly arrived wild Charmander, unfamiliar with such tactics, would likely fall for it—a calculated move on Aaron's part.

"Haha!" Laughing triumphantly, Aaron stood up, Poké Ball in hand. But as he took a step forward, his legs suddenly went numb.

Oops!

Aaron stumbled and fell to the ground, his legs stiff from maintaining the same position for too long.

Someone there? Is this a trap?

Lian was about to devour the food when startled by the sight of a little chubby trainer taking a faceplant, causing his Poké Balls to roll away.

Just as Lian prepared to flee, Aaron swiftly stood up, eyes gleaming as he locked onto him.

"Hey Charmander, let's battle my Pokémon! If you win, all this food is yours; if you lose, I'll capture you. What do you say?" Aaron hastily shouted, noticing the Charmander attempting to escape.

Simultaneously, he retrieved one of his Poké Balls and launched it. Upon opening, a fully green Pokémon landed on the ground.

Seeing this green Pokémon, Lian realized he couldn't run anymore. It was an Electric-type Electrike, with green fur and a yellow pattern on its head.

Electrike is known for its exceptional speed among Electric-type Pokémon. Lian knew he couldn't outrun it, and passively enduring attacks would only lead to losing his fighting ability. In that case, the inevitable outcome would be capture by this annoying little fatty using a Poké Ball.

Electrike excels in speed and special attacks but lacks formidable moves early on. Only after learning the Electric-type Shock Wave does it truly gain significant strength.

However, Lian's level was still relatively low compared to this slightly higher-level Electrike. Even if he could defeat it, he might not have much energy left to face other Pokemon.

He wasn't naive enough to believe that little fatty would only have one Pokemon, so his strategy had to focus on escaping from this battle.

"Electrike, catch up to Charmander and use Quick Attack!" Aaron, pleased that Charmander didn't flee, promptly commanded Electrike to initiate its assault.

Lian knew he couldn't outrun Electrike, so he decided to strike first, aiming to create distance between them quickly. With his exceptionally high special attack and the ability to rapidly unleash multiple Ember moves in short succession, he felt confident in defeating Electrike.

The food he just consumed helped restore some of his vigor, and as the battle commenced, his thoughts became clearer.

Electrike swiftly charged towards him, crackling with electricity. As its speed increased, it nearly transformed into a streak of white light.

"Quick Attack," being a Normal-type move, allowed for a burst of rapid speed, swiftly charging towards an opponent.

Lian prepared to endure the initial onslaught. With his Charmander's low health, it could unleash the true power of Fire-type moves. Moreover, considering Electrike's speed, evading would be challenging even if he tried.

A ball of flames shot out directly at the approaching Electrike, as Lian braced himself for the Quick Attack impact.

Although Electrike had excellent special attack capabilities, its physical attack was relatively weaker, limiting the full potential of Quick Attack.

The Ember flames collided with Electrike's head, scattering instantly upon impact. However, the intense heat relied not on force but rather on sustained burning.

As scattered sparks landed on Electrike's fur, they quickly ignited the green hair, causing damage to its skin.

Simultaneously, Lian was sent flying by Electrike's incredible speed. Despite anticipating this, although he felt pain, it wasn't severe enough to impair his combat ability significantly.

To Lian's relief, Electrike's fur seemed to lack significant static electricity, indicating that this particular Electrike did not possess the Static Ability.