Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

Although Charizard's Special Attack far outweighed its Physical Attack, and Luo Yuan had primarily trained it in Special moves, that didn't mean Charizard was weak in physical attacks.

This was evident in the pained expression on Magmar's face.

The Brick Break had left it dazed, forcing Magmar into the ground.

Without missing a beat, Charizard followed up with two Air Slashes!

With a powerful flap, Charizard's wings compressed the air into blades that sliced toward Magmar.

"Magmar, dodge it quickly!" Blaine shouted.

At Blaine's urgent call, Magmar snapped back to awareness just in time.

Seeing the wind blades racing toward it, Magmar threw caution to the wind, rolling on the ground to evade the attack.

However… while it seemed to have narrowly avoided Charizard's Air Slashes, it had, in fact, fallen right into Charizard's trap.

"Dragon Breath!"

The same paralyzing move that had immobilized Arcanine now reappeared.

Still lying prone from its dodge roll, Magmar couldn't hope to outpace Dragon Breath's speed.

The purple breath engulfed Magmar, sending waves of paralysis through its body, leaving it frozen in place.

With no chance to fight back, Charizard opened its mouth again and unleashed another Fire Blast.

Boom!

The blast of flames landed squarely on the ground, swallowing Magmar in the explosion.

Before the flames could even clear, Charizard unleashed yet another Dragon Breath.

"Magmar!" Blaine shouted desperately.

But there was no response.

The earlier Flamethrower standoff had already drained much of Magmar's energy.

After taking multiple hits from Brick Break, Dragon Breath, and Fire Blast, even Blaine's powerful Magmar couldn't endure further.

As the flames faded, Blaine saw Magmar lying unconscious on the battlefield.

"It's over, then…"

Although he had seen it coming, Blaine couldn't help but sigh when he saw his defeated Magmar.

He prided himself on his strategy and quick thinking in this battle.

But he'd still lost.

The problem, he realized, wasn't with his command of the battle; it was simply that Luo Yuan's Charizard was overwhelmingly strong.

"Where on earth did you find a Charizard like this?" Blaine asked.

He was seriously considering going on a similar search himself.

"Charizard? Oh, I got it from Professor Oak when it was still a Charmander," Luo Yuan replied with a smile, patting Charizard's back in encouragement.

"Oak? A starter Pokémon?" Blaine repeated, completely baffled.

Had things changed so much while he'd been working with Team Rocket? Were rookies now getting Pokémon this strong?

Blaine wasn't exactly close friends with Professor Oak, but as fellow researchers, they knew each other. He was now seriously wondering if he should ask Oak for a Charmander to raise himself…

---

Though a bit dazed, Blaine still didn't pause for long.

He took out a flame-shaped Crimson Badge and handed it to Luo Yuan.

"This is the Cinnabar Gym's badge; it's yours. I'm really getting old…" Blaine said, a note of admiration in his voice.

He had a feeling the future would belong to Trainers like Luo Yuan.

Luo Yuan accepted the badge, and a system message appeared in his mind.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for unlocking the milestone "Defeat the Fire-Type Gym!" You've received one raffle draw.]

Without much thought, he started the draw, curious to see what he might receive, especially given that he'd recently obtained Fire Affinity.

[Drawing… Please wait.]

[Congratulations! You've received "Mewtwo's Giant Psychic Spoon."]

[Mewtwo's Giant Psychic Spoon: A spoon empowered by psychic energy, significantly amplifying the user's psychic abilities. It can also serve as a close-combat weapon and has a special resonance with Mewtwo.]

"This thing…"

Luo Yuan was surprised to find he'd acquired such an item… perhaps it had something to do with Blaine's role in Mewtwo's creation?

He had vivid memories of the spoon from the Pokémon Special manga.

As Mewtwo's signature weapon, the spoon could lengthen or shorten at will and even transform into a trident form, making it highly versatile.

"Maybe I could use it as my own weapon."

With his Psychic Affinity, Luo Yuan's powers were already formidable; with this spoon, he'd be even stronger.

It struck him that he was starting to feel more like a human-shaped Pokémon.

With the spoon in hand, he figured he could go toe-to-toe with some mid-level Pokémon and, in time, even challenge legendary ones.

"Something about this feels off…"

Shaking off those strange thoughts, Luo Yuan stored the giant spoon in his system, deciding to claim it later in private.

Blaine noticed Luo Yuan's long pause and spoke up. "Ah… I have a small favor to ask of you."

"Oh? What is it? I'd be happy to help," Luo Yuan replied with a friendly smile.

Blaine took on a serious tone. "It's about my… arrangements here at the inn. I'd appreciate it if you kept them a secret."

He had no desire to be on Team Rocket's radar.

"Why?"

While Luo Yuan already knew why, he feigned a curious, rookie Trainer's innocence.

Naturally, Blaine couldn't tell Luo Yuan he was hiding from Team Rocket.

So he improvised, "Well… many Trainers these days lack dedication. Most who come to Cinnabar Island are just tourists, here to enjoy the hot springs. This is my way of testing their sincerity. Only those who seek me out can challenge me."

"…"

Luo Yuan resisted the urge to laugh at Blaine's flimsy excuse.

Cinnabar Island was a vacation spot, after all; most people came to relax and enjoy the hot springs.

Coming all this way just to challenge a Gym and skipping the springs would be the odd choice, wouldn't it?

Still, Luo Yuan gave a sympathetic nod. "I understand."

Luo Yuan was a man of his word.

If he'd promised as a "rookie Trainer" not to divulge Blaine's location, then he certainly wouldn't.

Now, if "Rocket Executive" or "Tech Hunter" Luo Yuan happened to learn of Blaine's whereabouts, well, that was another story entirely.

Thinking this, Luo Yuan left the training area with Blaine watching him go.

Before arriving at Cinnabar Island, he'd booked a luxury hot spring resort, and… if he'd calculated the timing right, Sabrina should be arriving soon, too.

---

T/N: He mostly trained Charizards special attack because he was waiting for it to fully evolve! NOW CHARIZARD WILL BE A MONSTER IN ALL FIELDS

Hello! Thank you so much for reading this chapter. WiseTL has worked hard to bring these wonderful stories to you, and I'm so happy we could share this moment together! Don't you think stories are a little like dreams? Each one has its own colors and shapes, and they grow even brighter when shared with others.

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