Under this training method, Charmander mastered Flame Charge far faster than it would through normal training.
Every steady burst of speed from Speed Boost was a silent demonstration—showing Charmander what "correct" truly meant.
"Char..."
Charmander finished another lap and stopped at the end of the track, breathing lightly.
It turned around and looked at the path it had run, contemplation in its orange eyes.
Just now, it had come within a hair's breadth of completing a Flame Charge boost, but in the final thirty meters, the speed increase had gone awry again.
"Char!" Charmander clenched its little claws. A flicker of unwillingness flashed through its eyes, but there was even more determination to refuse defeat.
It took a deep breath, spread its legs, and charged out once more.
By evening, Xinhai returned to the Pokémon Center with his partners.
As he pushed open the door, a familiar warmth washed over him. Outside the window, the treetops glowed with a golden halo in the sunset, while that Pidgey still lay in its little nest, lazily yawning.
As usual, Xinhai prepared the warm water and washed his partners one by one.
Eevee was the first to jump into the warm water. It narrowed its eyes in bliss as its fluffy fur spread across the surface.
Axew crouched beside it, splashing at the water with its little claws and having the time of its life.
Charmander lay beside the basin, carefully holding its tail flame high while Xinhai meticulously wiped down its scales with a towel.
Since Feebas had evolved into Milotic, the old water basin could no longer hold it.
Xinhai specially filled the bathroom tub with warm water and let Milotic soak its entire body inside.
Every now and then, it poked its head out, its red eyes gazing gently