A flash of red light appeared, and Charizard emerged in the underground space.
It froze slightly—the sudden shift from the space inside the Poké Ball to this familiar underground world left it momentarily disoriented.
But the next second, it sensed the warm aura permeating the air.
The lingering traces of fire, the presence of its own kind, and a sense of familiarity rising from deep within its bloodline, as though it had returned to its homeland.
Its gaze first swept across the vast underground space before settling on the area where the group gathered nearby.
When it saw the old Charizard lying atop a massive boulder, its entire body paused slightly.
The old Charizard was looking in its direction as well. There was no surprise or scrutiny in those blue eyes that had weathered countless years—only a calm, gentle appraisal of this newly evolved junior.
After a moment, the old Charizard slightly raised its chin and let out a low sound, faintly reverberating toward Charizard—
"Roar..."
The sound was not loud, yet it carried a steady, weighty force, like an echo rising from deep beneath the earth.
Xinhai's Charizard tensed for a moment at the low roar, then began walking toward the gathering area.
Its steps were hesitant at first, but they grew firmer with every stride. The flame on its tail flickered behind it with a warm glow.
The old Charizard rose from the boulder. Its movements were unhurried, yet every step carried the composure and strength of an Elite level Pokémon.
It approached the young Charizard still on its way over, stopping several steps away. Lowering its head, it gently touched the other's forehead with its warm snout.
Xinhai's Charizard stopped and looked up at this elder, older than itself yet filled with gentle goodwill. A complicated glimmer