Opening Ceremony, Uprising in Charizard Valley

The two Pokémon stood before Xu Mu with their heads lowered, looking ready to admit their mistakes. He no longer had the heart to lecture them.

After all, they had done nothing wrong. Was wanting to grow stronger a mistake?

No!

Xu Mu was their Trainer, not a shackle on their lives.

He would never force any Pokémon to stay by his side, much less make them live according to his wishes.

That was neither realistic nor possible.

"Don't cause any trouble tonight. The competition starts tomorrow, so get some rest."

"Gren!"

[Got it. We'll skip tonight's extra training.]

"Char!"

[But I can't skip it! How am I supposed to get stronger if I don't fight?]

"Gren."

[You're right. How can I get stronger without real battles?]

Now that Greninja thought about it, Charmander had a point.

Just yesterday, he had finally beaten that female Charizard. That was growth. That was progress!

"Char!"

[Exactly! You saw me fight that Charizard yesterday. I couldn't beat her before, either.]

Charmander might have been cautious to a fault, but he understood one thing perfectly: the strong only grew stronger.

So he would never pass up a chance to improve. Right now, Charizard Valley was the perfect opportunity for him.

It was full of his own kind. He could challenge powerful opponents without holding back, and without worrying that they would kill him.

If he missed this chance, who knew when he would find another secret realm so well suited to him?

That was why Charmander treasured it. He had made up his mind to visit Charizard Valley several more times before the league ended.

"Gren..."

[All right, you've convinced me.]

Tomorrow's match would be a walkover anyway. His condition wouldn't matter much, so Greninja went along with Charmander's plan.

Midnight training was back on!

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Xu Mu opened his eyes and was startled to find Charmander wrapped tightly in bandages from head to toe again.

So you two snuck out to train again?

Heavens! Somebody save me. My Pokémon are too motivated.

If you keep working this hard, you'll make me look like a useless Trainer!

Wait, I'm not a Trainer!

Whoever wants that job can have it. I'm certainly not one.

"Today's round of sixty-four determines the final thirty-two. It should be a two-on-two match."

Xu Mu looked at his two bleary-eyed Pokémon and sighed helplessly.

In the shape you're in, don't go losing to someone you should beat!

If you mess this up, who knows how furious the old principal will be...

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone was at the door.

Unless something unexpected had happened, it was Yu Hailong bringing breakfast.

"Morning."

Yu Hailong greeted him, walked in as though he belonged there, and set down breakfast.

Xu Mu nodded and picked up a fried dough stick while sitting on the bed.

"The league's opening ceremony is coming up. Dozens of Charizard should use Flamethrower at the altar together to light its ceremonial fire."

Xu Mu nodded as if listening to a story, then asked casually, "The opening ceremony is that spectacular?"

Dozens of Charizard meant at least dozens of Ace Trainers acting at once.

For a league meant only for newcomers, that was quite an undertaking.

"It's not that unusual. Flame City is right next to the secret realm, so there are plenty of Charizard around. You could call them a local specialty."

Yu Hailong sounded amused.

After breakfast, Xu Mu got dressed, and the two headed to Purgatory Volcano, where the main competition would be held, to attend the opening ceremony.

If nothing unexpected happened, something unexpected definitely would.

Xu Mu already had a faint sense of foreboding. As a transmigrator chosen by fate, he did not even know whether others like him existed.

But whether they did or not, he had to be one of the main characters in this world.

And if nothing went wrong, what kind of transmigrator would he be?

Besides, Xu Mu still had not figured out what was going on with that damned system of his.

If something did happen now, it would hardly be surprising.

Everything had gone smoothly. Everyone was looking up at the thirty-six Charizard in the sky as they used Flamethrower on the ceremonial fire atop the altar, ready to cheer.

Then a violent tremor came from the direction of the secret realm.

Purgatory Volcano was one of the relatively safer volcanoes in Flame City's active volcanic range.

That was why the organizers had chosen it as the venue.

But because it was so close to the Charizard Valley secret realm, the unexplained shaking threw the opening ceremony into chaos.

"What's going on?"

As soon as he felt the violent shaking, Chen Qi, the strongest person in the area, took to the sky and looked toward the secret realm.

A secret realm could bring danger, but it could also bring opportunity.

Ever since Charizard Valley had appeared and the experts sent by the League had reached an agreement with its inhabitants, it had reliably supplied large numbers of Charmander each year as Starter Pokémon for new Trainers.

It had become the pride of Flame City.

If anything happened to Charizard Valley, Flame City would suffer a loss it could not bear.

"Go find the mayor. I'll head down and take a look!"

Without wasting another word, Chen Qi rode his Charizard toward the secret realm.

Before he could reach it, however, an eerie ripple appeared at its entrance.

The next moment, a huge number of Charizard flew out!

The sight was breathtaking!

"Evacuate the crowd! There's an uprising in the Charizard secret realm! Request help from the League!"

Chen Qi shouted orders, his head pounding, and had the guards hurry the competitors and spectators to safety.

Meanwhile, he led the Trainers of the thirty-six Charizard from the ceremony, along with a handful of other Ace Trainers, to intercept those pouring out of the secret realm.

"What happened?"

Chen Qi flew up to the leading Charizard and called out to him.

A long scar ran across the leader's face, and he was seething with rage!

He gave Chen Qi no chance to speak. He opened his mouth and fired a Dragon Pulse, blasting Chen Qi's Charizard away.

Out of my way!

"Roar!"

[Where's the frog that beat up my wife yesterday? Get out here!]

The furious Charizard threw back his head and roared, revealing why he had led an army out of the secret realm:

He was looking for a blue frog!

It had all started a few days earlier...

The Charizard of Charizard Valley had always welcomed outside challengers—until that sneaky frog arrived.

What made the frog so infuriating was that he went after female Charizard specifically!

If he had fought them normally, the male Charizard would have had nothing to say.

But the wretched frog used such underhanded tactics that every female Charizard he challenged came to despise him!