A dazzling white light enveloped Charmander, and Lin Hao raised a hand to shield his eyes.
Standing a few steps away, May stared in disbelief. "Is... is that the light of evolution?!" She pointed at the brilliant glow, her voice turning shrill.
"Probably." Lin Hao narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean, probably?! You only got Charmander yesterday!" May turned to stare at him. "It's been one day! It hasn't even leveled up! How could it evolve already?!"
"Maybe that fall knocked its energy channels open." Lin Hao's expression didn't change.
"Do you think this is a martial arts novel?!" May stamped her foot in frustration. "Pokémon need to build up experience and energy to evolve!"
"Then that just proves it's a martial arts prodigy."
As they spoke, the white light faded, and the once-small body doubled in height. It had dark red skin, sharp claws, and a horn growing from the top of its head.
The flame on its tail was more than three times as large as before, blazing fiercely. It was Charmeleon. "Rrr..."
Charmeleon gave a low growl. Unlike most newly evolved Pokémon, it didn't excitedly show off its strength.
Instead, it lowered its head and slumped its shoulders, its claws fidgeting in front of its chest. It turned toward Lin Hao with its head hanging.
"What's wrong?" Lin Hao stepped forward.
"Rrr..." Charmeleon stretched out a claw, pointing at the deep crater Gyarados had made, then at itself.
It stared at the crater. When danger struck, it hadn't protected Lin Hao at all-it had been sent flying by a single sweep of a tail. In the end, an unknown "big green monster" had saved them. It picked at its claws and lowered its head even further.
Lin Hao watched it and sighed. Without saying anything else, he reached out and stroked the hard horn on Charmeleon's head. Charmeleon stopped fidgeting.
"What are you thinking, little guy?" Lin Hao said softly. "You're the first Pokémon that dared to take on a rampaging Gyarados head-on to protect me."
Charmeleon met his eyes.
"You looked pretty cool back there." Lin Hao couldn't help smiling. "I'm just an ordinary guy. I'll be counting on you to watch my back."
"Rrr?"
"That's right. On you." Lin Hao patted its shoulder.
Charmeleon's eyes lit up, and the flame on its tail leaped higher. It rushed into Lin Hao's arms and rubbed its hard head vigorously against his chin.
"Hey, hey, hey! Hot! Move your tail away!" Lin Hao leaned backward under its enthusiastic nuzzling.
Pikachu shot him a sideways look. "Pika." It turned away and muttered something under its breath, its tone full of disdain.
Inside his mind, the system space erupted into chaos. "Master! It's competing for your affection! It's playing the pity card!" Ho-Oh shouted.
Shut up, Lin Hao snapped inwardly.
"Master, shall I come out and burn it back into a Charmander?" Ho-Oh asked seriously.
Come out, and I'll pluck your feathers and roast you first.
Groudon's voice cut in too. "Roar, roar! (Let me out so I can stomp it to death.)"
"All of you, behave yourselves!" Lin Hao barked, forcibly cutting off Telepathy. He pressed his forehead. These Legendary Pokémon never acted seriously for a moment.
Not far away, May stared at him. A breeze drifted through the forest, sending scattered patches of light dancing among the trees.
Lin Hao usually acted like a lazy slacker, halfhearted about everything and unwilling to move. But just now, as he looked at Charmeleon, he hadn't tried to dodge the effort like he normally did.
There had been no contempt for its weakness in his eyes, only trust. May tugged at her sleeve.
This guy... May's palms grew sweaty, and her face warmed. He was clearly a liar who spouted nonsense nonstop.
He clearly had countless secrets, and he had just summoned that terrifying green monster. Yet the way he had comforted his Pokémon actually looked genuine.
"Hey, Miss Investigator, what are you spacing out for?" Lin Hao's voice snapped May out of her thoughts.
He had already returned Charmeleon to its Poké Ball. After all, its larger size would attract attention if he kept it out. Pikachu hopped back onto his shoulder.
"Who's spacing out?!" May quickly protested.
"Your face is so red. Are you hot?" Lin Hao pointed at her face.
"Yes! That's exactly it! Viridian Forest is too hot!" May turned and strode ahead.
Lin Hao shook his head speechlessly. "She's impossible to figure out."
They continued deeper into the forest. The battle between Gyarados and Tyranitar had completely wrecked the path ahead.
Broken tree trunks and deep craters were everywhere, forcing them to take a detour along a narrow trail. They walked for another ten minutes or so.
The light around them grew dimmer, and a pungent chemical smell hung in the air.
"Wait." May suddenly stopped and placed a hand on the Poké Ball at the back of her waist.
"What's wrong?" Lin Hao yawned.
"I heard something." May lowered her voice.
A flurry of rustling came from the bushes a short distance ahead. Then a shrill laugh startled several forest birds into flight.
"Hahahaha! Jessie, we've hit the jackpot today!"
"You bet! We can make a tidy sum extracting silk from these wild Caterpie!"
"Meow! Once we sell it, we can treat ourselves to a fancy feast, meow!"
Lin Hao's eyebrows twitched. Those voices? Those lines? That familiar, over-the-top vibe?
"Someone up ahead is illegally catching Pokémon!" May reached back and gripped her Poké Ball. "I'm an investigator. I have to stop them!"
"Hey, don't rush in..." Lin Hao was just about to grab her.
May had already pushed through the bushes and charged out. "Stop! You Pokémon poachers!"
In a clearing ahead, three figures in black uniforms with large red Team Rocket logos on their chests were using nets to stuff more than a dozen Caterpie into sacks.
At May's shout, all three stopped and turned around.
"Since you've asked so sincerely!" A woman with long magenta hair suddenly struck a pose.
"We'll be merciful enough to tell you!" A man with center-parted blue hair immediately dropped to one knee and flourished a rose.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To safeguard world peace!"
"Stop!"
May shouted, "I didn't ask! And I'm not interested in your nonsense! Let those Caterpie go!"
Lin Hao strolled out of the bushes, rubbing his ears. "Say, doesn't reciting that whole speech every time you show up leave your mouths dry?"
Jessie and James froze and stared at Lin Hao. "Who's this kid?" Jessie asked with a scowl.
"Who knows? Looks like some broke trainer." James sneered.
"Pikachu, show them what we're made of, meow!" Meowth waved its claws, about to call to its partners.
Its gaze swept across Lin Hao's face, and its eyes went wide! Its feline instincts went haywire, making every hair on its body stand on end!
Before you continue