The gap and family

"Arcanine!"

As the flames faded, Officer Jenny Muko rushed forward anxiously.

"How are you feeling? Are you any better?"

Sensing its trainer's worry, Arcanine raised its head and nuzzled Officer Jenny Muko affectionately.

Just then, Grandpa Chen walked over and handed Officer Jenny Muko another calming potion.

"Have Arcanine drink this first."

Muko hurriedly took it and fed it to Arcanine.

Before long, Arcanine's aura gradually settled, and it fell into a deep sleep.

Officer Jenny Muko finally breathed a sigh of relief and gave Grandpa Chen a grateful look.

"Thank you so much for this, Mr. Chen."

Grandpa Chen waved a hand. "Come inside, and we can talk."

"All right." Muko recalled Arcanine and followed him into the villa.

In the living room, Grandma Chen brewed everyone a cup of tea.

She asked, "Dear, what exactly happened to Arcanine?"

"If a Champion Level opponent had attacked you, you wouldn't have survived, would you?"

Officer Jenny Muko sighed. "Two underground organizations recently sprang up in the Hoenn Region. One is called Team Magma, and the other is Team Aqua."

Hearing those two names, Chen Shi immediately understood. So it was those two idiots, Maxie and Archie.

Then Muko continued.

"A while ago, we received word that Team Magma had been spotted at Mt. Chimney."

"Chairman Miyazaki immediately ordered a team led by the veteran Mura to wipe out Team Magma."

"But we never expected Team Magma's leader to have a Champion Level Pokémon, along with three Fire-type Pokémon at the peak of Elite King Level."

"My Arcanine was badly injured just by the fallout from the battle between Mura and Team Magma's leader."

The corner of Chen Shi's mouth twitched. So after all that, it had only been caught in the fallout.

"Team Magma..." Grandpa Chen thought for a moment, certain he had never heard that name before.

It must have been a newly risen force.

Grandma Chen said with concern, "Oh, dear, you must be more careful on missions from now on."

"If you encounter a battle at that level, you'd best get as far away as you can."

"That's not something you can get involved in yet."

Muko nodded slightly. "I understand, Grandma Chen."

Grandpa Chen advised her, "You'd best take Arcanine to Nurse Joy for a checkup."

"If everything is fine, don't let Arcanine battle for the next two weeks."

"If there's a problem, come back to me."

Hearing that, Officer Jenny Muko hurriedly said, "I'll go right now."

"I'll transfer the money to you later. Thank you, Mr. Chen."

After thanking Grandpa Chen, Officer Jenny Muko rushed out of Chen Shi's house.

Looking at the untouched tea, Grandma Chen smiled helplessly.

"That's the Officer Jenny family's usual style, all right."

Only then did Chen Shi ask, "Grandpa, is Champion Level really that powerful?

"Just the fallout from a battle could leave a Pokémon at the threshold of Elite Four Level like Arcanine in that state? That's..."

Grandpa Chen fell silent for a moment, then suddenly sighed.

"It's time I told you a few things."

Chen Shi immediately perked up his ears and listened intently.

"For ordinary Pokémon, whether they're Caterpie or a Pseudo-Legendary like Garchomp..."

"Their ceiling is actually the peak of Elite King Level."

"Once a Pokémon reaches the peak of Elite King Level, both its physical capabilities and the strength of the energy within its body have reached their limits."

"If it wants to break through any further, it has to surpass its own limits. Perseverance, potential, and resources are all essential."

"But once it breaks through, every one of that Pokémon's attributes will far surpass those of an Elite Four Level Pokémon."

"The gap between the two is like the gulf between heaven and earth."

Grandpa Chen said regretfully, "My Sceptile, Salamence, and Venusaur..."

"And your grandma's Garchomp were already at the peak of Elite King Level before you were born."

"All these years have passed, and they're still at the peak of Elite King Level."

Chen Shi's eyes widened. "Then it's been at least sixteen years?"

Both elders nodded.

Grandpa Chen continued, "What they lack isn't perseverance or resources, but potential."

"Without some extraordinary opportunity, they'll probably remain at this level for the rest of their lives."

"So that's how it works." Chen Shi nodded thoughtfully.

Then he thought of Dreepy. There was no need to worry about that little one. Its legendary aptitude was absolutely the highest he had ever seen, so breaking through to Champion Level wouldn't be difficult.

Swampert also had Champion Level aptitude, so Chen Shi wasn't worried about it either.

Although Togepi currently only had Elite King potential, it could still evolve twice. With a potion and a top-grade Shiny Stone, its potential would most likely rise straight to Champion Level later on.

Chen Shi wasn't worried about it either.

But even though Florges had drunk Grandpa's Potential Potion when evolving into Floette, then used a superb-quality Shiny Stone to evolve, its aptitude was still only just below Champion Level.

It was the same as Garchomp and the others.

Leafeon was also just below Champion Level.

Would those two be stuck at the peak of Elite King Level in the future?

At that thought, Chen Shi shook his head sharply. No matter what, he absolutely had to find a way to improve their potential.

He would never let any of his partners fall behind.

He could choose not to catch a Pokémon, but once he did, he would take responsibility for it to the very end.

That was Chen Shi's attitude toward Pokémon.

Grandma Chen said with a chuckle, "When your grandpa's Swampert was pregnant, he went to no end of trouble."

"He used so many medicinal herbs to make sure it gave birth to that Swampert of yours with its exceptionally high potential."

"He just didn't want you to be at a disadvantage in that regard."

"But who would have thought you'd actually find a Dreepy egg with far greater potential than even Swampert?"

Warmth filled Chen Shi's heart. He had been an orphan in his previous life, and although he had also lost his parents early in this life...

Under his grandparents' care, he had everything other people had, and even better.

It gave him a sense of happiness he had never experienced before.

Perhaps this was what family meant.

"Grandpa, Grandma, don't worry. I definitely won't let you down."

Chen Shi made that solemn promise.

The two elders exchanged a glance and smiled without saying anything more.

Garchomp