Old Mr. Ma Zhide ordered pretty much the same things as yesterday, but Heath made two extra portions today, saying that he wanted the old man to take them along to show some care for the Pokémon there. Although Old Mr. Ma Zhide found it a little strange, he agreed nonetheless.
That was simply Old Mr. Ma Zhide's attitude toward life: unconcerned and easygoing. Heath thought it might be because he had retired and had become very detached about life. After all, that was the sort of person Old Mr. Ma Zhide was. Heath remembered Ms. Lori mentioning that Old Mr. Ma Zhide had been downright ferocious on missions, repeatedly charging into evil groups' headquarters alone, then defeating them with his Pokémon.
But Old Mr. Ma Zhide seemed much more at peace now. Lately, thanks to Charmeleon, he had also become more spirited, and his hunched back had straightened considerably without his noticing. In front of Charizard, Old Mr. Ma Zhide always appeared full of energy.
Then Old Mr. Ma Zhide told Charizard about some things to watch out for after evolving, along with a few tips for Charizard. Charizard learned a great deal, and Heath took the opportunity to waive the old man's bill.
Old Mr. Ma Zhide lived alone. He had never married or had children, devoting everything he had to Pokémon and the League's cause. Heath had heard Ms. Lori say that Old Mr. Ma Zhide had spent all the money he earned on keeping A-Pen healthy. But A-Pen had been injured too many times on missions and sometimes even forced himself to keep battling, so his health had deteriorated rapidly. When he was young, Old Mr. Ma Zhide had not understood his Pokémon's physical condition all that well, and Charizard had been especially good at enduring