One week later.
Ethan had finally gotten what he wanted: his very own Charmander.
In addition to that, he now held an invitation letter in his hands.
That invitation came from Derek Ashford, who told him that with it, he could visit his Pokémon breeding center and freely choose a Water-type Pokémon.
The reason was simple: Derek was afraid Ethan might take the Mudkip he had his eyes on.
So, even though Ethan hadn't planned on picking Mudkip at all, he ended up gaining an unexpected benefit—something that made him quite happy.
And aside from Derek's invitation, during that week Ethan had received many others—from various people and organizations—all with the same goal: to recruit him.
"Whew, good thing I ran out of there in time."
"I didn't expect so many people waiting for me at the starter breeding zone."
Mounted on his Pidgeot, Ethan soared through the skies, heading back toward the Pokémon Research Guild.
He knew perfectly well why everyone was looking for him: either they wanted to learn the method behind Slowking's evolution, or they wanted to lure him into their ranks. Such were the annoyances of fame.
With Pidgeot's swift flight, he soon returned to the guild building.
"Ethan, you did it, huh? The new champion among this generation's rookies! Just thinking about it sounds impressive."
As soon as Ethan arrived, Alex Baxter came over laughing, teasing him.
"That's routine by now."
Ethan shrugged indifferently, which made Alex let out a mock gasp of outrage at his arrogance.
At that moment, Grand President Beckett, Professor Harris, and several others also came over after hearing the news, full of praise.
"You've done an excellent job. Ah, and this is for you."
Grand President Beckett gave Ethan a satisfied smile and patted him on the shoulder.
Under Ethan's curious gaze, he took out a document and handed it over.
"Advanced-Level Pokémon Researcher Certificate."
Under Alex's envious stare, Ethan accepted it.
For a moment, he felt dazed. Wow, he thought, since when did this academic underachiever become an Advanced-Level Pokémon Researcher? Being "lucky" felt pretty damn good.
"Also, we need to talk about your rewards."
At those words, Ethan's eyes lit up with excitement. Certificates were just symbolic—but rewards were the real deal.
"In terms of resources, I believe you're already well equipped," said Grand President Beckett with a smile. "So, I've decided to convert all of your rewards into Research Points. As an Advanced-Level Pokémon Researcher, you'll be able to use them freely to exchange for any resources you need."
"Perfect, I'll leave it in your hands."
Ethan thought for a moment before replying, clearly satisfied.
He knew that the Pokémon Research Guild was a massive organization, filled with all kinds of treasures.
However, being a semi-governmental institution, all its resources were managed under strict regulations. Even the president himself could only make minor adjustments within certain limits.
To access other resources, each researcher had to exchange them using points of equivalent value.
Now that the president had converted all his rewards into points, Ethan had come out completely on top.
"Very well. Whenever you need something, redeem it yourself."
"For now, bring out Absol. Our experiment isn't finished yet."
...
"Come out, Charmander."
Back in his dorm room, Ethan couldn't wait any longer and released his new partner.
"Chaarrr!"
Charmander appeared, looking around curiously.
"Everyone, come greet your new teammate."
Ethan tossed out the rest of his Poké Balls: Sandslash, Cacturne, Slowking, Shuckle, Meltan, Trapinch, and Absol.
With Charmander, his team now numbered eight Pokémon, and releasing them all at once confirmed his suspicion.
"If my assumption's right, I can still release four more Pokémon..." he thought, eyes gleaming.
While he pondered, his Pokémon were already playing together, showing great chemistry—something that made Ethan smile warmly.
"Charmander, this Fire Stone will be your welcome gift."
Ethan grinned and took out the stone he had prepared in advance.
Although the Fire Stone serves as an evolution item for certain Pokémon, some Fire-types can directly absorb its energy—and Charmander was one of them.
"Chaarrr!"
At the sight of the stone, Charmander's eyes lit up. It let out a few joyful cries and, without hesitation, swallowed the Fire Stone in a single gulp.
In that instant, the flame on its tail flared up fiercely. Its once orange body began to turn red, and an intense wave of heat spread around the room, accompanied by faint wisps of smoke.
"Charmander, stop—quickly! We're in the dorm room!"
Startled, Ethan shouted in alarm. If the little guy set the place on fire, he'd be in serious trouble.
Obediently, Charmander immediately toned down the flame on its tail. Its body cooled, returning to its orange hue as the hot air faded away.
"Hic~"
Feeling the fiery energy burning inside it, Charmander let out a burp and half-closed its eyes in pure bliss.
"As long as you're happy..."
Ethan chuckled and patted the little one's head, while Charmander nuzzled his leg affectionately.
During the following days, Ethan devoted himself completely to studying how to train it. He spent hours in the library reviewing materials, and in the end, managed to put together a preliminary training plan for Charmander.
Since its flames were naturally hotter than normal, Ethan decided to take advantage of that trait and focus on refining its temperature control, maximizing its Fire-type moves.
As for its combat development, he didn't hesitate to train it as a ranged special attacker. Once it evolved into Charizard, it could take full advantage of its flight to unleash devastating attacks from above.
Meanwhile, Ethan's other Pokémon continued to grow steadily, especially Trapinch, whose progress seemed to have reached a critical point.
For that reason, Ethan decided to embark on another expedition soon—to help it evolve into Vibrava. Once that evolution was complete, its power would rise once more, and it could finally display its full potential as a Flying-type.
(End of chapter)