Chapter 2: The Flame That Chose Me
The silence of the night was warm.
Kai sat up in bed, heart racing. The egg in his lap — golden, warm, powerful — was glowing brighter than ever. Sparks of fire, small as flickering embers, drifted into the air like fireflies.
> [Warning: Pokémon egg is about to hatch.]
[System: Auto-Recording Hatching Sequence…]
"Blaze…?" Kai whispered, staring at the egg.
A faint crack echoed through the room.
Crack.
He held his breath.
Crack-crack.
A thin fissure appeared along the surface of the egg, glowing with fiery gold light. A pulse of energy surged outward, ruffling Kai's hair, and the temperature in the room rose — not dangerously, but with intense warmth.
The egg trembled in his hands.
He instinctively held it tighter but gently, as if cradling something sacred. He felt it — not just warmth — but emotion. Excitement. Determination. It was alive. It knew him.
Then—
CRACK!
The shell split down the center, and golden light flooded the room.
Kai's eyes widened as flames spiraled around the egg — not wild fire, but dancing, focused wisps of energy — blue at the core, golden at the tips, circling in a perfect ring.
In the center of it all, a small figure slowly rose from the broken shell.
A baby Charmander.
But not the orange lizard from the anime or games. No — this one was beyond special.
Its body was a deep obsidian black, smooth and sleek, with fiery red-gold patterns etched across its scales like runes. Its eyes were glowing amber, with slitted pupils and a faint shine of gold when they blinked. The flame on its tail was massive for its size — blue at the core, flickering gold at the edges.
Even sitting down, the little guy radiated pride and power.
Kai whispered, "You're… beautiful."
The Charmander looked up at him with curiosity. Then, without hesitation, it walked forward, stepped onto Kai's lap, and curled up.
> [Congratulations! Your partner Pokémon has hatched.]
[Species: Charmander (Golden Flame Core Variant)]
[Rarity: God-Tier (One-of-a-kind)]
[Level: 5]
[Hidden Ability: Blaze Ascension]
[Special Trait: Flame Soul Bond — MAX Loyalty Established.]
[New Move Unlocked: Golden Ember]
Kai's screen glowed with more info, but he wasn't even looking.
He was staring at his Charmander.
It was breathing softly, its head resting on his chest. A faint, golden symbol glowed on its forehead — a flame-shaped crest — and to his surprise, an identical crest, smaller and fainter, appeared on the back of his right hand.
> [Flame Soul Bond Activated.]
[Permanent connection between Kai and Blaze established.]
[Stats Sync: Emotional link + Battle Link unlocked.]
Kai felt it. Not just physically — he felt the emotions of his Pokémon. Warmth, comfort, trust.
"It's like you've always been with me," Kai said quietly.
Charmander stirred slightly and opened its eyes again.
Then, something amazing happened.
It reached out with its tiny claw… and tapped Kai's chest twice.
Like a promise.
Like a heartbeat.
> [Blaze has acknowledged you as its one and only Trainer.]
Kai smiled. He didn't need the system to tell him that. He already knew.
"You're Blaze," he said. "From now on, we face everything together."
Charmander growled — soft, but proud. A small flare of blue fire left its mouth like a puff of smoke.
---
Morning came too soon.
Kai hadn't slept. Not a second.
He was too busy exploring every detail of Blaze.
The system displayed his partner's stats in a beautiful glowing screen:
---
Name: Blaze
Species: Charmander (God Variant)
Level: 5
Typing: Fire/Dragon
Nature: Bold
Bond: MAX
Abilities:
Blaze Ascension (Hidden): When Blaze drops below 50% HP, all Fire and Dragon moves are enhanced by 300%, and the chance of evolving is instantly unlocked for a short time.
Golden Flame Core (Unique): Constant passive energy. Moves charge faster, burn hotter, and evolve faster.
Moves:
Scratch
Growl
Golden Ember ★
Flame Charge (learned from TM)
---
"Golden Ember…" Kai tested the words.
He stood outside the house in a small open field and gave the command.
"Blaze — use Golden Ember on that tree!"
Charmander stepped forward confidently, tail swaying, then opened its mouth.
Instead of a weak flicker, a concentrated golden sphere of flame formed and exploded from its jaws, soaring in an arc.
BOOM.
It struck the tree dead-on, instantly igniting the leaves and splitting the trunk. The fire didn't spread — it simply burned bright and disappeared.
"Holy—"
Kai rushed to check the damage. The tree had a perfect, clean burn line — not wild, just… controlled. Power without chaos.
Blaze grinned proudly.
"Okay, you're way too strong for a normal Level 5," Kai muttered.
> [System Notification:]
[Your Charmander's flame is bonded to your aura. Training will boost your own physical resistance to fire.]
[Hint: Your body is slowly adapting to fire affinity.]
Kai blinked. "Wait — fire resistance? Me too?"
> [Yes. Soul-Bond effects are shared with Trainer. Over time, your own fire-type resistance and battle endurance will increase. You are no longer an ordinary human.]
"…Sick."
He felt it now — a faint warmth in his chest. Not burning. Not hot. Just there.
---
Later that day, Kai walked into Pallet Town proper, Blaze riding comfortably on his shoulder. The moment people saw the black-and-gold Charmander, whispers began.
"That Charmander… I've never seen one like it."
"Is it shiny? No, wait — it's glowing!"
"Look at its tail! Is that blue fire?!"
Kai didn't pay attention to the stares. Blaze seemed to enjoy them, puffing its chest out proudly and wagging its tail.
"Show-off," Kai muttered with a grin.
They reached Professor Oak's lab just before noon.
Oak looked up as they entered — and nearly dropped his clipboard.
"Great Arceus… is that the same egg from before?!"
Kai nodded. "Yep. Hatched last night."
Oak walked over, kneeling down, observing Blaze carefully.
"This is no ordinary Charmander," he murmured. "Its aura… it's strong. Burning, but controlled. And those scales… I've studied Pokémon my entire life, but I've never seen a fire-type like this."
Blaze smirked and flicked its tail, showing off the fire.
Kai chuckled. "He knows he's awesome."
Oak stood up and handed Kai something. "Then you'll need this."
It was a red device — classic, iconic, smooth in his hand.
The Pokédex.
> [System Update: Pokédex integrated into Trainer Interface.]
[Scanning Blaze…]
Kai opened the entry:
> Charmander — God-Tier Variant (Flame Core)
A one-of-a-kind mutation said to have been born from sacred fire itself. Its flames burn in harmony with its soul, and it forms unbreakable bonds with a single Trainer. Its power is limited only by the will of its partner.
Kai looked up. "One-of-a-kind… huh?"
Oak nodded. "You've got something truly rare, Kai. I suggest you begin your journey soon. This world… it was made for Trainers like you."
Kai bowed slightly. "Thanks, Professor."
"Oh, and one more thing." Oak handed him a small black box. "Something new I've been developing. A battle tracker — it syncs with your Pokédex and lets you analyze fights in real time. Consider it a bonus gift."
"Awesome."
---
That night, back in his room, Kai sat cross-legged on the floor with Blaze in front of him.
They had battled wild Rattata and Pidgey earlier — Blaze had roasted them easily, but Kai made sure to let him train technique, not just power.
"Blaze," he said, reaching into the system.
> [Spend 100 Points — Buy Aura Sensitivity Scroll?]
He tapped yes.
A small glowing scroll appeared in his hand.
"Guess it's time we both get stronger."
He opened the scroll — and a burst of light entered his chest.
> [You have begun awakening Aura Sensitivity.]
[Stage 1: Emotional Sync]
[You can now feel the emotions of Pokémon nearby.]
His breath caught.
It was like a door opened in his mind — and through it, he felt Blaze's warmth. Joy. A bit of hunger. A slight urge to fight.
Blaze blinked — and stepped closer.
Kai reached out and held its claw gently. "You can feel me too, huh?"
The Charmander closed its eyes and nodded once.
> [Flame Soul Bond Level Up: Emotional Harmony Achieved.]
The flame on Blaze's tail grew a little brighter.
"I'll protect you, Blaze. No matter what. We're going to become legends."
Charmander looked up at him, and then — without warning — climbed into Kai's lap, curled up, and fell asleep with a small, proud growl.
Kai leaned back against the wall, watching the moonlight pour in.
He smiled.
No evil team. No mysterious enemy. Just him, Blaze, and the world ahead.