Chapter 53: A Trainer's First Command
On the wild grassland.
"Charmander, use Ember on Exeggcute!"
It wasn't Liz who spoke, but Ryū. In front of him, Charmander was confronting a wild Exeggcute.
Exeggcute is a Grass/Psychic-type Pokémon, making it weak to the Fire-type Charmander. It is composed of six individuals shaped like eggs. Each one has its own thoughts, but they usually act in unison. They can be separated, but they quickly feel uneasy and use telepathy to gather together again.
Although its name is Exeggcute, that was a misunderstanding from ancient times. They may look like eggs, but their physiology is closer to that of plants. In biology, Exeggcute is considered a Pokémon similar to a plant seed.
"Char-mander!"
Hearing Ryū's command, Charmander spewed scattered sparks from its mouth. The Ember ignited a small patch of grass where the Exeggcute stood.
"Exeggcute!"
The Exeggcute quickly rolled away as its many eyes began to emit a blue phosphorescence.
"Chaaar..."
Charmander's eyes met the light, and it started to feel dizzy as its eyelids drooped. Finally, it couldn't hold on any longer and lay down on the ground, falling fast asleep. As for the Exeggcute, it quickly rolled into the lush grass and escaped.
'Hypnosis, huh.'
Ryū watched the Exeggcute leave before raising his tail.
[Aqua Tail]
His tail, wrapped in water-type energy, swept over the small patch of burning grass, extinguishing the flames instantly.
"Charmander and Exeggcute aren't high-level. Charmander might only be Lv. 5," Ryū mused, glancing at the soundly sleeping Pokémon on the ground and poking it with his tail.
He had just tested it. The only moves Charmander knew were Scratch, Growl, and Ember. It couldn't even use Smokescreen yet. In the future, this would be the state of a Charmander fresh from a Pokémon Professor's lab.
"Chaar..." Charmander scratched its behind and continued to sleep.
Slap!
Ryū smacked the little guy on the head.
"Mander?"
Only then did Charmander rub its eyes and stand up, looking blank and adorable, with no idea what had just happened.
"Liz, it's your turn to command Charmander next," Ryū said, turning to Liz.
His purpose in the last battle wasn't for Charmander to win. He simply wanted Liz to watch the process so she would understand what he wanted her to do.
"Hmm?"
Liz had been watching quietly from the side. Seeing Ryū suddenly look at her, she tilted her head, not quite understanding.
"..."
Ryū raised his head and thought for a moment. Soon, his eyes lit up. He flew nearby and caught a confused-looking Sentret, a Normal-type Pokémon. If he had a choice, he wouldn't have brought a Sentret over. In the wild, Sentret are not suited for single battles.
It's not a matter of strength, but qualification. Sentret have very nervous personalities and are extremely vigilant. If separated from their colony, they become too scared to sleep, and without companions, they lack the courage to fight. A Trainer can act as a companion, giving them bravery, but a lone wild Sentret is quite helpless.
Usually, when facing a strange enemy, a lone Sentret will only have one reaction.
"Sentret!"
The Sentret stood up on its thick tail, making itself appear larger to intimidate them. In reality, the little guy was so scared it was about to cry.
"..."
Ryū sighed helplessly. The problem was that the only Pokémon in the area suitable for Charmander, besides the Exeggcute, was this one Sentret. And with its current moves, Charmander was no match for an Exeggcute that knew Hypnosis.
"Char-mander!" Charmander, however, was full of energy. Seeing a new opponent, it jumped in front of the Sentret and let out a threatening Growl.
"Are we fighting again?" Liz asked, her bright, wine-red eyes watching the scene.
She didn't expect Ryū to wrap his tail around her and place her about 5 meters behind Charmander.
"Huh?"
Liz was stunned for a moment but immediately understood Ryū's intention. Remembering the positions from the last battle, she realized Ryū wanted her to command Charmander.
"Little Flare, go defeat it!" Liz commanded calmly from her spot.
She was no pampered flower. At the age of 8, Liz had personally led a team into the dangerous Mt. Silver to retrieve a Beedrill swarm. She had also led that swarm and her army to conquer one tribe after another. In a way, she was the first great Pokémon Trainer of the Dragon Kingdom. It was only after becoming Queen 10 years ago that she had stopped commanding Pokémon in battle.
"Char!"
After hearing Liz's words, Charmander wagged its tail and rushed forward. However, because Liz didn't specify a move, it decided to use Scratch on its own.
"Hmm, she does have the instincts of a Trainer," Ryū noted from the side. He had thought training Liz would be a long process, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
The only trouble was that humans in this era had a limited understanding of Pokémon. They didn't know about different moves or their names, so they couldn't give specific instructions in battle.
"Sentret!"
The Sentret was startled as Charmander rushed over. It instinctively lowered its body, closed its eyes, and crashed into Charmander with a trail of white light behind it.
"Little Flare, quickly dodge!" Liz immediately changed her command.
"Char!"
Charmander flashed to the side, barely dodging the Sentret's Quick Attack. Its tail was clipped, but it was harmless. The Sentret's battle sense was poor; it had closed its eyes out of fear, causing it to miss.
"That divine move appeared so early," Ryū thought, stunned for a moment.
"Set him on fire!" Liz shouted.
"Char-mander!" Charmander immediately opened its mouth and used Ember.
"Sen-tret!!!"
The Ember hit its mark, injuring the poor Sentret. Its fur was slightly charred, and it could no longer hold back. It sat on the ground and cried helplessly.
"Oh dear... Let's send this little guy back," Ryū said. Seeing the Sentret crying so miserably, he quickly wrapped it up with his tail and returned it to its colony.
By the time Ryū returned, Liz was already stroking Charmander's head and praising him.
"Little Flare is amazing!"