Chapter 21: The Great Flame King
The campfire's embers glowed softly by the lake on Ancient Sword Mountain, casting a warm flicker across Souichi Kiruma's tent. Silk, his oversized Caterpie, rested nearby, its draconic aura pulsing faintly as it munched the last of its energy cubes, its ambition undimmed by the day's battles. Teddiursa's Poké Ball, clipped to Souichi's belt, hummed with the Lucky Egg's quiet energy, the bear Pokémon dreaming of proving itself. Souichi sat cross-legged, his Pokégear glowing with Green's latest message: *"Charmander's yours, Ai-kun. Pallet's ready—bring the fire."* The system's panel flickered in his vision, its update a blend of opportunity and rising stakes:
[Task Update: Finishing Touch Proficiency: 58%. Draconic transformation stable. Objective: Integrate Charmander (pending Green's gift) into team; enhance synergy with Silk and Teddiursa. Lucky Egg active (Teddiursa experience gain +50%). Alert: High-profile attention escalating—Kanto elites (Green, Red), Hoenn factions, and Da Yan's Ghost King (Xia Yi) now tracking host. File access restricted by Da Yan authority. Exercise extreme caution with new alliances.]
Souichi's heart raced as he reread Green's message. *A Charmander from the Cultivator himself?* He pictured the fiery lizard, its tail flame blazing, joining Silk's draconic might and Teddiursa's growing grit. *That's a game-changer.* But the system's alert about Da Yan's Ghost King—Xia Yi—sent a chill down his spine. *Ghost Otaku? The admiral from my stream?* Her generous gifts and sharp battle insights suddenly made sense. *She's been watching me. And she's locking my file?* He typed to Green: *"Pallet's a plan. Charmander's an honor. Let's make sparks fly."* His grin hid a flicker of unease. *Kanto, Hoenn, now Da Yan's elite. I'm in deep.*
In Evergreen City, Kanto, the gym's training arena echoed with the roar of flames. Green stood by the field, his Arcanine watching as a young Charmander blasted a Flamethrower, its tail flame blazing despite its small size. The lizard's muscles were lean but strong, its eyes fierce with potential. Red leaned against a wall, Pikachu on his shoulder, smirking. "You're really giving up that Charmander?" Red asked, eyeing the Pokémon's precision.
Green's grin was fierce. "Ai-kun's no ordinary trainer. That Caterpie—Silk—it's a dragon. He punched an Arbok, Red. Punched it." Green's title as the "Cultivator" came from raising champions, but Souichi's work with Silk was revelatory. Their Line chat had sealed it—Aisha's breeding insights, from energy cube formulas to move synergy, rivaled Green's own, even touching on theories Dr. Oak hadn't explored. "This Charmander's too good for a conventional path. Ai-kun will give it a new story."
Red nodded, his cap shadowing his eyes. "He's Kanto-bound. Pallet's the spot." He typed in the elite trainer group chat: *"Red: Green's Charmander's going to Ai. Kid's a legend in the making."*
*Cerulean Mermaid: From GREEN? That lizard's gonna burn the Rookie Cup!*
*I'm just pushing Miss Walnut: Da Yan Kung Fu plus fire? Game over.*
*Gorgeous Water Artist: Sky Pillar's calling him. Hoenn's ready.*
*To purchase precious gemstones, contact Devon: Mikoli, focus. Pacifidlog's critical.*
In Da Yan's Pokémon League headquarters, Xia Yi, the Ghost King, lounged in her office, her purple eyes glinting as she studied Souichi's file. Her computer screen still showed his ended stream, her *Ghost Otaku* ID hidden among the chat's flood of gifts. The file detailed his battles, his Caterpie's freakish strength, and his Hoenn travel plans—now flagged and sealed by her authority. *Three ancient Pokémon stirred when he was in Hoenn,* she mused, her fingers tracing his photo. *He's no rookie. He's a spark.*
Xia Yi's Gengar hovered nearby, its grin mirroring her own. "He's the one, isn't he?" she whispered, her voice soft but sharp. Her role as Da Yan's top Heavenly King gave her access to secrets others missed—Souichi's file had been tampered with, gaps in his history suggesting someone was hiding his past. *Hoenn's Sky Pillar. He's tied to it.* She typed a secure message to an unknown ID: *"He's on Ancient Sword Mountain. File's locked. Move to Pallet, then we guide him to Hoenn."*
In Caiyou City, Hoenn, Wallace and Steven sat in their harbor café, Milotic and Metagross tense. "Green's giving him a Charmander," Wallace said, watching the stream replay. "That's a Champion's vote of confidence." Steven nodded, his Pokégear flashing with Devon's seismic alerts—Pacifidlog's spikes were at crisis levels. "Magma and Aqua will move soon. Ai's stream's too loud. We need him in Hoenn before they do."
Steven typed to Red: *"Charmander's a power move. Keep Ai safe in Pallet—Hoenn's a powder keg."* Wallace added, "Sky Pillar's his destiny. We'll meet him there."
At the campsite, Souichi fed Silk another energy cube, its glow flaring as it chewed, its thoughts fierce: *Charmander? Good. Another ally for the Emperor. I'll lead, but they better keep up.* Teddiursa, released from its Poké Ball, sniffed the air, its Lucky Egg gleaming. Its thoughts were raw but determined: *Bug's a beast. I'm next. Fire lizard? Let's burn.* Souichi grinned, sensing their fire. "Team's growing, guys. Charmander's joining the empire."
His Pokégear buzzed—*Champion Green*: *"Charmander's ready. Pallet, two days. Bring Silk and that bear. We're sparring."* Another from *Ghost Otaku*: *"Great show today. Pallet's your next stage. Watch your back—big players are moving."* Souichi's pulse quickened. *Xia Yi. She's the King.* He typed back: *"Pallet's locked in. Thanks for the support. Ready for the big stage."*
The system pinged: *Combat proficiency: 59%. Team synergy: 15%. Charmander integration pending.* Souichi looked at the lake, its calm surface hiding depths, like the Sky Pillar in his mind—a blade piercing the heavens. "Kanto, then Hoenn," he said, patting Silk and Teddiursa. "We're the Great Flame now." Silk's glow flared, Teddiursa growled, and the Emperor's legend burned brighter, fueled by Green's gift and Xia Yi's hidden gaze.