Aside from that, due to the influence of the Assault Vest, Charmeleon has made rapid progress in Speed. It hasn't been long since it leveled up to the Advanced Peak, but its Speed has already reached S-level.
If outsiders knew how quickly Ash's Pokémon not only leveled up but also had such an increase in ability values, they would probably tie him up in a small dark room and interrogate him for three days and nights.
This speed is simply unfathomable!
However, for Ash, he doesn't feel much about it. Even though he doesn't have much money, he almost always gives his Pokémon the best things.
The ingredients for the Pokémon's food may not be the top in the world, but Ash and Brock meticulously prepare exclusive food for them.
The food they prepare is customized for each Pokémon, with a unique formula for each, and they are continuously improving it.
This exclusive formula not only satisfies the Pokémon's taste buds but also keeps their bodies in relatively perfect condition.
With perfect mood and body, how can a Pokémon's improvement not be fast?
Additionally, after Pokémon battles, Ash gives them massages. The massages with the Power of Viridian not only help them relax and recover.
The massage technique is one aspect, but the most crucial part is the Power of Viridian Ash adds. This is a power even the world's top Breeders cannot possess. It allows the Pokémon to heal the various damage within their bodies after a battle to the greatest extent and absorb the experience from the last battle to the fullest, maximizing their physical training.
Even though Ash isn't the world's top Breeder yet, he can do things that even the world's top Breeders can't.
However, compared to Breeder Ash in the group, there is still a gap.
According to the experts in the group, Breeder Ash's food has magical effects comparable to special abilities, and his cooking even shines...
In short, he is still far away from reaching the level of Breeder Ash, about eighty thousand miles away.
"Alright, the massage is over. Next." Ash said loudly, patting Charmeleon's broad shoulder.
Hearing this, Charmeleon showed a little reluctance in its eyes but still obediently moved aside for the next Pokémon.
Kirlia sat quietly on the small stool in front of Ash, enjoying the comfort brought by Ash at this moment.
"The little guy has grown up. If you keep improving, you'll evolve into Gardevoir soon." Ash said emotionally as he massaged Kirlia and looked at Kirlia's data.
Generally speaking, before reaching the Professional Level, as long as a Pokémon wants to evolve, it can reach its final form.
Now that Kirlia is already at the Advanced Peak, there's indeed not much distance left to the last evolution.
"Kirlia~ I'll do my best, Ash~"
"You don't have to work so hard. Recently, your training has been over the top. Even if I treat you, you shouldn't push yourself so much. Out of over sixty battles, you fought almost twenty yourself, often one against two or three."
Recalling Kirlia's desperate efforts, Ash said with some heartache.
Along the way, the one who fought the hardest in wild battles wasn't Pikachu or Charmeleon, but Kirlia.
This little guy enjoyed treatment like a princess during the Ralts period, hardly needing to fight, and even if she did, she easily defeated her opponents because Ash typically chose the easier ones for her.
Ash knew Kirlia's talent was high and that she could become strong, possessing strong combat capabilities, but during the Ralts period, he was used to treating her like his little sister and taking care of her.
Pikachu and Charmeleon are battle partners, but the little sister needed to be protected behind him.
That's why she fought little during the Ralts period, but after evolving into Kirlia, she's at the forefront in battles!
Wild battles aren't always one-on-one; some are two-on-two, and some are three-on-three.
Like the young man who offered five thousand earlier, he fought a three-on-three.
Generally, the more Pokémon involved in the battle, the higher the stakes.
In recent battles, Kirlia fought several one-on-two and one-on-three battles, often against opponents of the same level.
Trainers willing to engage in wild battles aren't usually weak; most at the Advanced Level have a Pokémon. Kirlia reached the Advanced Peak through these intense battles.
Even Charmeleon took longer than Kirlia to reach the Advanced Peak.
It's worth mentioning that Charmeleon possesses the Rainbow Wing, which provides significant enhancement in various aspects!
Whether it's combat power, life force, flame refinement, level increase, or ability value improvement... the Rainbow Wing offers enhancement, demonstrating the terrifying effect a Divine Artifact can have on a compatible Pokémon.
Ralts has stronger talents than Charmeleon and comes from a mysterious background, able to learn many skills she couldn't otherwise learn, but Charmeleon, with the Rainbow Wing, still outpaced Kirlia in improvement speed.
Yet, Kirlia relied on a relentless improvement method to surpass Charmeleon.
Now, these two are quite competitive, both vying for the second position in the team. As for first, it's, of course, Pikachu, the big brother, who is not easy to surpass.
Pikachu embodies the idea of staying strong no matter how strong others become, steadily improving.
Though Pikachu's talent rating is only six A, it's quite peculiar. With level increases, its ability values don't drop, and its improvement speed is steady and fast, without any bottlenecks.
This has allowed its enhancement speed to be no slower than Kirlia's, maintaining the position of the team's big brother.
As for Gastly... it was already at the Elite Advanced Level when it joined, so there's no competition for ranking. If anything, in terms of seniority, it's like a grandparent, far from competing with the younger ones.
...
After finishing Kirlia's massage, Ash continued to give full-body massages to the remaining Pokémon, as well as Misty's and Brock's Pokémon. Ash has now become the team's professional masseur.
Not just for the Pokémon; even Brock and Misty occasionally enjoy Ash's massages. The comfort and relaxation, combined with the Power of Viridian, are indeed irresistible.
However, speaking of Brock's Rock Type Pokémon, all Ash can do is use force to loosen their stones a bit, then infuse some Aura Power. That's about as much relaxation as they get.
After all, Pokémon like Graveler and Onix can't really be relaxed through massage techniques!
They have no muscles to speak of, so how can you massage them?
"Dinner's ready!" Misty called to Ash, placing dishes on the small table.
Brock was sorting the food for each Pokémon.
Seeing this, Ash led everyone towards the dining table, but at this moment, a change occurred: a figure suddenly lunged at Ash.
Ash instinctively turned and caught the wrist of the oncoming figure.
It was a furry Pokémon with a nose somewhat resembling a pig's nostrils, slender and long arms, and a long tail extending behind it.
"Mankey?"
The Pokémon Ash caught was a Mankey, a common sight in Kanto.
Mankey is naturally mischievous, often ambushing resting Trainers in the wild, catching them off guard, not only beating them black and blue but also making off with quite a few of their belongings.
Therefore, many experienced Trainers in the wild remain vigilant against Mankey. However, someone like Ash, who has never been ambushed by a Mankey, wouldn't be as cautious.
This time, Ash catching the Mankey was purely due to his extraordinary reaction speed. Otherwise, he might have indeed been successfully ambushed by the Mankey.