This was not the first day Charmeleon had met Sam.
From Sam's tone, it could clearly tell—he was serious.
If it refused to obey commands again, Sam would truly release it.
Charmeleon panicked.
It didn't want to return to those lonely days, and it didn't want to leave Sam.
After finally finding a good Trainer and meeting a group of companions who accepted it, it no longer wanted to be alone.
"Char… Char!"
Through their spiritual connection, Sam understood Charmeleon's meaning clearly.
It promised that it would obey from now on—and that something like this would never happen again.
Seeing that Charmeleon had sincerely admitted its mistake, Sam had no intention of continuing to pressure it. Still, he made his stance clear.
"This is the first and last time," Sam said calmly.
"I think you understand what I mean."
"Char! Char!"
Charmeleon nodded vigorously, determination written all over its face.
---
Outside the room, the other Pokémon waited anxiously for the result.
Click.
The door opened.
Seeing all the Pokémon gathered outside, Sam instantly understood.
"Charmeleon," Sam said, smiling faintly.
"They're all waiting for you. Go on."
"Clefairy!"
"Ivy!"
Once they realized everything was resolved, all the Pokémon—except Gengar—relaxed and smiled.
Only Gengar looked dissatisfied, clearly unhappy with how things had turned out.
---
"Charmeleon, Fire Fang."
Sam's luck had been quite good. His progress through the tournament was smooth, but his opponents were not particularly strong.
Watching the energetic Charmeleon on the battlefield, Brock finally felt relieved.
Sam truly was a Trainer who loved Pokémon—just like Ash.
"Well done, Charmeleon," Sam praised sincerely.
After the match, Brock handed Sam a drink he had prepared and said with a smile,
"You've won three matches in a row and made it into the top 32. Judging by your current condition, winning the championship in one go wouldn't be surprising."
Sam smiled slightly.
He didn't think it would be that easy.
The weaker contestants had mostly been eliminated already. Anyone who made it into the top 32 was no ordinary Trainer. One moment of carelessness could lead to defeat.
Sam hadn't come all the way to the St. Annuo just to stop at the top 32.
He would have to be especially cautious from now on.
---
And that caution soon proved necessary.
In the round of 32 to 16, Sam encountered a truly strong opponent.
That Trainer had performed unremarkably in the earlier rounds, hiding his strength well. But when facing Sam, he immediately sent out a Pokémon with Gym-level power.
Fortunately, Sam hadn't chosen Charmeleon when attacking first.
Instead, he sent out Gengar.
Otherwise, his journey on the St. Annuo might have ended right there.
---
Pokémon: Nidoking
Type: Poison / Ground
Strength: Gym-level (Beginner)
Potential: Gym-level
"Go, Gengar," Sam said calmly.
"Kou jie jie."
The opponent's luck was terrible.
If he hadn't met Sam, reaching the top four with his strength wouldn't have been unrealistic. Unfortunately, this was where his journey would end.
"Gengar, Shadow Ball."
An Elite-level Pokémon and a Gym-level Pokémon existed on completely different tiers.
Upon receiving the command, Gengar grinned maliciously. Two black Shadow Balls instantly condensed in its hands.
Nidoking's Trainer frowned.
He had thought Nidoking might stand a chance, but the moment he felt the terrifying aura radiating from Gengar, his heart sank.
Still, he didn't give up.
After all—who knew the result without trying?
"Nidoking, Venoshock!"
Unlike ordinary Trainers, this man focused heavily on poison-based tactics. Nidoking's horn glowed purple, its intimidating presence making the battlefield feel oppressive.
A surge of toxic venom shot straight toward Gengar.
Gengar didn't dodge.
It allowed the venom to strike its body directly.
"Success!"
The Trainer, who had nearly lost hope, suddenly felt a spark of excitement. Perhaps—just perhaps—he still had a chance.
But reality was cruel.
Gengar had deliberately taken the hit.
It wanted to let its opponent experience the fall from heaven to hell.
"Kou jie jie."
Gengar vanished.
When it reappeared, it was already behind Nidoking, Shadow Balls fully condensed.
Smack!
Gengar slammed both Shadow Balls directly into Nidoking's face.
BOOM!
Violent energy erupted instantly, completely knocking Nidoking unconscious.
The hopeful smile on Nidoking's Trainer froze solid.
"Kou jie jie!"
Gengar laughed loudly.
This—this expression—was exactly what it wanted to see.
------------Author---------------
Thank you NARTER-501,
George Simon, RebelRob_94,
Domnick Dawson and terrance smith for supporting me!
Weekly goal, top 100 i will drop 4 Chapters maybe even more.
If you want to support me or read 40 chapters in advance, check out:
👉 patreon.com/Master_fic
Believe me, as a broke student, money is a great motivator.
Thankyou for your support!