The air carried a fresh, invigorating scent on this brand-new morning, instantly lifting the spirit.
"Char!" Charmander turned back and called out to Alex Drake, who was lagging behind. From its eager expression, it was clearly urging Alex to hurry up and keep pace.
"(╯▔□▔)╯ Just you wait—you're gonna get it in a minute," Alex panted, watching the jogging Charmander ahead of him.
Indeed, a new day of training had begun... But it was obvious this Pokémon's adaptability far exceeded what Alex had expected. Compared to yesterday's struggle after fifteen shuttle-run laps, Charmander had already slowed its pace today—yet its condition was noticeably better. Instead of falling behind, it was now the one pushing Alex forward... After thirty laps, Alex braced his hands on his knees, gasping for air. Meanwhile, Charmander had unknowingly added another five laps and still looked full of energy.
"╮(╯▽╰)╭" Charmander glanced at Alex's state and spread its little claws in mock sympathy.
"Give me a break—I'm just a normal human, okay?" Alex couldn't help complaining at Charmander's attitude.
After a short rest, Alex led Charmander to another clearing.
"Next is move training. We'll focus on improving Ember's accuracy. I'll toss stones into the air, and your job is to hit them."
A pile of stones already sat at his feet.
"Ready?"
He picked up a stone, confirmed Charmander was set, and began throwing them one by one.
At first, the pace was slow and the frequency low, so Charmander's hit rate was excellent.
But as Alex gradually increased speed—stones flying one after another—Charmander's accuracy began to drop.
It grew irritable and a little flustered.
"Calm down. Stay cool—don't panic! Watch the stone's trajectory clearly before you act. Sometimes it's better to let one pass."
Charmander gradually settled, its small eyes locking onto each stone. Though the hit rate wasn't perfect yet, there was clear improvement.
"Very good. Keep that focus."
"Char~" Charmander nodded firmly.
It slowly entered a true training mindset.
After a while, Alex had thrown every stone in the pile, and this phase ended.
"Well done. Remember that feeling. I want you to bring that same concentration to every session from now on."
"Woo..." The exhausted Charmander replied weakly.
"Hey, weren't you so full of energy earlier? Haha," Alex teased.
Thirty minutes later... "Hey, hey, hey—Charmander, stop playing dead. You rested yet? Time for the next phase."
While Charmander rested, Alex had quietly prepared another pile—this time of smaller stones.
"Now I'm going to throw stones *at* you. Your job is to dodge them just before they hit. Stay alert at all times. Ready?" Alex picked up a stone, assumed a throwing stance, and asked.
"Char~"
At first, Alex kept the pace deliberately slow, and Charmander dodged effortlessly. After a bit, just as Charmander relaxed into the rhythm, Alex suddenly sped up.
*Thwack!* A stone struck Charmander square on the head.
"Char~ OAO"
Charmander clutched its head, a small bump already forming.
"Oh dear. I told you to stay alert—your reaction time isn't sharp enough yet," Alex said, lips curling slightly.
"Char~ (ಠ_ಠ)???" Charmander stared in disbelief. *This old geezer definitely did that on purpose.* Angry sparks flickered in its eyes.
Gradually, Charmander adapted to Alex's throwing rhythm and grew more proficient, dodging with increasing ease.
"Alright, that's enough for dodging practice. Take a break—we'll start the next one soon."
As if hearing the sweetest words, Charmander immediately collapsed to the ground.
Alex leaned against a tree trunk, knees drawn up, seizing the moment to rest too... After the break, Alex led Charmander to a small waterfall by the river.
"Charmander, next we'll train close-combat skills. Besides ranged attacks like Ember and Dragon Breath, your claws and body can become powerful weapons too. Stand in the river, face the waterfall, and attack it with your claws. Today's training ends when you manage to cut through the flow."
"!!!∑(ﾟﾛﾟ!(ﾟﾍﾟ?)???" Charmander stared at Alex in utter confusion, waving its claws frantically.
After watching the gestures for a moment, Alex roughly understood: *Old man, you're kidding, right? Don't you know I'm a Fire-type? And you're making me do this?*
"Sooner or later you'll face Water-types in battle—better to adapt early. Besides, this waterfall's flow isn't that strong, and the river's so shallow it barely reaches half your height. No arguments. Get in there. I'll be right here with you."
With that, Alex flicked Charmander lightly on the head and jumped into the river himself. He strode to the base of the waterfall with fierce determination in his eyes, dropped into a horse stance, faced the cascade, and began throwing punch after punch.
Though Charmander was apprehensive, seeing its Trainer training alongside it, it flicked its tail, gaze hardening. Still, it waded in with the expression of someone marching to their doom.
At first, Charmander struggled to adjust and nearly lost balance under the water's force—startling Alex into stopping mid-punch to rush over.
But Charmander quickly steadied itself, found its footing, and turned back with a confident "no problem" look (!(•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑). Only then did Alex relax and resume punching.
Now balanced, Charmander extended its claws and slashed repeatedly at the waterfall.
Yet the cascade flowed on relentlessly. Water splashed everywhere with each strike, occasionally spraying Charmander's body.
Gradually, staring at the unyielding waterfall, Charmander grew discouraged. Its movements slowed.
"Charmander, there's an old saying from my hometown: the fist expresses power, but the heart conveys intent. Only when heart, power, and fist become one will your strike be fierce and truly penetrating. That's the principle of defeating an opponent from within."
"Remember: the tougher the challenge, the more important it is to cultivate your heart. Only a strong heart makes you invincible. And the best way to strengthen it is to keep it 'unmoving.' An unmoving heart lets you face any uncertainty calmly—even if you fall to rock bottom, you can still stand with composure. All phenomena arise from the mind; the heart is the root of everything. Follow your original intent, hold to your conscience. If your heart remains steady, everything else will naturally fall into place."
"Flowing river water has no end. If you can't see the flow point, you can't cut the stream. In simple terms, the 'flow point' is locking onto a single mass of water—then concentrating your entire essence, energy, and spirit, channeling power through it to deliver a blow that gathers your whole being."
Seeing Charmander's thoughtful expression, Alex's lips curved. *Little guy, I knew I could bluff you. All those years reading theories weren't wasted.*
"Charmander, watch closely! The fist technique lies in the low and solid stance, the fist intent in the high and empty space, and the true art deep within the heart."
With that, Alex slid his right leg back into a low bow-and-arrow stance. He relaxed his left palm and pushed it slowly forward while drawing his right fist back to his waist.
"Ah~ ah~ ah... Rozan... Rising Dragon Lord!"
Alex's figure blurred for a moment. A deafening shout erupted. His right arm's muscles tensed, veins bulging as he unleashed the punch. For an instant, it almost seemed a green beam shot forward, accompanied by a faint dragon's roar. The waterfall's flow... actually paused for a heartbeat, water surging backward in a dramatic splash.
Of course... that was impossible. Wrong genre, haha.
In reality, after Alex's dramatic shout and punch, not even a ripple appeared. Only the sound of splashing water echoed.
"(〃´▽｀〃) What are you staring at? Shouting makes punching way more imposing, okay?" Alex said to the stunned Charmander, though his voice lacked confidence.
"( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)" *I don't believe a single word, you bad old man—deceiving a dragon.*
Then Charmander stepped back, closed its eyes, and imitated Alex by concentrating its breath.
After a few moments, it opened its eyes. Its gaze had completely changed—sharp and firm, like an eagle soaring through the heavens.
Sparks seemed to ignite in Charmander's pupils. The once-rapid waterfall appeared to slow in its vision, revealing more and more details.
In that instant, everything around Charmander fell silent. Between heaven and earth, only the slowly flowing water remained.
It locked its vision onto a single drop within the cascade.
"Char~"
Suddenly, Charmander leapt high. A white light flashed across its claws, and like a legendary blade, it slashed downward.
*Swish... Splash!*
"You did it, Charmander!" Alex shouted excitedly.
"Char~ ʅ（´◔౪◔）ʃ" Charmander crossed its claws over its chest, acting as if it were no big deal.
"Alright, don't get cocky. Keep training, and I'll make you a big feast tonight." Alex patted Charmander's smooth head.
As the sun set, its afterglow bathed the waterfall in brilliant gold, draping the scene in a warm veil. Two figures—one large, one small—continued training before the cascade.
Alex's lean frame looked almost heroic in the sunset light. His punches were fierce and focused, as if the world had shrunk to just him and his fists.
Charmander kept slashing horizontally with its claws, its small body brimming with endless vitality.
The lengthening shadows of the setting sun told their story of persistence and effort. Their silhouettes merged with the waterfall and the golden glow, creating a beautiful, heartwarming picture.
In this peaceful moment, time seemed to pause—only their figures kept moving, pressing forward toward greater heights.
(End of Chapter 6)