[Pokémon: Breloom]
[Type: Grass, Fighting]
[Ability: Poison Heal (Restores HP when poisoned)]
[Gender: Male]
[Talent: Lord-tier]
[Level: 34]
[Moves: Stun Spore, Poison Powder, Counter, Giga Drain, Parasitic Seed, Seed Bomb, Sonic Punch, Bulk Up, Protect, Brick Break...]
A Level‑34 Breloom.
Lin Yu's eyes lit up — this was exactly what he wanted.
The gap between Elite and Gym tier was a massive chasm.
Gym‑tier Pokémon were classified as dangerous creatures. By city law, they could not roam freely without permission, for fear they could cause mass casualties in an instant.
Unchecked, they could tear skyscrapers dozens of meters tall to shreds.
If the Gym Leader had sent an Elite‑stage Grass type, Lin Yu worried Charmeleon would just one‑shot it again.
But Charmeleon now,
even though it hadn't reached Gym tier,
was Level 29.
The arena erupted in boos.
The crowd could clearly see Breloom's strength.
But their attention was instantly stolen by the Charmeleon that appeared next.
"Charmeleon, go!"
Red light flashed. A fierce, nearly 1.8‑meter‑tall Charmeleon stepped onto the field.
Its cold, sharp claws glinted with pale white flame.
The flame on its tail was no longer pure orange‑yellow — it burned white, an eerie mix of scorching heat and icy cold.
Frost actually formed on the ground around it!
As its power grew, Charmeleon's body had become stronger and stronger.
An ordinary Charizard was barely taller than this.
It was hard to imagine how huge it would become once it evolved.
Charmeleon stood proudly on the battlefield, more confident than ever — like an undefeated general.
"Mom's asking why I'm watching on my knees! Since when is Charmeleon this big? Charizard doesn't even look that tough!"
"So majestic!"
"Wait… is its tail flame white? Is this some new variant?!"
The crowd exploded with excitement.
Out of sight, out of mind — but this was a whole new level of change.
"Breeloom!"
Breloom immediately sensed its opponent's power and tensed up.
"Charr!!"
Charmeleon's eyes burned with fighting spirit.
Commentator: "Battle begin!"
"Breloom, Bulk Up!"
As a Gym Leader, Xiao Feng knew how critical buff moves were.
"Charmeleon, use Self-Motivate!"
Lin Yu didn't back down.
White light flashed over both Pokémon at the same time.
Lightning seemed to crackle between their eyes.
Fighting moves?
Both Trainers understood each other in an instant.
Real men clash fist to fist, body to body!
"Breloom, Sonic Punch!"
"Charmeleon, Flame Fist!"
Their commands came almost simultaneously.
As a physical attacker, Breloom had a 130 Base Attack stat.
It was stronger than Charmeleon, and Sonic Punch struck first.
Even with commands given at the same time,
Lin Yu could see Charmeleon's flame charging a split second slower.
It didn't matter.
He swapped Entries in an instant.
[Final Whisper] activated.
The slightly slower Flame Fist instantly matched Breloom's speed.
BOOM!
Fist collided with dragon claw.
A thunderous roar exploded across the arena.
Charmeleon stumbled back a step, but showed no sign of falling.
Breloom's fist, though, was now stained with flame that clung like a leech.
"CHAAAAR!!"
Charmeleon roared to the sky. Its deep blue eyes blazed with exhilaration.
It had taken a small injury from that hit.
Crossing the gap to challenge a Gym‑tier Pokémon really was tough.
"Breloom, combination attack!"
Grass Gym Leader Xiao Feng could feel the flame draining his Pokémon's health.
Thick purple Poison Powder billowed toward Charmeleon.
This combination wasn't just Poison Powder —
hidden inside were Parasitic Seeds.
If Charmeleon breathed them in, they would root into its skin and drain its life away.
This kid…
All Xiao Feng saw in Lin Yu's eyes was pure hunger for Pokémon battle.
With Aura Sense, Lin Yu saw the seeds hidden in the poison fog.
But he only smiled and commanded:
"Charge in, Charmeleon! This is perfect training. Dragon Claw!"
What?
Xiao Feng was stunned.
He'd watched Lin Yu's previous matches.
This combination was easy to counter — Charmeleon could just incinerate the powder and seeds with a single Fire blast.
He'd only used Poison Powder to trigger Poison Heal.
"You're not using your strongest Fire moves… you want to fight hand‑to‑hand instead? Bold spirit!"
Xiao Feng muttered, and long‑dormant fighting spirit reignited in his eyes.
Once, he'd been a rising star in Shuimu City's tournaments,
winner of that year's high‑school league.
But when he went out into the wider world,
he realized how vast the world was — geniuses were everywhere.
The Trainers in provincial and national tournaments were monsters.
His title as champion of Shuimu City didn't even make a ripple provincially.
That was when he understood:
genius Trainers were as numerous as river currents.
And they all shared one trait —
they lived for the battle.
The hunger to grow stronger with every punch.
Now he saw that same fire in this boy.
A boundless future awaited him.
"Then come! Breloom, Mega Punch!"
"Yes! Charmeleon, Sonic Punch!"
Lin Yu shouted without hesitation.
[Combat Leech]
had already let Charmeleon copy the move.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The rest of the battle turned into a pure fistfight between two Fighting types.
Body against body.
The sound of collision crashed like a tidal wave.
The crowd was speechless — this was worth the price of admission alone!
They'd never seen a battle like this.
Charmeleon only grew more excited as it fought.
At first, its punches and technique were nowhere near Breloom's.
But its stamina was nearly endless.
Breloom's heart sank with every hit.
A terrible sense of powerlessness washed over it. Its fists grew heavy.
It was like punching cotton.
Like fighting underwater.
It stumbled, Flame Fist grazing it again…
and it could not get back up.
"Winner of the match — Lin Yu!"
The commentator announced the final result.
Xiao Feng returned Breloom to its Poké Ball and stepped before Lin Yu.
"You're incredible. I hope to see you in the National High School Tournament."
Fulfill the dream I never could…