The next morning, as the first rays of dawn stretched over the Nursery's fence, painting the courtyard's flagstones a pale gold, Shinji had already finished his basic morning exercise.
At the dining table, warm rice balls and prepared Pokémon food were neatly arranged. Raiji was bent over, distributing food to the Skitty gathered at his feet. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and asked, "Awake? Going to train after eating?"
"Mm." Shinji replied, picking up a rice ball and chewing quickly. A few minutes later, he swallowed the last bite, wiped his mouth, and said to Raiji, "Brother, I'm going to the backyard to train."
Raiji nodded and continued with his own tasks.
The training ground in the backyard had already been cleared and leveled, with several large rocks for training scattered around. Traces of previous training still remained on the ground.
Shinji stood in the center of the field, his gaze sweeping over the Pokémon scattered about, then he said in a deep voice, "Chimchar, Zangoose, come here."
Chimchar and Zangoose were called before him, standing opposite each other. An invisible tension instantly filled the air.
The moment Chimchar saw Zangoose, especially its scarred face and sharp eyes, its body involuntarily tensed up, and the flame on its backside trembled slightly. The fear of being surrounded by three Zangoose that day instantly enveloped it like a shadow. It subconsciously took half a step back, its eyes filled with unease.
"Alright, you two, begin a self-battle." Shinji's cold voice rang out, breaking the heavy atmosphere. He specifically looked at Zangoose and added, "Zangoose, unleash your wild ferocity, no holding back."
"Start."
At the command, Zangoose's eyes flared with ferocity. With a low growl, its sharp claws instantly gleamed with cold light as it used Slash, pouncing towards Chimchar with incredible speed.
A fierce gust of wind rushed at it, and Chimchar's pupils suddenly contracted. All its fur bristled, and the desperate scene of being cornered against a cliff by Zangoose that day flashed through its mind.
It wanted to move, to use Flame Wheel to counterattack, but its body seemed nailed to the spot, its limbs stiff and unresponsive. It could only watch helplessly as Zangoose's sharp claws drew closer.
"Bang!"
Zangoose's sharp claws slammed heavily onto Chimchar's small body, sending it flying directly. It rolled several times on the ground before stopping.
"Chimchar, attack!" Shinji's stern shout came, but Chimchar only looked at the pouncing Zangoose in terror, its body rigid, unable to make any effective dodge.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Zangoose's offensive was like a raging storm; Slash and Fury Swipes came one after another. Chimchar became a living target, repeatedly knocked to the ground, quickly accumulating new injuries. It could only futilely shield its head with its arms, letting out helpless whimpers, its eyes filled with pain and despair.
Shinji remained in place, arms crossed, his black-purple eyes like a frozen lake, without a ripple, watching everything with indifference.
Even when Chimchar was beaten badly, he never called a halt.
Finally, Zangoose landed a fierce "Crush Claw" heavily on Chimchar's back!
"Screech—!" Chimchar let out a shrill cry, its body sent flying by the immense force. It crashed against a tree trunk, slid down, and collapsed to the ground, completely losing its ability to battle.
"Stop." Only then did Shinji speak faintly.
Zangoose immediately ceased its attack at the sound, standing in place, panting heavily, its eyes still fierce.
Shinji took out several high-quality Energy Cubes from his pocket and threw them to Zangoose: "Recover your stamina." Zangoose immediately lowered its head and devoured them.
Afterward, Shinji walked over to Chimchar and gently picked it up.
Chimchar was burning hot and covered in wounds. In its hazy consciousness, it felt Shinji's movement and managed to open its eyes, seeing Shinji's expressionless profile.
Its heart was filled with fear and unease, afraid of being abandoned due to its incompetence. It let out a weak cry, tinged with a plea.
Shinji ignored it, simply carrying it to the shade under a large tree, his movements surprisingly steady. He took out the special Potion exchanged from the system shop and carefully sprayed it on each wound.
The stinging pain from the medicine made Chimchar's body twitch, but it held back from making a sound, just looking uneasily at Shinji's stern eyebrows.
Shinji remained silent, focused on treating the injuries, his fingertips precise and steady.
...
Days passed one by one.
Shinji's training regimen became almost fixed: in the morning, he would bring Chimchar and Zangoose to the backyard to begin battle training.
Chimchar was knocked down repeatedly, Shinji watched indifferently each time, and then silently treated it afterward.
At first, Raiji saw this almost cruel training method, his brows furrowed, and he couldn't help but want to step forward to dissuade him. But when he saw Shinji's focused, serious, and meticulous expression each time he treated Chimchar, and how Shinji would always go alone at night to professionally massage and relax Chimchar, helping it recover, Raiji stopped.
He leaned against the doorframe, watching his younger brother's silent yet meticulous movements in the moonlight, and understood.
Everyone has their unique way of forming bonds with Pokémon. Behind Shinji's strictness was another form of responsibility and expectation.
He ultimately just sighed softly, turned, and left, choosing to trust.
A week quietly slipped by.
During this time, Shinji learned from the news that Ash, a trainer from the Kanto region, had successfully defeated Pyramid King Brandon of the Battle Frontier, dominating the Battle Frontier.
This news sharpened Shinji's gaze; time waits for no one.
And the effects of this week's hellish training also began to show. Chimchar, in this day-after-day "torment," quietly changed.
From initially not daring to resist, to later instinctively blocking with its sharp claws and Ember.
From merely whimpering after being knocked down, to later struggling to get up and continue confronting, its level also increased to 14 in this high-intensity battle and recovery.
At first, Chimchar would rub its small head against Shinji's palm while he massaged it, showing a pitiful expression, hoping for a touch of gentleness.
But Shinji remained unmoved until one night, after he finished massaging Chimchar's body and stood up to leave, he coldly dropped a sentence: "This is the price of becoming stronger. If you can't endure it, you'll always be bullied by Zangoose, so leave. I don't need useless trash."
The cold words struck Chimchar's heart like a heavy hammer.
It looked up at Shinji's resolute back, and the flame on its tail flickered violently.
That's right, to become stronger, to no longer be bullied, it cannot always live in fear!
That night, Chimchar curled up in a corner, the flame on its backside burning brightly all night.
From that moment on, Chimchar's eyes changed; fear was replaced by tenacity.
On the second day of training, Chimchar actively assumed a battle stance for the first time.
Facing Zangoose's Slash, it no longer dodged but took the hit with its sharp claws, then counterattacked with an Ember. Although the Ember's power was not enough to seriously injure Zangoose, it made Shinji's eyes subtly shift.
That night, Shinji said to Chimchar, "You are no longer afraid of Zangoose. But that power, that Blaze, you haven't truly mastered it yet. Tomorrow, I want you to unleash it."
The next day, the atmosphere in the training ground was exceptionally tense.
Shinji not only called Zangoose but also gathered Elekid, Murkrow, Froslass, and Dugtrio, surrounding Chimchar in the center.
"Elekid, Thunderbolt! Murkrow, Night Shade! Froslass, Psybeam! Dugtrio, Water Pulse! Target, Chimchar!" Shinji's command stunned the Pokémon present.
Elekid hesitated, looking at Shinji, then at Chimchar, not moving. "Execute the command." Shinji's voice suddenly turned cold.
The next second, the golden electric python of Thunderbolt, the dark beam of Night Shade, the energy water ball of Water Pulse, and the icy coldness of Psybeam simultaneously blasted towards Chimchar in the center of the field from four directions!
"Screech—!!" Chimchar let out a shrill cry. Under the barrage of multiple attacks, it was instantly covered in wounds, its stamina rapidly depleted, pushed to its limits.
Shinji waved his hand, telling Elekid and the other Pokémon to stop attacking and retreat, then ordered Zangoose: "Zangoose, continue! Fury Swipes!"
Zangoose roared and charged forward, its sharp claws raining down on the already tottering Chimchar.
"Chimchar!" Shinji's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable pressure, "Unleash your Blaze! Burn! Only by surpassing your limits can you truly become stronger! Let this flame devour your fear!"
The intense pain and Shinji's shouts acted like a final catalyst. Chimchar threw its head back and let out a heart-wrenching roar, as if some shackles within its body had been broken!
"Boom—!!!"
An unimaginable burst of scorching energy erupted from Chimchar's body. The flame on its tail instantly swelled, transforming into towering inferno that completely enveloped its body! Its eyes turned crimson, and a wild aura emanated from its entire being!
"Yes! Just like that!" A trace of appreciation finally flashed in Shinji's eyes, and he shouted loudly, "Flame Wheel!"
The rampaging Chimchar instinctively curled its body, transforming into a massive and scorching wheel of fire, and with astonishing speed, crashed violently into the nearby Zangoose!
"Bang!" Zangoose had no time to react and was sent flying backward, landing heavily and losing its ability to battle.
However, Chimchar did not stop. Its crimson eyes locked onto Shinji at the edge of the field, and the Flame Wheel changed direction, charging towards Shinji with a destructive aura!
"Shinji!" Raiji, who had just been attracted by the towering flames, exclaimed in shock at this sight.
Elekid, Murkrow, and the other Pokémon also instantly tensed up, wanting to rush forward to protect him.
But Shinji suddenly raised his hand, making a stopping gesture.
He faced the roaring wheel of fire directly, without a trace of fear on his face. In his black-purple eyes, there was only absolute calmness and control.
He stood his ground, watching Chimchar with firm eyes. Just as the Flame Wheel was about to hit him, he suddenly stretched out both hands and firmly grabbed Chimchar's body!
The scorching flames burned his palms and arms, and the intense pain caused cold sweat to seep from Shinji's forehead, but his hands did not loosen in the slightest.
"Calm down!" he shouted sternly at Chimchar, "Endure! Only this way can you become stronger! If you can't even control your own body, you'll only be a useless Pokémon!"
Shinji's voice carried an undeniable power, piercing through the raging flames and reaching Chimchar's ears.
Chimchar's body trembled, its spinning motion gradually slowed, the flames on its body began to diminish, and its crimson eyes slowly regained clarity. The flames around it also began to rapidly recede, finally returning to the stable cluster of fire on its backside.
Seeing Chimchar return to normal, Shinji secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but his face remained calm.
He gently placed the exhausted Chimchar on the ground, his voice returning to its usual coolness: "You can't control your own power because you're not strong enough yet. Today's training ends here."
With that, Shinji turned and walked straight into the house, his steps steady.
However, the moment he turned, Raiji and the keen Pokémon all noticed that his arms, hanging at his sides, were trembling slightly uncontrollably, bearing obvious burn marks.
Chimchar sat on the ground, watching Shinji's departing back, then looked at the fallen Zangoose. Recalling the powerful force and Shinji catching the Flame Wheel with his bare hands, its eyes became more determined than ever before.
It knew that it had finally taken the first step towards becoming stronger.
And Shinji was leading it to greater heights through the most rigorous methods.
Shinji returned to his room and silently treated the burns on his arms with the special burn medicine exchanged from the shop. The pain made him frown slightly, but his eyes were unusually bright.