By utilizing his three Pokémon whose compatibility had reached its peak, Ash easily triumphed over the Violet Gym and obtained the Zephyr Badge.
Ash spent a few exchange points with the System to get a Badge Case. Pinning the badge to the inside of his jacket always felt a bit foolish to him.
To Ash's surprise, Charizard's Bond had already exceeded 200 points!
To put that into perspective, Pikachu's Bond was currently only at 210. Of course, it wasn't a fair comparison; Pikachu had not yet evolved to its final stage. Furthermore, once a Bond exceeded 200 points, the efficiency of further increases began to drop significantly.
With the Zephyr Badge in hand, Ash recalled that they weren't far from a certain location.
"Misty, Brock, I think I need to stop for a while. I need to put Charizard through some special training!" After leaving Violet City, Ash came to a halt in a vast, open field.
Brock and Misty were somewhat puzzled. "Ash, why are you in such a rush to train Charizard? It's already incredibly strong!"
Ash shook his head. "It's still not enough. I want to become stronger! Stronger! Even stronger!"
The field was wide and empty, with no other Pokémon around, making it the perfect place for Charizard to let loose.
Seeing Ash's serious expression, Brock and Misty shared a smile. "Since you've made up your mind, of course we'll support you!"
"I'll prepare a feast for everyone!" Brock said with a grin, brandishing his spatula.
Ash nodded his thanks. The trio found a large tree on a hillside that served as an ideal campsite. The tree provided shade from the bright sun, a gentle breeze blew across the field, and the view was spectacular.
Ash summoned all his Pokémon. With Chikorita's help, Misty climbed onto the belly of a fast-asleep Snorlax. It truly was the perfect mattress.
Ash smiled and looked at Charizard beside him. After the recent bouts of special training, Charizard's physique had become noticeably more robust. More importantly, its aura had become steady and calm, lacking its previous impulsiveness.
"Charizard, this time, we're going to learn how to let you carry me in flight!"
If this had been the old Charizard, it would have been stunned by such a request. But now, it simply nodded seriously. After all, it had seen the Pidgeot Ash fought previously carry its trainer into aerial combat; there was no reason it couldn't do the same.
"Training Charizard to carry people! What a great idea!" Misty chirped.
It was indeed a great idea. What could be better than soaring through the sky on the back of a Charizard? Moreover, it was bound to significantly increase the Bond between Ash and his Pokémon.
"Alright then. First, let's start by taking a simple walk!"
Ash possessed the Power of Aura, which had further enhanced his athletic capabilities. He was confident that riding Charizard wouldn't be too difficult.
In reality, however, riding a Charizard was no simple feat. It wasn't just a matter of sitting on its back and letting it fly. Much like horse riding, it required coordination between the rider and the mount. The rider had to adjust their posture according to the rhythm of the mount's movements.
Therefore, while they were training Charizard to carry a rider, Ash was actually training himself to synchronize with Charizard's flight.
Ash straddled Charizard's back. "Charizard, don't be in a rush. Walk slowly. We need to get our breathing in sync. Understand?"
Charizard nodded and took a slow step forward.
"Good, just like that! Keep going!" Ash smiled and stroked the Pokémon's neck.
Watching the two of them, Misty and Brock felt a sense of relief. "Ash has become so patient. He's no longer just charging blindly into things."
"Yeah, Ash is slowly becoming someone we can really rely on," Brock added, his small eyes gleaming. He recalled how his father had taught him to ride Onix with the same level of patience. Compared to Charizard, riding an Onix was much easier.
Misty let out a yawn, feeling far too comfortable on Snorlax's belly. "Brock, keep an eye on Ash and Charizard for me. I'm going to take a nap!"
Holding Togepi, Misty drifted off to sleep on Snorlax's stomach.
Togepi, curled up like an egg in its sleep, eventually rolled off Snorlax's belly and encountered a young Sentret...
"Very good. Can you start running slowly?"
System prompts were ringing in Ash's ears!
Charizard Bond: 205/255
Charizard Bond: 210/255
Charizard Bond: 215/255
...
Ash and Charizard had begun to form a silent understanding. Ash attempted to have Charizard break into a run.
As heavy footsteps echoed across the field, countless Sentret, Diglett, and Sandshrew poked their heads out. Seeing the display, they actually began to cheer, seemingly rooting for Ash and Charizard!
Charizard Bond: 230/255
Charizard Bond: 235/255
"Great! Charizard, fly!"
At Ash's command, Charizard spread its wings and soared into the sky!
"Haha! Great job, Charizard! Faster! Let's see how fast you can go!" Ash was ecstatic as he soared through the heavens. This experience alone made his translocation worth it!
"Ash! Come back quickly!"
Suddenly, Ash heard Misty's frantic shout.
"What happened? Charizard, over there!"
Charizard was incredibly fast and quickly located the source of Misty's voice.
"What is that?"
The sight before him left Ash stunned.
It was a massive Arbok-shaped war machine, using drills, fists, and various weapons to forcibly tunnel through a thick rock wall. Ash, looking down from above, realized that the Arbok mecha was heading directly toward the next town on their journey!
If that mecha wasn't stopped, the town would be in grave danger.
"Hey, kid! Do something!" Misty and Brock were riding Onix, chasing the Arbok mecha. Team Rocket was also clinging to Onix's tail.
"Ash! Pikachu and Togepi are inside!" Misty screamed as Ash approached.
"What did you say?"
It turned out that the mischievous Togepi and the young Sentret had accidentally wandered into Team Rocket's expensive Arbok mecha and somehow managed to start it. Misty and Brock had tried several times to stop it, and Pikachu had accidentally fallen inside during the chaos.
"I just have to block it and destroy it!" Ash's eyes turned cold. The flame on Charizard's tail flared violently.
Charizard landed in the path of the Arbok mecha, using Dragon Claw to halt its advance. "Charizard, Flamethrower! Pikachu, now!"
Charizard's flames blasted an opening, allowing Pikachu to lead Togepi and Sentret to safety!
"Roar!"
With another Flamethrower, sparks flew across the mecha before it finally exploded, sending the Team Rocket trio who had snuck back inside to try and regain control blasting into the sky.
"What a nasty feeling!"
Charizard Bond: 245/255
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