Pokemon Battle System: I Reincarnated As A Charmander

Click, click.

The man continuously snapped photos of the disguised Charmander with his phone, taking over a dozen pictures before breaking into a satisfied smile.

Realizing the potential consequences, Lian disregarded the food on the tablecloth and rushed forward to knock the man's phone away.

Caught off guard, the man blinked as the Charmander swiftly pounced, swatting the phone from his hand with its claw.

However, Lian was still a step too late; just moments earlier, the man had already hit send, likely broadcasting the images online by now.

Taken aback, the man stared at the Charmander in surprise, wondering if it somehow knew what he was doing.

Amidst his shock, he suddenly panicked and yelled, "No! My phone!"

Lian showed no mercy, unleashing a burst of Ember towards the fallen phone. The intense flames collided with the metal casing, melting part of it instantly, followed by a loud explosion as the phone detonated.

Time to make a quick exit.

Satisfied, Lian glanced at the destroyed remains of the phone, unaware that the photos had already been sent out.

Losing his phone left the man somewhat furious, but as he watched the fleeing Charmander, a grin reappeared on his face.

News of a wild Charmander could attract many novice Trainers, all thanks to his efforts. Moreover, sharing detailed information about the Charmander might even allow him to profit a little.

Those newbie Trainers often had money to spare.

***

After escaping, Lian ran to the outskirts of the forest and hid deep within the tall grass. This time, he managed to satisfy his hunger somewhat; the cookies and vegetable salad tasted quite good, especially the strawberry-flavored cookies.

Lian thought to himself, "For the next few days, I can't risk showing myself."

That man will undoubtedly spread the news, attracting Trainers who'll come searching for me.

Fortunately, my quick thinking led me to destroy his phone. With no evidence, staying hidden and not emerging should make those Trainers lose patience after a few days, allowing me to reappear safely later.

Meanwhile, as the man uploaded his photos online, they quickly gained attention from numerous viewers. Initially disregarded, the images soon sparked significant interest.

AzureSky: Today, while picnicking with my Zigzagoon, we unexpectedly encountered a Pokemon stealing our food. At first, I thought it was just a Tangela, but surprisingly, it turned out to be a wild Charmander - check out the pictures below.

The post included over a dozen photos featuring the Charmander. Despite being entangled by green vines, its blazing tail stood out remarkably.

The sighting of a Charmander generated immediate buzz, as wild Charmanders were exceptionally rare. Many people began sharing the post widely.

In the southern part of the Sebas Region, news about a wild Charmander spotted in Carna Forest spread like a spider's web, reaching every corner of the region.

Coincidentally, nearby Kana City, home to a red-star Gym, was already bustling with novice Trainers. The report of a Charmander prompted many aspiring Trainers, initially uninterested in visiting Kana City, to change their plans.

***

In Rhine City.

Kalia was packing her backpack with essential items commonly needed by novice Trainers.

After preparing everything, she was ready to depart. Her destination was Pearl City, located along the coastal region and home to a red-star Water-type gym.

Red-star gyms were specifically designed for beginner Trainers. Obtaining a badge from a red-star gym signifies a certain level of competence. Collecting enough red-star badges enables Trainers to challenge higher-tier silver-star gyms.

As a typical novice Trainer at present, Kalia only had one Pokémon, a newly acquired Treecko. She deliberately chose Pearl City to swiftly earn her first red-star badge.

Ding.

At that moment, Kalia's phone beeped with a notification. Initially dismissing it, she glanced briefly but then paused, intrigued. She clicked to read the message carefully, ensuring not to miss a single word.

"Wild Charmander spotted near Carna Forest."

Kalia couldn't verify the message's authenticity, but it changed her plans nonetheless. Kana City also had a red-star gym with a Ground-type specialist as its gym leader.

Grass-types effectively counter Ground-type Pokémon, and while Pearl City was closer to Rhine City, Kana City wasn't far either, just requiring a slightly longer journey.

Regardless of the message's truth, the appearance of a wild Charmander warranted Kalia's attention. In the Sebas Region, suitable Fire-type starter Pokémon were scarce; most Fire-types posed inherent dangers, making them unsuitable for novice Trainers.

Initially, Kalia wanted to choose a Fire-type Tepig, but due to their high demand, she ended up selecting Treecko, much like her father did before her.

Kalia wasn't alone; many other rookie trainers shared this sentiment, some already en route to Kana City.

Mounting her Acro Bike, backpack secured, Kalia glanced back at the towering green building behind her.

Soon, she would return as an ordinary Trainer to challenge Tamagawa Naoki, defeat him, and earn her gym badge.

Rhine City's Grass-type gym was considered relatively strong among silver-star gyms, requiring Trainers to possess a sufficient number of badges before attempting the challenge. Therefore, Kalia needed to train a Pokémon with greater potential and formidable strength.

She opened the Poké Ball, releasing the green Treecko, and then took out an energy cube from her backpack, which Treeckos particularly enjoy.

Although this Treecko hadn't interacted much with Kalia yet, it quickly became intrigued by the energy cube and grabbed it to munch on.

The delicious energy cube instantly endeared Treecko to Kalia, looking at her eagerly for another treat.

Kalia smiled faintly; building a bond with a Pokémon involves extensive knowledge. To conquer them, one must first win over their stomachs.

She tossed another energy cube to Treecko, picked up the now more affectionate Pokémon, mounted her bicycle, and headed towards Kana City.

***

The night in Carna Forest was eerily silent.

Hidden deep within the dense foliage, Lian utilized the surrounding plants for cover and peacefully drifted off to sleep.

Upon entering the white expanse of the system space again, he noticed there were no changes on the data panel whatsoever.

"What's going on? Didn't I battle with that Zigzagoon?" Lian felt puzzled; although the Zigzagoon was weak, every bit counts, even if insignificant like swatting a mosquito. Surprisingly, the expected Combat Points had not been awarded.

With the system unresponsive, Lian could only speculate. Since no combat data appeared, it seemed the system did not recognize the encounter as a valid battle.

Could it be because the Zigzagoon didn't entirely lose its fighting ability?

It was indeed plausible. Due to the man taking photos, Lian lost track of the Zigzagoon and subsequently fled the scene. The system might have interpreted his actions as running away from the fight.

Although today yielded no Combat Points, Lian wasn't overly concerned. However, he realized his special attack still needed improvement, unable to instantly defeat even a single Zigzagoon with one move.

An easy life seemed further out of reach for Lian now, without a consistent food source, forcing him to actively search for sustenance.

However, for these next few days, he couldn't wander recklessly as it would be too easy to encounter Trainers. This time was considered fortunate; the man clearly wasn't a professional Trainer. If Lian had met one, he'd likely have been on the run constantly.

Lian did consider leaving the forest, but his knowledge of the outside world was limited, increasing the chances of encountering danger from both humans and aggressive wild Pokemon.

Time passed swiftly, and two days went by in the blink of an eye.

During these two days, Kana City became even more bustling than before. A large number of novice Trainers gathered around Carna Forest, training their Pokemon while searching for the elusive wild Charmander.

Although no Trainer found the Charmander within those two days, the influx of Trainers continued to increase in Carna Forest.

The reason being, despite not locating the Charmander, the Mayor of Kana City seized this opportunity with so many new trainers present. He organized a small-scale Pokemon competition within Carna Forest.

All novice Trainers were eligible to participate, with the champion receiving generous rewards. This enticed some Trainers who initially planned to leave to stay and compete.

Even if they didn't join the contest, simply watching the excitement as spectators added to the appeal.