Chapter 276: Evaluation of the Charizard Leader
North Pole of Kīlauea, Charizard Valley.
As Bruce entered Charizard Valley, he noticed something strange within.
This valley is very, very large, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a flat, open area in the middle and oddly shaped rocks scattered on the ground.
In the far corner, there is a deep well. Hot lava is surging from the well, radiating fierce and growing fire energy in all directions, and the scorching air waves distort the atmosphere.
This is exactly the lava pile Bruce has been searching for, and its scale... is far beyond anything else!
However, when Bruce looked closer, he discovered that a Charizard was bathing in the lava pile. It had a strong physique and a long scar on the left side of its face, looking very intimidating.
【 Pokémon: Charizard (Fire/Flying)
Ability: Blaze
Qualification: Gym
Level: Lv 64 (Master)】
Seeing Charizard's data panel, Bruce's pupils constricted, and he was astonished.
This is the first time he's seen a Pokémon of a level higher than his own aptitude!
Aptitude does not completely determine the upper limit of a Pokémon, but...
"The aptitude greatly affects the speed of a Pokémon's progress and the difficulty of breaking through bottlenecks. This Charizard must have put in ten times, a hundred times the effort to reach the master level..." Bruce's eyes flashed slightly as he thought to himself.
"This Charizard should be the leader of Charizard Valley, the abandoned Charizard," Bruce guessed.
At that moment, the Charizard leader gently flicked its tail, and the flame at the tip of its tail blazed brightly. It was bathing in the lava while watching a battle unfold in the open space ahead.
Yes, indeed, a battle.
The combatants are Charizard and Emboar, both professional-level powerhouses, fiercely battling each other.
Behind Emboar is a human Trainer giving commands, and behind Charizard are dozens of Charizards!
These Charizards are gathered, ranging from elite to gym-level strength, all watching the Pokémon battle before them with eager eyes.
Apparently, all of them are Charizards that inhabit the valley.
And behind the human Trainer, there are several other Trainers standing, both men and women.
Bruce raised his eyebrows and recognized familiar figures—Claire and Liam.
At that moment, Liam also noticed Bruce, was slightly surprised, and quickly walked over.
After approaching Bruce, Liam nodded first, then looked at the two people beside Bruce and asked, "Who are these two?"
Bruce secretly chuckled. It seemed no one recognized Professor Alexander, who was well-known in the international academic circle.
Immediately, Bruce introduced the identities of the three.
"Ah, so it's Professor Alexander; I've heard of you for a long time." After learning Professor Alexander's identity, Liam expressed his surprise and then spoke politely.
At this moment, the other Trainers noticed the commotion and turned their heads to look.
One Trainer seemed to have seen Bruce before and recognized him immediately, shouting, "It's Bruce from Avalon!"
Indeed, the most notable feature is the highly recognizable silver-white Metagross floating silently beside Bruce, making him instantly identifiable.
As soon as those words were spoken, the Trainers around them became agitated.
Claire also turned to look and nodded at Bruce.
At that moment, Liam suddenly noticed Jirachi lying on Metagross disguised, frowned slightly, and said softly, "Bro, this Pokémon..."
Due to the limited conditions, Bruce and the others had only disguised Jirachi in a very simple way to prevent others from easily recognizing it.
It's not easy to identify from a distance, but if observed closely, this simple camouflage is effective.
But Bruce knew in his heart that if someone coveted Jirachi, no amount of disguise would be in vain.
"Brother Liam, I'll tell you its identity later," Bruce whispered, then turned to the two battling Pokémon and asked loudly, "What's going on?"
Liam nodded slightly and then spoke for a while, explaining aloud: "As you can see, there's a lava pile in this area."
"But this valley is occupied by Charizards. If you want to get close to the lava pile and bathe in it, you must pass the evaluation of the Charizard leader."
Hearing this, Bruce seemed intrigued, thinking that no matter where he goes, there's always an evaluation...
Forget about human evaluations; even the Pokémon will be evaluated.
"Charizards are aggressive, and their evaluation is very simple: it's to conduct Pokémon battles.
"If you defeat three Charizards in a row, you can pass the test," Liam said slowly.
Upon hearing this, Professor Alexander adjusted his glasses and said with a smile, "Interesting."
After everyone turned to look at him, Professor Alexander stroked his beard and added, "This lava pile is in Charizard Valley and belongs to the Charizards."
"These Charizards gather to keep warm and engage in battles among themselves to enhance their strength. It's normal to choose such a battle evaluation."
Bruce nodded in approval. According to Professor Alexander, these Charizards share a common trait—fighting.
Fighting with their own kind and against other Pokémon.
And this time, the human Trainer came here, which is also an excellent opportunity for the Charizards to train in battle.
"I just didn't expect... Speaking of which, Professor Alexander looked at the Charizard leader and sighed, "It has gone through such things, yet it still allows human Trainers to enter Charizard Valley and is not hostile towards them. That's quite rare."
Bruce nodded slightly, then looked at Liam and asked, "Brother, has anyone passed the exam?"
Liam shook his head and said with a smile, "I've only been here for a short time, but it's said that no Trainer has passed the exam yet."
"It's not too difficult to defeat a Charizard, but defeating three Charizards in a row is quite challenging..."
Bruce's eyes flickered slightly as many thoughts crossed his mind, and he finally whispered, "It's a good plan."
"Not only does it allow the Charizards to receive sufficient battle training, but it also establishes an evaluation that's nearly impossible to pass..."
In this way, the Charizards have almost guaranteed gains, and the Trainers are willing to be their training partners, but these Trainers do not receive substantial benefits.
The most important thing is... these Trainers still can't resist.
The master-level Charizard is enough to make each Trainer obediently pass the evaluation without a single complaint.
As everyone was talking, the battle in the open space gradually came to an end...
The two battling Pokémon are max-level professional powerhouses. Both have large and small scars on their bodies and are seriously injured.
In the field,
The Trainer behind Emboar looked at his bruised Pokémon with a solemn expression and suddenly extended his arms, shouting, "Emboar!"
"Flare Blitz!"
In the next moment, Emboar's eyes sharpened, and flames erupted instantly. The blazing flames enveloped its body, and with astonishing momentum, it charged directly at Charizard!
"Roar!"
On the other side, Charizard saw this and also used Flare Blitz, covered in flames, to meet it head-on!
Boom!
The two clashed fiercely, producing a deafening explosion, and the ground trembled continuously, filled with shockwaves.
Everyone watched closely, only to see Emboar roll its eyes and collapse to the ground, unable to continue.
Charizard stood before it, even though its physical strength was compromised, it still roared defiantly at the sky.
"Roar!"
At the same time, the Charizards watching the battle behind also roared in response, breathing flames from their mouths, creating a stunning scene.
"Return, Emboar."
Seeing Emboar fall, the Trainer recalled it into the Poké Ball, shook his head, and turned to leave.
Liam lowered his voice and said, "This guy's strength is not bad. Emboar has already defeated a Charizard, but lost to this Charizard."
Then, under everyone's gaze, Claire brushed her hair off her forehead, stepped forward, held up a Poké Ball, and looked at the Charizards opposite.
Immediately, she gazed at the Poké Ball with bright eyes.
The white light blossomed, and Delphox appeared in the arena.
"Roar..."
Seeing this, the Charizards communicated among themselves, and immediately a large Charizard emerged, its strength impressive at the beginner level.
The battle began quickly, and Claire ordered Delphox to fight constantly, and soon she won the first battle.
Then, the second Charizard appeared, its level slightly higher than the first Charizard, putting great pressure on Delphox.
But under Claire's command, Delphox managed to overcome the challenge and won with difficulty.
"It seems she won't be able to pass the evaluation," Liam remarked loudly upon seeing this.
Madison clicked her tongue and said, "This evaluation is too difficult..."
【I want to play with Charizard!】
At this moment, Jirachi, who was in Madison's arms, clapped its hands, its eyebrows and eyes curving in excitement, wanting to fly, but was pushed down by Madison.
"I'll play with Charizard later," Madison said softly.
On the other side,
Claire looked at the severely injured Delphox, bit her lip lightly, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "Return, Delphox."
Immediately, she recalled Delphox into the Poké Ball and turned to leave the open space.
She apparently also thought it was impossible to pass the test and decided it would be better for Delphox to suffer less damage.
After Claire was defeated, the other Trainers hesitated for a moment, and none chose to challenge.
"Do you want to go first, or should I?" At this moment, Liam asked Bruce, turning his head.
Bruce thought for a moment and then said, "I'll go first."
p treon / Thenamealreadyexis
50 chapters ahead
Plus a new story if you want to read it now, or after Easter =)