A full week had slipped by since we first stepped into Viridian Forest.
The days blurred together in a haze of sweat, fire, and endless training.
Mornings started with training that left our bodies drenched in sweat. Afternoons turned into real fights against any wild Pokémon that wandered too close.
While evenings stretched deep into the night... where Charmander, Eevee, and I pushed each other in ways that left us all flushed, breathless, and somehow closer than before.
And in just seven short days, Charmander had changed a lot.
The little lizard who used to blush and look away at every glance now stood taller. Her shoulders squared with quiet pride.
Her tail flame burned brighter and steadier, no longer flickering like a nervous candle.
Those big blue eyes still carried a soft trace of shyness when they met mine... but now something warmer glowed inside them too. A growing confidence. A spark of boldness that made my chest tighten every time I saw it.
She had earned every bit of it the hard way.
Flamethrower had taken hours of careful breathing and unyielding determination. She would stand in the clearing, chest heaving, forcing her inner fire out again and again until her throat ached from the effort.
Spelon Berries helped too, their spicy heat feeding and strengthening the flames burning inside her.
Iron Tail came next, after endless swings against rocks and thick tree trunks. Each strike grew heavier, more precise, until her tail rang like metal on impact.
Scratch sharpened on its own during close-quarters fights. Her claws could now easily slice through bark with clean, swift cuts.
Her stamina had jumped too. What used to leave her panting after a few minutes barely slowed her down now.
Long runs through the trees built her endurance. The long nights filled with heat, soft gasps, and relentless teasing pushed her even further.
Eevee had not stayed on the sidelines either.
She had grown stronger in her own quiet way. While Charmander focused on raw power and new moves, Eevee worked on control and quick thinking.
She could shift between moves so smoothly now, adapting to whatever the moment needed.
Right now she stood near my feet, ears perked and tail swaying gently. She was ready to jump in if anything went wrong.
As she was still the strongest in both ability and stamina.
After all those years together, she could keep going for several long, intense rounds with me at night... far more than Charmander, who still melted into a cute, exhausted puddle after just one.
…By now we had pushed deeper into the forest.
Currently Charmander stood in the middle of a small clearing, eyes locked on her opponent.
"Scyther!" the bug cried, its voice sharp like a blade.
"Charmander!" she answered, her tail flame flaring bright with excitement.
The Scyther did not wait. It vanished in a blur, then shot forward with Quick Attack, blades slicing through the air.
"Dodge left, then Scratch!" I called out right away.
Charmander twisted away at the last second. The blades whistled past her scales.
As the Scyther flew by, she lashed out fast. Her claws raked across its side with a sharp screech of sparks.
It did not even slow down. It spun around in the same smooth motion.
In a flicker, its body split. One became two... then five. Double Team filled the air with identical copies circling her.
"Stay calm," I said, my voice steady. "Flamethrower, wide arc!"
Charmander planted her feet. Heat built deep in her chest. Then she let it out in a roaring sweep of flames that lit up the dim forest like a sunset.
The fire tore through the copies. Two vanished in puffs of smoke.
The real Scyther dropped its Double Team and leaped high, trying to dodge the rest… but Charmander had already learned from our training. She kept the stream going, turning her head to track it.
"Scyther!" Seeing the attack didn't stop, it pressed forward.
Its arm blades glowed as it came crashing down with Brick Break, cutting straight through the flames.
"Use Iron Tail, hit it back!" I shouted.
Charmander reacted in an instant. Her tail hardened with a metallic shine. She swung it upward like a hammer.
The two collided mid-air with a loud clang that shook the leaves. A shockwave rippled out, sending dust swirling across the ground.
Scyther flipped back and landed lightly. Charmander slid one step, then held her ground.
This one was strong. Stronger than anything we had faced so far.
It did not pause. With a sharp cry, it slashed forward. Blades of compressed air shot toward her... Air Slash.
She took the hits, the force pushing her back as her feet scraped against the ground, but she held her stance.
As at the last moment, just like we had practiced, she raised her arms to guard, letting them take the brunt of the attack and shielding the rest of her body.
Thin red marks appeared along her arms.
Her eyes narrowed, burning with fire.
"Char...mander!" she growled, low and fierce.
Pride swelled warm in my chest. This was her toughest fight yet, and she was still pushing hard.
"Ember to distract, then close in with Scratch!" I ordered.
Small flames burst out like scattered fireworks. The Scyther weaved through them, but the distraction gave her just enough time.
Charmander closed the gap fast. Her claws slashed deep across its chest.
"Scyther!" It shot back with another Quick Attack, slamming into her side.
She skidded across the dirt. She coughed once, but her flame never flickered.
She looked straight at me, eyes bright with trust, waiting for the next command.
I felt that trust right back.
"Finish this. Flamethrower, full power!"
She drew in the deepest breath yet. Her whole body glowed red with inner heat.
The flames that burst forward were thicker, hotter, roaring like a living wave. They swallowed the Scyther whole.
The bug tried one last Air Slash, but the fire ate it up. It cried out in pain, then collapsed, unconscious.
Silence settled over the clearing.
Charmander stood there, chest rising and falling fast. Sweat and dirt glistened on her warm scales, making them shine softly in the faint forest light. She had never looked more alive, more beautiful, more sexy and hot.
The defeated Scyther lay unconscious on the ground.
I took out an empty Poké Ball and threw it.
It hit and bounced off Scyther before snapping open with a flash of red light.
The light quickly engulfed it, pulling it inside as the ball fell to the ground. It shook once… twice… three times… and finally clicked shut.
Just as I was about to walk over and pick it up, a bright white light suddenly wrapped around Charmander.
The glow grew stronger, almost blinding.
Her body began to change. Her limbs stretched longer, her frame growing taller and sharper.
The flame on her tail flared wildly like a bonfire, casting flickering light across the clearing.
The light pulsed one final time.
A powerful, triumphant roar tore from her throat.
"CHARRRRRRRMELEON!"