Charmander looked at Jiang Fan, hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.
If everything the young man in front of it said was true, then it really was a genius, a super genius among Pokémon, one in ten thousand among Charmander, just lacking the right way to guide its talent.
After it nodded, the young man showed a bright smile, turned his back to the sun, and extended his fist towards it:
"Now, are you willing to undergo special training with me? Special training to unleash your talent and defeat Munchlax."
Charmander was stunned.
Warmth.
So much warmth.
It was a warmth it hadn't felt since it was abandoned, and it suddenly reappeared at this moment.
This warmth came not only from the sun but also from the young man's smile.
In its eyes, the smile seemed to merge with the sun behind the young man.
It couldn't help but step forward, extending its hand to touch his fist.
【Charmander's Affection increased】
【Affection: 0 (-25 to 0)】
The moment their fists touched, the information bar for Charmander in front of Jiang Fan was instantly refreshed.
Its affection immediately rose by fifteen points, from negative fifteen points directly to 0 points.
"Rua~"
Charmander called out to Jiang Fan.
It was as if it was asking how to conduct the special training.
Jiang Fan put away his smile, his expression serious:
"I already have an idea for this."
"What you need to do most right now is skill training, learning the Dragon Breath skill, which is a skill you can master at the moment."
"As a genius, you only need to practice three hundred and twenty-one times to master it."
"Rua~?"
Charmander pointed its short hand at itself, then pointed at the Pidgeotto that had just finished its special training.
It seemed to be asking if practicing three hundred and twenty-one times still counted as a genius.
"That's right, only needing to practice three hundred and twenty-one times precisely shows your talent.
Ordinary Pokémon need to practice thousands of times to learn a skill, and that Pidgeotto's eighty-nine times was because it had already undergone special training for a long time with its Trainer before."
Jiang Fan said this and patted his chest.
"Also, if I say you're a genius, you are definitely a genius. Please don't doubt my judgment, and don't look down on yourself. You must believe in your own potential."
Looking at Jiang Fan's firm and confident gaze, the doubt and lack of self-confidence in Charmander's eyes faded.
Instead, determination and confidence emerged.
"Rua~" Charmander cried out confidently.
Then it walked to an open space, ready to begin its first practice of the Dragon Breath skill.
Seeing this scene, Jiang Fan immediately showed a relieved expression like an old father.
It wasn't easy; this child was finally going to emerge from the shadows with his encouragement.
However, the expression of relief lasted for seven or eight seconds before gradually turning stiff.
Because he felt something was off.
Charmander stood there and then stopped moving.
"Do you not know how to practice? Have you never seen other Pokémon use Dragon Breath?" he asked tentatively.
Charmander awkwardly turned its head, scratching its bald little head with its short paw.
"Rua~"
Jiang Fan shouted to the Trainers in the park:
"Everyone, does anyone have a Pokémon that knows Dragon Breath? Afterward, I'll help check their Pokémon's special training progress."
As soon as he finished speaking, the group of Trainers looked at each other, and only a black-hatted young man excitedly walked out.
"My Swablu knows Dragon Breath." The young man took out a Poké Ball.
A flash of light, and a Swablu was released.
"Let it demonstrate Dragon Breath to Charmander," Jiang Fan said.
"Swablu, use Dragon Breath." The young man immediately commanded.
"Swablu~"
The Swablu in mid-air slightly opened its mouth, and a burst of energy condensed in its oral cavity.
Two or three seconds later, a scorching, pitch-black breath spewed out from its mouth, directly blasting a one-meter deep pit in the park's sandpit.
"Charmander, do you know how to practice now?" Jiang Fan asked.
"Rua~" Charmander nodded confidently.
It turned around and, following Swablu's method, began practicing the Dragon Breath skill.
Its mouth slightly open, its head tilted back.
Two seconds later, its head exhaled forward.
A faint warm breath emerged from its mouth.
Charmander looked back at Jiang Fan.
Jiang Fan immediately gave a big thumbs up.
"Good job! The number of successful practices has been reduced by one, leaving only three hundred and twenty times. This means you practiced very well just now, Charmander!" Jiang Fan praised loudly without reservation.
"Rua~"
Facing this praise, Charmander's confidence immediately surged by several points, and it practiced with even more motivation.
Afterward, every short while, it would hear praise from behind it.
"Charmander, you're amazing!"
"Wow, as expected of the genius I recognized! Only two hundred and eighty times left."
Charmander's heart swelled with emotion, never having imagined it could be praised so much, or be so highly regarded by someone.
It began to anticipate the joyous expression on Jiang Fan's face and his recognition of its talent the moment it mastered the skill.
Time passed bit by bit, and Charmander's special training continued until the sun set before Jiang Fan called a halt.
"Charmander, let's go back. You've been training for so long; it's time to go back and rest and eat."
"We'll do the remaining one hundred and sixty-five practices tomorrow."
"Rua~"
Charmander shook its head, wanting to continue practicing.
"You are iron, food is steel; you'll starve if you miss a meal. If you don't eat, you'll be very hungry when you sleep, and being very hungry will affect your practice tomorrow, right? Affecting practice is wasting talent. Do you want to waste your talent?"
Hearing "wasting talent," Charmander paused.
It stared at Jiang Fan in the wheelchair for a few seconds, then finally came to the wheelchair's side.
"That's right! Eat when you should eat, rest when you should rest. That's the only way to have a good body and energy for special training, and that's not wasting talent." Jiang Fan praised greatly, while also rubbing his stomach, which was almost rumbling from hunger.
Damn it, if he didn't go back soon, Munchlax would probably eat everything.
He had just suddenly remembered that Munchlax was getting an extra meal tonight.
.....
Back at Fuji's house.
Before going to bed, Li Nai told Old Man Fuji what she had seen that afternoon.
"Li Nai, don't lie to Grandpa. How could anyone tell the number of practice sessions a Pokémon needs to master a skill at a glance?"
Old Man Fuji was very skeptical after hearing it.
"Grandpa, what I said is true; he really did it. If you don't believe me, you can follow along and see tomorrow."
"Now there are many Trainers in the park who want to pay him alliance coins to help check their Pokémon's special training progress."
Li Nai anxiously explained, afraid Old Man Fuji wouldn't believe her.
Seeing his granddaughter's reaction, Old Man Fuji's brow furrowed slightly.
"Could it be true?" He couldn't help but murmur in his heart. Li Nai had never really lied to him since she was little.
Soon, he remembered an email he had received that afternoon.
The sender of the email was a bug catcher who had emerged from Changpan Forest decades ago.
He slowly spoke:
"Li Nai, your words remind me of an old friend."
"An old friend?" Li Nai was puzzled.
"Li Nai, the world of Pokémon is vast, and there are many people with special abilities. They are favored by heaven. For example, this person I know, he possesses a special ability called Tokiwa Power.
With his ability, he can communicate telepathically with Pokémon, he can also heal Pokémon, and he even has the effect of temporarily boosting a Pokémon's power."
"If what you say is true, then Jiang Fan is very likely one of these people, only his ability's direction is a bit different from Tokiwa Power."
After hearing her grandfather's explanation, Li Nai's brow furrowed slightly.
She murmured "Tokiwa Power" once.
Soon, she couldn't help but ask: "Then, Grandpa, what happened to this young man you know?"
"Him, huh..."
Old Man Fuji looked at a corner of the room, thinking about the content of the email he received.
After a moment, he spoke again.
"Tokiwa Power gave him extraordinary abilities, and it also gave him great ambition. Now, he is striving to control a Pokémon whose strength is enough to overturn the world."
Old Man Fuji paused for two seconds.
"But I hope he never succeeds."
"A Pokémon that can overturn the world?" Li Nai's eyes widened; she felt she had heard something incredible. "Grandpa, what kind of Pokémon are you talking about?"
Old Man Fuji did not directly answer:
"Li Nai, I'll go to the park tomorrow too."