Pokemon Battle System: I Reincarnated As A Charmander

After securing his qualification for advancement, Lian felt elated. Now, all he needed was to win first place in the finals and become the champion of this Extreme Speed Conference, earning both the Custap Berry and a 20,000 Alliance Coin prize.

Lian didn't particularly care about the cash prize, but the Custap Berry intrigued him. Although unsure of its exact effects, Custap Berries were highly rare in the game.

Having spent considerable time with Kalia, Lian occasionally overheard her conversations with other Trainers, learning that many berries which were single-use in the game had transformed into those capable of permanently enhancing certain abilities.

For example, the Charti Berry found in the Kana Mountains could improve a Pokemon's resistance to Rock-type moves. If Lian consumed enough of them, even after evolving into Charizard, the effectiveness of Rock-type attacks against him would significantly diminish.

As a one-time use berry in the game, there was a chance that consuming the Custap Berry might also permanently enhance some ability.

Later that evening, at the Pokemon Hotel.

Kalia led Lian to a small battle arena, her expression slightly serious as she instructed, "Charmeleon, try unleashing your Hidden Power."

During the competition, Kalia felt confident she hadn't misjudged; Charmeleon had indeed unleashed Hidden Power of another attribute, not Rock Type. Now, she wanted to confirm her observation.

As expected, he was discovered.

Lian anticipated this and obediently released his Rock-Type Hidden Power. A faint brown glow coalesced around him before dispersing outward.

"Rock Type." Observing the color of the awakening aura, Kalia confirmed it as Rock-Type Hidden Power.

"Charmeleon, can you release any other attribute's Hidden Power? Like the one you used during the battle," Kalia asked.

After a moment of hesitation, Lian decided to reveal Hidden Power (Ice). Trust played a significant role here; since he was already discovered, there was no need to hide further. Pretending ignorance would only fuel Kalia's suspicions. It seemed better to be forthright—after all, having two Hidden Powers might not be unheard of in this world.

Swiftly, blue-white light gathered and radiated outwards, landing on the floor and covering it with a layer of frost, noticeably lowering the room's temperature.

"Indeed, it's Ice Type Hidden Power!" Kalia's eyes widened with shock, as she had never heard of a Pokemon possessing two different Hidden Powers before. Yet here she witnessed it firsthand, exhibited by her own Charmeleon.

Instead of excitement, Kalia displayed a serious expression and said, "Charmeleon, from now on, do not casually unleash your Ice Type Hidden Power."

The revelation that Charmeleon possessed dual Hidden Powers was astonishing. If others found out, including the Pokemon League, they might send representatives to verify this phenomenon.

The potential consequences were unpredictable, but for Kalia, Charmeleon was more than just a pet; she would never allow the League to take him away for research.

Lian obediently nodded.

"We're participating in the finals tomorrow. If you secure first place, I'll give you a surprise," Kalia smiled softly, adding mysteriously as she observed Charmeleon.

A surprise?

Lian's anticipation soared. What kind of surprise could it be?

Securing first place in the Extreme Speed Conference seemed quite certain for him. The second group's race had already concluded today, with the Swellow predictably advancing to the final round.

In the second group, the Swellow initially took the lead. However, Skiploom utilized its Chlorophyll Ability to boost speed temporarily. Unfortunately, while attempting to overtake the Swellow, it was instantly defeated by a Wing Attack.

Among the remaining Pokemon, Raichu had slightly better speed and tried using Electric-type moves against the Swellow. Alas, once the Swellow pulled ahead, Raichu couldn't catch up.

The other Pokemon's performances were even less noteworthy. Ultimately, the Swellow secured its spot effortlessly, setting up a final showdown between Lian's Charmeleon and the Swellow.

Late at night, Lian entered the System space and checked his combat rating for the day. He found that the system recorded his victory against the injured Swellow, but due to the Swellow's prior damage, his rating was disappointingly low.

Lian felt disheartened; receiving only a D-grade rating for one battle per day resulted in a meager reward of just over 200 Combat Points.

He then reviewed today's data and confirmed that the Swellow indeed had a high level, reaching Level 25, with a Speed ability value of 675. If Lian hadn't seized the opportunity when he did, he would have been unable to keep up.

Lian felt somewhat fortunate that the two Swellows clashed towards the end; otherwise, if they had simply competed on pure speed without conflict, he wouldn't have stood a chance in the finals.

***

The next day.

Today marked the final round of the Extreme Speed Conference, with Lian emerging as the biggest dark horse. No one anticipated a Charmeleon advancing to compete against Swellow in the championship.

While Charmeleons were quite popular in the Sebas Region, few believed they could outpace flying types. Historically, Charmeleons tended to be swiftly eliminated from such competitions.

This particular Charmeleon shattered expectations. Some Trainers questioned whether a Charmeleon's speed could truly rival that of Swellow and Ninjask, suggesting it had merely defeated other Pokemon by brute force to secure its spot in the finals.

However, without exceptional speed, defeating those opponents would have been impossible.

The Extreme Speed Conference wasn't solely about raw velocity; it also tested a Pokemon's autonomy, intelligence, and courage. If it were just about speed, there'd be no point, as Ninjask would always claim first place.

The weather today was exceptionally pleasant, with bright sunshine even early in the morning, casting dazzling rays across the horizon.

Lian sat beside Julian on the grass, eagerly munching on Energy Cubes while awaiting the start of the competition.

Julian observed Charmeleon continuously eating and couldn't help but feel that his Pokémon seemed entirely relaxed, unlike himself, who was extremely nervous. This was the final round after all.

As time ticked by, Lian finished consuming an Energy Cube, licked his lips, patted his belly contentedly, feeling truly satisfied.

He then stood up, knowing the finals should be starting soon. For this match, he had no intention of competing on speed with the Swellow; instead, he planned to use Dragon Breath to induce paralysis right from the start.

Before long, the final round was about to commence. Julian hurriedly led Lian to the designated area, where they encountered the Swellow and its Trainer.

The Swellow's Trainer was a beginner, casting malicious glances at Julian.

Julian returned the glare fiercely. Last night, this Trainer approached him, offering one thousand Alliance Coins to forfeit the match. Julian immediately declined; such a paltry sum wasn't enough to make him give up. Did he look like a fool? The decision to participate or not wasn't solely his, as Charmeleon belonged to Kalia, and his goal was to win the prize money for an S.S. Ticket to seek treatment for Charmeleon's illness in a big city—a mere thousand Alliance Coins wouldn't suffice.

"Swellow, crush that Charmeleon," the opposing Trainer whispered menacingly.

Lian didn't hear this exchange, but even if he had, it wouldn't have deterred him; he was already planning to aggressively target Swellow.

Tina appeared as the commentator once again, riding her Staraptor high above the arena. Dressed casually in denim shorts and a short-sleeved top, her short hair complemented her lovely face, exuding a refreshing and comfortable aura.

"Hello everyone, I'm back! The Extreme Speed Conference has now reached its final round. Although these past few days have been exhausting, they've also brought many delightful surprises."

"I never expected to see a Charmeleon in the finals. From the first round, this Charmeleon left a deep impression on me; there was something uniquely special about it."

"Let's hope Charmeleon continues to surprise us today. Without further ado, the match is about to begin, so let's eagerly watch the outcome."

As Tina finished speaking, the referee arrived along with several high-ranking officials from Falcon City, including Gym Leader Kas himself.

After all, this was the final round, and the champion would receive their Speed Medal directly from Gym Leader Kas.