Under the Charizard chief’s urging, Zhu Tianxing had to escort Zhang Yun and his daughter, Zhang Qian, out of the inner valley of Charizard Mountain. He arranged for some cn members to show them other Pokémon, even though it was unlikely Zhang Qian would choose her starter here. Still, they had to go through the formalities.

  Zhang Yun could guess what was coming next. After all, this was the chief’s own offspring—its treatment would be far from ordinary. Though curious, Zhang Yun didn’t insist on staying and bid farewell to Su Chuan and Su Wen before leaving the inner valley.

  After settling Zhang Yun and his daughter, Zhu Tianxing hurried back to act as a transtor.

  “Su Chuan, let me first expin the chief’s conditions. It wants Su Wen to bring the Charmander back once a year for evaluation. If the training results don’t meet its expectations, it will take the Charmander back. As compensation, Su Wen can choose another Pokémon.”

  Hearing this, both Su Wen and Su Chuan’s expressions darkened. Su Chuan frowned. “Old Zhu, this is ridiculous.”

  The idea of the Charmander being taken back if it didn’t meet expectations felt like a sp in the face. What if, after years of hard work, the Charizard chief simply decided it wasn’t satisfied and took the Pokémon back?

  “Let me finish. When have I ever steered you wrong?” Zhu Tianxing continued. “The chief said that as long as the Charmander reaches the second tier—Ordinary Level—by this time next year, it will pass the first evaluation. Once it reaches the fifth tier—Master Level—the chief won’t require any further evaluations.”

  At this, Su Chuan and Su Wen’s faces grew even more troubled. Ordinary Level? Breaking through two tiers in a year seemed almost impossible.

  In the Pokémon training hierarchy, there were seven main levels: Novice, Ordinary, Elite, Champion, Master, Gym, and Elite Four. However, these corresponded to tiers zero through seven. Tiers zero and one were grouped under Novice Level, as Pokémon below Ordinary Level were considered too weak to warrant further distinction.

  Reaching Ordinary Level meant taking the Charmander, currently at the early zero tier, all the way to the second tier.

  “Don’t worry. Charizard Mountain will provide the highest-level resources for the chief’s offspring. These resources will be sent to Su Wen every month. Here’s the list.” Seeing the Su family’s displeasure, Zhu Tianxing quickly added, pulling out his phone to send the pre-prepared list to Su Chuan.

  These resources weren’t provided by the Zhu family but by Charizard Mountain—or rather, the Charizard chief itself. The same resources would have been given to any Zhu family member who captured the Charmander, though the Zhu family might have added extra support.

  “Two Fire Stones, one Charcoal, ten Fire Gems, fifteen Fme Berries… per month.”

  Su Chuan’s eyes widened at the sheer value of the resources. Su Wen, looking over the list on his father’s phone, gasped. The total worth of these items had to be in the millions.

  Fire Stones, depending on quality, ranged from 50,000 to 500,000 yuan on the market. Most people bought them for Pokémon evolution, though their fire energy could also be directly absorbed—a practice considered wasteful.

  The “Charcoal” listed wasn’t the kind used for burning but a special item that enhanced Fire-type moves when absorbed by a Pokémon.

  Absorption was a term unique to Pokémon items. When an item was absorbed, it didn’t disappear but bonded with the Pokémon in a special way, allowing it to be ?separated ter. This meant items could be temporarily used to boost a Pokémon’s strength, though a Pokémon could only absorb one item at a time.

  Fire Gems, though less valuable, were typically used as one-time boosts in battle. However, with ten provided monthly, it was clear they were meant for training, helping the Charmander quickly master Fire-type moves.

  Su Wen’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the Charmander. This wasn’t just a Pokémon—it was a walking goldmine.

  “The resources are for Su Wen to use as he sees fit, but with this much, I’m sure he’ll succeed,” Zhu Tianxing said, patting Su Wen’s shoulder. “I’ll also send you the Zhu family’s Charizard training guide. While the core secrets can’t be shared, it’s more than enough for Su Wen. Just keep it confidential.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Zhu,” Su Wen said gratefully. The guide’s value likely surpassed even the resource list. Centuries of Zhu family knowledge on raising Charizards represented the pinnacle of Charizard training.

  Su Chuan thumped his chest. “Don’t worry, Tianxing. If Su Wen doesn’t train this Charmander properly, I’ll give him a good beating.”

  Real father energy…

  With the details settled, the Charizard chief signaled for a moment and flew off into the back of the valley.

  Zhu Tianxing chuckled. “The chief really cares about its child.”

  Su Chuan asked, “What’s it doing?”

  After a moment’s hesitation, Zhu Tianxing expined, “You know how Charizard Mountain’s fire energy concentration is far higher than most pces? For example, Yun City’s fire energy is only a fraction of what’s here.”

  Su Chuan sighed. “In cities, there’s too much demand and too little supply. With so many Pokémon, the energy concentration naturally thins out.”

  Zhu Tianxing nodded. “Charizard Mountain has three heirlooms. One is the Charizard Stone Carving, essential for fire rituals. The other two are the Crimson Fme Orb and the Indigo Fme Orb. These orbs are rich in energy and help concentrate fire energy.”

  Su Chuan was stunned. “That’s… incredibly generous. But won’t taking one weaken the valley?”

  Zhu Tianxing smiled. “Not really. Charizard Mountain is an extinct volcano. After millennia, its fire energy is naturally dense. The orbs’ effects only extend a few meters, and they’re most effective on Charmanders—like they’re a perfect match.”

  Su Chuan rexed, but Su Wen was puzzled. Charizard Stone Carving? Crimson and Indigo Fme Orbs? This was completely new to him.

  As a die-hard Pokémon fan, he’d never heard of these. Had he somehow become out of touch with this world?

  Meanwhile, the Charmander circled Su Wen, eager to get to know its new “chef.”

  Before long, the Charizard chief returned, clutching the so-called Indigo Fme Orb. Seeing it, Su Wen’s mind was blown.

  So this was the Indigo Fme Orb.