"Paul, your Pokémon are all well-trained, but this Chimchar in particular stands out. Compared to the others, it's actually the strongest. Even after taking Garchomp's Dig head-on, it still tried to get back up."
Cynthia looked at the now-sleeping Chimchar, offering her praise without hesitation.
Paul, however, remained indifferent. In his mind, Chimchar should have been far stronger than this.
But it wasn't.
No matter how much he pushed it, no matter how much he forced it to train, it still failed to master that special Blaze.
To Paul, there was only one explanation—Chimchar wasn't strong enough.
He had already decided to abandon it.
Of course, he wouldn't say this in front of Cynthia.
"And your Torterra is remarkable too," Cynthia continued. "Give it a few more years of training, and it could easily reach the level of an Elite Four Pokémon—or maybe even a Champion's."
Cynthia, as the Champion, had a deep love for Pokémon. It was only natural for her to appreciate strong ones when she saw them.
"Torterra was my first Pokémon," Paul replied. "I raised it from a Turtwig, and right now, it's the strongest Pokémon I have."
After answering, Paul turned to Ash.
"You've been watching quietly this whole time. It's been a while since we last met. If I recall, you also have an Electabuzz, right? How about a battle between them?"
A challenge?
"Not today," Ash said, shaking his head. "You just lost most of your Pokémon in battle. We can do it another time."
"Pika Pika!"
Pikachu, perched on Ash's shoulder, waved its tiny paws dismissively.
Right now, Paul wasn't at a level where he could truly challenge Ash.
Cynthia shifted her attention to Ash.
It wasn't intentional, but their conversation naturally gravitated towards him.
Ash had always been interested in the myths and legends of Sinnoh—particularly its connection to space-time.
And as it turned out, Cynthia and her grandmother, Professor Carolina, had spent years researching those very legends.
The more they talked, the more Cynthia's opinion of Ash changed.
At first, she had only seen him as the trainer Lucian spoke highly of.
But now, she realized Ash wasn't just knowledgeable about battle strategies.
He also understood Pokémon treatment and training philosophies at a level that rivaled her own.
And beyond that, he shared her fascination with Sinnoh's ancient history.
Time passed quickly.
Cynthia had to leave for another town, while Ash needed to continue his journey to Hearthome City.
Through Ash, Dawn and Anabel were formally introduced to Cynthia.
When Cynthia learned about Anabel's ability to communicate with Pokémon, she was truly impressed.
Before parting ways, they exchanged contact information.
However, before leaving, Cynthia made sure to address Paul once more.
"For the sake of your Pokémon's health, stay at the Pokémon Center tonight," she told him firmly. "They need proper rest."
Paul barely reacted.
He had never wasted time letting his Pokémon rest before.
To him, it was a waste.
He always trained his Pokémon with the fastest possible results in mind.
And despite all his efforts to push Chimchar to its limits, that special Blaze never manifested again.
As night fell, the world grew silent.
A full moon hung high in the sky, occasionally obscured by drifting clouds.
From the nearby forest, the eerie calls of Murkrow echoed through the darkness.
The sound of Arbok and Ekans hissing in the underbrush made the atmosphere all the more unsettling.
Most trainers were fast asleep.
But two people remained awake.
Paul.
And Ash.
Paul tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep.
His mind kept returning to Chimchar.
He remembered the first time he had encountered it.
A small, exhausted Chimchar, cornered at the edge of a cliff by a pack of Zangoose.
With nowhere left to run, Chimchar had been moments away from being torn apart.
At the command of the Zangoose leader, the entire pack had charged in unison.
There were at least seven or eight of them.
Zangoose had a strong sense of territoriality, and Chimchar must have accidentally trespassed into their domain.
But then, at the last moment—
It happened.
That incredible, overwhelming power that Paul had dreamt of witnessing again.
The special Blaze.
The flames erupted like an inferno, consuming everything in its wake.
With just a single Fire Spin, Chimchar annihilated the entire Zangoose pack—including their strongest leader.
Instant defeat.
Even the cliffside itself had been scorched black from the intensity of the fire.
That was the moment Paul decided to capture it.
He had promised Chimchar that if it could master that power, it would never have to fear anything again.
But after capturing it, he had tried everything to trigger that special Blaze.
He forced Chimchar into relentless battles.
He had his other Pokémon take turns attacking it.
He pushed Chimchar to exhaustion, again and again.
Because Blaze—no matter how special—was still Blaze.
And Blaze only activated when a Pokémon was on the brink of collapse.
Yet no matter how much he tried, Chimchar never unleashed that power again.
Lost in thought, Paul finally got up from his bed.
He took Chimchar's Poké Ball, released it from its containment, and silently walked out of the Pokémon Center.
Just as Ash had expected.
Paul was planning to release Chimchar tonight.
Even though its injuries hadn't fully healed.
Even though it had been struck down by Garchomp's Dig earlier that day.
Abandoning a Pokémon in this condition…
Ash clenched his fists.
"Come out, Chimchar."
Paul released it into the forest.
The small Fire-type, groggy from being woken up, rubbed its eyes in confusion.
It had no idea what was happening.
No idea that, despite all its efforts…
It was about to be discarded.
"I can't help you control that power," Paul said coldly. "Since you can't master it, there's no point in wasting any more time. I don't need a weak Chimchar. You're free now."
With that, Paul turned his back on Chimchar and walked away.
And that's when he saw him.
Ash.
Standing beneath the moonlight, leaning against a tree.
"You're making a mistake," Ash said, his voice calm yet firm. "You'll regret this."
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: p@treon.com/PokePals