Pokemon Battle System: I Reincarnated As A Charmander

Lian remained calm; the large screen did not capture how he defeated those participating Pokemon. On the vast grasslands, only distant Pokémon species were visible.

Without any evidence, only the outcome mattered, and nobody knew exactly what transpired.

Shortly after, Lian spotted a Staraptor approaching from behind, which was commentator Tina. He quickly slowed his pace, then gradually transitioned into a jog while grabbing handfuls of dirt to smear on himself, creating the appearance of injuries.

After defeating so many Pokemon, it would be suspicious if he didn't show any signs of damage - even fools would notice something amiss.

Commentator Tina, riding her Staraptor, caught up just in time to see Charmeleon sprinting ahead, followed by the injured Murkrow and Voltorb, unable to continue the race.

"Uh, I'm not sure what happened here. It seems like I arrived slightly late, but this Charmeleon appears to have defeated both Murkrow and Voltorb."

"As everyone knows, Charmeleons possess fiery temperaments, making them quite fond of battling. However, such a scenario has never occurred before in previous Extreme Speed Conferences, with one single Pokemon defeating all competitors outright. This is truly astonishing."

Commentator Tina was at a loss for words. In previous Extreme Speed Conferences, occasional Pokémon battles occurred, but the primary focus remained on racing, with interference being the most common tactic.

However, witnessing a Charmeleon defeating all other Pokémon outright had never happened before. Without any recorded footage of the incident, Tina couldn't definitively determine whether Charmeleon initiated the attacks or if Murkrow and Voltorb struck first.

Logically, Charmeleon should not have been able to catch up to Murkrow and Voltorb. If it possessed such speed, why would it lag behind initially? It simply didn't make sense.

Tina herself felt confused, as Pokémon typically don't exhibit such complex behaviors. Thus, she could only lean towards the simplest explanation.

She found it utterly implausible that this Charmeleon deliberately slowed down, orchestrating its victories over all opponents. Moreover, there seemed no purpose in doing so. Unless evidence emerged, which she hadn't witnessed yet.

Tina instructed her Staraptor to catch up with the leading Charmeleon and focused the camera on it, then began narrating, "The Charmeleon appears injured, running quite slowly. It seems in dire need of healing. However, Charmeleon is the only Pokémon still capable of moving. Can it endure until reaching the finish line...?"

With Tina's eloquent commentary, she swiftly turned the narrative around, portraying Charmeleon as a resilient Pokémon determined to reach the finish line despite its injuries—a symbol of unwavering will.

Most Trainers felt inspired, considering this Charmeleon had defeated all other competing Pokémon, embodying the fiery and passionate nature typical of Charmeleons.

So what if I'm slow? Who cares if I can't outrun you? I'll still beat you in battle!

Apart from the owners of the defeated Pokémon, especially those who had Voltorb and Murkrow, most Trainers lamented not witnessing the actual battles but held no doubts about Charmeleon's victories. To them, this perfectly aligned with the hot-headed temperament of a Charmeleon, akin to blazing flames.

After all, this is the temperamental Charmeleon. Despite some lingering doubts, they didn't dwell on it further. The fact remained that Charmeleon defeated all opponents and, despite its injuries, persistently ran towards the finish line.

Julian stared at the screen showing his Charmeleon, feeling somewhat bewildered. Could it be true that his Charmeleon actually defeated all those Pokemon? It seemed almost impossible.

However, reality stood before him; as long as Charmeleon could reach the finish line, it would secure its qualification for advancement.

While Julian hoped for Charmeleon's success, he hadn't held much optimism initially. With so many skilled Pokemon at the Extreme Speed Conference, his rare Charmeleon simply couldn't match the speed of specialized swift creatures.

Kalia gazed skeptically at the Charmeleon on the screen, then glanced at her own sleeping Charmeleon nearby, shook her head, dismissing her amusing suspicions.

"Impossible."

***

As Lian noticed Tina's camera focusing on him, he had no choice but to continue his impressive acting, limping slowly towards the finish line.

To his relief, Tina was speaking positively about him, though he couldn't be sure if Julian and Kalia picked up any suspicious signs. Hopefully not.

With determination, Lian maintained his injured act, painstakingly jogging to the finish line, wasting considerable time along the way.

"Finally, Charmeleon reaches the finish line, securing its advancement qualification. Let's give it a round of applause," announced commentator Tina before returning to her position. Although eager to check on Charmeleon, she knew that with the significant delay, the fifth group's race needed to commence immediately.

Upon reaching the finish line, Lian observed the previously defeated Pokemon, now fully recovered, glaring at him with hostility.

He paid them no heed; they were merely vanquished opponents after all. If any dared to challenge him again, he'd gladly oblige—as long as they didn't gang up on him; regardless of their numbers, he remained undaunted.

Once all the Pokemon's injuries were healed, the Extreme Speed Conference staff promptly returned them to their respective Trainers.

As Lian returned to Julian's side, he was greeted with enthusiasm and received heartfelt praise. It seemed that Julian hadn't noticed anything amiss, which relieved Lian.

Now, all he needed to do was find an opportunity to switch back with Charmeleon as soon as possible.

"Congratulations!" Kalia approached, offering her well-wishes.

"Thank you! Your Grovyle is sure to advance as well," Julian replied cheerfully.

While Kalia and Julian engaged in conversation, Lian slipped over to Charmeleon, gently waking it up. Taking advantage of everyone's attention on the big screen, he swiftly transferred the numbered sticker onto Charmeleon's body.

The two Charmeleons then started chatting.

"Thank you so much. Now, my owner won't blame me; I've done my best," Charmeleon expressed its gratitude.

"What do you mean 'done your best'? I've already advanced, and there's more competition tomorrow," Lian responded.

"???"

Charmeleon looked puzzled, unsure how they had advanced.

Its original intention was for Lian to participate once, get eliminated, and thus avoid competing itself without disappointing Julian due to unwillingness. It never considered any other outcome.

Surprisingly, Lian advanced to the next round.

"What do you mean 'did my best'? Of course I'm aiming for first place!" Lian confidently declared. Otherwise, why would he have entered Charmeleon into the Extreme Speed Conference? It would just be wasting energy unnecessarily.

He wouldn't engage in any endeavor without potential benefits. Charmeleon hadn't offered him anything special, so if not striving for victory, there was no point in participating. After all, lounging comfortably on the grass and sleeping sounded much more appealing.

Soon, Charmeleon returned to Julian's side. Exhausted from running, Lian decided to continue his nap.

There were still over forty groups left to compete, with the first round expected to take two or three days to complete. The conference paused races at dusk each day, resuming only the following morning.

After a refreshing sleep, Lian opened his eyes, stretched lazily, and rubbed his slightly groggy gaze.

How rejuvenating!

Looking around, he noticed Kalia still watching the competition, but the number of Trainers present had visibly decreased. Understandably, everyone needed breaks for meals before returning to spectate.

Feeling hungry, Lian walked up to Kalia and pointed at his mouth, indicating he needed food.

Kalia reassured him, "Don't worry, once Grovyle finishes its match, we'll go for lunch."

Lian sighed helplessly; this time, Kalia hadn't brought her backpack with her, how annoying!

He then glanced at the large screen and noticed it was already the eighth group's competition. Only eight matches had taken place throughout the morning - quite slow indeed. At this rate, the second round wouldn't start until at least two days from now.

In the eighth group, Grovyle was significantly ahead, having achieved a speed ability value of 500. Additionally, none of the Pokemon in its group had base stats exceeding 100, making its advancement relatively straightforward.

Soon, the eighth group's match concluded, with Grovyle effortlessly securing its spot in the next round. Its outstanding performance led many Trainers to believe it had the potential to rank among the top ten in the Extreme Speed Conference.

After the completion of the eighth group's match, commentator Tina announced a temporary break, with competitions resuming at 1 PM in the afternoon.

Gradually, the crowd dispersed.