For Gu Xin, the rookie battle wasn't exactly thrilling.
After all, Chu Kelian and Lin Sheng were complete beginners—this was their very first experience with Pokémon battles, and they'd had zero exposure to Pokémon before today.
Hoping for an impressive duel was asking too much.
Another factor was the Pokémon themselves—Charmander and Vulpix were still young and inexperienced. With only three moves available to each, their options were limited.
Still, while Gu Xin found the match mildly exasperating, Chu Kelian and Lin Sheng were utterly engrossed, giving it their all.
Bai Qianqian, watching from the sidelines, was equally captivated.
The concept of Pokémon battles was entirely new to them, and they found it fascinating.
Chu Kelian, in particular, was sweating lightly, her forehead glistening as the battle dragged on.
Though fire-based moves like Ember weren't very effective against Charmander, the repeated hits were taking a toll.
By now, Charmander was panting heavily, its stamina clearly running low.
Meanwhile, Vulpix was still in decent shape, looking far from exhausted.
"Ugh! You're so unfair! If you've got the guts, fight properly!
"Hiding back there and spamming Ember—what kind of hero are you?"
Chu Kelian was furious, practically grinding her teeth.
She'd quickly realized that Ember was useless against Vulpix—worse, it even boosted Vulpix's attacks thanks to its Flash Fire ability.
She had tried closing the distance to use Scratch, but Lin Sheng wasn't giving her the chance.
"Miss, do you think I'm stupid? My Vulpix doesn't even have close-range moves. Why would I fight you up close?"
Lin Sheng's exasperation was palpable as he gave her a look that screamed, Are you even serious?
"This is called strategy, understand? Miss, you're just too green."
Lin Sheng was having the time of his life, grinning ear to ear.
"My little fox is unbeatable!"
"Aaargh! Charmander, scratch that annoying fox to death!"
"Vulpix, hit it with Ember!"
After another round of "intense combat," Vulpix landed yet another Ember, finally bringing Charmander to its limit.
The red lizard's eyes turned into spirals as it collapsed onto the ground.
"Charmander! Are you okay?"
Panicking, Chu Kelian rushed onto the battlefield and scooped up her fainted Pokémon.
Lin Sheng and Bai Qianqian also hurried over.
"Don't worry, it just fainted from exhaustion. It'll wake up soon," Gu Xin reassured her as he approached, holding a can of Advanced Healing Spray.
He sprayed the potion onto Charmander's injuries.
The spray worked quickly—within seconds, Charmander's eyes fluttered open.
"Whew, that scared me!"
Chu Kelian breathed a sigh of relief, her hand clutching her chest.
She felt as if her heart had nearly stopped when Charmander fainted, but it seemed Gu Xin had been right—there was no real danger.
"Char…"
But Charmander's mood was gloomy, its head drooping as it let out a soft, sorrowful cry.
Its expressive face was filled with regret—it was apologizing to Chu Kelian for losing.
"It's okay, Charmander. It was my fault for giving bad instructions," Chu Kelian said gently, immediately understanding what her Pokémon was feeling.
She stroked its head softly.
"It's all because that sneaky fox and its underhanded Trainer were too tricky! But next time, we'll win for sure, okay?"
Lin Sheng: "…"
Vulpix: "…"
Fine, whatever. We won, so say what you want.
Lin Sheng rolled his eyes, deciding not to argue.
"Char-char!!"
Charmander's big eyes sparkled with determination as it nodded firmly at Chu Kelian.
"Heehee, Charmander, you're the best!"
Seeing her Pokémon's spirits lifted, Chu Kelian beamed, rubbing her cheek against its head.
"Alright, let's head back inside. Even though the healing spray worked, Charmander still needs rest," Gu Xin suggested with a smile.
Once inside the store's lounge, Diancie put down the camera and resumed watching Tom and Jerry, while Gu Xin served juice to the group before sitting down himself.
"So, how did your first battle feel?" Gu Xin asked, addressing Chu Kelian and Lin Sheng.
"It was amazing! Boss, battling is so much fun!"
Chu Kelian was practically bouncing, her high ponytail swinging with excitement.
Even though she'd lost, her enthusiasm for Pokémon battles was undiminished.
"Exactly! That feeling of total focus is incredible—it's even more thrilling than taking down a video game boss," Lin Sheng chimed in, pushing up his glasses.
He struggled to find the right words to describe the experience, but he knew one thing for certain:
He loved battling.
Hearing their responses, Gu Xin smiled warmly. Seeing others genuinely enjoy Pokémon battles filled him with an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
"It does seem interesting," Bai Qianqian admitted, glancing at her Squirtle, who was intently staring at Charmander's tail flame.
"But I wonder… Can Squirtle even manage something like that?"
Her skepticism was clear.
But upon hearing its Trainer's doubts, Squirtle immediately turned around, its cheeks puffing in indignation.
It stood akimbo, chin held high in defiance.
"Squirtle! Squirtle-squirt! (I can totally wreck that red lizard!)"
"Huh? What are you saying, little guy?"
Bai Qianqian tilted her head in confusion.
"Squirtle! Squirtle-squirtle! (That red lizard and that fox are nothing compared to me!)"
"Uh… Are you hungry?"
Her puzzled response nearly made Squirtle spray her in the face with Water Gun.
Gu Xin, watching the interaction, couldn't help but laugh. But he decided to spare Bai Qianqian the trouble of explaining what Squirtle was really saying.
"Boss, is it normal for Pokémon to have as much stamina as Charmander?" Lin Sheng asked after taking a sip of juice.
"Vulpix hit it so many times, but it seemed like it wasn't even fazed at first. Is its defense really that strong?"
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]