"Beep—"
The alarm clock rang. Rick glanced at the time — 7:00 AM.
"Time to head out for training."
He picked up his phone, sent a message to Shiyu, then got out of bed to wash up.
After heading downstairs, he opened the fridge, grabbed some bread and milk, and prepared some Pokémon food for Charmander. The two of them began eating together.
"Gar."
After last night, Charmander no longer resisted being fed by Rick. It sat on the floor, quietly eating, occasionally glancing up at its trainer.
While chewing on the bread, Rick sighed with a bit of distaste, "Shiyu's breakfast still tastes better. But she doesn't get up this early."
Shiyu, entrusted by Rick's mother, had always helped take care of his meals. Rick was already grateful for having someone cook for him; he couldn't possibly expect her to also cater to his schedule.
Charmander's food didn't look much different from yesterday's — high-quality fire-type Pokémon chow. It seemed pretty satisfying.
After finishing breakfast casually, Rick headed out.
For training, he chose the nearby sports center. It had complete facilities and most were free to use, making it an excellent place for workouts.
At the sports center, Rick stood on the rubber track and started warming up.
"Alright, per the training plan, let's start with stamina training."
After summoning Charmander, the two began jogging. Surprisingly, Charmander was enthusiastic about the idea and didn't resist — a rare occurrence.
Instead of sprinting (anaerobic), Rick opted for jogging. It's better for improving overall fitness and stamina. Sprinting, which enhances speed and bursts power, wasn't suitable yet for the just-hatched Charmander.
Newborn Pokémon weren't fit for high-intensity exercise. Rick understood that well — you can't rush growth.
After running for over two hours, Rick glanced at the time and stopped. "Alright."
"Gar…"
Charmander sat down, panting heavily.
Rick squatted down, towel in hand, and gently wiped Charmander's sweat.
"Good work, Charmander."
Charmander stared at him blankly, then turned its head away.
"It's already past ten. Let's train a bit more before heading home for lunch."
Rick checked his training schedule on his phone.
"Next up is skill training. Charmander, can you keep going?"
"Gar."
Charmander stood up.
Rick smiled and patted its head. "Good kid."
"Guu."
Charmander, for once, didn't resist the head pats and let Rick continue.
Skill training couldn't be done on the track — damaging public property meant compensation. Fortunately, the sports center had special training rooms for Pokémon, with an hourly fee of around 30. They also provided various training tools.
"If you plan to use it long-term, I recommend getting a monthly pass," the staff member suggested kindly.
"That way it'll be much cheaper."
"How much is the monthly pass?"
Rick thought about it. There was about a month left before the entrance exam, so getting a pass seemed worthwhile.
"3,000 for a month. You can use the room for 8 hours a day. If you have a Trainer Association card, you get a 10% discount."
"Then I'll take the monthly pass."
Rick paid via his phone and received a plastic card.
"With the 10% discount, that'll be 2,700. Welcome to the Pokémon Training Room."
The training room was around 70–80 square meters, filled with various equipment — dumbbells for strength training, automated disc machines for accuracy, and more. It had everything Rick needed.
"Charmander's just been born, so the skills it should know are Scratch and Growl. Some with better talent may also learn Ember."
Rick searched for Charmander's data on his phone. Since his Charmander had used Ember before, that meant it had decent talent.
But Charmander's father was the fearsome Salamence, known as the Sky Overlord. Because of inheritance, there might be a chance Charmander learned some of its father's moves.
Rick looked at the little Pokémon at his feet.
"Charmander, show me all the moves you've learned."
Charmander looked at him, then its claws glowed faintly white as it slashed the air a few times, making whooshing noises.
Scratch.
Then it let out a low growl — a strange soundwave that made Rick get goosebumps even from behind.
Growl.
Next, Charmander spat out sparks, igniting a training dummy.
Ember.
"Just as I thought—Growl, Scratch, and Emb—"
Before Rick could finish, Charmander's body suddenly glowed with interweaving purple and red lights. Its aura visibly surged.
"This…"
Rick's eyes widened. "Dragon Dance?"
Dragon Dance was a move that temporarily boosts strength and speed. Normally, Charmander couldn't learn it — but due to its dragon-type lineage, it seemed to have inherited the skill.
Rick nodded in satisfaction.
"Charmander's final evolution, Charizard, is more of a long-range attacker, so Dragon Dance doesn't match its usual combat style… But hey, it's still an extra skill. A pleasant surprise."
The effects of Dragon Dance lasted about ten seconds before Charmander collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. It seemed the move consumed a lot of its stamina.
Rick didn't want to push it too hard, so he decided to end the training for the day. After all, it was only the first day — no need to rush.
Back at home, it was already past eleven.
Rick sent several messages to Shiyu, but got no response.
"She's probably busy cooking and didn't see the messages."
Normally, Shiyu replied instantly. This delay likely meant she was occupied.
Rick climbed to the second floor and entered Shiyu's room through the balcony. But as soon as he opened the door—
Thump!
He felt something soft and round hit him, followed by a familiar cry:
"Boo!"
He looked down and saw it was Rowlet.
At that moment, a piece of soft fabric landed in his hand.
"Huh?"
Rick looked down and saw… white underwear with little bear prints on it.
Rick: "..."
"Rowlet, why are you taking so long to bring me my underwear?"
Outside the room, a voice called out. Shiyu walked in, a towel draped over her shoulders, clearly fresh from a shower. She wasn't wearing clothes yet, her waist-length black hair still wet and clinging to her pale skin, steam rising from her body.
The next second, her eyes met Rick's.
"..."
Shiyu stared at him for a long while before silently turning around and closing the door.
I must've opened that door the wrong way.