Inside the incubation chamber—
All the Charmander huddled together.
All except one.
It stood alone.
Same appearance.
Same stats.
But—
Completely different attitude.
While the others looked soft and adorable…
This one?
Had a face that screamed:
"Try me."
A Tiny Rebel
Ethan clicked his tongue.
"Now this is interesting."
A newborn Pokémon—
With attitude like that?
Rare.
Very rare.
First Attempt: Failure
Ethan tossed a Poké Ball.
"I'll give you a chance."
"Go in yourself."
Charmander glanced at it.
Walked over slowly…
Picked it up—
And threw it straight back at Ethan.
"…?!"
Ethan caught it mid-air.
His expression froze.
"…You little—"
This Is War Now
"This is rebellion."
"Today you throw a Poké Ball—"
"Tomorrow you might bite people!"
"Can't let this slide."
Ethan turned and left.
"…Wait here."
"I'm calling backup."
Strategy Shift: Food
Twenty minutes later—
He returned.
With reinforcements.
And by reinforcements—
Food.
Lots of food.
From Ning Yunmei
A master-level breeder.
The Ultimate Weapon
He opened the lunchbox.
Instantly—
A rich, irresistible aroma filled the air.
All Charmanders froze.
Then—
Turned.
At the same time.
Eyes locked onto the food.
Fire-type specialty:
Flame Dragon Meatballs
Distribution Begins
"One for each."
Ethan calmly fed them.
One by one.
The Charmanders devoured them happily.
Except—
That one.
The stubborn one.
Forced Discipline
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
A controlled Psychic Strike—
Tap.
The rebellious Charmander spun—
Flipped—
And landed flat.
Not injured.
But humbled.
The others stepped back nervously.
"Relax."
"I won't hurt you."
He continued feeding.
The Breaking Point
Round after round—
The food kept going.
The stubborn Charmander watched.
Didn't move.
But—
Its eyes followed every bite.
Then—
Saliva.
Finally—
Only one meatball remained.
Negotiation
The stubborn Charmander walked forward.
Picked up the Poké Ball.
Pointed:
Ball → Meatball
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"So you're saying…"
"Food first, then you go in?"
Charmander nodded rapidly.
Deal Sealed
Ethan handed over the last meatball.
It gobbled it instantly.
Pure bliss.
Then—
Without hesitation—
Walked into the Poké Ball.
Click.
Captured.
Ethan's Verdict
"…Handled."
There are two ways to deal with problems:
StrengthFood
And food?
Usually works better.
Reunion
Ethan rushed back to Aurora.
She had clearly been waiting a while.
"Sorry—caught a Charmander. Took longer than expected."
Aurora smiled.
"What kind of Charmander takes that long?"
Ethan told her everything.
She laughed.
"That's… incredible."
"Honestly, that kind of personality?"
"It might win first place."
Confidence
Ethan smiled slightly.
He didn't say it out loud.
But he knew—
Top 3?
Guaranteed.
First?
Very possible.
Aftermath
From that day on—
That stubborn Charmander had one obsession:
Flame Dragon Meatballs.
Other food?
Ignored.
Ethan didn't mind.
"Like it?"
"Then eat as much as you want."
Because for him—
The best way to raise a Pokémon—
Was simple.
Never let your partner feel lacking.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/kakashiTL