Time passed quickly.
Under Ethan's training—
That once stubborn Charmander had already evolved into a Charmeleon.
And its growth?
Explosive.
Rapid Growth
In just over a month:
Level 1 → Level 34Then after another boost → Level 40 (Elite Peak)
All thanks to:
Careful trainingTop-tier resourcesAnd of course… Ethan's methods
Ethan handed over a gem.
"Here. This should push you further."
A Top-Grade Fire Gem.
Charmeleon didn't hesitate—
Crunch.
Gone in one bite.
Energy surged.
Its strength climbed again—
But still…
No evolution into Charizard.
Ethan frowned slightly.
"Strange…"
"By now, you should've evolved."
Meanwhile — Divine Eagle in Chaos
While Ethan focused on training—
The Divine Eagle Alliance was collapsing.
One scandal led to another.
Everything exploded at once.
Once called:
The strongest alliance in the world
Now became:
The most problematic one.
The Scapegoat
To stabilize things—
Terang made a decision.
Together with:
The Taylor FamilyThe Smith Family
They pushed all blame onto:
The Morgan Family
Morgan Family's Rage
Inside a private meeting—
Anger erupted.
"Damn Terang!"
"Damn Ethan!"
"Our losses are massive—and now we're the scapegoat?!"
Their influence shrank rapidly.
Their position—
Shaking.
Their Plan
Simple.
Cruel.
Effective.
Kill Ethan.
Then trade that "achievement" for benefits from the other two families.
As for Terang?
They didn't care.
"A leader can always be replaced."
"But power?"
"That stays with us."
Back to School Life
Ethan, meanwhile—
Didn't care at all.
His focus:
Final evaluation.
Classroom Announcement
The teacher spoke:
"Two days left until final assessment."
"Keep your Pokémon in peak condition."
"Also—remember this."
"Even ordinary Pokémon can break their limits."
"Treat them well."
"Miracles do happen."
Most students:
"Yeah, yeah…"
Not really listening.
Comparison Among Students
Reality check:
~20% of students → still hadn't evolved their CharmanderMost → mid-stage growthTop-tier → Elite levelQin Yingying's Concern
Qin Yingying approached Ethan.
"Can I ask… what level is your Charmander?"
"Elite."
She visibly relaxed.
"That's good… that's good…"
Ethan laughed.
"What? Afraid I'd raise a Champion-level Charizard in a month?"
She shook her head quickly.
"I just… don't want to fall too far behind."
A New Rivalry
Ethan paused.
He hadn't expected this.
She wasn't jealous.
Not resentful.
Just—
Determined.
"You're already strong compared to others," he said.
"You don't need to compare yourself to me."
"Believe in yourself."
"You're a good trainer."
Her Answer
"I'll catch up to you."
Ethan: "…?"
That's not what I meant.
Ethan's Thoughts
He sighed internally.
You don't have cheats like me…
If you catch up, then what am I?
Still—
He smiled.
Having a goal wasn't a bad thing.
Final Mood
As the evaluation approached:
Ethan → confidentOthers → anxiousQin Yingying → determined
And somewhere far away—
The Divine Eagle Alliance was still burning.
Ending
"Alright, I'm heading out."
Ethan waved.
He had plans.
Aurora was waiting.
And compared to everything else—
That mattered more.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
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