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Day Three.
The community tournament continued with another round of underwhelming opponents. Aside from the third match, where Corvisquire—running low on stamina—struggled a bit and almost got overturned by an opponent's Pikachu, there were no particularly strong challengers. None of the Pokémon exceeded Level 30.
The opponents themselves were a mixed bag—kids with runny noses around his age, bespectacled office workers, housewives carrying grocery baskets, even elderly men.
It made Li Xiang wonder if he'd somehow crossed into a game world.
Where are the professional trainers? Where are the students from advanced academies? At the very least, shouldn't there be second- or third-year students from basic trainer schools?
Why were all the opponents like this?
This was a tournament with a 5,000 PokéDollars prize!
Li Xiang couldn't quite understand it. In this day and age, 5,000 PokéDollars was still a decent sum—enough to buy plenty of things. Were trainers these days really so picky that they couldn't be bothered with 5,000 PokéDollars?
He didn't get it and hoped things would change tomorrow.
But on the fourth day…
Li Xiang found himself facing the same low-level opponents. Torracat and the others took turns battling, finishing each match in under five minutes.
It was effortless.
There was no real challenge to sharpen their battle instincts—just pure seal-clubbing.
After leaving the arena, the three Pokémon protested loudly to Li Xiang. They had assumed the fourth day's opponents would be much stronger, which was why they'd generously let Corvisquire take the first three days…
But what was this?!
What kind of tournament did you sign us up for?!
The crushing disappointment left the three Pokémon fuming, taking turns roughing Li Xiang up before finally calming down.
When Li Xiang went to collect his prize money, he finally learned just how unreliable and obscure this tournament was.
There was no proper bracket, no professional arena or equipment, not even proper rankings or certificates. All you had to do was win twelve matches in a row to get 5,000 PokéDollars.
In other words, there wasn't just one winner.
Anyone who won twelve matches could claim the prize.
This tournament was just a "mandatory task"—something the Trainer Association required every community to host once a year to "promote the development of the trainer industry."
Most professional trainers looked down on these community tournaments, dismissing them as child's play.
Four days, twelve battles, for 5,000 PokéDollars?
Any self-respecting trainer would see participating as beneath them.
Only someone like Li Xiang—who didn't care about prestige, just wanted to bond with Corvisquire, and was happy to earn some extra candy—would bother with it.
"So, you happy with this tournament?"
Li Xiang scratched Corvisquire's chin. The bird closed its eyes in bliss and nodded vigorously.
It was very satisfied—not just with the tournament, but with everything that had happened since joining Li Xiang's team.
Ever since coming here, it had eaten well, slept soundly, and battled to its heart's content, fully indulging its thirst for victory.
Sure, it still couldn't beat Riolu and the others, and it missed its parents, little sister, and the unborn sibling.
But overall? It was happy.
Nothing like the horror stories its dad had warned it about. Torracat and the others were friendly too—aside from occasionally ganging up on it after battles.
"...Poor kid."
Li Xiang patted Corvisquire's chest sympathetically. This bird was way too easy to please.
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Early August.
Torracat brought Li Xiang some good news.
Its ability to control the temperature of its bell had finally shown results.
At the same time, it had also experimented with absorbing flames—specifically, when Riolu used Fire Punch.
Just as Li Xiang had said, the bell wasn't just for releasing flames—it could absorb them too.
The amount was small, weaker than even Ember, but it proved that Torracat could potentially give itself a pseudo-Flash Fire ability.
One day, it might even be able to absorb a full-powered Flamethrower.
"Seriously?! Damn, Torracat, you're amazing!"
Li Xiang ruffled Torracat's head vigorously. He had almost given up on this idea, since most of the weird anime gimmicks were just nonsense made up by writers with no basis in reality, but this little fire cat had actually pulled it off.
Torracat swatted his hand away, too pleased with itself to bother with his antics today.
The two of them headed to the backyard for testing.
First up: Temperature control.
Li Xiang had asked his dad to buy a high-quality flame thermometer—a device so sensitive it could measure furnace temperatures.
Corvisquire, napping in the yard, noticed them and flew over to help.
Its mouth had a knack for pissing Torracat off, and anger—an intense emotion—was perfect for heating up the bell. It was the ultimate tool bird.
Li Xiang often recruited it to help train Torracat's temper.
If you get insulted enough, you'll eventually get used to it.
Test begins.
Corvisquire instantly switched into toxic mode, squawking loudly and obnoxiously.
Torracat's calm expression gradually twisted into irritation, its gaze turning sharp as it glared at the bird. The bell on its chest began to glow and heat up rapidly.
"Initial temperature—200 degrees! Hold it there!"
Li Xiang snapped, snapping Torracat out of its rage.
Torracat blinked, then ignored the relieved Corvisquire, focusing entirely on the bell.
Control the temperature… control it…
Before this, Torracat hadn't really understood what "temperature control" meant.
For it, using Fire-type moves was as natural as eating or walking. It could adjust the size of the flames, but temperature? What was that?
Just like how humans couldn't control the temperature of their saliva, Torracat never thought it could control flame heat, but one day, while playing with the gas stove in the kitchen out of curiosity…
It noticed something.
Orange-red, bright red, and blue flames—three different temperatures—could be switched just by turning a dial?!
How?!
If Li Xiang had been there, he would've explained that the colors came from incomplete combustion and airflow adjustments.
Stop messing with the stove before you break it!
But Li Xiang wasn't around, so Torracat came up with its own explanation.
The stove had a dial to adjust flame temperature.
So did Torracat!
The bell was its dial!
It could already control flame size—why couldn't it do what a stove could?
With this realization, Torracat's confidence soared. And now— It had succeeded.
"200 degrees… lower… no, a bit higher… yes! Hold it! Hold it!"
Li Xiang watched the screen excitedly, snapping pictures with his phone. His voice grew loud enough to draw Riolu and Frogadier downstairs.
But right now, his entire focus was on Torracat's bell.
"Next—300! Go!"
Torracat's face scrunched up in concentration as it imagined a dial in its mind, twisting it left and right to fine-tune the temperature.
On the screen, the numbers climbed steadily until they locked perfectly at 300, fluctuating by a single digit before stabilizing.
Li Xiang barely resisted the urge to clap, not wanting to break Torracat's focus.
"400!"
Torracat's previous flame temperature cap had been around 800 degrees—orange-red flames.
If it could surpass that today— Under Li Xiang's watchful gaze, the numbers climbed to 400.
"500."
The rise was slower now, but Torracat didn't seem strained. If anything, it looked more in control, as if rediscovering an innate power.
What once required intense focus now felt effortless.
"600."
Easy.
Torracat slowly closed its eyes, ears flattening as it pressed its paws against them, nostrils flaring slightly.
It had suddenly entered the Three-Blind Perception state!
Li Xiang's breath hitched. He glanced at Riolu and Frogadier, seeing the same shock in their eyes.
Aside from Corvisquire—who didn't fully understand the technique—the other two realized something extraordinary was happening.
The temperature locked at 600.
Precise. No adjustments needed. Li Xiang hadn't even given the command yet.
"...700."
He spoke slowly, watching Torracat and the screen. In this state, Torracat shouldn't be able to hear him, but the numbers rose anyway, stopping exactly at 700.
"750."
To test if Torracat was somehow still perceiving him, Li Xiang deliberately changed the increment.
And—750. Not a degree higher or lower.
What the—
Li Xiang swallowed hard, forcing himself to stay calm.
"800."
Ten seconds later—800 reached.
Breaking past its previous limits, Torracat was now consciously pushing its flames hotter.
"900."
Li Xiang bit his lip nervously. Riolu, sensing his tension, slipped its paw into his hand reassuringly.
On the screen, the numbers climbed again.
1 degree… 2 degrees… 10… 20… 30…
At 853 degrees, the ascent paused.
Li Xiang's breath froze.
This was Torracat's previous maximum recorded temperature.
But— The numbers kept rising.
Slowly, but undeniably.
Finally—
900 degrees.
A new world was opening up for Torracat.
Li Xiang took a deep breath, hunger for more gnawing at him.
"1,000."
Today— He would push Torracat to its evolutionary breakthrough.