Pokémon: Trainers Start as Bounty Hunters.

Ji Ke led Zheye deeper into the area, pointing out each of the fire-breathing dragons and explaining them in detail.

Without exception, they all greeted Tetsuya with the same gesture—snorting a ball of fire from their noses.

Charizard probably likes this look.

Tetsuya's eyes lit up. Cool, so incredibly cool.

He blurted out involuntarily, "Miss Ji Ke..."

"No, you can't capture the Charizards here because they are protected by the League. You can only capture them after you have a special quota and have gained their approval."

Ji Ke could guess what Tetsuya wanted to say without even thinking, and regretfully nipped Tetsuya's idea in the bud.

Tetsuya sighed. Well, it's alright anyway. His current team isn't really suitable for Charizard to join.

But he's still so handsome.

"arrive."

Ji Ke, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped.

Tetsuya instinctively stopped standing still as well.

Looking up, I gasped in shock.

Before him lay a pool of red lava, bubbling occasionally.

The air was filled with the smell of sulfur.

"This is..." Zhe was also very surprised.

"The formation of the Fire Dragon Valley originated from a volcanic eruption a long time ago, but since then, the volcano here has never erupted again, not even a trace."

This is why the fire-breathing dragons chose to live here.

But just ten days ago, I noticed strange fluctuations in the magma pool that connects to the crater behind.

Originally, the lava pool here was only about one-third of its current height, but it has risen higher and higher, and the temperature has also increased accordingly.

Many of the powerful Charizards that initially lived in this area have now either chosen to go deeper into the area or to live on the outskirts.

So I'm very worried...

Ji Ke didn't continue, but both of them knew what they were worried about.

Tetsuya asked with some confusion, "Miss Ji Ke, as the administrator, are you unable to access deeper into the area?"

Ji Ke smiled helplessly: "I am the administrator, that's true, but not all Charizards are willing to listen to me. I'm just more familiar with the Charizards on the outer perimeter."

While some of them were willing to let me in after they went deeper, quite a few of the Charizards that had lived there since they were babies didn't welcome me.

Little Lisa's strength is only at the near-elite level, so she can't possibly lead me deeper into the realm.

Tetsuya suddenly realized.

When they first met, he wondered why Ji Ke's Xiao Lisa only had the strength of a quasi-Heavenly King, but now that he thinks about it, it seems quite normal.

Because the Charizards in Charizard Valley don't need a very strong manager.

Chapter 394 Battle (Happy New Year~)

Charizard's formidable strength allows it to protect itself entirely. The administrator's role is more about mediating and reporting special circumstances, such as this one.

If a very strong trainer were to be appointed as the administrator, the Charizards, with their violent tempers, would probably fight with him every few days.

They won't give up the challenge just because they failed once.

On the contrary, challenging the strong has always been a tradition of the Charizard race.

You might call it mindless for them to stick to this tradition despite the huge gap in strength, but that's also why they're so popular.

If you don't even have the courage to take on challenges, how can you become stronger?

As for why Ji Ke was able to contact Du, that's even more normal.

Not to mention that Du is the face of the Yanmo Yulong family, his job duties include this, and Ji Ke's network of connections and status are not for nothing.

She is Wataru's cousin, a good friend of Kotsubo, the owner of the Inkstone Dojo, and can also be considered an unofficial member of the Royal Dragon Clan.

In addition, Wataru himself also has a very powerful Charizard as his main force.

After considering all factors, requesting support from Watari, who is currently active in the Johto region, is the most appropriate course of action.

I just didn't expect that Du wouldn't be able to leave for a while.

Ji Ke sighed and said, "Actually, Mr. Du had been to Charizard Valley before. That time, he even commanded his Charizard to fight the boss here."

So if it's him, there definitely won't be any trouble getting into the investigation.

"From what Miss Ji Ke is saying, Mr. Du's Charizard defeated the leader here?" Tetsuya relaxed a little.

From this perspective, at least the fire-breathing dragon leader here isn't as exaggerated as a level three god.

"I wouldn't say we won," Ji Ke shook his head. "I was quite far away at the time, but from what I observed, it was probably a draw."

Tetsuya exclaimed, "Wow!"

Don't underestimate a draw.

Although Lance's Charizard is not as famous as the ace Dragonite, its strength is undeniable.

After all, strictly speaking, that was Lance's first Pokémon.

To be able to achieve a draw with it, the Charizard leader here is definitely among the strongest in the Champion tier.

"So, what do I need to do?"

Tetsuya, who had some vague suspicions, looked at Ji Ke.

“Call in and see what’s going on there,” Ji Ke replied decisively.

Tetsuya almost blurted out the words "I can't say goodbye."

What a joke! His strongest Pokémon hasn't even officially reached the Elite Four level yet, how could he possibly beat Charizard inside?

According to Ji Ke, the leader lives in the crater, and that's the champion!

Tetsuya felt it was time to call Watari.

"Don't rush, don't rush," Ji Ke quickly stopped him. "It's not as difficult as you think."

Tetsuya glanced at her, signaling her to continue.

"That's right, although there are many powerful Charizards inside, they are not the only ones," Ji Ke said, though it was a rather awkward sentence.

Tetsuya covered his forehead: "Wait a minute, let me sort this out. So, the Charizards deeper inside also exist at the level of Elite Four members, and even Elite and ordinary levels, right?"

Ji Ke nodded to indicate that he was right: "Actually, the biggest difference between the fire-breathing dragon clan inside and the fire-breathing dragon clan on the outside is the strength of the strong ones. In fact, there is a very obvious distinction between the strong and the weak."

After all, it's impossible for those powerful fire-breathing dragons to drive out their offspring once they've given birth.

There are even quite a few little fire dragons and charismatic dragons living inside.

To reach the deepest part, besides defeating the strongest member of the tribe one-on-one, one can also gain their recognition through continuous battles.

As a Pokémon with Dragon-type blood, Charizard is also a very proud creature; they will not send out Champion-level individuals or near-Champion-level opponents to fight.

So all you need to do is defeat Charizards that are at the same level as your Pokémon.

However, those Charizards all had very high aptitude, because they were basically descendants of the powerful Charizards inside.

Each of them is extremely powerful among the near-elite kings.

My little Lisa couldn't beat them.

I think that since Mr. Watari recommended you, you must have the ability.

Ji Ke's last words also subtly hinted at the meaning of Geki Tetsuya.

Tetsuya touched his nose.

That made things much easier.

He had full confidence in his partner's abilities.

Even if it's the offspring of that champion leader, it's highly unlikely to be a match for Blaziken at the near-Elite Four level.

As starter Pokémon, their base stats are actually quite similar, and it's difficult to distinguish which one is better in terms of skills.

But don't forget, Blaziken has Tetsuya, and that's its biggest advantage.

The growth of humans and Pokémon has always been mutually reinforcing; it is a well-known fact that Pokémon with trainers are stronger than those that grow naturally in the wild.

Even though many of the Charizards in Charizard Valley are exceptions, Tetsuya still doesn't think that can be changed.

In other words, he cannot be compared to the original Ash.

"Row."

After thinking it over, Tetsuya nodded in agreement to this seemingly outrageous approach.

He was also reluctant to disturb Du's mission progress, in case the other party was doing something very important.

Moreover, this was the first time Wataru had personally contacted him to ask for help, and Tetsuya still hoped for a good outcome.

Ji Ke's face lit up with joy: "Then, shall we begin now?"

Tetsuya pulled a Blaziken Poké Ball from his waist: "Of course."

He didn't use Pidgeot because he felt that battles between Fire-type Pokémon would be more likely to gain Charizard's approval.

Moreover, if Pidgeot were to break through to Elite Four level during the battle, that would be quite bad.

Zhe also didn't think that the newly upgraded Pidgeot would be a match for those veteran Champion-level Charizards.

Time is a very powerful thing.

After bypassing the lava pool, Ji Ke led Tetsuya deeper into the lava pool.

She introduced Tetsuya to the characteristics of several powerful, near-Elite Four level Charizards that she knew of.

It seems that Ji Ke has tried many similar challenges in the past few days, but has failed each time.

"Then, it's up to you!"

Ji Ke spoke to Tetsuya very seriously.

"Don't worry." Tetsuya flashed his two rows of bright white teeth.

"Ugh!"

When the fire-breathing dragons inside the valley saw that Ji Ke had brought a stranger, their eyes turned slightly dangerous.

As an administrator, although the Charizards might not always listen to Ji Ke, they also wouldn't intentionally harm her.

After all, this concerns many members of the clan.

Zheye is different as a stranger.

Without the presence of their own kind, coming here could pose a threat to their children.

Tetsuya looked around at the Charizards that kept surging in, his expression somewhat grim: "Miss Ji Ke, you didn't say this would happen."

Well, the reason Charizard has "dragon" in its name is naturally because of its resemblance to a dragon.

Their eyes really do look like a dragon's, long and terrifying.

Any human being stared at like that by dozens of fire-breathing dragons would feel suffocated.

This is a natural suppressive force from predators.

Ji Ke took a deep breath, his expression turning serious.

"This is the human trainer I brought to challenge you. If you fail, then let's go deeper."

She shouted, "You must have noticed the temperature has been off lately. There's probably something wrong with the volcano inside. I have to go in and fix it, otherwise not only you, but also Charmander and Charmeleon will be in great danger."

To be honest, Tetsuya thinks she looks really cool right now.

Not everyone has this courage.

However, as the protagonist of this operation, how could Tetsuya let a girl like Ji Ke take the lead?

He tightened his grip on the deluxe ball, feeling the warmth emanating from it, and strode forward: "What, do you think you're bound to lose, so you're preparing for a group brawl?"

A provocative smile played on his lips.