Chapter 25: Charcoal

Although he had long anticipated the big win, Zhao Fang admitted that his heart still skipped a beat and his breathing grew shallow when it actually happened. He had just turned ten game coins into a thousand—equivalent to ten thousand League coins—a realization that made him cheer with genuine delight.

Part of his excitement was real, but he also acted that way to divert the attention of the game hall staff. He didn't believe the people running such a place were honest; if he won too much, he would surely become a target. With that in mind, he stayed at the pinball machine, playing until it was time for his training class in the afternoon.

By occasionally losing coins on purpose and winning at intervals, Zhao Fang managed to turn his initial ten coins into over three thousand two hundred. He then went to redeem his winnings. He had no illusions about getting the automatic healing device—that was clearly out of reach. Of course, he could have kept hitting the jackpot to turn his coins into two million, but that would be treating everyone else like a fool; there was no way he would have walked out of there alive. Still, three thousand coins were enough for some decent items.

After browsing the available rewards, Zhao Fang gritted his teeth and spent three thousand coins on a piece of Charcoal of low quality, using the remaining coins to purchase a Great Ball.

[Charcoal (Low Quality): When held by a Fire-type Pokémon, it increases the power of Fire-type moves by 5%.]

"Does charcoal really come in different qualities?" Zhao Fang examined the item, unable to discern any difference.

"Of course it does! The charcoal from the Oak Forest is the highest quality, but it's very rare, so it's quite expensive. The piece you chose naturally can't compare," explained the lovely girl in charge of the exchange counter with a warm smile.

Zhao Fang nodded, pretending he understood.

He left the game hall, initially worried about being followed. After taking a detour, however, he realized no one was tailing him. It seemed the hall didn't care much for a three-thousand-coin win. He figured that if someone won ten thousand or hit a "Triple Seven," they would surely draw the staff's scrutiny.

He had originally wanted to exchange for a Mystic Water, as his Gyarados was his strongest combatant. However, the price was too steep—even the cheapest one cost five thousand coins—and since his Gyarados hadn't yet mastered Water-type moves effectively, he decided to let it go.

As he looked at the charcoal in his hand, a bold idea began to form. For now, however, he had to return to his training class; he would need to consider whether to pursue this plan carefully.

Back at the class, Zhao Fang was reprimanded for his tardiness, but he offered a sincere apology, and the teacher let it slide, telling him to take his seat. When the afternoon session ended, he slipped away quickly, leaving May fuming and waving her fists in frustration.

"The Water Stone worked for making food last time, so what about this charcoal?" He remembered how the crushed Water Stone had significantly boosted his Gyarados's base stats. He wasn't sure if charcoal could be used the same way, but he recalled hearing in his past life that charcoal was sometimes used in traditional medicine. He reached out to Flannery to ask about the possibility.

Flannery replied readily, confirming that charcoal was indeed used in traditional medicine—the higher the quality, the better the effect. However, it was primarily used for treating burns and had little market demand, so few people made it anymore.

Zhao Fang asked for the recipe, and Flannery gave it to him without hesitation, as it was considered useless—even the herbal shop in Lavaridge Town had stopped selling burn medicine. It was a redundant product there.

After obtaining the recipe, he purchased the necessary ingredients from Flannery, who arranged for a Pelipper to deliver the package via air. After waiting a while, the Pelipper arrived, dropped off the parcel, collected the delivery fee, and flew away.

Though uncertain if it would work, Zhao Fang followed Flannery’s instructions to brew the medicine, using up all his charcoal. As he looked at the final concoction, he swallowed hard. This was the moment of truth: if the medicine had no extra effect, he would have suffered a significant loss. If it worked, he would be coming out ahead.

He tentatively checked the status of the concoction.

[Burn Medicine: When ingested, it cures severe burns. If consumed by a Fire-type Pokémon, it permanently increases Fire-type move power by 7% and slightly increases the probability of inflicting burns.]

Zhao Fang’s eyes lit up. It worked!

It had gone from 5% to 7%. More importantly, it was an ingestible, permanent upgrade. If Charmander ate this, its Fire-type power would increase, and it would gain a higher burn rate—a fantastic result.

He summoned Charmander, who looked at him curiously, wondering why its trainer had called it out so late at night.

"Charmander, this might taste a bit bitter, but it will make you stronger. Do you want to try it?" Zhao Fang asked.

In the Pokémon world, herbal medicine was generally considered subpar; while cheap, it was so bitter that it lowered a Pokémon's friendship with its trainer. Unless a trainer specifically trained for the move "Frustration," they rarely gave their Pokémon herbal remedies.

"Char!" Charmander chirped, waving its little claw with a look of firm determination.

Zhao Fang nodded. He knew Charmander would agree, but he had felt it necessary to ask. He fed the medicine to the Pokémon, and as soon as Charmander swallowed it, it looked miserable, its expression suggesting it had just suffered a grievous injury.

Charmander hopped around, spitting and searching for water. Zhao Fang quickly handed it a cup, and while Charmander gave him a look of deep resentment, it soon sensed the change in its body, and its spirits lifted immediately.