After leaving the plains, Ash and his companions continued their journey.
As they passed a steep cliff, the sharp-eyed Brock was the first to notice something unusual.
"Look, is there something glowing at the top of that cliff?"
Ash squinted his eyes, and his heart immediately tightened that was the flame on a Charmander's tail!
It sat alone on a rock at the edge of the precipice. The flame on its tail flickered in the wind, looking somewhat weak, yet the Pokémon remained there stubbornly, gazing into the distance.
"It looks like it's in bad shape. We have to help it!" Misty said worriedly.
Ash immediately recalled the plot from the original series. He knew this Charmander had been abandoned here by a trainer named Damian.
That scumbag. To think he dared to deceive Charmander like that. When Ash had first watched that episode, he had wanted nothing more than to rush in and give the guy a thrashing. Now, the opportunity was right in front of him.
He suppressed his rage toward that trainer for now; the priority was to earn Charmander's trust and get it treated.
They climbed the cliff and approached cautiously. Seeing strangers, Charmander immediately turned around alertly and let out a weak, threatening growl.
"Don't be afraid, Charmander. We mean you no harm," Ash said, squatting down and speaking in his gentlest tone. Simultaneously, he slowly released his Aura Power, transmitting a message of comfort and goodwill. "You look like you need help. The flame on your tail is getting a bit low."
Charmander seemed to sense Ash's sincerity. Its vigilance wavered slightly, but it still refused to leave the rock.
Ash knew it was waiting for someone who would never return, so he tried a different approach. "Are you waiting for your trainer? Maybe he got caught up in something. Look, it's going to get very cold in these mountains tonight, and it might even rain.
If your flame goes out, you'll be in grave danger. Why don't you come with us for now? We'll take you to a nearby Pokémon Center; it's warm and safe there. I actually happen to know your trainer, and I'll take you to see him when the time comes, okay?"
Ash's words were only half-true, but his intention was entirely for Charmander's safety.
He reached out his hand, his eyes clear and sincere.
Charmander looked at Ash and then at the gloomy sky. It truly did feel cold and weak.
Finally, its concern for its trainer's safety thinking he must have met with an accident combined with its own longing for warmth, caused it to hesitate before slowly walking over to Ash's side.
"Great! Let's get it to the Pokémon Center quickly!" Ash immediately scooped Charmander up. He could feel how light it was, a clear sign of how long it had been weakened.
The group immediately turned around and rushed toward the nearest town's Pokémon Center.
At the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy and Brock immediately performed a detailed examination and began treatment on Charmander.
Ash stayed by its side, constantly offering words of comfort.
To be honest, it was hard to connect this current Charmander with the mighty Charizard it would become.
He remembered a theory that Charizard's power ceiling was actually incredibly high, but because it had suffered irreversible damage during its time as a Charmander, its foundation was compromised, causing its growth rate to be slower than a typical Charmander.
And the cause of that compromised foundation was the impending rainstorm.
One had to remember that as a Generation I Fire-type Starter Pokémon, the flame on Charmander's tail represented more than just its fighting spirit it represented its life force. It wasn't like a Chimchar, whose flame would automatically extinguish when it slept.
It was truly hard to imagine what would have happened if Charmander had gone through what it did in the original story...
But fortunately, they were in time.
Just then, the doors to the Pokémon Center were pushed open. A flashy, arrogant-looking youth walked in, laughing loudly with his companions. It was the trainer, Damian.
"...Haha, you mean that stupid Charmander? It's probably still waiting on that cliff! So naive, it believes everything I say!" Damian's voice rang clearly through the lobby.
Charmander, who was about to receive further treatment, trembled violently when it heard that voice. It looked toward the source of the sound in disbelief, its eyes momentarily regaining their luster as it struggled to get off the medical bed.
Ash's fury was instantly ignited. He gently pressed Charmander back down, signaling for it to stay still, then stood up and walked toward Damian with a dark expression.
"You're Charmander's trainer, Damian?" Ash's voice was as cold as ice.
Damian paused, sizing Ash up, and said indifferently, "What if I am? Is that useless piece of trash with you? Perfect, saves me a trip to go tell it to stop waiting."
"Trash? I'll show you trash!" With that, Ash swung his right fist, striking Damian square in the face. The force was so great that it sent the boy flying back several meters.
"You... you dared to hit me?"
"I hit exactly who I intended to hit!" Ash rushed forward, grabbing him by the collar and delivering another left hook without hesitation. The sounds of the brawl and the shouting attracted the attention of everyone in the center. "To exploit a Pokémon's loyalty, to deceive it, and then to abandon it in the dangerous wilderness... A scumbag like you doesn't deserve to be called a trainer!"
"What did you say?! You brat, are you looking for trouble?" Damian, having been punched twice and insulted in public, was now fuming with rage.
"Looking for trouble? I'm here to get justice for Charmander and every Pokémon ever hurt by an irresponsible trainer!" Ash's eyes were as sharp as blades. "Let's battle! The loser has to kneel down and apologize to Charmander, and guarantee they'll never do something so despicable again!"
"Fine! You think I'm afraid of you? One-on-one!" Damian, desperate to save face, sent out his Poliwrath.
Ash didn't send out Pikachu. Instead, he pulled out a different Poké Ball. "For this fight, you're the most suitable! Go, Bulbasaur!" He wanted his Grass-type Bulbasaur to give this guy a lesson he would never forget!
In terms of Type advantage, Grass perfectly countered Water!
"Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!"
"Poliwrath, use Water Gun!"
The Razor Leaf easily sliced through the Water Gun, striking Poliwrath without losing momentum. It was super effective!
"What?!" Damian hadn't expected Ash's Bulbasaur to be so powerful.
"Vine Whip bind! Then, Leech Seed!" Bulbasaur extended its vines to tightly entwine Poliwrath before planting a seed that began to steadily drain its stamina.
"Poliwrath, break free! Use Double Slap!"
"It's over. Use Take Down!"
With a loud thump, Poliwrath was sent crashing back, losing its ability to battle.
The entire Pokémon Center fell silent.
Damian stared at the fallen Poliwrath, his face turning pale with shock.
Ash walked up to him, his powerful presence pressing down on the boy. "Now, fulfill your end of the bet. Apologize to Charmander!"
Looking at Ash's cold eyes and the disdainful glares of the people around him, Damian's psychological defenses completely collapsed.
His legs gave way and he slumped to the floor, crying out toward Charmander on the medical bed, "I'm... I'm sorry! Charmander! It was my fault! I shouldn't have abandoned you! I'm a bastard!"
Ash didn't look at the coward again. He turned and walked to the bedside. Charmander was already in tears, but they weren't tears of sorrow they were tears of vindication, of a loyalty that had finally received the respect it deserved.
It looked at Ash, its eyes filled with gratitude and reliance.
Ash gently wiped away its tears and said softly, "Do you see? He was the one in the wrong, not you. You are a very, very excellent Pokémon. Your loyalty and strength deserve the best treatment. Are you willing to give me a chance to be your new trainer one who will never abandon you?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Charmander lunged into Ash's arms, expressing its choice with its actions.
Ash took out a Poké Ball and tapped it lightly against Charmander. A red light flashed, and the capture was successful.
[Ding! The host has captured Charmander and severely punished the unscrupulous trainer Damian, upholding Pokémon rights. Reward: 200 World Origin Points.]
[Current World Origin Points: 5,800.]
Ash and his group left the Pokémon Center with their new partner, leaving behind a despondent Damian to face the condemnation of the crowd. Charmander sat on Ash's shoulder (carefully avoiding Pikachu), the flame on its tail burning more vigorously and brightly than ever before.
Teaching a scumbag a lesson with a heavy psychological blow was often far more effective than just turning them in.
As a final thought it truly seemed that since ancient times, the Fire-type was prone to being the abandoned ones!
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