"Pika… Pikachu!"
(That's roughly what Charmander said.)
Pikachu turned to Charmander, asking if there was anything else to add, acting like a translator through gestures.
No wonder Charmander hadn't been on the giant rock earlier—it had been chased around by Spearow.
Luckily Ash had left a Potion under the tree. Otherwise, Charmander might not have survived.
When it was abandoned by its Trainer, it was already injured.
And afterward, it had been constantly attacked by Spearow.
"Ash, you should catch Charmander," Brock said gently, placing a hand on Ash's shoulder.
There was probably no Trainer more suitable for Charmander than Ash.
Judging by how Ash treated Pokémon, Charmander—after being abandoned and then rescued by Ash—must already feel a lot of trust toward him.
Now that it knew Damien had truly abandoned it, it had made up its mind to travel with Ash.
If Ash didn't catch it…
Charmander would most likely return to the wild.
"Hmph. Looks like you guys are desperate," Damien sneered.
"You even want such a weak Pokémon?"
"Even if I throw it away, I still won't let you catch it!"
His voice trembled—whether from anger or lingering shock from being electrocuted.
"Pika pika!"
Pikachu glared at Damien. Electricity crackled from its cheeks.
If that guy said one more word, Pikachu was probably ready to upgrade him to the premium Thunderbolt package.
Charmander: I may be naive, but I'm not stupid.
Charmander's anger flared.
It opened its mouth and blasted another burst of Flamethrower, hitting Damien right in the face.
Pikachu followed immediately with Thunderbolt.
After all, the kind of Trainers they hated most were the ones who abandoned their Pokémon.
Even though Charmander hadn't evolved yet, that "Ember" looked powerful enough to pass as Flamethrower.
Charmander was this strong, and Damien still abandoned it.
Maybe he truly wasn't fit to be a Pokémon Trainer.
Looking at Damien—now completely scorched and blackened—Ash and his friends couldn't help but feel satisfied.
Charmander turned toward Ash.
Its eyes were filled with hope.
"Come on, Charmander," Ash said.
Ash had just taken out a Poké Ball when Charmander happily ran forward and entered it on its own.
The Poké Ball shook once…
Then stopped.
"Looks like Charmander really likes you," Misty said. She had never seen a Pokémon willingly jump into a Poké Ball like that.
Brock watched with a warm smile.
The moment Charmander entered the Poké Ball, the capture was confirmed.
It clearly trusted Ash completely.
Ash cared deeply for Charmander too.
It was truly mutual trust.
"Pika—Pikachu!"
(Charmander, welcome to the team!)
Pikachu hopped excitedly, celebrating the arrival of their new companion.
Ash released all his Pokémon so everyone could meet each other.
"Ash, your Pokémon get along very well," Nurse Joy said as she approached.
Seeing how happily Ash's Pokémon were interacting—and how close they were with their Trainer—she couldn't help but smile.
Then she glanced over at Damien, who had been knocked unconscious by electricity.
After confirming he was fine, she contacted Officer Jenny to handle the situation.
"Ash, thank you for taking care of Charmander," Nurse Joy said gently.
With Pikachu's help, Charmander quickly blended in with the group of Pokémon.
"Leave that Trainer to Officer Jenny," she added.
"You can take Charmander with you. I'll explain everything to Officer Jenny."
"Don't worry!"
She finished with a bright, reassuring smile.
That single smile nearly made Brock's heart skip a beat.
Blushing, he stepped forward.
"Nurse Joy, did you know?"
"In this world, the ocean is said to be the deepest and most transparent."
He paused, gently holding her hands and looking into her eyes.
"But anyone who says that has never seen your eyes."
"They're filled with love for Pokémon."
"And that's what makes my heart race."
Nurse Joy blushed slightly and covered her mouth with a soft laugh.
"Thank you for the compliment."
"I can see your love for Pokémon in your eyes as well."
"Well… we try," Misty replied modestly.
Meanwhile, Ash hadn't noticed Brock's flirting at all.
He was watching the group of Pokémon gathered together.
Bulbasaur was quietly taking care of Charmander.
Even though it seemed cold on the surface, it was very attentive—using Vine Whip to bring food and trying to comfort Charmander.
Perhaps Bulbasaur had experienced abandonment before as well.
It seemed to understand Charmander's pain and occasionally joked around to help it recover emotionally.
[ Hidden Mission Completed!]
Capture Charmander and punish the Trainer who abandoned it.
Rewards:
Nemesis of Evil Reputation +1
Charizard Training Manual
(A training guide exclusive to Charizard. Following its methods can unlock Charizard's full potential.)
A Charizard Training Manual?
Ash looked at the manual in his system inventory, then at the skinny little Charmander.
For a moment, he imagined it evolving into a mighty Charizard.
With this manual…
Charmander might not even need to train at Charicific Valley like in the anime.
And every Charizard would eventually have to learn that legendary move—
Seismic Toss.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Ash said sincerely.
After saying goodbye, Ash and his friends continued their journey toward Vermilion City.
"Ash, you're really lucky," Misty said while playfully tugging Pikachu's ears.
"You already have six Pokémon, and you've caught two starter Pokémon."
Along the way, Ash had caught the most Pokémon.
Brock had only managed to catch a Zubat during the chaos earlier.
As for Misty, she was focused on Water-type Pokémon and hadn't tried to catch anything yet.
Without realizing it, Ash already had six Pokémon.
He touched the mini Poké Balls on his belt.
And this journey had only just begun.
After walking for a long time, they could finally see a small town in the distance.
"Let's grab something to eat there," Brock suggested.
Even he deserved a break from cooking sometimes.
"Is anyone there?!" ×2
"Please help us, meow!"
A miserable cry came from the bushes nearby.
"Let's check it out!"
Ash and his friends ran toward the source of the noise—
And discovered some very familiar faces.
"You guys… what did you do this time?" Ash asked.
The infamous Team Rocket trio had been tied to a tree.
Meowth was desperately kicking its short legs while crying.
"We didn't do anything bad!" Jessie snapped angrily.
"We got tied up before we could even do anything!"
"Twerp! Please help us!" James pleaded.
"Please! We got robbed, meow!" Meowth cried as it swung toward Ash like a pendulum.
Normally they were the ones robbing others.
Getting robbed themselves was a huge embarrassment for Team Rocket.
"You… got robbed?" Misty said skeptically.
Seeing that Ash's group didn't believe them, Meowth began telling their story while crying dramatically.
The more it talked, the more emotional it became.
Its tied-up body swayed back and forth like a swing.
The story of Team Rocket getting robbed was so tragic—
It would make listeners cry.
I'm professionally trained. I won't laugh no matter how funny it is…
Unless I really can't hold it in.
Ash stood nearby trying to suppress his laughter.
"Pff—kuku—"
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70+ chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789