So, what is a Charmander doing here? And happy New Year to all readers! What were your resolutions?
Electrify: True, true.
TheLightningPunisher: I'm getting sick of that joke…
Moemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
Chapter 38
"What's a Charmander doing here?" I asked, surprised.
"None of your business." Charmander said, turning away, frowning. "You rangers are smelly, so go away!"
"Shut up, you brat!" Petal said, frowning. "Keith might be smelly…"
"Hey!" Keith interrupted.
"…But I'm definitely not!" Petal finished angrily. "You need to learn some respect!"
"Shut up!" Charmander shouted angrily. "I hate all moemon rangers!" Charmander ran off into the shadows angrily, leaving us standing there, stunned.
"What was THAT about?" I asked, shocked.
"I don't know…" Petal said, frowning. "But I know that Charmander aren't found anywhere near here."
"So what's she doing here?" I asked, frowning.
"Listen, we have more important things to do right now!" Keith said, frowning. "We shouldn't have to worry about an obnoxious moemon like that!"
"You need to have more empathy!" Vui said, kicking Keith in the back.
"I'm gonna go look after her." I said, frowning.
"…I have a bad feeling about this…" Petal said, frowning. "Why does this always happen?"
"Master, wait for me!" Mary said, running after me hurriedly.
It wasn't that hard to find the Charmander. We just followed the dim light until we reached a small hole in the wall. Mary and I crawled through, seeing the young moemon sitting down, leaning against the wall, staring at us with bug eyes.
"Wha-?" Charmander asked, shocked. "Get out!"
"Why?" I asked, frowning. "I wanted to come talk to you."
"Well, go away!" Charmander snapped angrily. "Get away from me!"
"What are you doing here?" I asked, frowning. "Don't Charmander live in the Boyleland Volcano?"
"Don't remind me!" Charmander shouted angrily, hitting me in the face, knocking me down to the black stone floor.
"What's wrong?" Mary asked, walking up to Charmander, worriedly.
"Nothing's wrong!" Charmander snapped. "Go away!"
"Sorry…" I said, sitting up, rubbing my cheek. "Why do you hate moemon rangers like me?"
"I-I just do." Charmander said, turning away, blushing. "You guys are so cruel, I just…"
"Wait, you don't even know me!" I exclaimed. "How can you say I'm cruel without getting to know me first?"
"Because all humans are the same!" Charmander snapped. "They just use us however they want, and when they're done with us, they just throw us away!"
"That's not true!" Mary and I turned to see Petal, who had crawled through the hole into the small cavern. "Kelly loves all of his moemon!"
"Well, thanks for making me feel better!" Charmander snapped. "How is that supposed to help?"
"Well, for starters, why don't you tell me why you're here?" Petal asked, frowning. "Charmander aren't supposed to be here."
"I was captured." Charmander said reluctantly. "By a moemon ranger. I was forced to leave my home and come with him, just for him to use me for a target clear and then toss me aside."
"Oh, you poor thing…" Petal said, hugging the fire type moemon.
"And if that wasn't bad enough, now I'm lost!" Charmander exclaimed, frowning. "I have no idea how I'm supposed to get back to Boyleland, or even how to get out of this cave!"
"Oh…" Mary said, looking down. "Well, don't worry, master will help get you home!"
"I will?" I asked, taken aback.
"Of course you will!" Petal said, frowning. "How could you turn away such a cute little moemon, when she's begging you for help!"
"Who said I was begging?" Charmander asked dully, pulling free of Petal's vice grip.
"Yeah master, we want to help her!" Mary said anxiously. "She's just crying on the inside, trying to find her way out of this dungeon of sadness!"
"'Dungeon of sadness'?" Charmander asked, shocked.
"Um, yeah, it's best not to pay attention to them when Petal gets like this." I said, frowning.
"Does this happen often?" Charmander asked, surprised.
"More than you know." I said, frowning.
"You poor, poor man." Charmander said, patting me on the back apologetically.
"Alright, I've decided!" Petal said, smiling. "We're gonna go to the Boyle Volcano, and release her back into the wild!"
"Um, we're in the middle of a mission…" I said, frowning.
"Come on, how can you resist these cute puppy dog eyes?" Petal asked, turning Charmanders' head to me, letting me stare into her dead fish eyes.
"Um, if you guys could help me, that would be great." Charmander said, frowning. "But Petal, I want you to keep away from me."
"What? Why?" Petal asked, frowning.
"I'm afraid I'll catch your stupid." Charmander said, frowning.
"Hey, I'm not stupid!" Petal exclaimed.
"Yeah, you are, you're totally stupid." Charmander said again.
"Would a stupid person jeopardize a mission on a whim to make a total stranger feel better?" Petal demanded.
"…Probably." Charmander said, nodding.
"Oh. Yeah. Then I'm stupid." Petal said, smiling. "Hey, wait, I'm not stupid, you're stupid!"
"Petal, you're just upset." I said, pulling Charmander away. "Don't let her get to you."
"Let go of me." Charmander said, frowning. "I don't want to catch your disease either."
"What?" I asked, frowning. "Are you saying I'm stupid?"
"No, but you're a wuss, and that's just as bad." Charmander said, frowning. "Stand up for yourself, for gods sake, you're an embarrassment as a human being!"
"Charmander, um, you shouldn't be so mean to master…" Mary said quietly. "I mean, they did volunteer to help you…"
"Listen, you're a sweet kid and all, but you're still just a kid." Charmander said, frowning. "As far as I can tell, we moemon are the dominant race. Humans do nothing but fight and argue. Why would I want help from a species like that? I'll find my way back home, just wait!"
"But master isn't like that!" Mary said, smiling. "He loves all moemon! He even saved me from mind control!"
"But it was humans that put you under that mind control, yes?" Charmander asked, frowning.
"Um, yeah…" Mary said, nodding sheepishly. "But master really cares for me! He helped me! He saved me! And if you just give him a chance, he can save you, too!"
"No thanks." Charmander said, shaking her head. "The humans are the enemy."
"…I feel so sorry for you…" Mary said, shaking her head.
Me too.