Ash collapsed into a booth with a groan, leaning against the corner as his hat fell to cover his eyes. A giggle caught his attention, making him look up and glare at Leaf and Misty across the table.
"What's so funny?" he asked snippily, absently scratching Pikachu's ear as the mouse Pokemon nudged him from the bench.
"You act like you've been through Hell and back," Leaf pointed out with a smirk. "Seriously, how much could have happened to you since you left Cerulean, really?"
"Quite a lot, actually," Misty chimed in. "Besides what happened with AJ, which we told you about before-"
"I still say he sounds cute," Leaf cut in, giggling as Misty flustered at her.
"Yeah, we dealt with a few other things along the way…" Ash muttered. He paused as Brock approached, smiling and shifting to let his friend sit.
"Food's on the way guys," the Pewter trainer said as he relaxed into the booth. "What are we talking about?"
"Leaf wants to know about what we did on the way here," Ash answered, leaning against the corner again. "You guys mind telling her about Bulbasaur first? I'm gonna grab a quick nap."
Leaf blinked in surprise as, just like that, Ash fell into a near-instant sleep-coma. "Wow, that's… really creepy…" she muttered.
"Yeah, I'm never gonna get used to that," Misty sighed before turning to Leaf. "So! Bulbasaur's story!"
As if on cue, the Pokemon in question wandered in from outside, the teal-skinned frog-like Pokemon looking up at Misty as its name was said. "Saur?"
"Oh, hi Bulbasaur!" Misty greeted Bulbasaur kindly, gently scooping the seed Pokemon into her lap and gently stroking the large, green bulb on its back, causing Bulbasaur to let out a sound almost akin to purring. "So we'd just passed by Pokemon Tech, didn't really bother going inside since there wasn't anything for us to do there, and we ended up a little lost in the woods…."
Ash, Misty and Brock looked around at the numerous Pokemon in the Secret Village they had stumbled upon. The sheer number of Pokemon around, each and every one of them supposedly mistreated and abandoned by their old trainers.
"It really breaks your heart, huh?" Ash mused, kneeling down as an Oddish wandered past. Reaching out to gently pet it, he flinched back as the village's protector, Bulbasaur, leapt in between them and growled at him. "Okay, jeez! Sorry, I was just trying to be friendly…"
"Please don't mind Bulbasaur," Melanie, the caretaker of the village, offered apologetically. She knelt down to Bulbasaur, gently stroking its bulb and causing it to calm considerably. "He's very suspicious of strangers, and for good reason."
"I can understand that," Brock mused. "If Bulbasaur was abandoned like the rest of these Pokemon, it's reasonable that it wouldn't take very kindly to more trainers showing up."
Melanie nodded in agreement. "Yes, Bulbasaur has been here the longest of any of the Pokemon here. I think it was originally given as a Starter Pokemon!"
Ash blinked in surprise. "You mean you came from Professor Oak's lab?" he asked, looking down at Bulbasaur. When Bulbasaur bared its teeth at the name, Ash sighed, dropping to sit down in front of Bulbasaur a short distance away. "Please, don't blame the Professor. Some people aren't the nicest, that's true, but Professor Oak had no way of knowing. I'm sure if he could see what became of you, he'd have nothing but apologies to give."
Bulbasaur stared at him for a time, even after Melanie stepped away, before seeming to let out a sigh. "Bulba," it spat, looking aside, and Ash could only give a sad smile.
"For what it's worth," the young Pallet hopeful said, holding his hand out to Bulbasaur imploringly. "I'm sorry. For everything that happened to you, and every other Pokemon here."
Ash held his hand out for a moment, waiting patiently, his smile widening as Bulbasaur slowly extended a vine towards him. Just as the Seed Pokemon seemed like it was going to accept his apology, however, a great crash to the side threw them both off balance.
As the familiar lines reached his ears, Ash grit his teeth angrily, glaring at Team Rocket standing atop what looked to be an entire stadium roof, transported by a number of hot-air balloons and dropped not far from Melanie's cabin. "Not you three again!" he spat. "Don't you ever give up!"
"This village is a royal smorgasboard of Pokemon to pilfer!" Jessie called out, grinning widely.
"A pitiful Pokemon payday!" James added, laughing at his own joke.
"Enough chatta!" Meowth cut in. "Deployin' da Supa-Suction Hose!"
As Meowth hit a button on a boxy remote, a long, industrial-looking hose snaked its way out of the sealed stadium roof, seemingly controlled by the remote as it pointed towards the village and switched on.
"Everyone, get to cover!" Brock cried, and the group rushed to herd all the injured Pokemon into Melanie's hut. "Go now, Onix!" With a flash of light, Brock's Onix appeared, wrapping itself around the hut as its great bulk worked to protect the Pokemon within from the high winds.
"Wait, we're missing someone!" Melanie cried, looking around.
"Look!" Misty shouted, pointing towards the hose. "They got Oddish!"
Before he could think further, Ash rushed out of the cabin, sprinting after the small, purple Pokemon as it tumbled end over end through the air in fear. He blinked as he looked down, spotting Bulbasaur at his heels.
"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!" Ash cried, leaping to wrap his arms protectively around Oddish and feeling the hose's suction take him up. Moments later, a pair of sturdy vines wrapped around his waist, stopping him from being sucked up completely. The rush of the wind past his ears drowned out all other sounds, but he held tight, twisting around to turn his back to Team Rocket's machine.
Locking eyes with Bulbasaur, Ash saw the Seed Pokemon struggling to keep him from flying back. Making a decision, Ash slipped Oddish into Bulbasaur's vines, giving the startled Pokemon a nod before wriggling free of his grip and flying backwards towards Team Rocket's machine.
"What's he doing?" James asked in confusion, squinting to watch as the young Pallet trainer twisted in the air, glaring at Team Rocket in determination.
Reaching for his belt, Ash produced a Pokeball in each hand, tossing both high into the air in an attempt to clear the range that Team Rocket's machine could cover. With two flashes of light, Fearow and Pidgeotto appeared in the air.
"Pidgeotto, use Whirlwind!" Ash cried, even as Fearow dove towards him, using its powerful wings to push through the powerful winds of Team Rocket's machine and grab its trainer. Pidgeotto's Whirlwind served to help, pushing against the current of the machine's suction to give Fearow a boost and help it escape the pull.
As Ash rose above the machine, suspended by Fearow's talons with Pidgeotto at his side, he glared angrily at Team Rocket. "Give it up!" he demanded as his Pokemon swooped towards the top of the machine. As Fearow released him, he dropped into a roll, coming to a stop in a kneeling position.
Jessie and James gulped nervously, backing up slowly as Ash's Pokemon took up offensive positions between their trainer and the villains.
"Wow!" Leaf gasped, eyes wide in surprise as she looked to Ash, who had stirred from his nap and was now feeding his Bulbasaur with pellets of pokemon food. "So how did you win?"
Ash looked up, blinking slowly for a moment before seeming to register what had been asked. "Oh, Fearow tore up the hose while Pidgeotto sent Team Rocket flying with another Whirlwind. We're still not sure where the stadium roof came from, but I think Melanie said if the authorities couldn't get it removed and returned she'd try and convert it into a Pokemon rescue center."
As Misty and Brock nodded along, Leaf sat back and marvelled at the idea. "Wow, she sounds like a really great person…" she muttered, before frowning. "So wait, how did you end up with Bulbasaur?"
Smirking slightly, Ash rubbed Bulbasaur between its ears affectionately. "Well, it turns out Bulbasaur wasn't actually Melanie's Pokemon, so when I asked it to join me, it agreed." He paused, chuckling as Bulbasaur nudged his hand. "Of course, I had to prove myself first," he added. "Pikachu battled Bulbasaur, and in the end, we ended up with a brand new friend!"
Leaf leaned back in her seat, whistling in amazement. "Well, congrats!" she offered eventually, grinning widely. "But what about the other two?"
Glancing out the window, Ash watched as his other Pokemon played in the Pokemon Center's garden, his Fearow and Beedrill calmly watching over both of his other newest additions fondly. "Well, the next one I met was Squirtle."
Ash leaned against the boulder calmly, his arms bound behind his back with more ropes keeping him from moving away. On either side of him, Brock and Misty were also bound, shouting at the gang of rebellious Squirtle that had captured them angrily. Turning his head, Ash locked eyes with his Pikachu, who writhed in discomfort within the cage the Squirtle had trapped it in.
"ENOUGH!"
The cave fell silent at Ash's outburst, the Squirtle's leader looking to him in shock as Brock and Misty exchanged a worried glance.
"Listen," Ash continued, much calmer though clearly still with an edge to his voice. "I don't know why you're doing this - from what I'd heard, you guys were sticking to harmless pranks in all your troublemaking." He paused, glaring at the Squirtle Squad disapprovingly. "But that doesn't matter right now. What does matter is that my Pikachu is very sick, and I need to get him some medicine. Now you can either let me go so I can take care of my Pokemon, or I'm going to get very upset."
At first, four of the Squirtles began laughing at Ash, clearly not taking him seriously. Their laughter died down, however, when the leader remained quiet, keeping its eyes locked on Ash's fierce gaze for a moment before seeming to nod in assent.
After a moment's hesitation, the other Squirtle scrambled forwards to release Ash, who knelt down to inspect Pikachu immediately after. With the Squirtle surrounding and watching him carefully, Ash knew he couldn't risk trying to let Pikachu out just yet, but after a moment's time to inspect his partner Ash sighed.
"Brock, you know more about medicine than me, what do you think?" the young Trainer asked, picking the cage up despite the Squirtle's immediate protest and holding Pikachu up for Brock to see.
"Hmm…" Brock hummed, looking over Pikachu's form intently. "You're definitely going to need to get Pikachu a Super Potion, and soon," he answered eventually. "It's very weak, and it looks like it may have swallowed some of the river water when it fell in. It might be dehydrated too."
Nodded, Ash returned the cage to the stone it was resting on before turning to the Squirtle. "I'm going to get Pikachu some medicine," he said, his tone bartering no question. "I'll be back in an hour or two."
The Squirtle's leader glared up at him defiantly before glancing at Pikachu. Seeming to sigh, Squirtle nodded, before gesturing at Ash and then his friends while talking in its own way. Watching for a moment, Ash nodded.
"Understood," he said with a nod. "If I'm not back in two hours, you'll do unspeakable things to Misty's hair."
"WHAT!?"
As Misty began raving angrily at the Squirtle, Ash took the chance to duck out of the cave. Looking around to get his bearings, he sighed, realising that he had no idea where he was and instead releasing Pidgeotto and Fearow from their Pokeballs.
"Do either of you think you can carry me while you fly?" he asked, to which Fearow let out a proud cry. "Good. Fearow, you and I are going to try and find a pharmacy so we can get some medicine for Pikachu. Pidgeotto, can you find a place to hide and keep an eye on the cave? I've got a bad feeling about this whole situation."
Giving a one-winged salute, Pidgeotto replied with a proud chirp before taking wing and roosting in a nearby tree, making sure to hide itself within the foliage while keeping a good view of the area. Nodding in satisfaction, Ash carefully clambered onto Fearow's back, patting his Pokemon on the side when he was settled and holding on tightly as the large avian took to the skies.
It didn't take long for the two to find a small wooden shack with a sign outside proclaiming it to be an all-natural pharmaceutical store, where Ash ducked in and quickly explained his situation. Nodding in understanding, the kindly old man apologised, having no Super Potions but instead handing Ash a small pouch of ground up herb powders, which he assured would help just as well.
Quickly rushing back to the cave, Ash had Fearow set them down a short distance away, feeling his anger rising as he saw a very familiar hot-air balloon anchored just outside of the cave entrance. Noting Pidgeotto in the distance, Ash signalled for his Pokemon to remain hidden, slowly sneaking his way closer.
"What do you mean you let the twerp go!?"
Ash paused, frowning as he heard Jessie's outburst. Soon after, he saw Team Rocket storming out of the cave, Pikachu's cage carried under James' arm as Meowth hung back, seemingly playing translator for the Squirtle.
"I can't believe this!" James muttered angrily, casually tossing Pikachu into the balloon's basket. From his position behind the basket, Ash carefully clambered inside, retrieving his Pokemon with a signal to stay quiet. He paused when turning to escape, however, spotting a pile of mysterious black orbs out of the corner of his eye and gasping in shock when upon closer inspection, the massive payload of bombs told Ash clearly what Team Rocket's plan was.
"Wait, da twoip's comin' back!?" Meowth cried suddenly, and Ash cursed himself for taking too long. "Soon!? We gotta get movin'!"
"You're not going anywhere!" Ash shouted angrily, standing up in the basket and hefting one of Team Rocket's bombs threateningly. "Mind explaining what these were for!? And what did you do to trick these Squirtle into working for you crooks, huh!?"
Team Rocket's faces paled visibly as they saw one of their own bombs threatened against them, but quickly rallied themselves. A series of threats and grandstanding were thrown Ash's way, none of which the young trainer paid much attention to.
"Will you just shut up!?" Ash cried suddenly, before turning to the Squirtle Squad. "Don't you see!? They were just using you, trying to use your cleverness to get what they wanted! They were going to blow you all up as soon as they got their way, and they wouldn't have thought twice about it!"
Shock and horror flashed across each of the Squirtle's faces, each one slowly turning to their leader for guidance, only to flinch back at the expression of barely contained fury it held. "Squirtle!" it cried out suddenly, and as one, the Squirtle Squad turned around, took deep breaths, and unleashed a volley of powerful Water Guns, sending Team Rocket off their feet to crash into the basket of their balloon just as Ash leapt out of the way, cradling Pikachu in his arms and having dropped the bomb back into the basket with the others.
Team Rocket landed in a heap, groaning in pain before quickly scrambling to escape as more Water Guns came flying their way. Slowly the balloon raised into the sky, and Jessie rounded on her team angrily.
"Blow those impudent Squirtle out of the history books!" she ordered angrily, positively fuming in anger.
James gave a quick nod of agreement before bending down to grab a bomb, only to freeze. "Uh, guys…?" he muttered in fear, slowly backing up as much as he could. "They're armed."
"What!?" Meowth yelped, leaping onto the edge of the basket. "How many!?"
"All of them!"
On the ground, Ash watched as Team Rocket's balloon exploded, sending the trio blasting through the air and out of sight once again as debris rained down. As a particularly large chunk began hurtling towards the Squirtle, who had turned their back to retreat into their hideout once more, Ash shouted a warning before rushing to intercept.
He managed to scare most of the Squirtle into action, watching as they rushed out of the way, though their leader tripped over a loose stone and rolled onto its shell, kicking helplessly as it tried to roll back onto its feet. Thinking quickly, Ash threw himself over Squirtle's body, shielding it from harm with his own.
Bracing himself for the impact, Ash waited, only for it to never come. Looking up, he saw Fearow and Pidgeotto flapping their wings furiously, a combination of Whirlwind and Mirror Move sending the debris scattering to the ground elsewhere.
"After that, the Squirtle Squad let us go," Ash said, finishing his story and taking a sip of his drink. "Their leader followed us when we left though, and it turned out it wanted to join my team. I caught it, asked who wanted a break, and swapped it into rotation after sending Pidgeotto back to Professor Oak."
Leaf nodded along before seeming to realise something, looking outside at Ash's Pokemon again. "Who did you send back for Bulbasaur then?" she asked.
"Clefairy," Ash answered readily. "And Butterfree decided to take a break to let Charmander come along. You'll never guess how we found him, by the way."
Looking between the group as their moods turned sour, Leaf swallowed the lump that formed in her throat nervously. "Do I want to?" she asked, unsure.
Ash sighed.
"What do you mean you abandoned your Charmander out there!?" Ash cried angrily, glaring in fury at the young man sat on one of the Pokemon Center's communal sofas.
With deep blue hair, a pink shirt, and brown vest and pants, Damian Cross glared defiantly up back at Ash as though his question was a great insult. "That weak little lizard could barely scotch a Rattata!" he sneered derisively. "What use have I got for something like that?"
"That's awful!" Misty cried, torn between anger and dismay. "That poor Charmander trusted you to look after it, and this is how you treat it!?"
"And what gives you the right to judge me for it?" Damian demanded. "Some loser from my hometown and his loser friends? I should clobber you all right now for even bothering me with this nonsense!"
Ash balled his fists. Misty grit her teeth. Brock stepped forward, dwarfing the abrasive trainer with his size alone.
"I suggest you stop shouting at my friends," the Pewter trainer muttered darkly, his face a schooled, neutral expression despite the venom dripping from his voice. "I don't care for your attitude."
"Oh yeah?" Damian demanded hotly, reaching for one of the Pokeballs piled up in front of him on the table. "And who's gonna make me?"
Tensions in the room rose to a fever pitch, as though all hell were about to break loose, before a crack of thunder drew everyone's attention outside. Rain hammered down on the windows as the winds rattled the glass in the frames, the first stages of that night's storm coming on as quick as a flash.
"Well, looks like it won't be a problem much longer," Damian joked, laughing at his own words before stars exploded across his vision. He felt his body go limp, but stayed upright, held up by Brock with a fist balled into Damian's shirt and another raised to strike the trainer again.
"You horrid, decrepit, deceitful, dastardly, disgusting excuse for a Trainer!" Brock snarled in fury. "That poor Charmander is no doubt going to try and weather the storm just because it thinks you're coming back for it, and this is how you act!? You're lucky I stepped down as a Gym Leader or I'd have your license before you could hit the floor!"
"That's enough!" Nurse Joy cried out, rushing over and separating the two, only for Damian to collapse into the sofa once more. "I understand your upset, but attacking each other won't help! Now if somebody could go and retrieve that Charmander, I can treat it here, but the longer you argue the more risk that Pokemon's life is going to be at!"
Brock took a deep, calming breath before nodding. "You're right," he said with a sigh. "I'm sorry. Come on guys, let's-" Turning around, Brock froze. "Where's Ash?"
The doors to the Center slammed shut, the force of the outside winds carrying them closed far faster than they were ever designed to handle and shattering the glass window. Sharing a glance, Brock and Misty rushed after their friend, following the trail of deep footprints in the mud-laden path until they came across the large boulder where they had originally found the abandoned Charmander.
To their surprise, they found Ash cradling Charmander to his chest, hunched over the Fire Type with his Fearow balanced precariously on his back, wings spread to try and block the rainfall as much as possible.
"Ash!" Misty cried as Ash leapt from the boulder to join them again, pausing while Fearow settled itself again. "What were you thinking!?"
"I was thinking that Charmander needed help!" Ash shot back, shouting over the howling winds. "Come on, we have to get back!"
Nodding and turning back, the group moved as quickly as they dared, Misty and Brock both shedding their waterproofs to try and provide more shelter for the weakened Charmander as Ash simply focused on running. A flash of thunder frightened Ash at its suddenness, causing him to slip in the mud before he could find his footing again, leaving him with a leg covered in mud.
As soon as they reached the Pokemon Center again, Nurse Joy took Charmander from them and rushed it to an emergency room for treatment, leaving the trio in the lobby feeling anxious for the Fire Type's safety and at a loss for what to do. A quick glance told them Damian had moved on, likely retiring to his room for lack of care, and with a sigh Ash suggested they do the same for whatever rest they could get.
After a brief shower and a trip to the communal laundry room, Ash returned to the trio's shared room to find Brock and Misty both sitting up in their beds, clearly unable to sleep. Sighing as he tossed his backpack onto his own bed, Ash joined them, knowing full well he wouldn't be getting any sleep himself that night.
"Cards, anyone?" he asked eventually, if only to alleviate the silence in the room. After a moment, Misty nodded, sliding to the floor to join him. Brock joined silently a moment later, but despite the ongoing game he was clearly distracted, constantly looking to the door in a clear hope of any news.
As the night drew on with no word from Joy, the trio eventually decided to at least try to retire, hoping that sleep would bring the next day that much faster and provide them with some news. As Ash expected, instead of sleep, he found himself lay back in his bed staring at the ceiling for most of the night, only moving when the early rays of the morning sun began to sneak through their curtains.
Getting up and changing, Ash left the room to go collect his clothes from the night before, folding up what was dry and storing the rest in a plastic bag. Returning to his room, he found Misty asleep facing the wall, and Brock sat up in bed staring at the floor.
Silently, Ash moved to store his clothes away before turning to Brock. "Coffee?" he asked, and the Pewter trainer simply nodded, standing to follow him out to the communal area and then into the cafeteria. Each collected a coffee from the woman running the kitchen, thanking her politely before returning to the communal area.
To their surprise, they found Nurse Joy waiting for them, who gave them a small smile as she beckoned them over. "Charmander's going to be okay," she assured them, drawing sighs of relief from both trainers. "It's very weak for the time being, but with enough time and a good diet, its fire should return brighter than ever. I couldn't track down Damian this morning, so I think he may have left in the night."
"Good riddance," Ash spat bitterly, before pausing. "Wait… so what's going to happen to Charmander?"
Joy simply sighed. "Well, I can contact the proper authorities, and it can be taken into a foster system to receive the care it needs. Or I can simply discharge it and let it do what it likes, which will likely mean it'll return to that rock and wait for Damian." She paused, glancing between the two for a moment. "Or… since Charmander is an abandonment case, I have the authority to entrust it to those that brought it in for treatment, as you clearly care for it enough to seek the best for it."
Sharing a look, Ash and Brock thought it over for a time. "I'd be willing to take care of Charmander," Ash offered. "If nothing else, I can return it to Professor Oak and maybe he can help it. But it all depends on what Charmander wants."
Brock nodded sadly. "Taking it away by force will only breed bitterness, I think," he chimed in. "At the end of the day, Charmander is still loyal to Damian. If it thinks we're trying to take it away from him, Charmander will only respond negatively."
Joy sighed. "That's true," she mused, before turning and gesturing towards the recovery rooms. "You're welcome to come and visit it now, it should just be waking up for breakfast. Maybe you could talk to it yourselves."
Nodding, Ash and Brock followed Joy towards the wing in question, pausing outside of Charmander's room. "You go, Ash," Brock offered after a moment's thought. "I can provide medical care, but I think you'll be better for Charmander's mental health. You can ease it back into battling if it wants to."
"If you're sure," Ash responded, waiting for Brock to nod in confirmation before slowly stepping into Charmander's room. As Joy had said, Charmander was sat up in its bed, a flame-proof sheet under its tail and the flame at the tip flickering, small but strong.
"Hey buddy," Ash greeted with a smile, moving to sit next to the bed slowly. Charmander regarded him suspiciously, but made no move to indicate it didn't want him there, which Ash took as a good sign. "Do you know where you are?"
Looking around for a moment, Charmander looked back to Ash before nodding. "Char!" it spoke, tilting its head curiously.
"You want to know where Damian is?" Ash asked, waiting for Charmander to nod again before sighing. "I'm not sure how to say this, Charmander, but… Damian's gone. He left you behind on that rock, and he didn't care that you could get hurt in the storm. He's gone. And I don't think he's coming back."
Charmander stayed quiet for a moment before turning to look down into its claws silently. Ash stayed quiet, giving the Fire Type some time to contemplate before speaking again.
"Listen, there's a few things you can do now," he said, and Charmander looked up at him again. "You could be released into the wild, and go live your life your way. You could go into a foster system, and hope another nice Trainer wants to adopt you. Or… you could come with me?" He paused when Charmander seemed to frown at him. "It's up to you!" he hastened to assure the Flame Pokemon. "But if you come with me, I can help you. You can get stronger over time, try and enter battles again if you want to. Or I can transfer you back to Professor Oak, and he can help you get better back in Pallet Town. Or you could just travel with me, and see the world, and you'll never have to battle if you don't want to. It's entirely up to you."
Charmander stayed silent, turning to look out of the window again. Ash sighed, standing from his seat.
"I'll let you rest," he offered. "We'll be staying at the Center for another day, so if you want to come with me, just come and find me. If not, I'll respect your choice. I hope you feel better soon."
With that, Ash turned and left the room, glancing back at Charmander and catching the Flame Pokemon staring at him inquisitively. He gave it a smile before pulling the door shut, letting out a tired sigh.
The trio of Ash, Brock, and Misty remained in the center for the next day as Ash had promised, spending their time resting from the stresses of the day before. Ash and Brock made use of the battlefield out back, sparring between them to burn off their remaining anger at Damian's actions.
As night fell once more and Ash heard nothing from Charmander, he sighed, retiring to his room once more. While Brock and Misty had a much easier time sleeping knowing Charmander was safe and recovering, Ash sat up, staring out of the window lost in his own thoughts. The sight of a flickering light caught his attention, and as he focused, he could see Charmander wandering out onto the battlefield to look around. As he watched, Charmander took a position on the battlefield, seeming to get it's bearings and looking back to the Trainer's position multiple times.
Ash's eyes widened as Charmander took a deep breath and let loose a truly massive, powerful jet of flames into the air with a cry of anguish, lighting up the night sky for a split second before the attack let up and Charmander wandered back into the building. He sat there contemplating for a moment before a quiet knock at his door caught his attention, the light from the hallway bleeding under the crack in the door and revealing two shadows. Moving to open the door, Ash found himself surprised to find Nurse Joy standing there, and Charmander at her side when he looked down.
"I think somebody has something to ask you," Joy provided with a smile before stepping away and walking off. Ash and Charmander watched her go for a moment before turning to look at each other again.
"Char."
Ash blinked. "You've decided?"
Charmander nodded at him before pointing at the young Pallet trainer with a single claw. "Char, mander!" it said insistently.
"You're… coming with me?"
"Char!" Ash watched as Charmander seemed to launch into a practiced speech, somehow managing to understand its meaning if not the exact words as he watched the small flaming lizard gesticulate with its arms throughout.
Kneeling down, Ash smiled. "I promise, I'll always respect your wishes," he assured Charmander. "I'll treat you just the same as the rest of my Pokemon, and never ask more of you than I'd be willing to go through myself." He paused, holding a hand out to Charmander calmly. "If you want a break, you can get one. If you want to battle, you can battle. If you want to go back to Oak, and look for another Trainer, I'll send you along with a hug and a smile. All I ask is your respect in return."
Charmander stared at him silently for a moment before slapping its claw into his hand, accepting his handshake and giving a wide, toothy grin. Ash smiled back, leading Charmander back into the room and closing the door behind them before producing a Pokeball from his backpack and offering it to the Fire Type.
Ash looked up as he wrapped up his final story, blinking as he saw Leaf sat across from him, her face bright red. She sniffled angrily, her hands balled into fists as she blinked back tears.
"How could he!?" she demanded hotly. "That Charmander trusted him, how could he just do that!?"
Ash sighed, sitting back as the waitress brought their food. "I don't know, Leaf," he answered sincerely. "We've known Damian for a long time, and he's always been harsh. But this seems like a new low, even for him."
Huffing, Leaf grabbed her fork and speared one of her eggs, shoving it into her mouth whole. "Does Gary know about this?" she asked after swallowing.
Shaking his head, Ash shrugged. "I have no idea where he is," he said. "Gary took off in his fancy car, remember? He's probably taking different routes to us."
"The important thing is," Misty cut in. "All of these Pokemon have a much better life now, because Ash is a great trainer." She paused, smiling at Ash kindly. "He'll care for them in a way their old trainers never could."
"Right," Brock agreed. "And they'll be surrounded by friends and get all the help they might need along the way."
Nodding, Ash sat back. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
A/N: For those who have been asking, I've decided to start giving regular breakdowns of Ash's Pokemon, to make it easier to keep track of them all, starting now.
Current Team:
Pikachu
Fearow
Beedrill
Bulbasaur
Squirtle
Charmander
Reserves:
Pidgeotto
Butterfree
Clefairy
