Greetings, everyone Mgunnels3 here, and welcome back to A Promise Kept Ash's, Johto Journey. I'm going to say this. I'm going to try to make this bad in terms of the character of Damien, so keep this part in mind when writing this. I'm not good when it comes to these things, so if I come across as bad or worse, I did warn you at the end of the last chapter. With that said, let's get this chapter started, shall we?
Chapter 24: A Pokemon's confidence and a trainer's responsibility
'For Pokespeech
"For Human speech
We see Ash was running towards the Pokemon center carrying what looks to be a scared Growlithe pup in his arms, shaking and stirring. The nurse, Joy of the Pokemon center, didn't even need to say anything went and took the young pup from Ash's arms.
Nurse Joy was tending to the young Growlithe pup sitting down as Misty, Brock, Slowbro, and Casey were now more worried about if she was going to be okay. "Man, how low can the guy be. First Charizard, now this?" Ash said to himself as he was concerned about what had happened earlier.
"When you guys said he was known for treating his Pokemon badly and not caring about them, you weren't kidding, guys?" Casey said to Misty and Brock, who nodded as Nurse Joy came out interrupting Casey.
"This isn't the first time we had run-ins with Damian's Pokemon or Damian himself. This is by far the worst I've seen," Nurse Joy said. "Physically, she is fine, but mentally, it's to the point that it will take time for her to recover. What happened this time?" Nurse Joy asked the group who turned to Ash.
Earlier that night.
Ash and the others were already setting camp and ready to have dinner for the night as Ash discussed his adventures with Casey, who was already interested in it, given that she saw him as a rival.
"Man, Ash. From the looks of your team, I would've thought you've been through more than two regions, no offense, especially with those two Eevee's, Pidgeot and your Charizard there?" Casey asked Ash, who nodded in understanding by this.
"None taken, Casey. But you are right to say that just by looking at my team. I may not have been the best when it comes to battles back in the day, but I do care for my Pokemon more than ever," Ash said to Casey.
"Have you run into a few that aren't like that?" Casey asked. Ash sighed and looked down once she asked him, making Casey more curious and worried.
"Aside from Team Rocket and a few poachers. One is still at large and is here in Johto, Damian. Charizard's and the older brother of the two Eevee's over there's the former trainer that is," Ash said to Casey.
"Woah, Ash, how bad are we talking about?" Casey asked as Ash sighed at this and remembered what he was told.
"Damian is the type of trainer who refuses to raise his Pokemon at all, calling it the boring part as a trainer," Ash said to Casey, who was taken aback by this. Ash explained when he first met Damian and treated Charizard as a Charmander. "The worst thing is Damian, as of late, has been releasing his Pokemon left and right and in terrible states those who have gotten away either have found trainers like Eevee, Pineco, and Charizard. Or is too afraid to even be with a trainer or can't be rehabilitated," Ash said to Casey.
"This is bad, and how is he still a trainer? I mean, the league must have something on the guy?" Casey asked Ash and the others.
"Oh, they are aware of him, alright," Brock said to Casey, who turned her attention to him. "One of many things keeps him from being captured or losing his trainer's license. The first is that he's never in one place when the league officials appear. Two, even if we could get him down, we need to beat him in an official battle, and it has to be either with an official or at the league."
"Three is no matter how much many trainers who have seen him done, it either pits the blame on them or makes up some excuse to justify his reasons right now. From what I've heard, he has only eight Pokemon left as Professor Oak, and the league has cut off his rights to catch more Pokemon after Pineco was released," Ash said to Casey, who was hurt hearing this.
"Yet he is here in Johto causing more harm to Pokemon what an ingrate," Casey said out loud as Charizard and Eevee heard the group talking about their former trainer. Casey was given temporary translation from Slowbro as long as she was with the group overheard them.
'Your not wrong, Casey. From what I've remembered, the rest of his party are heavyweights when it comes to battles and isn't the type to care about how they are raised,' Eevee said to Casey, which Charizard nodded at this Eevee turned to Charizard. 'If I remember correctly, isn't one of his Pokemon a relative of yours, Charizard, and the one who tries to keep Damian off of you back then?' Charizard nodded at this.
'I rather not talk about it, but yes, my older brother is one of his Pokemon along with my childhood rival and bully,' Charizard said to Eevee and the group.
Ash would say something as he heard some commotion nearby and some crying sound. "Hey, you hear that," Ash said as the group nodded at this and decided to go see what it was.
When the group arrived, they saw two enormous Pokemon, a Charizard and a Dragonite of all Pokemon, standing beside what looked to be a scared Growlithe and a Gengar, and a very familiar face right next to them it was indeed Damian.
"Humph, such a waste of a Pokemon. Why can't you get it through your skull that you are not worth my time to train when you couldn't even act as strong as your evolution line is? No, I'm sure that Gengar here will have to suck out more of that confidence and happy-go-lucky personality of yours," Damian was interrupted by a Shadow Ball and a Flamethrower coming the Gengar's way. "Who's there?"
"Damian, leave that Growlithe alone," Casey said as the group ran over to the side only to be stopped by both Dragonite and the Charizard as Damian recognized Ash and the group as well as Charizard and Eevee.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't my two traitorous Pokemon back to get revenge on me, I see. And the so-called "you call yourself a Pokemon trainer," group hah," Damian laughed at the group. "To think that the league is targeting me via these weaklings who think raising Pokemon will do any good," Damian returned Dragonite to his ball.
"If you want this Growlithe so badly, you'll have to beat me to do so. I'm sure that you've gotten stronger the last time we saw you," Damian said to Ash, who stood his ground as both Eevee and Charizard stood in front of him as Gengar and Scar stood in front of Damian. "Need I remind you that this won't count to me losing my trainer's license, so it's up to you kids," Damian was interrupted by Ash.
"Will you shut it, Damian," Ash said to Damian. "We know that and don't think that we won't forgive this either. Charizard Eevee, you two sure you can handle this?" Ash asked Charizard nodded, as did Eevee.
"Humph fine by me but Charizard here that his brother that I returned isn't battling or he would mop the floor with," Damian was interrupted again. 'Are you going to talk, or are you going to battle,' Charizard said to him, shutting Damian up.
"Humph fine by me. Charizard Dragons breath and Gengar use Shadow Ball," Damian commanded his Pokemon as the two Pokemon attacked both of Ash's Pokemon.
"Charizard, use Flamethrower on the Shadow ball Eevee use Shadow ball on the Flamethrower," Ash commanded his two Pokemon, who launched their attacks. Fast enough to cause an explosion, but as the smoke clears, Damian is no longer there that battle was a diversion to get away. "He's gone no way, Damian. You tricked us to battle so you could see how weak we were or not," Ash said, running towards the Growlithe, who was shaking as did Charizard and Eevee.
"Hey, hey, Damian is gone. He won't hurt you any longer," Ash said to the Growlithe, who made a slight smile but was still hurting mentally.
Forward to now.
"That's the whole story. We don't know the whole reason why he just did that. All we know is that Damian only cares about himself and does not care about the Pokemon he's trained, whether it being them being full of confidence or just wanting to make friends," Ash explains to Nurse Joy as Eevee was by Ash's side nuzzling him.
"I have to agree with Ash on this. This is by far the worst I've heard about his treatment of his Pokemon. I can heal most of her mental wounds, but she is going to need to be away from this region for a while, Ash, as this might bring bad memories and to a place that is needed to take care of Pokemon," Nurse Joy said to Ash. "Currently, there is a place on the way from here that the Pokemon rangers run who is housing these abused and abandoned Pokemon."
Ash thought long and hard about this. "I think that she should be around Pokemon that aren't formerly with Damian," Ash said to Nurse Joy. "I think once she is fine to go, I will be happy to take her in and will talk with Professor Oak about this beforehand to ensure that this will happen," Ash said.
"I think that is a better idea given that most of the Pokemon there has long histories with Damian and all that. She might get even more scars from it while you do own two of his former Pokemon. They had gotten better than when they were with him," Nurse Joy said, turning to Charizard and Eevee next to Ash. "You are fortunate that you two found Ash as soon as you did. Who knows how things would have been."
Charizard and Eevee nodded at this as Nurse Joy checked on the Growlithe and other Pokemon. On the other hand, Ash went to call Professor Oak, explaining what would happen with the Growlithe, who agreed with all of this. "I must say, Ash. You've taken a huge step as a trainer here. I do agree that this is the right call to let the Growlithe stay in my care while you still own her as a Pokemon," Professor Oak said to Ash.
"The problem is that I don't have many Pokemon here that can help with therapy treatment, but I'll try my best, and I'm sure Growlithe meeting some of your Pokemon would help build her confidence up to what she would be given from what you've told me she sounds no more than a year old pup?" Oak said to Ash, who was taken aback by that age. "That is the rumors I've heard about one of his Pokemon that is who barely started training after all of his privileges were revoked since I was the one who gave him both the Pokemon he had left here and the Charizard you now owned Ash."
"Wait, that was the same Charmander was given the day that I was to become a trainer," Ash asked Oak, who nodded at this as Ash looked down at this.
"There are only a few things that I can and cannot do as a Professor Ash? But right now, you've needed to do more than step up your training but as a trainer as well if you want to beat Damian, that is," Oak said to Ash, who looked up at Oak bewildered. "Relax, Ash. I'm not questioning your methods as a trainer. I'm referring to that you can't just let things be handed to you like back in the day when you started Charizard at the league was a fine example of that," Oak said to Ash.
"You need to focus on what is important as both a trainer and your Pokemon, your shared goals. Remember, they don't just join you cause you want them to but because they want to," Oak said as this reminded Ash of what Prima said back then. Damian earlier almost made Ash forget that by making Ash battle him head-on without a strategy.
"I'll do my best, Professor. Expect Growlithe's ball tomorrow if she is willing to join that is?" Ash said to Oak, who nodded at this as the two ended their phone call. 'He ain't wrong, Ash?' Eevee said to Ash walking towards Ash.
"Hey, boy, how are you holding up after all this," Ash said, figuring out that Eevee was listening to the entire thing. 'I'm handling alright, just worried about Growithe. She joined the team around the same time as I did, but we barely saw each other, but she was the most happy-go-lucky Pokemon you could imagine she wanted to be with a trainer growing up, and now this,' Eevee said as Ash petted the back of his ear.
"I'll tell you what. If she does join the team, you want to go to Oak's lab to make sure that she is taken care of?" Ash asked Eevee, whose eyes widened by this. 'I would love to, but what about you and my sister? Would that be abandoning my trust with you?' Eevee asked Ash, who shook his head as Eevee's ears perked up.
"No, in fact, it would be a good service to the team, and you can still be called upon whenever I need you. I didn't take you in because of your past with Damian," Ash said to Eevee, who looked at Ash. "I took you in so we can be friends and be there for each other, and you are more than just a friend, Eevee your a best friend alongside your sister and the others," Ash said to Eevee, who was tearing up and nuzzling Ash.
'I do feel the same way, Ash. You are more than a friend but my best friend. That is why I need to be there for you to protect you,' Eevee said before Ash could say anything. Eevee started to glow, which was a surprise to Ash as he didn't expect this type of evolution for an Eevee.
Eevee grew taller as he was now a darker fur with yellow rings in specific areas on his body as Ash looked up this new evolution to see it was called an Umbreon as Umbreon didn't notice that he had changed at all.
"Eevee, you evolved?" Ash told Umbreon, who looked at himself and was shocked as he wasn't aware of this form. "According to the Pokedex, you are a Dark-type," Ash said to Umbreon, who was still in pure shock by this.
"All because of your friendship with him, Ash," Nurse Joy said to Ash as the two turned to her. "Eevee can evolve into one of two new Eeveelutions depending on the time of day and on how much the trainer and Pokemon's bond/friendship is. This is the sign in the right direction of what you were told earlier, Ash but you also have to step your Pokemon's moves if you want to get farther as a trainer," Nurse Joy said to Ash, who now understood what this all meant as did Umbreon as did the rest of Ash's Team.
The following day came as Nurse Joy brought the Growlithe to Ash, who was happy but not as much as when Umbreon knew her, which Growlithe recognized but got scared around Charizard. "It's okay, girl. Charizard isn't the one from before but was a former member of your team," Ash said to Growlithe, who peaked out behind Umbren's legs and walked nervously towards Ash. 'R-really he's friendly?' Growlithe asked as Charizard nodded at this, which calmed her down.
"Growlithe, I was wondering if you like to join my team while you will be at the ranch at Professor Oaks lab. You won't be alone. Umbreon here will be with you during that time unless he is needed to make sure that you get all the help mentally and the attention you need," Ash said to Growlithe, whose tail starts to wag slowly.
"I promise you I won't abandon you or force you in situations that you can't handle. I'll give you my all if you give it yours. That is what a trainer and Pokemon should do, not the way Damian does. Is that fine with you?" Ash asked Growlithe, who smiled at Ash and nuzzled Ash but tears down her face.
'I just wanted to do that with him and be his friend, but he just flat out refused to acknowledge me or what my evolutionary line is known for being loyal to our trainer. He forced those Pokemon to make me ruthless like them, and I don't want that,' Growlithe looked at Ash with puppy-dog eyes. 'Please, if it means to rid me of him and all this, I'll do anything as long as it's the right way,' Growlithe pleaded with Ash.
"Okay, welcome aboard, Growlithe," Ash said as he pulled out a friend ball, hoping that this would work in his favor to help speed up that process while at Oaks lab as she ran towards it and taps her head at it. Growlithe was caught without hassle as her ball was sent back to Oaks lab. Ash also sent Umbreon's ball back to Oak's lab shortly after to ensure that she wouldn't be safe and well taken care of.
The group leaves the Pokemon center waving goodbye as they head to their next stop.
Ash's personal goal is now set with a new teammate on their team if he wants to beat Damian and whatever challenge comes ahead as the Journey continues.
Stay tuned.
Whew, done and done. This chapter is hard to write; I'll say that. But this is something that was needed. I hope this doesn't turn this story into the hurt genre. Nothing against that. I wanted this to stand out from all of that. Now to get one last thing out of the way before we end this closing statement of the chapter. And it is about the mention of the battle tower in Olivine City. Sadly I'm not doing that as I didn't enjoy that much in Crystal, and we are getting one when the Battle frontier comes out. I have so many tournaments in this story that it's nuts, especially the Whirl cup. So sorry to that person who suggested this to me. With that said, we will see what Pokemon our antagonist here has abandoned that the Pokemon rangers picked up in the next chapter. See you guys next time.
