Authors Note: A bit darker at the end. Be warned.

'The bloody charmander was so stubborn' Stlix cursed as Buddy slammed through the undergrowth, scaring all the Pokémon in the vicinity. And their moronic trainer who had abandoned them there, jokes on them he was going to track between their pokeball and Charmander and he was going to pay them a visit.

Merry's healing abilities were nit matured enough to deal with Charmander, Stlix should of knocked the stubborn lizard out immediately. He could feel the lizard's ribs through his own thick jumper, and the charmander's scales felt weak and pliable under his fingers.

The charmander had probably been sat on that rock for a while, too loyal to a horrible person and suffering as a result. If Stlix had known, he would have gone straight to the centre instead of trying to ride out the storm.

The rain was pelting down even harder, like a cold wet blanket draped across him as Stlix shook away the self-beratement. He could find the trainer and beat them to a pulp, get Charmander to safety and have a comfortable bed for the night.

Vermillion's walls came into sight as the forest thinned, Buddy moving even faster without any obstacles to break through. Reaching Vermillion, he leapt off Buddy and recalled him within the same movement before racing towards the sole red roofed building.

He burst through the doors in his rush to find Nurse Joy and he could see the shock and horror upon her face as he shoved Charmander at her.

"Pokémon abandonment, been in the rain for just under two hours, feels malnourished, still connected to the trainers pokeball." He rattled out to the bewildered Nurse Joy. She snapped out of the shock and puled Charmander to her before handing off the Pokémon to a waiting chansey who rushed off with him.

"Thank you, please remain here so the facts can be checked. Attempted departure before that will mean that the local Gym leader will be notified." Se replied professionally before running after her chansey. Stlix went and crashed in the nearest seat, he was tired, cold and worried about the charmander.

He mentally decided any abandoned Pokémon he saw thereafter would be immediately taken to get help, regardless of the Pokémon's own loyalties or decisions. He would not have a possible Pokémon death purely down to him if he could help it.

He wouldn't know how long he sat there before a strange rhythm of booted feet and high heels stirred him. He looked up to see the Nurse Joy stood next to a man dressed in military fatigues that positively dwarfed her. Lieutenant Surge.

A man who had fought off any Almians or Unovans who had dared to assault Vermillion during the three-way war between them and Indigo. Surge's electric types had utterly obliterated any attempted invasion for naval forces. The war had ended over twenty years ago now but was the most recent conflict apart from the civil wars in Broksen.

Tensions were only now easing and complete reparations between the Regions being made. No one had truly won the war but Indigo being a united nation meant it had lost the least. People like Surge and Blaine were war veterans who were still prominent public figures.

"So, you're the one who found the charmander, kid." The giant man grunted at him. "Good thing you did, be dead now if not probably won't ever battle either." The man sneered and shook his head.

"Did you find out who owned the charmander?" Stlix asked with some steel.

"And what are you going to do if we had, kid." The man replied mockingly. "What do you have the ability to do."

"Have a very friendly discussion." Stlix said frosty calmness. Surge searched his face before letting out a sigh and a soft grunt.

"We found him, know where he is in fact. Ain't nothing we can do about it. The kid, Damien, has connections. Fancy kid with his team bought as soon as he left." Surge gave a disgusted sneer.

"And where is Damien?" Stlix asked intently.

"Didn't you hear me kid, the brat has connections." The Gym leader squinted at him as he spoke.

"I have more." He replied with confidence.

"And you are?"

"Stlix Stone." The Gym leader raised his eyebrows at that.

"Guess you do have connections then. Going to call your family then."

"No. I am going to be told the location of Damien by you and then I will seek out Damien and have a very pointed discussion." Surge let out a small laugh at that.

"Kid has bought his entire team trained. Not going to win him the conference but no newbie trainer will win unless they have done similar. Have you?"

"No. Yet my starter can take down half of Stevens team." Stlix said with a small smirk. Surge raised his brows at that.

"Well Damien is here in Vermillion, lets go see if your words are empty or not." Surge then strode out of the Pokémon centre, Stlix jogging to keep up with the giant's stride.

Lieutenant Surge walked through the city with practiced familiarity and people just gravitated out of his way. He was walking towards a private training centre, an expensive one with well-trained psychic Pokémon to prevent damage. The training rooms were gigantic, big enough for Buddy to double up in size within, still not large enough to move comfortably but enough.

The receptionist went to speak as Surge walked in, rising from her seat at the desk, but the man just strode past her without a look. Stlix followed as the man burst into a room within, the receptionist seemed to have called security but even they held back at the aura that the veteran wore like a cloak.

It was oppressing, stifling the mind and the idea to fight against the man. He had power and did not shy from using it. Within the room was a group of Pokémon beating up on each other to the point of debilitating injuries as a group of people laughed.

At that centre of the group was a dark-haired youth, a girl in his lap and an arrogant smirk upon his face as he watched the Pokémon maim each other. He turned to the door and sneered as Surge walked in.

"Greetings Gym leader, what could you be wanting with me?" He said mockingly with a small flick of his head. Surge didn't bother replying but simply stood there as Stlix walked in.

"Are you Damien, owner of a charmander?" Stlix asked simply. After a moment realisation dawned upon Damien's face as he called for the Pokémon to stop fighting and laughed.

"The weak lizard, apparently Regional starters are meant to be strong, but the stupid lizard couldn't even use ember. What about it?"

"Did you abandon the charmander on Route 24?" Stlix questioned again, his face impassive.

"Yeah I am. What has he croaked yet?" Damien laughed cruelly.

"No." Stlix said as he pulled a pokeball from his belt. At that Damien called for the group that were fighting, only the unconscious Pokémon did not move. The Pokémon group moved over to Stlix as he released Buddy, the colossal steel behemoth taking shape with a roar. "Hold back the group, don't hurt them, I wish to 'talk' with Charmander's trainer." Stlix said to the steelix.

Buddy's eyes narrowed at the Pokémon group and swung his tail out, knocking the group back without a single move boosting the power of it. Stlix strode towards Damien, the girl clambering off Damien's lap as he stood. Stlix's eyes were curiously shifting colour as his anger manifested within his veins, the ground cracking slightly as he stepped.

Damien hadn't stopped grinning.

"Well, that is a magnificent specimen." The teenager proclaimed. "I am going to have great fun with it." Stlix's gaze seemed to sharpen further.

"No." He bit out. "You are not." And his fist swung out as Damien's fist erupted with his blood. Stlix had done several things in the years he had lived on the Stone's estate, learning about Pokémon only one of those.

Several of Damien's compatriots rose as he fell to the floor, but an application of Magnet rise yanked them towards Buddy who led upon the unconscious Pokémon, pulled forward by belt buckles and zips. Damien pulled himself of the floor clutching his nose.

"You are so dead you hear me. Dead. Do you even know who I am?"

"No. And neither do I care." Stlix said as he slammed a knee into Damien's gut.

"My name is Damien Boven. Of Boven Industries. We will kill you and your entire family."

"And my name is Stlix." He replied as he let Damien recover before kicking him across the room. "Stlix Stone of Devon Corporation. My family works with every Pokémon league in existence and my cousin is Champion of Hoenn." Damien's eyes widened as he went to apologize and make offers. Stlix did not care as his fist met flesh and bone. They cracked beneath the blow and Damien screamed.