This was another emotional episode for me back in the days when I was a child. I cried at the end when Ash left Charizard in the Charicific Valley. At that point, I never knew Charizard was ever going to make a comeback in the future sagas.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 10: Charizard's Burning Ambitions

We have been on the road toward Azalea Town for a couple of days now. It didn't take long before we stumbled upon the valley that Falkner told us about. So far, there was no problem going through it, but it was a long way. We had been on the mountains for some time now without spotting a Pokémon Center.

I held the egg incubator close to my body and made sure to have a good grip on it so I wouldn't accidently drop it. It hadn't wobbled much since I received it from that mysterious geisha back in Violet City, so maybe it wasn't that close to hatch.

"Where the heck is a Pokémon Center?" Ash groaned tiredly.

"Piiika…"

Brock checked his booklet about the locations of rest areas. "According to this guide, it appears there's no Pokémon Center in this area", he informed us.

"No Pokémon Center?" Misty said in disbelief.

"Togi?"

"But it says here there should be a special place nearby called the Charicific Valley", Brock added.

"Chari-what Valley?" I repeated, finding the word tongue twisting.

"The Charicific Valley", a new voice called out, pronouncing the name right.

We looked up and spotted a woman in her twenties standing not so far from us. Her outfit reminded me a lot about the dragon tamers I've seen on television along with Champion Lance. Even the rod she carried in her hand gave me the strong impression of a dragon tamer.

"It's a natural reserve that's closed off for the public in order to protect the Charizards that live and train there", the woman explained.

"You're a dragon tamer?" I asked enthusiastically.

"That's right", the woman nodded while she approached us. "My name's Liza and I am a Charizard specialist Trainer. I received word about two Trainers who defeated Gym Leader Falkner with their Charizards, so I assume it's you two."

"Yeah, but how do you know?" Ash wondered.

To my surprise, Liza leaned in closer to me and my brother and smelled us. I felt a little embarrassed by getting smelled like this. "It's subtle, but I can smell the scent of Charizards emitting from you both", she explained before she moved back. "I'd love to see your Charizards, so in return I'll allow you to visit the Charicific Valley."

"I would love to visit that place!" I exclaimed with sparkling eyes. "I love dragon Pokémon and I want to learn everything about them!"

If there is a habitat where a specific dragon Pokémon lived and thrived…then I want to visit it and learn everything possible!

"Excuse my sister, Liza", Ash laughed sheepishly as he pulled me back. "Ashley's dream is to become the greatest dragon tamer, so she gets very enthusiastic when it comes to dragon Pokémon."

"I don't mind the enthusiasm", Liza smiled widely. "It's quite rare to see girls who specialize in dragon Pokémon, so I'm always thrilled to meet a new female comrade. The valley is far from here, but we can fly over there with our Charizards."

"That'd be a huge honor to visit a place that's off-limits to the public, ma'am!" Brock finally let his feelings run loose as he acted like a puppy Growlithe in front of Liza. "I want to become a Pokémon Breeder, so I'd like to study the Charizards for future notes!"

"I see no problems with that", Liza smiled. "Let me call my Charizard." She turned to the mountains and took a deep breath before yelling for her partner. "Charla!"

"Charla…!"

The shout echoed among the mountains as far as I could hear. It didn't take long before a Charizard flew towards us while pulling an air balloon behind it. The Charizard landed next to us together with the air balloon. Only then did I notice the pink ribbon that was tied on top of its head. Even its size was bigger than Firered and Charizard's. It must be a little older than our Charizards because they were still young.

"This is my partner, Charla", Liza introduced her Pokémon. "Charla, these are…" She stopped herself and started laughing in embarrassment. "I just forgot I didn't ask for your names."

"It's okay", Ash smiled. "My name's Ash and this is my partner, Pikachu."

"Pika pikachu!"

"I'm Ashley, Ash's twin sister", I nodded.

"I'm Misty and this little baby is Togepi."

"Togiprii."

"And I'm Brock, a future Pokémon Breeder!"

"Nice to meet you all", Liza smiled before she climbed onto Charla's back. "Misty and Brock can fly in the basket and the twins can fly on their Charizards."

"Okay", I nodded before I held the incubator to Brock. "Brock, could you hold this while we fly? I'm afraid I might drop it while I fly on Firered."

"Sure, no problem", Brock nodded. He and Misty climbed into the basket of the air balloon before he took the incubator.

Ash and I grabbed our Poké Balls and threw them to call out our rides.

"I choose you, Charizard!"

"Time for a flight, Firered!"

"Raaawr!" both Charizards roared once they were called out. They immediately noticed Charla and ended up in some kind of trance.

Liza giggled at their reaction. "This must be the first time your male Charizards have seen a female Charizard, right?"

"Uh, yeah", Ash nodded.

"First time", I repeated with a nod.

Charla stared at the male Charizards and let out a puff of smoke from her nostrils with a nonchalant expression. Firered and Charizard didn't look disappointed, but more like curious now.

Liza climbed onto Charla and held the rod she had tight under one of her armpits. "Okay, you two! Climb onto your Charizards and follow us!"

"Rawr!" Charla roared before she took off while pulling the air balloon along.

"You heard her, guys! Let's follow them!" Ash said determinedly.

"Rawr!"

"Pika pika!"

XXXXXXXXXX

It was easy to fly with our Charizards to the Charicific Valley. Liza and Charla actually challenged us for fun to see if we could keep up with them. Firered and Charizard were slower than Charla, but that was because they hadn't trained for as long time as Liza's Charizard had. They brought us to a hidden valley in the mountains which was captivating. The outside wall of the Charicific Valley was carved like a Charizard and there were even stone statues of the majestic beast making a pathway for visitors in front of a large archway. We landed outside of the closed gate and got off our partners while Misty and Brock climbed out of the air balloon's basket. Liza removed the harness strapped onto Charla so she was free of the air balloon.

"That was quite a ride…", Misty said while looking a little green.

"Sorry about that", Liza apologized. "It's been a while since I've met a Trainer with a Charizard, so I wanted to give Ash and Ashley's Charizards a little challenge."

"You sure did", Ash said as he patted Charizard who panted a little tiredly. "Charizard hasn't had that much training flying. Sorry, buddy."

"Rar…", Charizard snorted.

"Piiika…"

"Same with Firered", I nodded with the incubator in my arms, but I turned to Firered to try wiping the sweat off of his scales. "Do you feel okay, Firered?"

"Grr…", Firered rumbled tiredly before he nuzzled his snout against the palm of my hands, which made me giggle in delight.

"It makes my heart warm seeing Trainers treat their Charizards so caringly", Liza smiled before she walked toward the gate. "Now, let me welcome you…to the Charicific Valley!"

She inserted the rod in a keyhole on the gate and twisted it like a key. As soon as she pulled the rod out, the gate opened and revealed a hidden paradise! The mountains were so big they hid the valley, but it was still lush with vegetation and fresh water pouring out from the mountain. Dozens of Charizards roamed around or rested peacefully or even trained to become stronger. They noticed Liza and breathed fire in the air to welcome her back.

I was awestruck to say the least. I've never seen so many Charizards in one place at once. This was literally heaven for the species!

"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed, feeling my fangirl side coming out. "All the Charizards look so powerful!"

"These Charizards have lived here for a long time and they are all wild", Liza explained.

"All of them are wild Charizards?" Brock asked.

"Yep, except for Charla", Liza replied. "Charizards have lived here for over thousands of years and they've learned to grown stronger without help from humans in their own habitat."

"So they become stronger by training together?" Ash asked.

"Precisely", Liza nodded. "And that's why the Charizards that are famously known around the world are descendants of the Charizards that either left to venture on their own or they chose a Trainer they deemed worthy." She suddenly became very serious that her glare intimidated me. "Ash, Ashley", she said with a serious voice that froze me and my brother. "How long have you had your Charizards?"

"I've had Firered for over a year now", I explained after I had calmed down from the intimidation. "He was my first Pokémon when he was a Charmander."

"Rrr…"

"And my Charizard was actually abandoned by its former Trainer who claimed he was weak as a Charmander, but I took him in and trained him so he evolved into a Charizard", Ash explained. "So…around a year as well."

"Grawl!"

"That explains their inexperience", Liza nodded. "I have a proposal for you two. You want your Charizards to become much stronger than what they are right now, right?"

"Yeah", Ash and I replied simultaneously, although I got a bad feeling.

"Would you like to leave your Charizards here for training?" Liza asked.

That question struck my heart like an arrow. "L-Leave our Charizards…here?" I repeated nervously. "B-But… Firered…was my first Pokémon. I… I don't want to…get separated from him…"

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to pressure you", Liza quickly apologized. "I thought it might help your Charizards to become stronger if you leave them here and when you're ready to face your most challenging battles, you can always call and ask me to send them to you. And, of course, you can withdraw them whenever you want." She studied Firered and Charizard who looked around with intriguing eyes. "I can see your Charizards have lots of potential and it would be little of a waste if they don't seize the opportunity to sharpen their skills and grow here. Why don't you think about it for the night and you give me your answer tomorrow? I have enough beds for you."

"Oh, that'd be very nice to stay a night here, Liza!" Brock responded enthusiastically. "The twins will surely think about the offer, right? Right?"

"Umm…", Ash hesitated while I hugged myself, feeling a little cold despite having Firered covering me.

"They're going to need some time to think about it", Misty spoke up. "Don't pressure them, Brock."

"Sometimes you must make the most difficult decision in your life for the sake of another", Liza said as her voice grew soft. "I sacrificed something myself before I decided to become the guardian of the Charicific Valley. It's not easy, but time will heal those wounds and you'll realize you made the best decision. Remember that, Ash, Ashley."

That was easier said than done, but I held it back.

XXXXXXXXXX

I barely had any appetite to eat that evening. I managed to eat a few bites before I excused myself and went outside to be alone with Firered. Most of the wild Charizards had flown to their dens scattered across the valley to sleep, but some were awake and trained a little or ate some fruits that grew on trees.

I sat down by a pond with Firered and absent-mindedly traced my fingertips on the surface. I watched the water ripple and distorted my and Firered's reflection. My eyes were hazy as my brain felt so empty.

"Rrr…", Firered rumbled concernedly and pushed his nostril against the back of my head.

I snapped out of it and turned to him with a half-smile. "Sorry, Firered…", I mumbled as I caressed his face. "I just… I don't know what to think."

"Rawr…", Firered crouched down onto a four and curled into a C so I could lean against him. I cuddled closer to him and thought again about the offer that Liza had proposed.

"Firered… You were my first Pokémon, so you're precious to me", I mumbled against his scales.

"Rrr…", Firered rumbled from his throat, telling me that he was listening.

"But… I do want you to become much stronger… Stronger than any Charizards in the whole world", I continued my monologue as I stared up at the night sky with the blinking stars. "Of course, Liza did say I can fetch you whenever I want, but… I'm still scared of losing you, Firered…"

"I feel the same way, Ashley."

I looked over my shoulder and noticed Ash and his Charizard had walked to us to the pond. "Ash…", I mumbled quietly.

He and Charizard sat down on the ground with Charizard curling around my brother just like Firered. Ash gently caressed Charizard's head before he locked eyes with me. "I want the best for Charizard. I want him to grow and become much stronger, but…I feel like I'd be like that Damian jerk who abandoned Charizard when he was a Charmander."

"Grawl…", Charizard snorted so some smoke came out from the nostrils.

"It's so weird…", I mumbled softly. "It was tough for me to leave Bruce in the Karate Dojo for training, but…it's different with Firered. He was my first Pokémon."

"Yeah, I'd feel terrible too if I had to separate from Ivysaur, but it's the same with every Pokémon I have", Ash responded. "I guess…now that we're Trainers, we're one step closer to become adults, so we must have tough decisions, like Liza said."

"Mm…", I hummed and turned back to Firered who stared intensely at me. "Firered… Do you…want to stay here and train with the wild Charizards?"

Firered looked at the few Charizards that were doing some light close combat training. He stared at them for some time before he turned back to me. "Rawr…!" he nodded determinedly.

My heart hurt a little that he wanted to stay. I wanted to keep him with me just a little longer, but he wasn't a toy. Firered was a living being with his own thoughts and desire. As a Trainer, I should respect my Pokémon's decisions.

"Okay…", I mumbled as I cuddled closer to Firered's neck, trying to hide the tears that threatened to escape my eyes. "I-If you want to… Y-You can stay…"

"Rrr…", Firered rumbled and nuzzled me gently as I suddenly started feeling sleepy.

I allowed myself to fall asleep because I had enough excitement and emotion rollercoaster. I still caught the voice of Ash asking Charizard what he wanted to do. I couldn't hear the rest, so I had to hear it the next morning.

XXXXXXXXXX

I apparently got carried by Ash back into Liza's home after I fell asleep because I woke up in a soft bed. We had a silent breakfast, but I could still feel the tension in the air. Even Togepi was quiet even though she was usually happy and chirpy.

Firered and the other Charizards were already awake in the valley. Some of the wild Charizards had started training and taken off to the sky for aerial combat. Firered and Charizard were with Charla who might have told them some details about the Charicific Valley when we joined them.

"Good morning, Charla", Liza greeted her partner and caressed Charla's muzzle.

"Rawr", Charla rumbled softly by the affection.

I walked to Firered and caressed his muzzle with a tired smile. "Did you sleep well, Firered?"

"Growl…", Firered grunted as he nuzzled against my palm.

"How are you feeling, Charizard?" Ash asked his partner, his expression also looking a little down like mine.

"Grawl…", Charizard huffed.

Liza turned to me and Ash with her serious expression. "So… Have you two had time to make your decision about my proposal?" she asked.

Ash and I looked at each other in silence. I remembered the conversation we had last night before I shut down for the day. I nodded to my brother who nodded in return before we faced the Charizard tamer.

"Our Charizards want to stay here to become stronger…and we want the best for them, so…", Ash began slowly before he swallowed the nervousness loudly. "Can we…leave them here in your care?"

"I'd gladly take in your Charizards", Liza said before her eyes narrowed. "But the decision lies within the wild Charizards. They don't easily acknowledge any new Charizards unless they've proven themselves worthy."

"So… What do we need to do…?" I asked softly.

"Your Charizards have to battle one of the wild Charizards", Liza explained. "They don't have to beat them; just show if they're skilled and powerful enough to earn everyone's respect."

"Hmm…", Ash hummed loudly with a pondering expression. "I guess it makes sense… Can our Charizards battle any Charizards?"

"Well, many of the Charizards are on a much higher level than yours, so why don't we look for one that's a little weaker but can still give your Charizards a challenge?" Liza suggested as a group of wild Charizards walked past us. She swiftly turned her head to the last Charizards in the line and pointed at him with her rod. "Ah! How about him?"

"Growl?" the wild Charizard stopped on his tracks and cast a curious eye at us.

"This Charizard arrived to the Charicific Valley not long ago, so he doesn't have that much experience of the training here", Liza explained. "Still, he packs a punch, so your Charizards can team up to battle him."

"Two Charizards against one?" Brock said in surprise.

"Isn't that a little unfair?" Misty asked.

"Togi?"

"No, it's quite common the Charizards have disadvantage battles to improve themselves", Liza answered. "So, what do you guys say?"

"Do you think you and Charizard can work together, Firered?" I asked.

"Rawr!" Firered nodded determinedly.

"You think you can do this with Firered, Charizard?" Ash asked.

"Pika…"

"Rawr!" Charizard nodded before he and Firered fist-bumped each other.

"Looks like they're ready to battle", Liza nodded and turned to the chosen wild Charizard. "You know the drill. Show them what it means to be a Charizard in the Charicific Valley."

"RAWR!" the wild Charizard roared threateningly at Firered and Charizard, but they didn't flinch by the intimidation.

"RAWR!" Firered and Charizard responded with their own battle cry before they took off to the sky for an aerial battle.

"You can do it, Charizard!" Ash shouted with his hands cupped around his mouth.

"Pika pikaaa!"

"Work together and don't give up, Firered!" I shouted.

This was now up to Firered and Charizard to prove themselves worthy of staying here. Neither Ash and I could yell commands or warnings to our Pokémon; they had to battle with their instincts and what they've learned throughout the year we have trained them.

I clasped my hands together and closed my eyes for mere seconds to pray for Firered and Charizard's success.

"Please… You can do it…", I whispered to myself. "Even if you lose… You will always be the best Charizard in my eyes, Firered…"

XXXXXXXXXX

The wild Charizard gave Firered and Charizard quite the challenge. It was much faster than our Charizards and used quick attacks like Flamethrower and Dragon Claw to try forcing them down to the ground. However, that didn't mean Firered and Charizard gave up immediately. Firered used his Metal Claw move to block the Dragon Claw and hold the wild Charizard in place so Charizard could slash it with Wing Attack. He got a hit on the wild Charizard, which caught it in surprise.

However, that ignited a spark within the wild Charizard. It breathed a Flamethrower on Firered as distraction. Firered got caught off guard and released his hold on the wild Pokémon. The wild Charizard swiped him on the muzzle with its tail, which threw Firered back in the air. The wild Pokémon then turned toward Charizard who flew toward it rapidly with his wings still glowing for another Wing Attack. The wild Charizard breathed another Flamethrower, but Charizard dodged it and breathed Fire Spin in return.

The swirling flames trapped the wild Pokémon in the air. The wild Charizard didn't panic, though. It remained calm and inspected the situation to come up with a way to get out of the trap. I noticed how the wild Charizard moved its hands and a couple of energy swords appeared around it. They danced around the wild Pokémon before its body glowed in red.

I quickly realized it had just used Swords Dance, a move that increase a Pokémon's attack power a lot! It meant that it must be preparing itself for a powerful physical move, but which one? I wanted to yell to Firered and Charizard to stay cautious, but I bit my bottom lip to stop myself. This was their battle. All I could do was to watch and wait for the end result.

Firered and Charizard must have realized what their opponent was planning to do, so Charizard breathed a Dragon Rage at the wild Charizard to decrease its health while it was still trapped. Firered then took over and breathed a Smokescreen that engulfed the Charizard. The battle seemed to have come to a halt, especially with how calm the wild Charizard was. However, the peace vanished just as the wild Charizard roared and flew out of the smoke with its body surrounded in red-orange fire.

No wonder why the wild Charizard had used Swords Dance! It wanted to increase its attack to make the Flare Blitz move extra powerful to defeat Firered and Charizard!

Firered and Charizard tried to stop their opponent with Wing Attack, Metal Claw and even Dragon Rage, but none of the attacks could stop the rampaging Charizard. It struck Firered on the abdomen and sent him down to the ground. He crashed onto the hard mountain floor and threw dirt and stone splinter around him. The other wild Charizards remained on their place as the battle was still ongoing.

The wild Charizard canceled the Flare Blitz before its body sparked due to the secondary effect of losing some of its health after using the move. Charizard was still flying and active and seized the chance to body slam the opponent. It caught the wild Charizard off guard and crashed down to the ground with Charizard on top of it.

Firered had gotten up from the ground by the time the two Charizard had faced the same fate as his. He was heavily bruised and looked weak, but he was determined to stay on his feet and continue battling.

Charizard stood on top of the wild Charizard and growled aggressively at it. Firered stomped over to them to join his comrade. They opened their mouth to breathe a double Flamethrower, but before they could even breathe a thin flame, the wild Charizard screeched as it activated another Flare Blitz. Its body got engulfed by the dense fire and flew so fast it pushed both Firered and Charizard up in the sky before they fell into the pond where we sat by last night.

"Firered!" I screamed worriedly.

"Charizard!" Ash yelled with the same worried tone as me.

"Pika pika!"

Firered and Charizard poked their heads out of the water and clumsily swam to the side of the pond. They breathed deeply and looked exhausted, but they still had the strength to keep the tip of their tails up from the water. Their fires were still burning weakly, which was a clear sign they were tired.

The wild Charizard flew down to the ground and canceled the Flare Blitz move, enduring the aftermath. It got eerie quiet as the other Charizards stared intensely at Firered and Charizard. The only thing I could hear was my heart pounding in my ears. Did the silence mean the Charizards of the Charicific Valley deemed them unworthy to train here?

I was about to ask Liza that when the wild Charizard that had battled Firered and Charizard walked toward the pond. It stopped in front of them before it offered its hands to help them out of the pond. "Grawl."

"Growl…?" Firered and Charizard rumbled in surprise.

Another wild Charizard approached them and lent a hand to Firered. He and Charizard looked at each other confusedly before they turned back to the wild Pokémon and accepted the assistance. They got pulled out of the pond while the other Charizards roared together in harmony.

"W-What's going on?" Misty asked in fear.

Liza smiled proudly at the scene. "The Charizards of the Charicific Valley have deemed your Charizards worthy", she informed us. "They can stay here and train as much as they want to become the best."

"Rawr!" Charla joined the Charizard orchestra to welcome our Pokémon.

I felt tears burn my eyes in joy, relief and sadness. Firered had put up a great fight with Charizard and had almost taken down the wild Charizard together. Still, they worked amazingly together even though Ash and I had barely trained them to fight side by side.

I ran to Firered and hugged him, even though he was all wet. "You were amazing, Firered…", I mumbled against his scales. "You shone like a star while you were battling… I'm so proud of you…"

"Grr…", Firered rumbled and hugged me in return.

I saw from the corner of my eye how Ash had his own little moment with Charizard. This was going to be the last hug before we could leave our partners under Liza's care in the Charicific Valley.

Firered… My very first Pokémon… Train to become the greatest and most powerful Charizard in the history of the world.

"I love you…", I whispered in Firered's tiny ear. "Remember that… Always…"

After that, my brain got locked and I went into auto-mode. I barely remembered what happened afterward, but I could see the blurry images of me giving Firered's Poké Ball to Liza along with Ash handing Charizard's Pokémon to the guardian before we ran out of the Charicific Valley before we could change our minds.

Goodbye, Firered… I promise I will see you someday again.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's party:

Cedric the Larvitar (male)

Trica the Sentret (female)

Hikaru the Flaaffy (male)

Pokémon Egg

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's party:

Ivysaur (male)

Pikachu (male)

Wartortle (male)

Heracross (male)

Chikorita (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Misty's party:

Goldeen (female)

Staryu (genderless)

Psyduck (male)

Togepi (female)

Poliwag (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Brock's party:

Geodude (male)

Onix (male)

Zubat (male)

Vulpix (female)