Kanto Gets Loud

Chapter 27: Damian and Charmander

Meanwhile, somewhere between Routes 24 and 25,

With the newest addition Bulbasaur being added to the team, Lincoln and friends continued on their journey, "Man, you weren't kidding about these routes being long, Misty," Lincoln commented.

"Yeah, it always felt shorter probably due to the fact that we always drove out to Cerulean Cape instead of walking," Misty replied, before looking up at the night sky, "There should be a Pokemon Center further up the way. We can stop there for the night. Then Cerulean Cape shouldn't be more than another day and a half's walk away," she then suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Brock replied, before he noticed something on top of a large boulder, "Huh? Is that a Charmander?"

"What?! A Charmander?!" Lincoln excitedly exclaimed, looking up onto the large boulder, spotting the orange lizard Pokemon, causing his grin to grow wider, "Awesome! I've been wanting to catch a Charmander since I saw one at Professor Oak's lab! In fact, if there were four starters instead of three, I would've chosen Charmander for myself," he stated, before scratching Pikachu's ears, "But things still worked out pretty good that day, since I still managed to catch Pikachu."

"Don't you know it?" Pikachu replied.

"I'm guessing you still want to catch a Charmander?" Misty asked.

"Of course! I don't have a Fire Type on my team yet, so adding Charmander is a must!" Lincoln replied, pointing his Pokedex at the fire Pokemon.

"Charmander, the Lizard Pokemon, a Fire Type. At the time of birth, a flame is continually burning at the tip of its tail. It is said that a Charmander's life will end should the flame ever go out," the Pokedex explained, causing Lincoln to frown in disappointment.

"Aw, dang it! This Charmander already has a trainer," Lincoln groaned.

"But if that's true, then why isn't it with its trainer?" Misty wondered.

"That is strange," Lincoln replied.

"It could be possible that this Charmander was abandoned. You should try talking to it," Brock advised.

"Good call," Lincoln said, as he and Pikachu approached the lone Charmander, who eyed the two of them cautiously.

"What do the two of you want? If you want to catch me, then forget it. I already have a trainer," Charmander said. Based on its voice, Lincoln could easily tell it was a girl.

"You needn't worry. We're not here for anything like that. We just want to talk with you," Lincoln replied. Charmander then had a look of intrigue, while still eying them carefully.

"Just to talk with me? Alright, what do you want to talk about?" Charmander asked.

"We want to know why you're sitting out here all alone," Pikachu said.

"Pikachu's right. Shouldn't your trainer be with you right now?" Lincoln asked, only for a reluctant look to work its way onto Charmander's face, "Hey, you don't need to worry. We won't judge you. We just want to know."

"Well, my trainer told me to wait here, and that he would be back," Charmander explained.

"Really? Your trainer told you to stay here until he came back?" Lincoln asked incredulously.

"He did, and I'm getting really worried. He's usually not this late coming back," Charmander replied sadly.

"I don't know… that sounds like something someone would say before just straight up ditching their Pokemon," Pikachu commented. Charmander glared angrily at Pikachu, the flame on her tail flaring up.

"Don't you EVER badmouth Damian like that! He's not that kind of trainer!" she snapped.

"We aren't trying to badmouth anyone," Lincoln replied, trying to defuse the situation, only to be met with a fireball fired at his feet.

"Get out of my sight! I don't want to talk anymore!" Charmander demanded.

"But we…" Lincoln cut himself off when he saw another fireball forming in the Lizard Pokemon's mouth, "Ok, ok, we're going!" he said, as he and Pikachu left Charmander alone, "Think you could've phrased the whole 'your trainer might've abandoned you' a little bit more gingerly?"

"Look, I was just going by instinct, and that was the first thing to pop into my head!" Pikachu said defensively, "Besides, someone had to break the possible news to her, right?"

"Yeah, but we don't really know much about her trainer, other than his name; Damian," Lincoln replied, as they rejoined Brock and Misty.

"So, how'd it go?" Misty asked.

"We think that it may have been possible that Charmander was abandoned, but we're going to need more information before jumping to the same conclusion," Lincoln replied.

"You know, maybe if ask around the Pokemon Center, we may be able to find out more about Charmander's trainer. By the way, what was their name?" Brock asked, as they continued walking.

"She said her trainer's name is Damian," Lincoln replied.

"Well, it ain't much, but it's all we have to go on," Misty commented, crossing her arms.

"Well, we can ask around when we get there. It's getting late, and I'm pretty tired," Lincoln replied, as they continued along the path. As the left, Charmander muttered something under her breath, before curling up and going to sleep.

Later, at the Pokemon Center,

Sitting down to a nice dinner of hot soup, Lincoln was conversing with Brock and Misty, "So, were you guys able to find out anything?"

"Afraid not. All I was able to find out about anyone by the name of 'Damian' is that one guys by that name passed by here about three days ago, and hasn't been seen since," Brock replied.

"I came up empty handed too. How about you?" Misty asked Lincoln.

"I wasn't able to find anything out myself either. Kind of why I asked you guys first," Lincoln replied.

"Great! So now we're back to square one!" Misty groaned irritably. It was then that Pikachu got an idea.

"You know, we could always ask Charmander where Damian said he was going. If anyone knows the guy best, it'd be her."

"Hmm, it's a good idea, but that'll be considering if Charmander will want to talk again," Lincoln replied.

"Well, we could always send in someone as a diplomat to try to coerce her into talking again," Pikachu pointed out.

"Well, I can't argue with that. Then I guess it's a plan," Lincoln replied, turning to his two friends, "Pikachu and I are going to try talking to Charmander again and see if she can tell us where Damian said he was going."

"Sounds like a good enough plan to me. What should we do in the meantime?" Brock asked.

"Keep asking around. There's bound to be someone who knows something about the guy," Lincoln replied.

"Alright, we'll keep an ear out for any information," Misty replied.

"Great! We'll head out first thing in the morning," Lincoln said, as they continued their dinner.

The Next Morning,

Lincoln and company were standing outside of the Pokemon Center, "Alright, I'm heading out now. I'll try to message you guys once I find a lead," Lincoln said.

"We'll do the same," Misty said, as they split up to take care of their individual tasks.

"So, how should we go about talking to Charmander?" Lincoln asked Pikachu.

"We need someone who knows how it feels to be abandoned by their trainer. Perhaps Bulbasaur?" Pikachu suggested.

"Hey, now there's an idea!" Lincoln said, as he then released Bulbasaur from its Pokeball.

"Yes? What do you guys want?" Bulbasaur asked with a yawn.

"Bulbasaur, we need your help. Do you have experience talking to Pokemon that have been abandoned by their trainers? Preferably to those that are in denial of the whole ordeal?" Lincoln asked.

"Yes, I do have some experience in that field. What of it?" Lincoln and Pikachu then explained the situation to Bulbasaur, "So, there's a Charmander that you and the others feel was abandoned by its trainer, right?" both of them nodded, "And rather than avoiding such a topic, you just bluntly stated the possibility that she was abandoned, correct?" Pikachu sheepishly nodded, "Oh for Arceus' sake, no wonder she's mad at you guys!"

"It was a spur of the moment type thing, I swear!" Pikachu said defensively.

"So, can you help us out with talking to her?" Lincoln asked.

"I can, but I would strongly suggest you two stay back while I schmooze things out with her," Bulbasaur replied.

"Sounds fair. And while you're talking, could you try to ask where her trainer was headed before leaving her there?" Lincoln asked.

"I will try," Bulbasaur replied, as they continued towards Charmander's rock.

Later, at Charmander's Rock,

"Alright, there she is," Lincoln said, as the three of them arrived at Charmander's Rock, "Your turn now, Bulbasaur. Do you stuff."

"Roger that," Bulbasaur replied, as he approached Charmander.

"While he's talking things out with Charmander, could you explain something, Pikachu?" Lincoln asked.

"Depends on what you want explained," Pikachu replied.

"Lately I've been hearing you guys say 'Arceus'. What even is it?" Lincoln asked.

"Makes sense that you don't know. After all, you've only been in Kanto for a few weeks. Well, to put it simply, Arceus is the God of all Pokemon. Without him, we would never exist," Pikachu replied.

"I see. So, he would essentially be the ancestor of Pokemon?" Lincoln asked.

"Not quite. All I said is that he's the creator of Pokemon. If you want to talk the ancestor of all Pokemon, that privilege goes to a Mythical Pokemon known simply as 'Mew'," Pikachu replied.

"Mew, huh? Sounds like it must've been some Pokemon," Lincoln commented.

"Actually, I've heard through the grapevine that Mew has been sighted even in modern times, though it's only seen as a mirage," Pikachu replied.

"Whoa, that's heavy! Is there any way to actually meet Mew?" Lincoln asked.

"Hard to say. Mew is as fickle as they come. I've heard that it has the power to turn invisible at will, and can use ALL known Pokemon moves," Pikachu replied.

"Hmm, I guess it would be asking too much of my newfound good luck to have a chance encounter with Mew," Lincoln replied.

"Well, it is still possible," Pikachu replied. Lincoln looked at the Mouse Pokemon curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"It is said that Mew will only appear before those of pure heart, and with a powerful desire to meet it. Many who know of Mew have the desire part down pat, but it's the pure heart that seems to be lacking," Pikachu explained. Just then, Bulbasaur returned, along with Charmander.

"Alright, I've managed to talk things over with the lady," Bulbasaur said.

"Thanks, Bulbasaur," Lincoln replied, turning his attention to Charmander, "Hello again, Charmander. Sorry about what happened yesterday."

"Think nothing of it. So, your Bulbasaur here says that you're willing to go look for Damian?"

"Yes, we are, but we're going to need your help with that," Lincoln replied.

"Ok, what do you need?" Charmander asked curiously, eying the young man.

"If we want to find Damian, we need to know exactly where he was going. Did he say where he was going?" Lincoln asked.

"Now that I think about it, he said he was heading for that mountain over there," Charmander replied, pointing towards a nearby mountain, "He heard about something that could help increase the power of a Pokemon."

"Ok, but why did he leave you behind instead of taking you with him?" Pikachu asked.

"Apparently, there are a lot of strong Pokemon that make that mountain their territory. I guess he didn't want me getting hurt, so he had me wait here," Charmander replied.

'Hmm, so Damian told Charmander to wait as a means of protecting her? But if that's the case, then why hasn't he come back yet?' Lincoln wondered.

"So, what's up there that's so important to leave you here for your safety?" Bulbasaur asked.

"I didn't get much details, but according to him, there's some kind of stone that can help increase my power once I've fully evolved into a Charizard. But right now, that's the least of my concerns. Please, can you make sure that Damian comes back safe and sound?" Charmander pleaded to Lincoln.

"Hey, don't worry, I'll find him and bring him back," Lincoln replied, as he then took out his Pokedex, "But before I head up there, I should let Brock and Misty know about this lead. Pokedex, is there a way to contact Brock or Misty from here?"

"I do possess a cellphone function, but the signal's far too weak for me to send out a call. But if you want, I can always email the Pokemon Center and have Nurse Joy relay the message to your friends," the Pokedex said.

"That'll do perfectly!" Lincoln commented, before realizing something, "You sounded a lot like you're A.I. was sentient."

"That's because I am a sentient A.I.," the Pokedex replied.

"How come I never knew about that?" Lincoln asked.

"You never asked."

"Ok, I'll give that one to you. So, do you have a name or something?" Lincoln asked.

"You may refer to me as 'Dexter'," the Pokedex said, giving its name.

"Ok, Dexter, could you open the email function?" Lincoln asked.

"Certainly. One moment," Dexter replied, as a holographic display emerged from the screen.

"That could come in handy," Lincoln commented, as he typed out his message.

'Brock, Misty,

Pikachu and I found a lead. We're heading up a nearby mountain to find Damian. We hope to find him and bring him back before dark,

Lincoln'

"Ok, go ahead and send it, Dexter," Lincoln said.

"At once," Dexter said, as he sent the message.

"In the meantime, we'd better get going," Lincoln said to his two Pokemon.

"And when you do find Damian, could you let him know that I'm still waiting?" Charmander asked.

"Consider it done," Lincoln replied, as he and his Pokemon ventured towards the mountain.

Back at the Pokemon Center,

"Ugh! We've been at this for two and a half hours, and still nothing on Damian!" Misty groaned, as she slumped down on one of the couches.

"All we can do now is hope that Lincoln found some kind of lead on where this Damian guy could be," Brock replied, as he too was tired from asking around.

"Yeah, you're right. I wonder how he's doing right now?" Misty wondered.

"Lincoln's a smart kid. I'm sure he's fine. Though I bet you still wish you could've gone with him. Just the two of you, walking together," Brock said, in an almost teasing manner.

"You're on thin ice there, Brock," Misty warned dangerously.

"Hey, I'm just saying that if you had gone with him, it would've been a great chance for you to tell him how you feeeEEEEEEL!" Brock's voice went high pitched upon Misty's foot coming into contact with his crotch.

"Did you say something, Brock? I couldn't quite tell," Misty asked, giving a rather sadistic smile, as the fifteen-year-old doubled over, holding his crotch in pain. Brock only muttered something under his breath. It was then that Nurse Joy approached them.

"Excuse me, but are your names Brock and Misty by any chance?"

"That's us," Misty replied.

"I received a message from someone by the name of Lincoln Loud. I took the liberty of printing it off for you," Nurse Joy replied, as she handed the redhead a piece of paper.

"Thanks Nurse Joy," Misty said, as the nurse walked off. Misty then read over the message, "Well, it looks like we were right. Lincoln's the one to have gotten a lead."

"Did he… say where… Damian might… be?" Brock asked, as he got up still holding the family jewels.

"By the looks of it, he has. Apparently, Damian was last seen heading up a mountain a few miles away," Misty replied.

"Great. Here's hoping… that he's able to… find the guy," Brock replied, as he slumped down on the couch.

"Wait, we're not going to help him?" Misty asked.

"I would… be willing to… if my kiwis weren't… screaming in pain right now!" Brock snapped sarcastically. Misty flinched before shrugging.

"Hey, don't pin all of that on me. You were asking for it," Misty retorted, before her face turned serious, "But in all seriousness, we should at least go and meet him halfway. If he does find Damian, we'll need to help him out."

"Alright. Just let the pain in my crotch subside enough, then we can go," Brock replied.

Meanwhile, up on a mountain,

"Alright Ralts, use Disarming Voice!" Lincoln instructed, as he and his Pokemon were fending off a horde of wild Pokemon that didn't take too kindly to a human and his Pokemon walking through their turf.

"R-Right!" Ralts replied, as she fired off Disarming Voice at some attacking Pokemon. There were Sandshrew, Female Nidoran, Geodude and Graveler, four Pokemon he did recognize, while the others he didn't recognize. Some looks like monkeys with pig noses, others looked like small, grayish blue humanoids, while others looked the female Nidoran, but were pink, and had larger spikes on their bodies.

"Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokemon, a Fighting Type. Mankey primarily live in treetop colonies. When one Mankey becomes angry, the rest of the colony becomes enraged as well. It is very dangerous to approach Mankey when they're mad, because they can't distinguish friend from foe.

Nidoran Male, the Poison Pin Pokemon, a Poison Type. Male Nidoran have large horns than females, and these horns contain a powerful poison. Nidoran Male are very cautious Pokemon, and use their hearing to sense oncoming danger.

Machop, the Superpower Pokemon, a Fighting Type. While it is the size of a human child, it has the power to hurl 100 grown-ups. It's muscles never cramp up, no matter how much they train. They practice all forms of martial arts," Dexter explained, as the wild Pokemon were hurled up onto a single pile, completely spent from trying in vain to chase off Lincoln and his team.

"Nicely done everyone!" Lincoln proclaimed.

"That was some workout!" Pikachu commented.

"I got a lot of experience from that battle!" Goomy added.

"That's only because these Pokemon mistakenly thought we came here with ill intentions," Bulbasaur said to the Soft Tissue Pokemon.

"Well, it's really the end result that matters," Spirit commented.

"Ain't that the truth?" Andrea asked. It was then that a bright light erupted from Ralts' body.

"Wait, could this be…?!" Lincoln excitedly exclaimed, as Ralts began to change shape, and became a little taller, and resembled a ballerina, her orange eyes now exposed, and her two horns now on either side of her head, "Whoa, you've evolved!" he exclaimed, pointing Dexter at his newly evolved Pokemon.

"Kirlia, the Emotion Pokemon, a Psychic and Fairy Type. Kirlia is highly perceptive of its trainer's feelings. If the trainer is happy, then Kirlia will dance joyously," Dexter explained, as Kirlia twirled around a little bit.

"I feel stronger now!" Kirlia commented happily. However, her joyous mood was interrupted upon sensing something out of the ordinary, "Lincoln, I sense someone is nearby!"

"Could it be another Pokemon?" Andrea asked. Kirlia merely shook her head.

"No. What I'm sensing is a human."

"A human? Do you think it could be Damian?" Pikachu asked.

"Only one way to find out. Lead the way, Kirlia," Lincoln requested. Kirlia then levitated with her psychic powers, and led the group to a nearby cave. Upon reaching it, all of the Pokemon covered their noses.

"Oh man, what is that awful stench!?" Andrea exclaimed.

"It kind of smells coppery, just like…" a chill went down Pikachu's back as he said those words, "L-Like blood." The other Pokemon looked at their leader with shocked expressions, as Lincoln knelt down to eye level with Pikachu.

"Pikachu, I need you to be honest with me here. Do you really smell something like that in there?"

"It's either blood or a rich vein of copper. It's kind of hard to tell from here," Pikachu replied.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Lincoln replied, as they entered the cave, fighting back the queasy feeling the stench alone was giving him, followed closely by his Pokemon. They didn't have to go very far into the cave to find something that truly horrified them. One the cave floor, was a badly injured, blue-haired man. He appeared to be sitting in a pool of dried blood, and judging by the stench, it was apparent that he had been sitting here for days, "Oh god, I think I'm going to be sick!" Lincoln then quickly rushed out of the cave; the sounds of his retching could be heard from where his Pokemon were at.

"So, this guy must be Damian," Goomy commented, as she and the others tried very hard not to lose their own lunches like Lincoln did. Speaking of which, the young trainer came back from emptying out his stomach.

"Ok, that was unpleasant. Now, lets see about him," Lincoln said, as he checked Damian's pulse. He could feel it, but just barely, "Well, the good news is that he's alive."

"…O's there…?" the blue haired man asked, causing Lincoln to reel back with a scream, "Oi, quit with the screamin', will ya?! I'm 'alf dead as it is already with ya makin' me deaf too!" he said, before going into a coughing fit.

"Sorry, sorry, I wasn't expecting you to regain consciousness that fast," Lincoln replied.

"Eh, I can sympathize with dat. So, uh, any chance I can ask ya ta 'elp me out of this cave?" the man asked.

"Sure thing. Guys, return for now," Lincoln said, as he recalled his team, except for Kirlia, "Kirlia, I have a job for you to do. Can you use Confusion and help carry Damian here back to the Pokemon Center?" he asked, as he took off his backpack, and unzipped the main pouch, allowing Kirlia to climb inside.

"Anything for you, Lincoln," Kirlia replied, as she then used Confusion, levitating Damian up off of where he was sitting.

"I'll try to go as fast I can without aggravating your injuries any more than they are," Lincoln said.

"Thanks, mate. I really appreciate this," Damian replied.

"Not a problem. By the way, your name wouldn't happen to be 'Damian', would it?" Lincoln asked, as he began to leave the cave, and started hiking back down the mountain.

"Yeah, dat's right," the man replied.

"Well, I think you'll be happy to know that your Charmander is still waiting for you," Lincoln stated.

"Me Charmander? How is she? Has she been on her best behavior?" Damian asked.

"She's been an absolute angel since we met her," Lincoln replied.

"Well, dat's good ta 'ear. I never meant to worry 'er. It'll be good seeing 'er again," Damian replied.

"I think she'll be just as happy to see you too. So, what exactly did you come up here for?" Lincoln asked.

"I came up 'ere to find a special stone that can help increase the power of Charizard. I figured that if I got me mits on it now, I could power up Charmander when she evolves into Charizard. But all I came up with was this bloody thing!" Damian said, as he dug out, to Lincoln's surprise, was a Mega Stone, but it was blue, with a black flame in the center, "All o' this trouble, and for what? Just some dang marble!"

"Well, maybe that could've been the stone that you've heard about, the one that can power up Charizard?" Lincoln asked.

"Could be, but with 'ow I am now, it's pretty much useless to me. If you want, you can take it," Damian offered.

"Really? That'd be great. Thanks a bunch," Lincoln said, as Kirlia floated Damian a bit closer, allowing him to drop the stone into Lincoln's bag.

"No problem. Though, I would never 'ave come here if I had known this would happen to me," Damian said, before breaking out into a coughing fit.

"Don't worry Damian, we're almost back at Route 24. Once we're there, we can get you to a hospital or something," Lincoln replied.

"I can't tell ya 'ow much I appreciate you doing this… er, what did you say your name was?" Damian asked, realizing he never learned his savior's name.

"It's Lincoln, Lincoln Loud."

"Bit o' an odd name, eh?" Damian chuckled weakly.

"It's a bit of a long story there," Lincoln replied, as they neared the edge of the forest.

About an hour later, on Route 24,

While they were walking, both Lincoln and Damian shared stories of their travels to help pass the time, "Yer kiddin'! An entire swarm o' Beedrill taken out in not time flat?" Damian exclaimed.

"Yeah. It had gotten to the point where our Pokemon even made a little competition out of it," Lincoln replied.

"Man, ya gotta have some Pokemon that either crazy strong or just plain crazy," Damian commented.

"In some of my Pokemon's cases, they're a mix of both," Lincoln replied.

"So, who won in that competition?" Kirlia asked.

"That would be me," Pikachu proclaimed proudly. It was then that the images of Brock and Misty were coming into view a little further up the path.

"I'm guessin' those are friends o' yours?" Damian asked, as they were approaching the two others.

"Yep. Which means we should be nearing the Pokemon Center, as well as your Charmander's rock," Lincoln replied.

"That's great news. I just might live ta see another day," Damian said in relief, as they were joined by Lincoln's two friends.

"Lincoln, there you are! We've been looking all over for you!" Misty exclaimed, before taking note of Damian, "Is that Damian?"

"Yes. We need to get him to the Pokemon Center asap," Lincoln said. Both Brock and Misty saw the rough shape Damian was in.

"Alright, then let's not waste any time. We can chastise him later for leaving Charmander all alone," Misty declared.

"Hey, can you ease up on him? He's been in rough shape the past few days," Lincoln requested.

"Well, alright, but I will want an explanation on why he abandoned Charmander," Misty stated. Upon hearing this, Damian's temper flared up.

"Oi, I didn't abandon me Charmander! What gives ya the right ta say something like dat?" Damian snapped. Lincoln was about to step in and break up the fight, when Charmander burst through the bushes, rushing towards them.

"Damian! You've come back!"

"Oh, hey Charmander. Did ya behave like a good girl?" Damian asked.

"I did! But what in Arceus' name happened to you?!"

"Oh, these? I just got into a little scrap with some of the Pokemon up that mountain. Nothing too major to worry about," Damian replied, noticing Charmander was looking at her trainer's injuries.

"'Nothing too major' my foot! You should've brought me with you!"

"I'm assuming that's why you wanted me to ease up on him?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, but let's focus on getting him to the Pokemon Center, and possibly transferred to a hospital," Lincoln replied in a firm tone.

"Then let's hurry and get him there," Brock said, as they continued towards the Pokemon Center.

Later that evening, at the Pokemon Center,

Lincoln was going over what had transpired on the mountain, and how he found Damian, "And that's the whole story."

"Yeesh, now I feel bad for accusing him of abandoning Charmander," Misty commented.

"Damian seems like a reasonable guy. I'm sure he's willing to let bygones be bygones," Lincoln replied.

"Still, I want to try to clear the air with him. It's the least I can do," Misty replied. Just then, Nurse Joy, along with some other medical professionals walked into the lobby. After they arrived at the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy wasted no time in contacting the hospital in the next town and put in an emergency call for medical attention for Damian.

"Are you youngsters the ones who brought in the blue haired young man? The one called Damian?" the doctor asked.

"Yes, that's us. How is he?" Lincoln asked.

"Well, we've got good news, bad news, and more good news," Nurse Joy explained.

"Ok, let's hear it," Lincoln said, dreading what he and the others were expecting to hear.

"Well, the good news is that young Damian will pull through. If you had found him a day later, then he may not have survived," the doctor replied. Lincoln breathed a sigh of relief, as did Brock and Misty

"That's good to hear. But, what of the bad news?" Lincoln asked.

"Well, the injuries he sustained were far more severe that we originally anticipated. We did everything we possibly could, but… his days of travelling the Kanto region, or at all anymore, are pretty much shot," Nurse Joy replied.

"That's terrible! And just after he and Charmander were reunited too," Misty said sadly.

"Wait, you said that there was more good news, yes?" Brock asked.

"Yes. You see, there's a medical practice that was first discovered in the Unova Region that utilizes the Pokemon Move Heal Pulse," the doctor explained.

"'Heal Pulse'?" Lincoln asked.

"Heal Pulse, a Psychic Type Move that allows the user to heal itself or another target in battle," Dexter briefly explained.

"Ordinarily Heal Pulse can only be used just as the Pokedex just said, but it was discovered that it works on humans too, so we're having several Audino from Unova transferred to the hospital in the next town to help with injuries as severe as young Damian's. But the practice takes a long time to fully show results, so Damian will still be cooped up in the hospital until he's recovered enough to attend physical therapy," the doctor explained.

"Well, that's good to hear. At least there's some hope for the future," Lincoln commented.

"By the way, where is Charmander?" Misty asked.

"The poor dear hasn't left her trainer's side since being reunited. She's still by his side," Nurse Joy replied, before she remembered something, "Oh, that reminds me! Lincoln, Damian wants to talk to you about something as soon as you get the chance."

"He wants to talk to me? Well, alright, I'll head in right away," Lincoln replied.

"Damian is in Room #4," Nurse Joy said, as Lincoln went to visit Damian.

A few minutes later, in Room #4,

"Ok Lincoln, you can do this. Just go in, and talk to him," Lincoln said to himself, as he was prepping himself for how Damian looked like after being treated. It a deep breath, he opened the door, and entered. Inside, on the bed, Damian was laying wrapping in casts and gauze, "Uh… hey Damian," Lincoln greeted. Movement by the side of the bed alerted him to Charmander's presence, "Hey Charmander."

"'Ey there, Lincoln. I guess Nurse Joy told ya I wanted to talk with ya?" Damian asked.

"Yeah. She said you wanted to discuss something with me?" Lincoln asked, as he took a seat next to Damian.

"Yeah. I got some things I need to talk over with you," Damian replied.

"So, how are you feeling after getting patched up?" Lincoln asked.

"I'm feeling a lot better, apart from the fact that I'm pretty much done with travelling for the next few months until I get into that physical therapy the doc told me about," Damian replied with a humorless chuckle. Lincoln could only wince at the remark, "But that ain't what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Really? Then, what do you want to talk about?" Lincoln asked.

"It's concerning Charmander. Can I ask you to take her as one o' your Pokemon?" Damian asked. Lincoln was shocked to hear this.

"What?! You want me to take your Charmander with me?!" Lincoln asked in disbelief. Granted, he did like the thought of having a new Fire Type on his team, but to take her away from her trainer just after they reunited? That seemed like a lot to ask.

"Yeah. I can't do much in the way of raising Charmander with 'ow I am now. Besides, if I can't trust the person who save me, then who can I trust? Can you do this for me?" Damian asked. Lincoln still looked unsure, but when faced with possibility of Charmander living on its own in the wild, now officially abandoned, Lincoln steeled his resolve.

"You can count on me, Damian. I'll raise Charmander just as you would do. So, do I have to take her Pokeball, or what?" Lincoln asked.

"No need. I already had Nurse Joy break the Pokeball's connection to Charmander. She's a wild Pokemon now, so she's free to catch," Damian replied.

"If it's Damian's wish, then I will gladly go along with it. I promise to do my best for you, Mr. Lincoln," Charmander said. Lincoln then got out one of his Pokeballs, namely his Level Ball.

"Well, Charmander, welcome to the team," Lincoln said, as he tossed the Level Ball at Charmander, sucking it into the spherical device. After a few seconds of rocking, the Pokeball clicked shut.

"Do you wish to swap Charmander with another member of your party?" Dexter asked.

"Yes. I'll swap out Spirit," Lincoln replied, as Spirit's Pokeball teleported away, allowing Lincoln to add Charmander to the team. Lincoln then let Charmander out of her new Pokeball, "Alright Charmander, if you want, you can spend one more night with Damian."

"Really?! That would be great! Thank you so much, Mr. Lincoln!" Charmander exclaimed, as she crawled up onto the bed, and curled up next to her former trainer.

"You're one in a million, Lincoln. Thanks for doing this for her," Damian said.

"No problem. I'll see you in the morning before we leave," Lincoln said, as he left them alone for the night.

The next morning,

Lincoln and friends, along with the newest teammate, Charmander, were getting ready to head out. But before they did, they decided to say one last goodbye to Damian before they headed out, "Well Damian, we'll see you again, right?" Lincoln asked.

"Yeah. If you manage to earn the 8 badges for the Pokemon League, you can bet I'll come to see 'ow much Charmander has grown since travelin' with ya," Damian replied, as the doctors from last night were getting ready to wheel him into the ambulance on a stretcher.

"Hey, about what I said yesterday, about accusing you of abandoning Charmander. I want to say that I'm sorry," Misty replied.

"No worries there, Misty. If I were in your position, I bet I would've thought the same," Damian replied.

"Alright Damian, time to get going," the Doctor said.

"Right. Take care you guys," Damian said, as he was wheeled away, but not sharing one last glance with Charmander, before he disappeared into the paramedic's truck, as it drove off.

"Guys, be real with me. Does this kind of stuff happen a lot?" Lincoln asked in a grim tone.

"Unfortunately, it does. Being a Pokemon Trainer is as rewarding a position as it is dangerous. There have even been reports of trainers dying while on the road," Misty replied sadly. Lincoln felt a chill go down his spine.

'Trainers have actually died while travelling?! I can't… no, I won't let that happen to me or anyone else,' Lincoln thought to himself. He then turned his attention to Charmander, "So, how are you holding up?"

"I am sad to see Damian leave, but I have hope that we'll see him again," Charmander replied.

"I know we will," Lincoln replied.

"So, you've managed to catch a Bulbasaur and now a Charmander. I wouldn't be surprised if you managed to catch a Squirtle before we reach Cerulean Cape," Misty commented.

"Well, if we do, I hope it can be under more cheerful circumstances. Everything that's happened yesterday has been a major reality call for me," Lincoln said, as he recalled Charmander, and they continued on the path.

Lincoln:

Pikachu

Level: 24

Gender: Male

Ability: Static

Nature: Mild

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Thundershock, Quick Attack, Electro Ball, Protect, Thunder Punch, Iron Tail, Volt Tail (Hybrid Move), Thunder Wave

Charmander

Level: 15

Gender: Female

Ability: Blaze

Nature: Rash

Pokeball: Level Ball

Moves: Ember, Metal Claw (Egg Move), Smokescreen, Growl

Bulbasaur:

Level: 17

Gender: Male

Ability: Overgrow

Nature: Serious

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Tackle, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder, Vine Whip

Kirlia (Shiny)

Level: 22

Gender: Female

Ability: Synchronize

Nature: Timid

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Growl, Teleport, Confusion, Disarming Voice, Double Team, Misty Terrain (Egg Move), Protect, Thunder Punch

Sandshrew:

Nickname: Andrea

Level: 20

Gender: Female

Ability: Sand Veil

Nature: Calm

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Poison Sting, Defense Curl, Rapid Spin, Fury Cutter, Magnitude, Metal Claw (Egg Move)

Goomy

Level: 21

Gender: Female

Ability: Hydration

Nature: Calm

Pokeball: Nest Ball

Moves: Tackle, Bubble, Absorb, Bide, Protect, Poison Tail (Egg Move)

Fearow (At the Loud House)

Level: 23

Gender: Female

Ability: Sniper

Nature: Calm

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Arieal Ace, Pursuit, Mirror Move, Leer, Fury Attack, Steel Wing

Poliwag (At the Loud House)

Level: 17

Gender: Male

Ability: Water Absorb

Nature: Jolly

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Water Gun, Water Sport, Hypnosis, Protect, Water Pulse

Beedriil (Shiny) (At The Loud House)

Level: 16

Gender: Male

Ability: Shield Dust

Nature: Lax

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot, Bug Bite, Harden, U-Turn, Protect

Pidgeotto (At the Loud House)

Level: 22

Gender: Female

Ability: Tangled Feet

Nature: Rash

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Gust, Whirlwind, Quick Attack, Sand Attack, Tackle, Steel Wing, Twister, Protect

Riolu (At the Loud House)

Level: 15

Gender: Male

Ability: Inner Focus

Nature: Quirky

Pokeball: Luxury Ball

Moves: Quick Attack, Counter, Metal Claw, Endure, Vacuum Wave (Egg Move), Protect, Thunder Punch

Zubat (At the Loud House)

Level: 17

Gender: Male

Ability: Inner Focus

Nature: Quirky

Pokeball: Friend Ball

Moves: Absorb, Bite, Wing Attack, Astonish, Supersonic, Giga Drain (Egg Move), Protect

Cleffa (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 7

Gender: Male

Ability: Cute Charm

Nature: Jolly

Pokeball: Moon Ball

Moves: Metronome (Egg Move), Pound, Sing Encore, Charm

Clefairy (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 14

Gender: Female

Ability: Magic Guard

Nature: Calm

Pokeball: Moon Ball

Moves: Metronome, Double Slap, Defense Curl, Sing, Encore, Disarming Voice

Clefable (Shiny)(At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 22

Gender: Female

Ability: Magic Guard

Nature: Graceful

Pokeball: Moon Ball

Moves: (Known so far): Metronome, Double Slap, Follow Me, Minimize, Disarming Voice

Steenee (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Nickname: Queeny

Level: 19

Gender: Female

Ability: Leaf Guard

Nature: Calm

Pokeball: Friend Ball

Moves: Sweet Scent, Razor Leaf, Rapid Spin, Splash, Play Nice, Grass Whistle (Egg Move)

Trapinch (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Nickname: Spirit

Level: 24

Gender: Male

Ability: Arena Trap

Nature: Lax

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Bite, Bide, Mud Slap, Dig, Sand Tomb, Rock Slide, Focus Energy (Egg Move)

Misty

Starmie

Level: 16

Gender: None

Ability: Natural Cure

Nature: Careful

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves (currently known): Water Gun, Rapid Spin, Water Pulse

Poliwhirl

Level: 26

Gender: Male

Ability: Damp

Nature: Bold

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Water Pulse, Mega Punch, Water Gun,

Gyarados (At the Cerulean Gym)

Level: 22

Gender: Male

Ability: Intimidate

Nature: Rash

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Dragon Dance, Twister, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail

Buizel

Level: 17

Gender: Male

Ability: Swift Swim

Nature: Careful

Pokeball: Net Ball

Moves: Water Pulse, Water Gun, Quick Attack, Water Sport, Growl, Sonic Boom

Skrelp

Level: 20

Gender: Female

Ability: Poison Point

Nature: Hardy

Pokeball: Lure Ball

Moves: Water Pulse, Bubble, Acid, Camouflage, Smokescreen, Tail Whip, Toxic Spikes (Egg Move)

Dewpider

Level: 18

Gender Male

Ability: Water Absorb (Hidden Ability)

Nature: Lazy

Pokeball: Dive Ball

Moves: Icy Wind, Bubblebeam, Protect Bug Bite, Spider Web, Water Sport

Brock:

Main Party:

Geodude

Level: 14

Gender: Male

Ability: Sturdy

Nature: Hardy

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Defense Curl, Rollout, Tackle, Rock Polish, Rock Tomb

Onix:

Level: 17

Gender: Male

Ability: Rock Head

Nature: Graceful

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Bind, Tackle, Rock Tomb, Dragon Breath, Stealth Rock, Head Smash (Egg Move)

Bronzor

Gender: N/A

Level: 23

Ability: Heatproof

Nature: Hardy

Pokeball: Dusk Ball

Moves: Tackle, Confusion, Psywave, Iron Defense, Hypnosis, Feint Attack

Budew

Gender: Female

Level: 17

Ability: Natural Cure

Nature: Docile

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Absorb, Growth, Worry Seed, Water Sport, Mega Drain, Stun Spore, Extrasensory (Egg Move)