Anthémis are invading
She smiled at me. The monster's fangs were stuck in her shoulder, her hands gripped Sharpedo's body tightly to stop him from moving, to allow me to attack, to allow me to win... Stop smiling.
"You think that'll stop us?" said Archie.
Sharpedo tightened his grip again, causing Serena to scream before he threw her into the air. I had to catch her! Faster! Much faster and... A violent shock to my ribs. Serena? Where was Serena? Everything around me was a blur. The smoke stung my eyes and the tears wouldn't stop flowing. But I could see her, and I knew she wouldn't fall onto the platform, but...
"Serena!"
My throat was dry, I couldn't move. My legs, my arms, they refused to obey. The volcano... she was about to fall into its mouth. If this continued, if I didn't do anything... Serena... I thought she wanted to stay with me, she didn't want to leave me, so why...?
"I'm not leaving without you! "
My face was burning, but I could move again. Serena! I had to find Serena! I jumped, my trainer's shadow very close to the magma. She was far away, far too far away. But if I stretched out my arm, maybe I could reach her, maybe...
"Come back!"
My fall suddenly accelerated. I grabbed my trainer and held her as tight as I could. It was hot, Serena's body was hot. The air was burning around her, a few flames rising as I heard a gurgling sound. The magma was there, just millimetres from my feet, almost licking them. I shivered, wondering why I hadn't melted into the burning mass. I tightened my arms around Serena a little more and turned my head. On either side of my body, two wings beat against the burning air. Wings... My wings?
Their regular movement suddenly became erratic. I moved from right to left, sometimes up, often down, forced to follow their whims. I was nothing more than a puppet, and they continued to toss me around, using the hot air to keep themselves out of the magma. But I could hear them, my muscles contracting desperately to work the thin membranes, my aching muscles telling me that they wouldn't be able to pull me up unless... unless...
A sudden fall, the magma so close it bit one of my claws, it hissed as if begging for an end to its ordeal. But now there was something else, a scream rising from the depths of my bowels, a command contaminating my entire body, a prayer ringing in my ears. And it was so easy to reach. So simple... maybe my last chance, my last hope to one day be able to go back on the road as a trainer, to go back on my own, without her. My insides burned, my arms trembled, ready to move aside, to let go of this weight that breathed painfully against my chest, so that they could embrace the freedom I loved, the freedom my father had preferred to me...
A spasm in my back, so violent that it tore a cry of pain from me. No time to breathe, the vision of the black wall closing in on me at full speed, then my body smashing against the rock. I stopped moving, pressed against the side of the volcano, balancing on the few rough edges of the porous wall. My breath caught as I realised my arm was holding the rock, if it was there... then... Tetanised, I didn't dare move an inch. I didn't want to lower my head because... I was afraid of falling. Yes, that's it! I just didn't want to see the magma beneath me, there was nothing else, absolutely nothing else!
A rumbling sound, rock crumbling in the middle of a torrent of water coming down from the sky. It was close, really close, very close...
There was a fair that passed by my house from time to time. I loved going there, with the big wheel shining in the middle of the night, so big that just looking at it made me dizzy. The music as I rode the merry-go-rounds, the thrill of the bumper cars that made my heart beat faster and faster. And then there were all those stalls, those wonderful places where you could win prizes by playing games. I remembered that there was this game, the one with the water pistols, where to win you had to...
Another powerful jet of water, closer than the previous one, scraped against the wall. It splashed against my scales and threw a few pebbles at me.
The showman looked at me with a broad smile, but didn't get up from his chair; he had a ketchup stain on his old green jumper. Mum laughed beside me as I grabbed the plastic gun and pulled it, water running down my fingertips. It wasn't that easy, and the showman warned me that I didn't have many chances left if I wanted to win the jackpot. How many, exactly? How many chances was he giving away? The jets of water rolled over the black rocks without ever hitting the target. It wasn't fair, I was distracted by this repetitive rumbling, my hands were wet and my body was shivering with cold. "Almost! Almost!" the showman gloated and my hands slipped over the trigger. I was about to let go, to give up this game that was getting on my nerves. Oh yes, I'd better go, back to those beautiful lights just below me, no doubt a merry-go-round. Would I be allowed on it?
"Say, Mum, do you..."
"A... Ash..."
It was just a moan, a gurgle that made me doubt it was a human voice. I closed my eyes, my head aching. But... I wanted to know where it came from. At first it was a vague sensation, then it became clearer until I felt a warmth close to my stomach. What was it? I lowered my head. The volcano, the lava, that arm... that trembling arm, the arm that belonged to me... the arm that hadn't moved, that refused to let go.
"S-Serena?" I whispered, stunned.
Curled up against me, she seemed so small, so fragile, and yet her presence weighed so heavily on my heart. I was truly on the verge of... Anger. My anger. It was melting under the pressure of my insides and now it wanted to escape and destroy everything. I could feel it rising, pushing against my conscience that tried to hold it back. Harder and harder, it was her fault, her fault that I was here. This unbearable suffering, this pain I'd managed to forget thanks to pokemons, all of it... it was her fault.
It exploded, the barrier shattered, anger rising, powerful, unstoppable, dripping down my wings as its fiery fumes burned my thoughts. I won't forgive you, not this time, not after all this! My wings pounded the air, helping my arms and legs climb the cliff.
Hydro Pump continued to rain down, trying to drag me back into the depths of the volcano. But Archie was bad at this game, very bad indeed. The last few metres, my foot crushing the porous surface, my hand gripping the ledge and my anger at you, maybe even hatred, pulling me out of the hole.
I was angry with you, I was so angry with you, and yet when I looked at you, this wave of hatred that was always there refused to flow, refused to hurt you, couldn't bear to see you hurt again. Your pale skin, your bluish lips, your jerky breathing, your eyes that opened without seeing me before you slipped back into unconsciousness. And the ribbon, the ribbon I gave you, it was all dirty now. All that... I hated you, hated you, but... seeing you suffer hurt me so much.
"I wonder if it was really worth it," Archie sneered behind my back.
"Shut up," I whispered weakly.
I didn't care about him, I just wanted Serena to stop pretending to be asleep. She knew I was angry with her, so she tried to run away, but I wasn't going to let her get away with it!
"I don't think you understand..."
A yelp of horror vibrated in the back of my throat as I saw the inside of Mega-Sharpedo's mouth glowing blue. I'd understood! I wouldn't be in his way anymore! Make him stop!
"Finish..."
Serena moaned against me. Unable to defend myself, I lowered my head and hid behind my wings. I waited for the water to bite me, for the shock to shatter my skull, for Serena's body to escape from my arms... But it wouldn't happen. I took one last deep breath, moved my neck, stiffened by the immobile scales, trembled, wanted to give up, then finally looked. Archie had put his arm over his pokemon's mouth, preventing him from attacking. His hand was shaking, his lips were frozen, and his eyes were peering discreetly behind him.
What was he doing? Suddenly, I felt a warm liquid running down my arm. I lowered my head and stifled a cry. Red, all red, oozing from Serena's shoulder. I pressed my hand against it, it was hot, horribly hot and viscous. I had to stop it!
"Tsss!" I heard Archie mumble before calling his pokemon back.
I looked at him, not understanding what he was doing. He removed the blindfold from his forehead and pulled his hair back. He was coming towards me. I tried to back away, but my legs were shaking. The man lowered himself to my level, letting me see his angry eyes. I lowered my head, unable to meet his gaze. Did he frighten me like this when I was human?
"Should I really spare them? Should I wait? Do you really want to wait? Yes... maybe... but we have to make a decision," he said in his deep voice.
His face was so close to mine and yet his voice seemed so far away. He closed his eyes and stood up. I kept staring at him, expecting him to finish the job. But he didn't, he turned away and walked back to the platform overlooking the volcano.
Had he gone? Really gone? I shook my head, I had nothing to be happy about! The wound on Serena's shoulder was still spurting blood and it wouldn't stop. Flannery! If I could find Flannery then... I pushed my legs together and took a few steps forward, sniffing the air in search of the leader. But something caught my eye. I hadn't seen it before. In the middle of the dross, where I stood before you asked me to trust you... Your pink bag, when did you put it down? Why did you leave it there? But she remained silent, refusing to answer me. Well, you didn't have to say anything. I knew... you put your pokeballs in there, your precious friends, because...
"You knew you'd get hurt," I muttered.
I grabbed the bag, clawing at the pink straps. I couldn't walk straight, my head bobbing on my long neck. You kept hoping that once Sharpedo was defeated, I could take them to the centre, but for that...
"You told yourself there was only one way to win."
I couldn't help but smile, mocking myself for not understanding sooner. So that's how you saw me. A pokemon that only wanted to win, and expected its trainer to do everything in her power to achieve that goal. A new groan against me, her mouth opening to take in some air before suddenly closing again.
"You thought I'd be disappointed if you didn't sacrifice yourself..." I gasped.
I fell to my knees. I couldn't stand it anymore, my body was heavy. I managed to close my eyes for a few seconds, just long enough to catch my breath. The porous rock mattress suddenly felt nice, and then there was the smell of Serena against me, and as long as she was there...
My head hurt and I didn't want to open my eyes. But I could hear regular creaking noises. Footsteps. Someone was walking on the volcanic rocks and getting closer. Was it Archie? Was he coming back? I struggled to open one eye and saw a misshapen shadow coming towards me. I stood up, my eyes burning, but I only had to take one step forward and... I collapsed miserably on the slimy floor. What was that? The stones were a strange colour... Blood? Serena's blood!? How... how could there be so much of it? I'd only closed my eyes for a few seconds, just a few seconds.
"Tell me, tell me it was only a few seconds," I whispered.
She couldn't answer me. Her mouth half open, her chest heaving as her stomach didn't seem to know when to contract and when to relax. My scales trembled. The shadow had joined me, the shadow was right behind me. I had to defend Serena!
"Calm down!" I heard someone shout.
I continued to growl, my vision blurred by tears.
"Don't come any closer!"
"I told you to calm down!" the shadow shouted.
It closed the distance between us and let me see its face. Flannery? Was it really her? She kept looking back, her face tense, her clothes damp and her hair loose now. She ran a hand over her face, wiping away the cut that split her eyebrow.
"How's Serena?" she asked.
I stepped back slightly so that the leader could see her. Now that she was here, everything would be fine, and Serena wouldn't be... Flannery's eyes had widened, her mouth twisted into a horrified grimace.
"Charizard... I don't think so..." she stammered.
Charizard? Yes, it was Charizard now. But why was she standing still?
"Chari, Char?" I called to her.
She tried to avoid my gaze, but I kept calling, refusing to stop until she had dealt with my trainer. She bit her lip, clenched her fist and looked back before asking me:
"You're not leaving without her?"
And why would I do that? All she had to do was put a bandage on the wound, maybe a special cream, and Serena would wake up. Serena would get better, and then I could finally get mad at her.
"It's all or nothing," Flannery muttered.
She closed her eyes before calling Magcargo. All that was left of the pokemon's shell were a few scattered pieces, making it look almost like a slugma. He looked exhausted, and I couldn't understand what she was trying to do.
"Do you have enough energy?" she asked her friend.
A few drops of magma dripped from the pokemon's face as he nodded.
"Charizard, put her down," she said with a slight smile.
I shivered, reluctant to be separated from Serena. Noticing this, the leader placed a comforting hand on my back and whispered:
"We must hurry."
I nodded and left my trainer in Flannery's care. As the magma snail approached, I felt my heart quicken and my mind wander again, as I thought I saw in that pokemon the volcano that had tried to take my trainer away from me. Magcargo took one last look at the leader, as if to confirm the silent order she had given him. Why was he hesitating? What did he want...
He opened his slobbering mouth and dripped his flames onto Serena's shoulder. She screamed, her body and face twisted, she gasped, tears of pain beading at the corners of her eyes. Too weak to defend herself, not unconscious enough not to feel the fire devouring her.
"Flannery? What are you doing?" I slurred.
"This may be her only chance... So please don't attack."
I felt the lightning flash through my fist, my muscles tensed, ready to stop the horrible monster. And at the same time, I couldn't move, I couldn't move forward, I couldn't stop Serena from suffering.
"You shouldn't cry, your trainer couldn't take it."
Flannery had whispered this over Serena's screams. My fist had fallen back, my heartbeat had slowed as my vision was reduced to a narrow tunnel.
"You know... Serena doesn't care how I feel. "
The pokemon had stopped. Serena was still shaking a little. Flannery hurried to wrap a cloth around her shoulder to cover the dark mark that had formed.
"Now we have to hurry and get out of the volcano before..."
Flannery's eyes widened and she spun around, her face paling as she took in her surroundings. I could see them, too, the henchmen surrounding us with their pokemons, smiling, happy to make the leader pay for the defeat of their companions.
"We're not so smart anymore," one man sneered, juggling a pokeball.
Magcargo glared at the members of Team Aqua with his big yellow eyes, doing his best to intimidate them by making the magma inside him whistle. But he shrank back into himself as a giant came towards us, accompanied by a sharpedo. A sharpedo with red eyes, a huge jaw, crenellated teeth... I lowered my eyes and let out a terrified groan, unable to control my shaking.
"I've never seen such a wretched Charizard!" I heard one of the henchmen say.
I could feel Flannery's eyes on me, the despair she felt knowing she couldn't count on me to help her.
"Did Archie do this?" the man asked suddenly.
I looked up and saw only the Team Aqua symbol painted in white on his bare skin.
"Matt, what are you doing?" a henchman shouted.
The man called Matt frowned as he saw my trainer and moved his hand towards her, but I stepped back to prevent him from touching her. He grimaced and switched on his Xtransceiver, turning away from me so I couldn't hear everything.
"Yes, you've damaged her quite badly and I'm afraid she's going to... Yes, I know we can't let her go like this, but we won't have anything to treat her with here and... Archie! I assure you, it's serious! I wouldn't be wasting your time if it wasn't! Yes... Yes, that might be a solution, but... But what? Wouldn't you rather send a henchman? OK, OK, I'll do it".
Hypnotised, I didn't take my eyes off the man's huge hands, ready to crush my head in a split second as he hung up.
"You, leader, tend to this pokemon's wounds so it can go to Lavaridge."
"What!" Flannery choked out.
"I know there's no hospital in this town, so I hope the local doctor isn't too bad. Or if not, that he's got a good enough argument to convince Archie to let her leave the area."
"And you think the locals will let you in without a fight?"
"Don't worry too much about that," Matt replied.
Flannery had taken a step back, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Stop making that face and hurry..."
"Char," I cut him off.
There was no need to wait, I didn't need any treatment. Flannery seemed to suddenly come to her senses and yelled at me:
"Don't you see your wounds? You're in no condition to walk..."
But I'd already put my trainer on my back to show them I was ready to go. Matt smiled and said:
"If you collapse, don't expect me to take pity on you and carry you on my back."
I was fine with that. Even if my scales fell off with every step I took, even if my tail dragged on the ground and my mouth tasted like gunpowder. As long as I could hear her breathing against me, I was fine.
My legs were shaking, my wings flapping against the branches of the dead trees that crossed our path, and Serena... I could feel her belly pressing steadily against my back. Slowly the pressure eased and my heart tightened, fearing that the exhalation I felt against my scales would be the last. But the pressure kept coming back, though each time it seemed a little weaker than the last.
Flannery walked ahead of me, frustrated that she wasn't moving any faster. At the moment, she had to stop herself from leaving us to get back to her town as quickly as possible. And Serena was breathing against me. The Admin's pace was slower, and he looked at the monotonous landscape with a bored expression on his face. He hadn't said a word since we'd left the volcano, just sighed from time to time. And Serena breathed against me.
"Here we are!" exclaimed Flannery, her relief unmistakable.
Indeed, the slate roofs glistened in the sunlight, sheltering the rustic-looking houses. In some places wisps of smoke could be seen rising, signalling the presence of hot springs. I remembered that they had the ability to heal wounds, perhaps if Serena went there... The sound of a jaw, the sound of a jaw clashing. I froze, not daring to take another step as two people in striped uniforms came towards us. I recoiled at the sight of them, unable to bear the red eyes staring back at me. I concentrated on Serena's breathing and the warmth of her skin, which my scales were struggling to warm.
"Guys, I've got it," I heard Matt say.
Flannery growled as the admin told us to follow him. If she ever exploded, if she suddenly decided to fight the invaders against all odds, what would I do? Would... would Matt agree to spare Serena if I didn't fight, if I behaved like a docile pokemon? I suddenly felt the man's gaze on me. He wanted to expose my terrible ideas, to exhume my decision to abandon the leader, the person whose friend I had once pretended to be. I felt like I was being tossed about, like I was drowning, like I was disappearing. All this, everything I felt, wasn't me... It was your fault. Serena kept breathing.
Under the late evening sun, protected from the volcano's regurgitation by a favourable wind, the men and women of Team Aqua strolled through the deserted streets. Their smiles, their laughter, the serenity they showed in this city that wasn't theirs... But why should they worry when all the shutters were closed and the doors locked? No one would bother them, no one would question their supremacy, the people here were too cowardly for that, they were too cowardly to help Serena and... I was no better. I kept my head down, moaning when they got too close. And I could see their disgusted faces every time they saw my trainer. My trainer who breathed.
The Pokemon Center. A place I stopped at every time I took a break, with the promise of a hot meal, a soft mattress and a nurse to look after my pokemons. A place where you could recover your strength after a long journey. But not this time. The windows were smashed, the front of the shop partially collapsed, revealing the looted interior. Joy had abandoned her stronghold and taken refuge in the garden, tending to a few injured pokemons. She gave us a hopeful look before her face fell as she noticed the giant walking behind us. The woman lowered her head and returned to help the lucky who had called her. I didn't need to ask the Admin why they had done this. It was obvious, and the weight on my back, the weight that needed to be taken care of, was a constant reminder.
A moan. She moaned. My muscles tensed. It was weak, much too weak.
"I know there's no hospital here, but we'll find a solution," I assured her.
But her body suddenly heaved, her breathing coming in anarchic jerks. She moaned, her clammy fingers tightening on my scales.
"Serena? Serena, you have to hold on! The doctor? Flannery! Where is the doctor?"
The leader pushed my hand away that was crushing her shoulder. She grimaced as she looked at Serena, exactly the same expression as those henchmen.
"Stay calm."
How could she say that! Serena, she... she... my scales vibrated, my flame crackled, my wings swelled with blood. She wasn't telling me to stay calm because everything would be fine for Serena, she was telling me that so that... if ever... She was... telling me this with the thought that Serena would...
"Stay calm," Matt repeated.
I kept walking, not really knowing where my feet were. Serena was breathing. I think she was breathing. Unless it was just the wind at my back playing a trick on me. Maybe it had been laughing at me since I left the volcano. I'd see when we got there, when I should turn my head, I'd see. Flannery stopped in front of a small red brick house. She rang the bell once, twice, and then I lost count. That was all right, I just needed a little more time, just a few more seconds before I had to turn my head.
"What now?" a man shouted as he opened the door.
I turned slightly so he could see Serena without taking my eyes off the red rectangles criss-crossed by dirty cement.
"Norma, my blood pressure monitor, please," he called.
He beckoned us in. I hadn't expected the waiting room to be packed, especially with patients about my age, covered in sores and moaning in pain. No doubt those who had had the good idea to oppose Team Aqua...
"You can put her down," the doctor ordered.
I clenched my jaw and did as I was told. Serena breathed in front of me. Every muscle in her neck was contracting and squeezing to get some air in. She was sweating and seemed to suffer with every movement of her chest. The people around us stared at this curious thing, as if fascinated by the strange movements of this body.
"Stop it."
My wings rose, covering her, protecting her from all those eyes waiting for the show to end. The doctor had placed the blue armband around Serena's arm. He didn't speak, seemed to be listening intently to things I couldn't hear as the air whistled past its prison. He lifted his head towards me, suddenly seeming to know some truth that eluded me. Then he took a small device from his pocket and placed it on the tip of my trainer's finger before scolding the Admin:
"Are you proud of yourself?"
"Do your job, Doc," Matt replied, crossing his arms.
The doctor tensed but didn't argue. His eyebrows furrowed as he studied the numbers on his machine. He stood up, put his hand in his pocket and sighed:
"Norma, if I'm not mistaken, we should have an oxygen tank left in the storeroom. And you, Charizard, you'd better get away from her."
"Zard!"
"O2 and a walking flamethrower, no thanks."
I grimaced and reluctantly agreed to step aside as the nurse brought in the heavy bottle, trapping my trainer's face in a mask that was too tight.
"Flannery, can you take her to your own house? I won't have room to look after her properly here."
The leader agreed as the doctor handed the nurse some keys and asked her to take Serena and set up all the necessary equipment before he arrived. He would look after Serena... but only after checking on the other patients. And for that I could have burned him alive if Flannery hadn't stopped me.
The nurse had left first with Serena at the wheel of the van, leaving us behind. Not to feel her weight on my back, not to feel her breath against me, I didn't think it would scare me so much. I scraped my feet, slowing strangely as Flannery led us to her house.
The front steps, three steps and yet so hard to climb. The living room door, so light and yet so hard to push. It was Flannery who turned the handle and pushed the door open. It was heavy. The rigid table on which Serena had been placed. The gallows beside her and the long transparent wire to which her arm was attached. Her breath preserved by the white metal canister. And now we had to wait for the doctor to finish seeing the other injured, for him to decide to come for someone... someone whose efforts might not be rewarded.
The little short-haired nurse had finished all her preparations. She looked at her watch, seemingly annoyed at the time she was spending here doing nothing. Then the doctor arrived. He was still in civilian clothes, in no hurry to enter the room when the woman had already locked herself in the next room to change. The man put down his briefcase and pulled on a pair of gloves, still silent, terribly silent. He applied pressure to the injured shoulder and Serena's face immediately tightened.
"Calm down," Flannery told me.
I swallowed my flames, literally. The man took out his stethoscope without hurrying, as if the young girl breathing heavily next to him wasn't important.
"Fluid replacement didn't go too badly," he said quietly.
Fluid replacement? I had the impression that this man only saw Serena as an object, something to be repaired, but... if she was permanently broken, he wouldn't care. The man suddenly started to undress her, not caring that I was still in the room.
"Are you all right, Charizard?" Flannery worried.
But I could feel my scales acting up again. It wasn't the right time! Not when Serena...
"If he's going to faint, I'd rather he came out right away," the old man warned.
No! I wanted to know... He had taken off Serena's dress, leaving her in her underwear. Pink with a bit of lace around the edges and... I hurried out of the room. My heart felt like it was swelling and crushing my lungs, and a bit of steam came out of my mouth. I wanted to go back into the room, but I was afraid I wouldn't react any better. And somehow, not seeing Serena again... it felt good. So I waited outside the closed door until Flannery came out. I looked at her for a long time, wondering how long she would stay like this without saying anything. She took one last look behind her before declaring in a strong, confident voice:
"Serena is not going to the hospital."
So it wasn't that serious? I thought it was... and she looked so...
"He's going to take care of her here."
I didn't want to hear that. Now, Flannery, you could say:
"Tell me it's not serious!"
Flannery lowered her head, hesitantly, and I felt the flames pulsing through my body die away as she said:
"The doctor has really tried everything, but the head of Team Aqua won't listen, and Matt... he's not the type to betray him. So she'll stay here. He'll look after her here."
When did my legs get so weak? I backed away until my back hit the wall behind me and I collapsed.
"Charizard..."
The tears wouldn't stop flowing and I didn't have the strength to wipe them away. I was so terribly cold that my teeth were chattering. I stared at my clawed orange hands.
"Would she prefer to continue her journey without me?"
Flannery couldn't understand my question, no one could. I was suddenly gripped by an uncontrollable fit of giggling. I'd stayed with Serena too long, knowing full well that it would end up hurting her and me. What if I went back to Pikachu right now? Return to my human form, quickly get back on the road and become a Pokemon Master. It was much easier.
I looked up at the ceiling, the spirals spinning in the wooden slats. One, two, three, they hypnotised me, comforted me. One more, and another, many beautiful spirals and...
The door was open. Matt had gone out and forgotten to close it. The doctor was wearing a strange blue outfit that covered his entire body, his hands crossed at chest level, a purple mask tucked under his small glasses. He took the strange sheets of paper the nurse had handed him, some of which already covered Serena's body. He hadn't covered her face yet, and something told me it wouldn't be long before he did. I couldn't look away, finding it hard to believe that those thin lips had ever smiled at me. It was hard to imagine that this being that didn't move could have encouraged me, got angry, laughed, protected me...
The last blue sheet covered her face, making Serena disappear, reducing her to a wounded shoulder, a simple square of burnt flesh. The door closed suddenly, Flannery's hand clenching the handle.
"Charizard, you must also disinfect your wounds."
Disinfect... yes, maybe that would be good. And the spirals on the ceiling, those eternal spirals... I could swear they were laughing at me.
Notes : Those paragraphs, when Serena is thrown into the volcano, and Ash, transformed into a charizard, rushes towards her to save her, was the very first scene that came to me for this story. From then on, I wondered what had happened before to bring her to that point, and how things would develop after that, and that's how I built my story. So that part is particularly important to me, because without it this fiction would never have seen the light of day.
Fun fact : originally, I'd imagined Ash transforming directly at Charizard, but without the power and control, so we ended up with a monster who terrified trainers at first sight, then was mocked for not even being able to use a Flamethrower. To be honest, I really liked the concept, but it lacked sustainability and lost the "parallel between physical and mental evolution" aspect. And of course, using Charmander and Charmeleon allowed me to vary the size and characteristics of the creatures to add more variety to the story.