Ada and Charmander sat in the dimly lit, abandoned house, fixating on the crumpled document the distraught woman tightly clutched. As Ada gingerly opened the envelope, her fragile form seemed as though it could shatter at any moment. Charmander, observing her profound sorrow, gently nuzzled her trembling leg in an attempt to console her.
"Char," it murmured .
Ada managed a wistful smile, her countenance etched with grief since the loss of her offspring.
"My husband..." Her voice faltered. "My mate sent me this."
She gestured towards the paper, and Charmander blinked in confusion. Before its partner passed away, Charmander had tried to grasp human language.
It recognized the word "Of," sandwiched among the various symbols its partner had referred to as letters.
D for Dewgong.
I for Ivysaur.
V for Venonat.
O for Oddish.
R for Raichu.
C for Charmander!
That was Charmander's favorite letter.
E for Electrode.
The letters swirled in its mind, yet Charmander couldn't decipher the word's meaning.
The little Charmander pondered the word, then turned its gaze to Ada, its partner who, like all human hatchlings, called "mom." They referred to the male parent as "dad."
Pokémon addressed their guardians as mother and father, a more straightforward approach, but the terms "mom" and "dad" exuded a greater sense of warmth.
Soon after hatching, Charmander had been separated from its parents and often pondered whether it had a mother and father or a mom and dad.
Charmander harbored an intense desire to incinerate the source of anguish for the woman it had come to regard as its mom, knowing they were now family.
"Ada," reverberated the professor's voice as two pairs of footsteps hastened to reach the source of the voice, "it's me, Sammy Oak."
The comforting familiarity of the older professor's voice delighted Charmander as it cherished the moments spent with Bulbasaur and Squirtle in the laboratory.
"Mrs. Kamenbudokai!" called out the voice of one of Ada's companions, a young woman who had chosen Bulbasaur as her first Pokémon partner.
She was a young girl with brown eyes and messy dark brown hair cascading down her back. She donned a sleeveless black dress with cyan accents and shorts of the same hue and carried a yellow bag. Her black shoes with cyan soles, a yellow purse, and white wristbands completed her look.
Upon entering the room, she approached them with caution.
"Mrs. Kamenbudokai," she stammered, "We saw your husband leave..."
Charmander greeted her warmly, and she affectionately patted its head. "Hello to you, too," she said tenderly before turning to Ada. "Hello, Mrs. Kamenbudokai."
"Hello, Green," replied Ada.
"Is Mr. Kamenbudokai coming back?" Green inquired.
"No," Ada replied solemnly.
Ada showed Green the ominous paper, causing Green's cheeks to flush, evoking a sense that she might breathe fire.
"What happens now?" Ada asked, prompting all in the room to focus on her. "What do I do with the rest of my life now?"
In rushed a young man with light skin, brown eyes, and spiky hair that defied gravity.
Charmander often speculated whether those spiky strands would puncture the skin.
He sported a long-sleeved purple shirt, dark pan ts, and brown boots.
"Mrs. Kay..." he gasped. "Are you okay?"
"No, Blue, not really," replied Ada.
Green took the paper from Ada and handed it to Blue just as the professor entered the room. Blue's expression contorted in disbelief as the professor approached them.
"Ada," the professor spoke gravely.
"Mr. Kamenbudokai is divorcing her!" Blue uttered with disbelief.
"The scoundrel," mumbled the professor. "Ada..."
"What happens now?" Ada asked, prompting all in the room to focus on her. "What do I do with the rest of my life now?"