Pokémon Crash Version

by SuperSalteon4

The protagonist; Crash Betchum from PalletTown, is on a journey to become a Pokémon Master. He will act similarly to Ash at the beginning of his journey, but will actually age and mature. He'd also catch, evolve, train Pokémon that Ash didn't catch in his journey, but he'd also avoid other Pokémon that Ash did catch earlier in his journey. How will his journey pan out?

9. Chapter 9: Off to a Great Starter

Chapter Nine: Off to a Great Starter!

It's been about three days since Crash and company continued south of Pokémon Tech, in hopes of reaching Kanto's port city of Vermilion, the site of Crash's 3rd gym badge. However, Fate has something else in store for our heroes, as they have become undeniably lost. Well… not entirely undeniable.

"Crash, are you sure we're going the right way?" Misty asked as she wiped sweat off her brow.

"I'm sure!" Crash sighed. "Just trust me on this Misty."

"You said that hours ago." Misty droned. "And we still haven't made it back to the path."

"It hasn't been that long." Crash waved away.

"Actually it has." Brock said, pointing at the sun's position. "The sun was further east when we started. Now it's directly above us."

Misty shot Crash an "I toldja so" look. Crash grumbled and grimaced back at her.

"Oh, what was that?" Misty raised a brow. "Can you say that louder?"

"Ok, I guess we have gotten lost…" Crash sighed.

"See!?" Misty shouted. "We should have kept on the path, but you with your infinite wisdom-"

Brock cut her off. "Alright, that's enough. Let's just try and find a spot to rest."

Crash and friends continued walking until they came to a clearing with a small waterfall. The trio then sat down in a circle under a tree to hide away from the burning sun.

"So what should we do now?" Crash asked.

Misty gave a sarcastic gasp. "What's this? The great Crash Betchum is asking for our input? This is unheard of! Brock we must show our thanks!" She began to mock worship bow to Crash.

Crash glared at her. "Hey, weren't you just complaining about being off the path?"

"Even if we tried to go back, we'd get more lost!" She replied.

"As if you could do any better." Crash retorted.

Brock scooted away, not wanting any part in their squabbling.

They soon stopped arguing when a Pokémon waddled towards a nearby river. It was a small blue Pokémon with small feet and five leaves atop its head. The small Pokémon knelt down to the river and began drinking.

Crash quickly pulled out his Pokédex.

Dexter: Oddish, the Weed Pokémon. A Grass and Poison type. It may be mistaken for a clump of weeds. It often plants its root feet in the ground during the day and sows seeds as it walks about at night.

"Aww, it's so cute!" Misty cooed. "I'm gonna catch it!"

"Wait a second," Crash said, stepping in front of Misty. "Aren't you a water type trainer?

"Yeah, but we found it near the water and water's my specialty." Misty sent out her Starmie.

The now frightened Oddish attempted to run away, but Starmie quickly jumped in its way. On Misty's command, Starmie then blasted the Oddish with a Bubblebeam to slow it down.

Now being slowed due to all the suds in its eyes, Misty threw a Pokéball in hopes of catching the Weed Pokémon. Only for the ball to be battered away and hit her in the face.

A reptilian Pokémon jumps from behind a bush and growls at the red-haired water specialist.

Crash and Brock recognize the Pokémon immediately.

"A Bulbasaur?" the two said in shock. Crash pulled out his Pokédex once again.

Dexter: Bulbasaur. The Seed Pokémon. A Grass and Poison type. While it is young, it uses the nutrients that are stored in the seeds on its back in order to grow. As a result, it can go for days without eating a single morsel.

"What's it doing here?" Crash asked. "Bulbasaur can't normally be found in the wild so what's one doing here?"

"I don't know." Brock replied.

"And I don't care!" Misty said. "This Bulbasaur knocked my Pokéball into my face and now it's gonna pay! Starmie! Use Tackle!"

The starfish Pokémon launches itself at the Seed Pokémon, only for the grass type to knock its opponent away with two vines protruding from the base of its bulb.

"Starmie, now use Water Gun!" The Mysterious Pokémon fires a blast of water, only for Bulbasaur to cut through the blast of water with a Vine Whip, knocking Starmie into the ground.

"Starmie! "Are you ok?"

The starfish Pokémon nods and flips back up.

Before Misty could give Starmie another command, the Bulbasaur sprayed a mysterious powder on Starmie causing it to fall back down.

"Starmie!" Misty kneels down to her ace Pokémon worriedly. She then breathes a sigh of relief. "Good, you're just asleep." Misty turns back to the two Grass types, but they were already out of sight.

"Misty!" Crash called out. "Are you and Starmie ok?"

"I'm fine." Misty nodded, but her eyes fell to her Pokémon. "Starmie took some damage, but it's OK. It was just hit by a sleep powder."

"We gotta follow that Bulbasaur!" Crash said determined. "I wanna catch it!"

"Of course you do." Misty sighed as she retrieved her Starmie. "Well I still have a score to settle with it."

"Well I saw them go in that direction." Brock said, pointing where the two Pokémon once stood.

"Then let's go!" Crash said, running in the same direction Brock pointed.

Misty and Brock shared a look between each other and followed Crash.

/-/

"I'm willing to bet it went over this bridge." Crash smiled.

As the trio stepped onto the bridge, it began to shake back and forth violently. Brock warned that they'd have to be careful or they'd end up falling into the river below.

Once they are 2/4 of the way across, one of the ropes suspending the bridge snaps and causes the trio to dangle off one side.

Crash is able to grab a piece of rope that was still attached to the bridge, while Misty dangles from his leg, holding on for her life. However, Brock was unable to grab onto anything, resulting in him falling into the river below.

"Ah, Brock!" Crash reached out for his male companion as he fell. Crash felt his grip weaken as he attempted to grab ahold of Brock.

"Crash," Misty shouted as she continued to thrash about while clinging to Crash's leg. "Get us on solid ground first! We'll find Brock once we do."

Despite carrying the weight of his partner Pokémon and Misty, Crash is able to safely reach the other side of the bridge.

"We have to find Brock." Misty breathed a sigh of relief now that they were safe.

"Can't we take a quick break?" Crash asked, quite out of breath. His arms felt like they were going numb and his right leg felt as if it was burning.

"The longer we take, the more likely it is that we can't find Brock." Misty explained.

"Okay…" Crash sighed as he made to stand. "Let's go find him."

They make their way to the riverside, with Misty leading the search for their washed away friend. As Misty took off in the direction they saw the stream carry Brock, she found herself falling into a pitfall.

Crash picked up his pace and checked the hole to see if Misty was ok.

"Misty are you ok?"

"I fell on my butt pretty hard, but I'm fine." She replied, rubbing her bottom.

"But how'd you fall down there?"

"I don't know!" Misty shouted back. "Someone definitely dug this hole though."

"But why?"

"I don't know! Just get me out of this hole!"

/-/

A young woman kneels down to a nearby river to care for an injured Magikarp, when the sight of a human washing ashore startled her.

"Wha!? W-what's a person doing here? The path between Vermilion and Cerulean is nowhere near my village."

She slowly approached the unconscious male. She lays her ear against his chest, hoping to hear something, and fortunately, she hears the unconscious boy's heartbeat. She breathes a sigh of relief, and presses her hands on his chest repeatedly to push out the water.

"He isn't a poacher… he's way too young for that…" She gasped. "Maybe he's a traveling trainer and just got lost?" She pondered the possibilities. "Well regardless, I'm not gonna just leave him here."

/-/

Crash sighed. "This isn't our day is it?"

"No, it's not." Misty agreed.

The duo continued to walk along the water's edge in search of their friend. They continued walking for a while until Misty tripped over a tree root, triggering a net from below that ensnares the duo and Mark.

"What the?" Crash gasped.

"Another trap!?" Misty complained.

The three captives struggle inside the net, hoping to escape from it, but to no avail.

"Crash, look over there." Misty pointed behind him.

"Hey!" Crash said. "It's a Bulbasaur!"

The Bulbasaur looks at them with scorn before leaving them behind.

"Hey come back here!" Crash shouted as he shook the net he, Misty and Mark were trapped in.

"Crash, stop it!" She shouted. "You're kicking me!"

"Oof!" Crash grunted as something hit his stomach. " You kicked me!"

The two began to argue between each other, but it was cut short as Mark couldn't listen to their fighting and shocked them.

After two hours, the net finally drops, releasing the duo and allowing them to stretch their legs.

Crash and Misty yelp as they hit the ground, the latter of which rubs her rear end, not fully recovered from her pitfall incident.

"Sorry about that guys," a familiar voice called out. "I'd meant to make that landing softer."

"Brock?" The two stared up at their companion in disbelief. "You're ok. What happened? We saw you getting washed away."

"I became unconscious because of all the water in my lungs, but a beautiful girl saved me."

"You'll call any girl beautiful." Crash remarked.

"Come on, I'll take you to her cottage." Brock offered. As Misty took a step forward she fell into a hole in the ground.

"And uh, watch out for pitfalls." Brock said.

Misty growls at the late warning as Crash helps her out the hole.

/-/

Brock began to lead his friends though the forest, and into another clearing where a girl is caring for a Rattata. She turns around and sees the boy she'd saved return with company.

"Melanie, I'm back!" Brock said.

"Oh Brock, you're back!" She looks behind him. "Those are the friends you told me about, right?"

"Yep." Brock turns to his companions "Crash, Misty, this is Melanie."

"Hi there." Crash greeted bac

k. He looked behind Melanie. "Are all those Pokémon yours?"

Melanie shook her head. "No. These Pokémon are either wild injured or one's that were abandoned, and I look after them."

"Like a shelter?" Misty surmised.

"Yes! That's right." Melanie said. "I offer food and medical attention to Pokémon that need it."

"If you know that much, you can possibly become a Pokémon doctor then." Crash said.

"I'm flattered you think that, but I don't have the qualifications to be a Pokémon doctor." Melanie replied, though appreciating the compliment.

"The Pokémon here aren't all that violent, so no battles ever happen here." She continued. "They're all good friends."

"I can see that." Crash smiled.

"How nice." Misty agreed.

"And she even has a book on different herbs that can cure different ailments, and even strengthen a Pokémon." Brock bragged.

"She's just like you, Brock." Crash grinned. "She deeply cares for Pokémon."

"Not to mention she's a pretty face to match." Misty added.

"Yeah, very pretty." Brock echoed as he stared at Melanie bending over.

Crash and Misty put on deadpan stares to hide their disappointment.

"And things were going so well…" They thought.

Melanie turns back to the traveling trio. "Did you two happen to see any traps?"

"Yeah, two pitfalls and a net. Why?"

Melanie blushes in embarrassment. "I was the one to set those up."

"You set those up?" Crash asked.

"It was to protect the Pokémon from poachers." She admitted. "I hadn't expected innocent trainers to trigger them."

"But do you really think traps like those could keep out poachers?" Crash questioned. "I mean, you'd have to be pretty stupid to fall for the same trap over and over again."

His face met the ground as Misty hit him from behind.

"Maybe not, but I made the traps more…"intense" as they got deeper in the forest." Melanie answered. "And while you're here could you refrain from capturing any Pokémon?"

"Sure they will, right guys?" Brock said.

The two trainers give a reluctant groan.

"Right guys?" Brock repeated, more threateningly. They give a more affirmative answer.

"Great!" Melanie cheered. "Are you all willing to help me care for these Pokémon? There are a bit more Pokémon than I can handle, so I'll need all the help I can get."

"We wouldn't say no to helping sick or hurt Pokémon." Misty replied.

"Just tell us what to do." Crash nodded.

"I'm more than happy to help." Brock said, holding Melanie's hand. Crash and Misty rolled their eyes.

"Wonderful, let's get to work." Melanie smiled.

/-/

Crash and friends help Melanie with the injured and sick Pokémon near her cottage, and check up on the ones that continued to stay.

Misty then comes across the same Oddish she attempted to catch earlier.

"I heard you were abandoned by your trainer because they thought you were weak. Is that right?"

The Oddish nods.

"Well that trainer's a jerk!" Misty snapped. "They wouldn't know a good Pokémon if it hit them with a Hyper Beam!"

The Oddish shudders.

She turns back to the Oddish. "Sorry about that. And about attacking you… You must've been scared huh?"

The Oddish nods again.

"Not all trainer's are like that. Some are really nice." Misty begins to pet the Oddish. "You'll find a trainer that likes you soon, I just know it."

Misty begins to tear up. Oddish wipes a tear away with one of its leaves, attempting to cheer her up.

"Thanks Oddish. It's just that I've been very competitive lately. I hope I'm not becoming heartless."

"A bit late for that don'cha think." Crash remarked.

"Say that to my face you-" Misty shouted as she was interrupted by something tackling her from behind.

"Ow!" Misty cried. She turns back to see a Bulbasaur. "It's rude to Tackle people!"

"If you wanna Tackle something, Tackle a Pokémon during a Pokémon battle." Crash added as he reached for a Pokéball. "If you wanna battle, I'll be more than happy to give you one!"

Bulbasaur paws at the ground like a Tauros ready to charge.

"Wait, please!" Melanie steps between the Pokémon and trainers. "Please don't fight. Bulbasaur was only trying to protect Oddish."

"Trying to protect Oddish?" The two trainers asked.

"Bulbasaur volunteered to protect the Pokémon here from poachers."

"That would explain why it attacked me twice…" Misty said standing up.

The Seed Pokémon begins to push against Crash's leg, attempting to move him.

"Now what's it doing?" Crash asked.

"Bulbasaur doesn't really like Pokémon trainers, so it wants you all to leave as soon as possible." Melanie replied.

"It really sees us that much as a threat, huh?" Misty wondered.

"It just wants what's best for the Pokémon here, it's trying to protect its friends." Melanie explained.

"How awesome." Crash gasped.

Misty and Melanie looked at Crash as he knelt down to pet the grass type. The Bulbasaur stopped and stared back at Crash.

"You're loyal, strong, and you care for your friends," Crash said. "That's awesome Bulbasaur. You're awesome. I'd love to have you on my team."

The Grass type runs away, not knowing what to feel.

"Wait, Bulbasaur!" Crash said holding a hand out.

"I guess Bulbasaur went back to patrol…" Melanie said, turning back Crash. "You've done something only I've been able to do."

"What?" Crash asked.

Melanie gave a sweet smile. "Calm Bulbasaur down."

"The way you've said it sounds like a feat in itself." Misty said.

/-/

As Crash and the gang finish checking up the last of the Pokémon and decide to take a break on Melanie's offer.

"Please take a seat." She said as she pulled out chairs for them to sit.

The group sits at the table as Melanie hands out sandwiches and cups of homemade lemonade.

"Wow, this all looks great!" Crash said, immediately digging in.

"It does!" Misty agreed.

"Help yourselves." Melanie smiled.

As they finish eating Melanie stops Crash from leaving.

"I was hoping you and I could talk, Crash." She said with a whisper to her voice.

"Oh, sure thing." Crash smiled, heading back inside.

"Crash, where are you going?" Misty asked.

"Melanie says she has something to tell me." Crash answered. "It won't be long."

Crash heads back inside the house.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"It's about Bulbasaur?" She said rather quickly.

"What about Bulbasaur?" He asked.

"Are you willing to take Bulbasaur off my hands?" Melanie asked.

"Take Bulbasaur?" Crash repeated. "But what about the village?"

"Bulbasaur's bulb needs to grow. It won't be able to grow by just staying here." She replied.

"But who'd protect the village?"

"I set up traps to stop people. And besides, no one has ever gotten as far as you have." She explained. "And the village is too safe."

"Too safe?"

She nodded. "This space is supposed to act as a rest stop for Pokémon. But once they come here, they never want to leave. In some cases, they even bring their friends here and even start families. It's too safe with Bulbasaur around, and I don't have the funds to care for all the Pokémon here."

"Oh." Crash realized. "Eventually you'll run out of food and space for the Pokémon here."

"Which will make it too chaotic for the Pokémon that need to stay." Melanie finished. "So, will you take Bulbasaur? It will mean a lot to me and this village."

Crash smiled. "Of course!"

"I'm glad you're willing." Melanie said. "Now to find Bulbasaur!"

/-/

They eventually find the Seed Pokémon and begin to explain the deal. The grass type is obviously very reluctant, but after a while, the grass type becomes open to the idea. But with a condition.

"I guess Bulbasaur won't get captured without a fight." She smiled.

"Ok Bulbasaur! You're mine!" Crash turns to Mark. "Alright buddy, you're up!"

Mark steps forward and prepares himself to battle the grass type.

"Mark, use Quick Attack!"

The mouse Pokémon charges at the Seed Pokémon at a high speed.

Bulbasaur strikes with a Vine Whip, knocking the electric type off course. Then hits the mouse Pokémon with a Tackle. Bulbasaur prepares another Tackle.

"Mark! Dodge and use Quick Attack!"

Mark jumps above the attack and strikes the grass type from behind.

"Use Quick Attack again!"

Mark charges at the grass type again, but is grabbed by Bulbasaur's Vine Whip. The grass type begins to repeatedly slam Mark into the ground.

"Mark! Use a Thundershock!"

Mark electrocutes the grass type, paralyzing it.

"Ok, Go Pokéball!" Crash throws the Pokéball and it makes contact.

The ball shakes once. Twice. Thrice. before a 'DING' is heard.

Crash grabs the Pokéball. "Alright! I just caught myself…" He poses with a peace sign. "A Bulbasaur!"

Mark does the same, also posing.

Crash then turns to Melanie. "Don't worry, I'll take great care of Bulbasaur, I promise!"

"I know you will." She nodded.

/-/

"Hey guys!" Crash called out, excited.

"Why're you so happy?" Misty asked.

"Say hello to our newest team member, Briar!" Crash said, throwing a Pokéball skyward. A Bulbasaur emerges.

"You caught that Bulbasaur?" The Gym leader duo asked.

"Melanie said that was what was best for the village." He explained.

"Also, Briar?" Misty asked.

"He was pretty prickly when we first met. So Briar's a good name!" Brock smiled.

"Exactly!" Crash echoed.

"Are we gonna get a move on or what?" Misty asked. "We're losing daylight, and I am not sleeping in a forest filled with bugs again!"

/-/

A few more days passed as Crash Brock and Misty continued south to Vermilion City. With Crash having relinquished the map to more "capable" hands, the trek has been greatly shortened.

Misty gave a heavy sigh. "We've been traveling for days Brock, when are we gonna reach Vermilion City?"

"Don't worry Misty." He said in a reassuring tone. "We should see a Pokémon Center in a few hours from now if we keep pace."

"Great, because I'm bushed…" Crash said.

The trio continued for a while until they came across a rather large rock in the middle of the road. The group spots a reptilian Pokémon atop said rock.

"Woah, a Charmander!" Crash said in awe.

Crash pulls out his Pokédex.

Dexter: Charmander. The Lizard Pokémon. A Fire Type. The flame on its tail shows the strength of its life force. Its life would end if the flame were to go out.

The Charmander perked its head up and looked back at the group curiously. It then laid its head down in what looked like disappointment.

"What's a Charmander doing here?" Misty asked, slightly tilting her head.

"I don't know but it must've been here a long time. Look at its tail flame." Brock pointed. "It's dangerously small."

"If that's the case, why don't I catch it in a Pokéball and bring it to the Pokémon Center that's coming up soon." Crash suggested.

"That's a great idea Crash!" Misty said, genuinely impressed.

"Go, Pokéball!" Crash throws the ball shaped device at the Lizard Pokémon.

But the Charmander knocks the ball back to Crash's feet.

"Huh?" Crash wondered as he picked up the Pokéball. "It didn't want to get caught?"

"There must be a reason why…" Brock said, rubbing his chin. He turned to Crash. "Why don't you have Mark communicate with it?"

"That's a great idea Brock." Crash turns to his mouse Pokémon Starter. "Ok Mark, you're up!"

Mark heads to the top of the rock and begins to talk with Charmander.

After a minute, Mark began to try and relay the information back to the traveling trio.

"So a necktie?" Misty questioned.

Mark shook his head, and made a few more gestures.

"Hmmm. A person!" Crash answered.

Mark nodded, and made a different gesture.

"Put down? Drop-off?" Misty raised a brow.

"A person told Charmander to wait here." Crash slammed his fist into his hand in realization. "Charmander's trainer told it to wait here, and that they'll come back."

Mark gave an affirmative "Pika" and hopped back on his trainer's shoulder.

"Wow, you and Mark understand each other much better now." Brock pointed out.

"We've been practicing," Crash explained. "But it still needs work."

"So Charmander's waiting for its trainer to come back?" Misty summarized. "Well, I hope its trainer comes back soon… it looks like it's about to rain…"

"I hope your trainer comes back soon, Charmander." Crash waved as he and his friends left the fire type back on the rock.

The trio didn't have to wait long as the Pokémon Center wasn't far from where Charmander was. However, per Misty's prediction, it started to rain, although they were able to make it inside without getting very wet.

/-/

As they sat down in the center to eat, Crash simply turned his food with his fork.

"Crash, are you ok?" Misty asked, looking at him worried. "You haven't touched your food."

Crash reluctantly began to eat. Well more so just putting food into his mouth and chewing, but not swallowing the food.

"You're worried about Charmander, aren't you?" She pressed.

Crash swallowed the food in his mouth.

"Mmhmm." He nodded. "Something just feels off."

"You're not the only one." Brock added. "There's just something off about this."

"Yeah," Crash continued. "Who just leaves their Pokémon alone on a rock like that? How long has Charmander been waiting for its trainer?"

"You don't think that Charmander was abandoned, right?" Misty wondered.

Crash clenched the utensil in his hand. Misty, seeing this, attempts to calm him down.

"O-or maybe its trainer got lost or something." Misty stammered.

Crash calmed down slightly. "Maybe but why tell Charmander to wait there?" Crash's face was a mix of confusion and anger. "That doesn't make any sense."

Brock looked out the window, seeing how the storm was getting intense. "I don't think Charmander will survive tonight. We need to bring it to the Pokémon Center if its Trainer hasn't shown up yet."

"I agree", Crash nodded.

As he made to walk with Brock to the front desk to ask Nurse Joy for raincoats, he stopped when he overheard a group of teenage boys talking about something that caught his attention.

"Hey, Damian! What happened to your Charmander?" one boy asked the teenage boy with sunglasses resting on top of his head.

"Yeah, I haven't seen that weak lizard of yours lately", another added.

"What else do you think? I released it, but it kept following me like a stupid little Growlithe", Damian snorted loudly.

Crash stopped in his tracks.

This guy was Charmander's trainer?

"So in order to get rid of it, I told it to stay by a random rock and wait until I would come back for it", Damian continued. "I bet it's still there waiting for me."

Crash could feel his blood boiling beneath his skin.

"Will you ever take it back?" Damian's third friend asked.

"Nope! It's so weak it can't even defeat a Poliwag! How useless can a Pokémon be?" Damian cackled.

Crash slowly walked towards the group, barely able to contain his anger, with Brock following.

None of the boys saw the enraged trainers approaching due to their laughing and insulting Charmander. Brock grabbed Damian by the collar and pulled him off his feet.

"H-hey!" Damian asked confusedly. "What's wrong with you, man?!"

"What's wrong with you? How can you lie to your Charmander so easily?!" Brock scolded.

"What's wrong with getting rid of a weak Pokémon?" Damian answered.

"Your Charmander's been waiting for you on that rock for who knows how long," Brock continued as he pointed at the storm outside. "and it's still doing it right now in this rainstorm!"

Damian struggled against Brock's grip.

Crash roared at the boy. "Charmander stayed there because it believed that you'd come back. Because it's loyal! Having a Pokémon that is that loyal to you is a Pokémon trainer's dream!"

"You're its trainer so you have to save it!" Misty joined in. "It's a trainer's job to care and love their Pokémon! And it's clear you do neither!

"And you shouldn't blame your shortcomings on your Pokémon." She continued. "Poliwag is a water type, so of course a fire type like Charmander would lose that fight! If you trained Charmander properly, it'd be able to win despite it being at a disadvantage!"

"Training is just so tedious." Damian complained. "It's way easier to just catch strong Pokémon."

"You're missing the point!" Misty sighed angrily.

"If you call yourself a Pokémon Trainer, you'll go out there and rescue that Charmander before its flame goes out! It's on the verge of dying!" Crash snapped.

"So? A weakling like Charmander deserves to die!" Damian scoffed.

Crash stared at the boy blankly as that sentence echoed in his mind.

Crash clenched his fist and prepared to throw a punch, but was stopped by Nurse Joy's intervention.

"Trainers, this is a Pokémon Center! On this property, any form of violence is forbidden! You will end up getting yourselves kicked out for the evening if you continue this misbehavior." the nurse warned.

Brock let go of Damian, but not before pushing him away.

Damian was helped away by his friends, who glared at the trio. Crash, Brock and Misty returned said glares back.

"What a jerk." Misty shook her head.

"That's putting it lightly." Crash said. "He doesn't deserve to be a trainer."

Once Brock had calmed down, he turned to Nurse Joy.

"Excuse me, Nurse Joy; but could we borrow some raincoats from the Center? We need to hurry and check upon the Charmander we were just talking about. It's an emergency! "

/-/

Crash and the gang reach the spot where the Charmander was, and see it's being attacked by Spearow.

Not wanting to endanger Charmander with Mark's electric attacks, he sends out Jetstream to knock the birds away with a few Gusts and Quick Attacks.

With the Lizard Pokémon's tail flame getting weaker, Crash took off his own raincoat to shelter it from the rain.

They make it back to the Pokémon Center and hand over Charmander to Nurse Joy, the Lizard Pokémon now unconscious as she wheeled it into the E.R.

The trio began to feel more anxious and sleepy as the hours passed. Brock continued to stare at the door, waiting for Nurse Joy to come out, Misty was relentlessly tapping her feet, trying to distract herself, and Crash gnawed on his thumbnail anxiously waiting for any news on Charmander.

As sleep began to fill their eyes, the doors to the E.R. opened, startling them awake.

"I am happy to report that Charmander is OK, it just needs to rest." Nurse Joy reported.

The trainers breathed a sigh of relief at the news.

"Charmander should be good in the morning." Nurse Joy added.

"We should get some rest too." Brock said.

"That sounds like a great idea." Misty yawned.

The Gym leader's made their way to the sleeping quarters. Misty looked back, seeing Crash still in his seat.

"Aren't you coming too Crash?" She asked in a tired voice.

"I'll sleep down here." Crash replied.

"Crash, Charmander will be fine." Misty said.

"But the moment it's healed, it's gonna go back to that rock." Crash explained. "The moment it tries to, I'll be here to stop it."

"Ok, just promise you'll get some sleep…" She sighed, not having enough energy to stop him.

"I will." He nodded.

Misty walked away to her room, leaving Crash to sit in his chair alone, the boy finally allowing his eyes to close.

/-/

Crash continued to sleep until he heard the door to the Pokémon Center open. He lidded his eyes open and saw an orange blob walk out the door.

Crash immediately scrambled towards the door, calling Charmander's name.

The Lizard Pokémon stops in its tracks and sees a human it recognizes.

"Charmander, don't go!" Crash said.

Charmander tilted its head in confusion.

"Look, your trainer is Damian right?"

Charmander's eyes seemed to light up hear that name, much to the boy from Pallet's chagrin.

"Well he lied to you." Crash frowned.

The Charmander seemed to gasp.

"Damian abandoned you because he said you're a weak Pokémon", Crash continued. "Me and my friends heard everything he said about you yesterday at dinner. He lied to you so you would stop following him."

The fire lizard's face fell to a frown.

"When we tried to get him to help you he said…" Crash began to shake in anger.

"He said that a weakling like Charmander deserves to die." Crash gritted out.

Charmander sat down, looking like it was about to cry. Crash held the fire type close, attempting to calm it down.

"A trainer like Damian doesn't deserve you." Crash said as he caressed the Pokémon gently. Charmander gripped Crash's shirt tightly as it cried.

"Why don't you come with me?" Crash offered. The Lizard Pokémon looked back up at Crash curiously, tears still pouring out.

"Me, Brock and Misty will treat you better than Damian ever did." Crash smiled.

The fire type pondered those words before nodding.

Crash's smile grew bigger. "We're happy to have you. But first…"

Charmander stood upright and tilted its head.

"We'll have to nickname you."

/-/

As Brock and Misty walked out their sleeping quarters, they saw Crash introducing his other Pokémon to Charmander, who greeted them all happily.

"Are you feeling better now, Charmander?" Misty asked as she knelt down to the Pokémon's eye level.

Charmander gave an affirmative shout of its name.

"Aren't you going to wait for Damian?" Misty continued.

The Lizard Pokémon shook its head and clung to Crash's leg.

"Agni is coming with us!" Crash smiled as he pet the fire type.

"You already named him?" Brock smiles. "That's nice."

The group ate breakfast and headed outside to continue their journey. As they leave the Pokémon Center, Crash checks his Pokédex to see the current move list of his newest member.

"Ok from what it says on my Pokédex, Agni has Scratch, Leer, Rage and-" Crash gasped as he read the last move. "Flamethrower!?"

"No way! Charmander knows Flamethrower?!" Misty gasped as she looked at the screen.

"That's amazing!" Crash picked up and hugged the Lizard Pokémon tightly. "Agni knows Flamethrower at such an early stage. You're such a strong little guy."

"It makes me wonder why Damian thought Charmander was weak…", Brock mumbled softly.

"Who cares? He didn't see the true strength that Agni had and lost him. Now, he's part of our family." Crash smiled.

"Yeah, you're right", Brock agreed.

"What'd you just say? Charmander knows Flamethrower?" a familiar voice spoke up.

They turned to the entrance of the Pokémon Center and saw Damian standing there with a shocked expression.

The group glared at him.

"Yeah, Agni knows Flamethrower. What about it?" Crash retorted as he held the fire lizard close.

"W-Well, I've been considering what you guys said yesterday" Damian shuffled his feet around in what was supposed to be guilt. "and now I've decided to take back Charmander."

"You're just saying that now because you've just learned that Charmander is way stronger than you first thought!" Misty said angrily.

"Yeah, 'cause you raised it in my place!" Damian smiled. "And now I'm more than happy to take him back.

Crash's eye twitched in anger. "You only want strong Pokémon!" Crash shifted his stance, shielding the fire lizard away from Damian. "And besides you said that "a weakling like Charmander deserves to die." right?"

Damian stammered. "W-well that's all in the past isn't it? I'm more than sorry, I'm uh… repentant! Yeah, repentant!"

The group gave him a disbelieving look. Meanwhile Agni began to sob, realizing his former trainer really had abandoned it and had come back because he learned a strong move.

"Damian, while it is true that no one has witnessed you abusing your Pokémon, after hearing these young Trainers' story and seeing Charmander's condition last night, it's more than enough proof for me to add a strike on your Trainer's license!" Said a voice from the Pokémon Center.

"W-What?!" Damian exclaimed in shock as he turned around.

Nurse Joy was looming over him from behind.

"This is your first warning, Damian!" Nurse Joy continued. "So I hope you'll be more considerate with how you treat your Pokémon in the future!"

Damian nodded and ran off.

"Keep that weakling of a Charmander! I'll just crush you at the Pokémon League!" He said in the distance.

Crash smirked. "Oh yeah? Well the feeling's mutual!"

/-/

A few days had passed since Crash got Agni the Charmander and continued forward to Vermilion City. Though the traveling trio decided to take a break at the next town as Vermilion City was four days away.

"I can't believe I caught two of the starter Pokémon", Crash whistled. "The only one that I haven't caught is Squirtle."

"Good luck with that," Brock replied. "Starter Pokémon are extremely hard to find in the wild Crash. I doubt that one will just come out of nowhere and-"

Brock was interrupted by a group of five Squirtle blocking the road. All five of them were wearing sunglasses, with one in the middle wearing a fancier pair.

"Well, speak of the Squirtle." Misty quipped.

"Awesome!" Crash said, pumping his fists. He then pulls out his Pokédex.

Dexter: Squirtle. The TinyTurtle Pokémon. A Water type. After birth, its back swells and hardens into a shell. It powerfully sprays foam from its mouth.

The Squirtle simultaneously fire Water Guns at the group, soaking them.

"Hey! What was that for?" Brock said.

"Just because I like water doesn't mean I like getting soaked." Misty growled. "and that was more water than foam."

The Squirtle then laughed, happy with their handiwork.

"I'll show you!" Crash growled. "Mark, use Thundershock!"

Mark fires a bolt of electricity at the lead Squirtle, but one of the other Squirtle has pushed the leader out of the way of the attack, taking the attack itself. It shrieked as the attack made contact and fainted in front of its friends.

The leader walks in front of its group to stand up to the electric mouse, wanting to avenge its comrade. The two Pokémon stared off, both seizing their opponent up.

The Pokémon were snapped out of their stare down as sirens echoed in the distance. The Squirtles panicked as they picked up their fallen comrade and ran away.

"Weird," Misty said. "They ran off as soon as they heard the sirens."

"You think somethings up with those Squirtle?" Brock questioned.

An Officer Jenny pulls up in front of them, as sirens blare from her motorcycle.

"O-officer J-j-jenny?" Brock stuttered as a red hue formed on his cheeks.

"Are you kids all right?" She asked.

"Aside from getting soaked, we're ok." Misty replied, attempting to dry herself.

"Well, guess you've already encountered the Squirtle Squad", Officer Jenny concluded.

"The Squirtle Squad?" Crash repeated.

/-/

Officer Jenny escorted the trio to the nearby town and led them inside the police station to tell them more about the group of Squirtles they'd encountered.

"The Squirtle Squad is a group of five Squirtles that's been abandoned by their Trainers", Officer Jenny explained. "So they take revenge by causing trouble around town."

"Abandoned by their Trainers?" Crash jumped up, clenching his fist.

"That's horrible!" Misty gasped.

"Yes, they were left behind by their Trainers and that caused them to believe all Trainers are bad people", Officer Jenny continued. "They've been pulling pranks on the town for a long time now with vandalism, stealing food and supplies, and terrorizing people in their homes… It's now come to the point where the citizens want to get rid of them once and for all because they're tired of the repeated cycle."

"That's so sad…", Misty mumbled with a crestfallen expression.

"We have to show those Squirtle that humans aren't so bad." Crash said in a resolute tone.

"I don't know, Crash. These Squirtles seem very adamant about their opinions on humans.", Brock shook his head as he crossed his arms. "It'd be hard to change their minds."

"But that doesn't mean we can't try." Crash rebutted.

"Well, I'm in", Misty said. "Water-type Pokémon are my specialty, so maybe I can get close to them."

"As a future Pokémon Breeder, I have to learn to reach a Pokémon's heart in all kinds of situations", Brock added. "So, I'll help out too."

"Thank you so much you three.", Officer Jenny said as she smiled with gratitude. "It means a lot to me and the whole town."

"Do you know where they hide away so we can try and talk to them?" Misty asked.

"Yes I know where their hideout is." Officer Jenny replied. "And I don't have a problem taking you there if you'll stop the Squirtle."

/-/

Officer Jenny escorted them to the mouth of a cave.

"So this is where the infamous Squirtle Squad resides." Brock wondered.

"Yup." Officer Jenny nodded. "I hope you three can convince those Squirtle, because the townspeople are getting more violent with their attempts to keep them at bay."

"Don't worry Officer Jenny, if anyone can help, it's us!" Misty said in a reassuring tone.

"I'll be back in town if you need anything from me." Officer Jenny waved goodbye as she headed back to the town.

The trainers enter the cave and we're put off about how dark it is inside.

"It's getting too dark in here, we can barely see a thing." Misty said.

"I know." Crash replied as he reached for a Pokéball. "Agni, light the way!"

The Charmander emerges from the Pokéball, and with his tail flame, is able to lead the group to a somewhat lit up part of the cave.

As the trio look around the cave, they see a Squirtle, laid out on a bed of straw and grass.

The TinyTurtle Pokémon noticed them coming in and attempted to attack them but twitched and fell to its knees.

"Hold on, we're not going to hurt you." Crash said. "We just came to talk."

The Squirtle finally summoned the strength to stand and attempted to fire a Water Gun, but only a sprinkle of water dribbled out the Pokémon's mouth.

"Ah!" Brock ran to the turtle Pokémon's side. "It's taken a lot of damage, and it's paralyzed."

"It must've still been hurt from our fight earlier." Misty gasped.

"Can you treat it Brock?" Crash asked.

"Fortunately, yes." Brock answered, as he took off his bag. "I made sure to pack extra Potions, Antidotes, Awakenings and the like, so this isn't going to take long."

As Brock tried to treat the injured Squirtle but it thrashed around, rejecting the aspiring breeders help.

"I know you don't trust humans but please Squirtle, hold still." Brock said, attempting to calm the Pokémon down.

The Water type eventually bit Brock's hand, causing the former gym leader to drop it. The Squirtle attempted to run but its joints locked up due to paralysis, causing it to fall down.

"Squirtle, we just want to help." Misty said as she helped the water type to stand.

The Squirtle gave a huff, turning away from Misty.

"Hey Crash, why don't you have Mark communicate with Squirtle." Brock suggested.

"I have a better idea," Crash said. "Why don't we let Agni talk to Squirtle."

"Ah, I see." Brock nodded in realization. "Agni already has experience being abandoned, so if Agni talks, then we might get Squirtle to calm down."

"Ok Agni, you're up. Try to talk to Squirtle." Crash said to his fire lizard.

Agni approaches the Paralyzed Squirtle and they begin to talk.

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(Translation start)

Agni: What's wrong man?

Squirtle: Hmph!

Agni: I heard you and the squad don't like humans… is that right?

Squirtle: Darn straight man! Those humans have been treating us like garbage. Not like you'd understand.

Agni: I actually do…

Squirtle: What?

Agni: A few days ago, my former trainer abandoned me and left me to die on a rock.

Squirtle: That's not cool, bro. Like, at all. That guy's a colossal jerk!

Agni: He was… but I found My new trainer. He and his friends saved me.

Squirtle: Really?

Agni: Yeah! They got help and they're the reason I'm alive right now.

Squirtle: Woah. That's righteous, man…

Agni: And they want to help you too. In Fact I heard they want to help you guys befriend the townspeople.

Squirtle: Like, Really man?

Agni: Really really. And they want to help you feel better.

Squirtle: Hmmm.

Agni: But they can't do that if you keep rejecting their help.

Squirtle: Aight man. I'll give these humans a chance.

Agni: Great! I'll tell my trainer!

(Translation end)

/-/

Agni reports back to his trainer, who in turn, gives Brock the ok to help the injured Squirtle.

Brock decides to spray the Potion first, still somewhat nervous about getting bit if he were to spray the Paralyze Heal first.

He then applies the Paralyze Heal, eliminating the TinyTurtle Pokémon's constant twitching.

"There! How do you feel?" Brock asked.

The water type gives a respectful bow towards the trainers and shoots a thumbs up at Agni.

A shout from behind causes the group to turn around. The Squirtle Squad had returned with Potions and Paralyze Heals but dropped them as they saw their comrade smiling with humans.

"The Squirtle Squad is back." Crash said.

"And they have all these supplies." Brock picked up the dropped medicine.

"Did they steal it from a PokéMart to help their friend?" Misty wondered.

"Looks like it." Brock said.

The Squirtle Squad confronted their comrade about why they were so friendly with the trainers.

After the two sides argued back and forth, the leader eventually let up, deciding that the trainers weren't much of a threat anymore.

The Squirtle that Brock healed walks up to Agni and begins talking. Agni turns back to Crash and gives a nod.

"What does that mean?" Misty asked.

Crash gave a confident smirk. "I don't know."

The Squirtle Squad, Misty and Agni comedically faceplant.

/-/

The trio, with the Squirtle Squad now following them, make their way back to the town.

"So now that the Squirtle Squad are willing to get along with the townspeople, do you guys have any ideas?" Crash asked.

"Well I guess we could start returning the items they stole." Misty suggested.

As they made it back to town, the trio spotted a familiar sight. One they weren't so happy to see.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie."

"James."

"Team Rocket. Blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! Dat's right!"

"Team Rocket?!" The group shouted in surprise.

"Surprise!" the trio waved from their hot air balloon.

"What are you three doing here?" Crash growled.

"What else? We're here for that Pikachu of yours!" Jessie laughed.

"But then we heard from the citizens in the town talking about five troublesome Squirtles, so we decided to take them as well and bring them to our boss", James added.

"Well, you won't get them!" Brock yelled angrily as he reached for a Pokéball.

"Oh yeah? Well try and stop us brats!" Jessie laughed as she sent out her Ekans, and James his Koffing.

Brock sent out his Geodude, Misty her Starmie and Crash his Charmander, Agni.

The Pokémon battled back and forth, neither side seeming to tire. Agni having little to no battle experience was at a disadvantage, but Geodudes' type advantage and Starmie's experience was enough to overpower the Rocket's Pokémon.

"Well, that's a bust…" James frowned.

"Don't worry, we have a plan B!" Jessie said, turning to her feline companion. "Meowth?"

Meowth gave a devious chuckle as he held up a black ball.

"BOMBS AWAY!" The Scratch Cat shouted as he chucked the ball.

The large ball detonated on impact, sending debris flying in multiple directions.

"They have bombs now!?" The trio screamed.

Team Rocket continued to throw large black spheres that detonated around the area.

"We need to get the Squirtle out of here!" Brock shouted over the explosions.

"But I can't see anything through all this smoke," Misty coughed. "It's too thick!"

"Jetstream, Wormwood." Crash said in between coughs. "Blow the smoke away with Gust!"

The two Pokémon began to flap their wings vigorously, pushing the smoke towards Team Rocket.

The terrible trio stumbled in the darkness, smoke now clouding their vision. Meowth sneezed, dropping the bomb he was holding, causing it to detonate in the balloon cabin.

"Uh oh!" Meowth stared at the bright light filling the balloon.

The Rockets shouted in pain as they were launched into the air and beyond the horizon.

"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" They shouted.

"Good riddance!" Misty shouted back.

The trainers breathed a sigh of relief, all except Crash.

"Uh Oh…" Crash said.

"What?" Misty said, looking at the trainer confusedly.

"It's a forest fire!" Crash pointed to the blaze he was staring at.

"And it's close to town! We've got to stop it." Brock said.

"I'll stop the fire here!" Misty said as she sent out her Staryu. "You guys help the townspeople!"

"Got it!" Crash and Brock nodded as they ran towards the town to stop the fire, as Misty stood her ground and put out the fire in the forest.

"Starmie, Staryu! Put out the fires with a Water Gun!" She commanded bravely.

/-/

Crash and Brock made it back to the town, where fortunately, the blaze hadn't gotten too big to handle.

"We need to put out these fires!" Brock said. "I'll try and help evacuate the civilians,

"Got it," Crash looked at his flying types. "Wormwood, Jetstream, Put out the fire with a Gust!"

The two flyers began to try and put the fires out with the strong whirlwinds.

He turned to the Squirtle Squad. "You guys help too! If you guys want to prove to the townspeople that you changed, then this is the perfect time!"

The Squirtle conversed with one another, and on the leader's command, began to help put out the fires one by one.

As the blaze was being extinguished, Crash heard a cry for help inside a house.

"Squirtle!" Crash turned around, looking for an answer. "Can one of you help that family?"

The Squirtle Squad leader stood up and pointed to themself. The leader runs towards the blaze to help the family inside. The family, though suspicious of the Squirtle, weren't going to complain about who rescued them.

As Crash helped lead the family outside, the leader began to put out the fire within the house until the ceiling began to collapse onto the TinyTurtle Pokémon.

The water type's lower body became stuck under debris. The turtle Pokémon struggled, but was unable to free itself. As the fire worsened, so did the Squirtle's breathing.

As the Squirtle begins to lose consciousness, Crash charges back into the house to save it. He, with the assistance of his Pokémon, is able to lift the debris off the Squirtle Squad leader and escape the burning house before it collapses.

/-/

Crash runs to Officer Jenny, frantically. "Officer Jenny, this Squirtle needs help!"

"This is a classic "Pokémon Emergency," I'll take you to the Pokémon Center right away."

The two dash for the Pokémon Center to help the injured Squirtle.

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Crash was rocking in his seat, anxiously awaiting the news on the Squirtle.

"Oh Crash, there you are!" a voice gasped.

Crash looked up, seeing his friends sitting next to him.

"Misty, Brock." Crash said, acknowledging their presence.

"You're worried about that Squirtle, aren't you?" Brock surmised.

"Yeah, after all it's my fault that it went into that building." Crash sighed. "If I hadn't-"

"Those people could have been hurt, or worse." Brock interrupted. "There's no need to beat yourself up about it."

"Hmmm." Crash looked at the floor in thought.

The E.R doors opened, revealing Nurse Joy, who was wheeling out the Squirtle Squad leader on a stretcher.

"Squirtle will be just fine." She smiled. "It just needs some overnight care and some rest."

"Thanks Nurse Joy." Crash bowed.

As The trio walked outside, they saw Officer Jenny getting ready to make an announcement.

The townspeople gathered around her, ready to hear what she had to say.

"Everyone," Officer Jenny started as she spoke into the loudspeaker. "As you all can all know our town was set ablaze due to a nearby forest fire."

The crowd murmured amongst themselves. Officer Jenny continued.

"But due to the action of three brave trainers and their Pokémon, no one was greatly injured. And a special thanks to this town's very own Squirtle Squad for helping those trainers with the firefighting."

As she finished her sentence, the Squirtle Squad, leader aside, appeared, wearing black uniforms.

"As a result of their heroics, the Squirtle Squad has been promoted to our town's Firefighters!"

The crowd began to clap and cheer, with the Squirtle Squad unsure how to take the praise.

"All's well that ends well right?" Brock chuckled.

"Sure is." Misty giggled.

Crash looked on at the Squirtle Squad, as they shuffled about nervously and blushed at the praise they received.

The ceremony held for the new firefighters was quite a lively one, with the party being celebrated from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

/-/

The next morning, Crash and company made to leave town. The townspeople saw the trio off, wishing them luck on their journey.

But before Crash could leave, a Water Gun hit the back of his head. He turned around and saw the Squirtle Squad leader standing before him.

"Squirtle, what're you doing?" Crash asked.

The water type thumbed itself and pointed to Crash.

"I think Squirtle wants to come with you Crash." Misty summarized.

"You do?" Crash asked, turning to the Squirtle. It gleefully nodded.

"Well if you want to," Crash said as he picked out a Pokéball. "We'll be happy to have you Sidon!"

"Sidon?" Misty raised a brow.

"Yeah, Sidon!" Crash smiled.

The Squirtle, happy with its nickname, tapped the button on the Pokéball, allowing itself to be caught.

"ALRIGHT! I JUST CAUGHT THE THIRD KANTO STARTER! A SQUIRTLE NAMED SIDON!" Crash posed. Once he was done posing however, the ball vanished into thin air.

"What?" Crash gasped. "Where'd the Pokéball

go?"

With Crash having caught all three Kanto starters, he now has a total of seven Pokémon. But wherever has his seventh capture gone? Hang tight as the journey continues.

---

I hope you enjoyed today's chapter. If you did, you can follow the forum made for this story called "About Pokémon Crash Version," where i can answer your questions and take suggestions. See you next chapter Pokéfans!