The afternoon sun filtered through the forest canopy as the gang made their way along the winding path toward the next town. Ash was in high spirits, talking animatedly about his newly caught Bulbasaur and how he couldn't wait to train with it. Pikachu chirped in agreement from his shoulder while Misty rolled her eyes at Ash's enthusiasm.
Carmen walked quietly at the back, Vulpix padding along beside him. The past few days had been eventful the constant forward momentum of their journey was much slower than his own, carmen hadn't realized it before but apparently his pace of travelling was a little too fast, what was wrong with sprinting all the way? a part of him still craved the solitude he'd known before.
"Hey, look at that!" Ash stopped suddenly, pointing off the path.
Carmen followed his gaze to see a large rock formation jutting out from the forest floor. Perched on top of it sat a small orange figure, its tail flame flickering gently in the breeze, the best fire type starter ( arguably), the goat, Chariza-
A Charmander.
The gang anime fell
It sat perfectly still, staring down the path with a lazed expression, though Its posture was alert but patient, and there was something almost heartbreaking about the way it maintained its vigil despite the isolation.
Ash immediately started forward, but Brock caught his arm and shook his head. "Wait, you see that scarf. That Charmander looks like it has a trainer."
"But it's all alone out here," Ash protested, though he didn't pull away from Brock's grip.
"Which means its trainer probably left it here for a reason," Brock said carefully, his expression troubled. "We can't just take someone else's Pokémon, Ash. That's not how this works."
Carmen approached the rock slowly, studying the Charmander with careful attention. The Fire-type noticed him and met his gaze steadily, but there was no aggression in its eyes—only determination and unwavering loyalty. The scarf diminished the aura though.
"It won't come with us even if we asked," Carmen said quietly, recognizing that particular brand of devotion. "It's still waiting."
The argument continued for another few minutes, but ultimately there was nothing they could do. The Charmander refused to leave its post, and taking it by force would make them no better than Pokémon thieves. With heavy hearts, they continued down the path, though Ash kept looking back over his shoulder until the rock formation disappeared from view.
The Poke center appeared through the trees about ten minutes later, luckily they had made it before fall, Dark clouds were gathering on the horizon, promising rain before nightfall.
"We should stock up on supplies get well rested" Brock suggested as they approached the Poke Center. "That storm looks like it's going to be a bad one."
The automatic doors slid open with a soft hiss, admitting them into the familiar fluorescent-lit interior. Nurse Joy looked up from her desk with a serene smile and welcomed them warmly. The Center was busier than usual, with several trainers occupying the waiting area and a constant flow of people moving between the treatment rooms and the main lobby.
Carmen's attention was immediately drawn to a cluster of trainers near the far wall. They were gathered around a young man with spiky brown hair and an expensive-looking jacket, listening with rapt attention as he regaled them with stories of his supposed exploits. His voice carried across the room, loud and boastful.
"completely demolished that Raticate in three moves flat!" the trainer was saying, gesturing widely with his hands. "My Tauros is unstoppable. I've got the strongest team in this whole region, no question."
One of the listening trainers, a younger boy with wide eyes, asked hesitantly, "What about that Charmander you used to have? I heard you caught it a few months ago."
The spiky-haired trainer, Damian, based on the name another trainer used laughed dismissively and waved a hand. "That useless thing? I left it on a rock outside of town. Told it to wait for me while I went to catch better Pokémon." He smirked, clearly pleased with himself. "It's probably still sitting there like an idiot, waiting for me to come back. As if I'd waste my time on such a weak ahh lizard."
The group around him laughed, though a few of them looked uncomfortable with the casual cruelty. Damian continued without noticing, launching into another story about how he'd acquired his newly evolved pidgiot, get in line bitch.
Carmen felt something cold settle in his chest as the pieces clicked together. The Charmander they'd seen and This trainer. The storm was approaching.
Ash had gone rigid beside him, his fists clenched tight enough that his knuckles went white. "That's the Charmander we saw," he said, his voice shaking with barely contained anger. "He just left it there in this weather!? giving it hope??"
Brock's jaw tightened, and even Misty looked furious. But it was the approaching storm that made the situation truly dire.
"If that Charmander stays out there in the rai-" Brock didn't finish the sentence, but he didn't need to. Everyone knew what happened when a Charmander's tail flame went out.
Ash was already moving toward the door before anyone could stop him. "I'm going back for it. I don't care if it technically belongs to that jerk, I'm not letting it die out there!"
"I'm coming with you," Brock said immediately, falling into step beside him.
Misty grabbed her bag and started to follow, but then she glanced back at Carmen, who hadn't moved. He was still staring at Damian with an expression she couldn't quite read-something cold and focused that made her uneasy.
"Carmen?" she called uncertainly.
He didn't respond immediately, and when he finally looked at her, there was something different in his eyes. Something dark and sharp-edged that she hadn't seen before.
"I'll catch up," he said quietly, and his voice had taken on a flat quality that raised goosebumps on her arms. Who was this..
"Carmen-" she started, but Ash was already pulling her toward the door.
"Come on, Misty! We need to hurry!"
The three of them disappeared through the automatic doors, leaving Carmen alone in the lobby. He stood there for a long moment, watching Damian continue to brag while completely oblivious to the consequences of his actions. The other trainers had started to drift away, either uncomfortable with the conversation or simply bored, until only Damian and one hanger-on remained.
Carmen walked over slowly, his footsteps deliberate and unhurried. Vulpix followed at his heels, her ears flat against her head.
Damian finally noticed him approaching and looked him up and down with barely concealed disdain. "What do you want, kid? Can't you see I'm busy?"
"A battle," Carmen said, his voice perfectly level.
Damian blinked trying to process what he said, then laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "You? Battle me? Did you not hear anything I just said? I'm one of the strongest trainers in this region. You look like you just started your journey yesterday."
"Two versus two," Carmen continued as if Damian hadn't spoken. "Right now."
"Are you deaf or just stupid?" Damian sneered, gesturing toward the windows where rain had started to spatter against the glass. "It's about to pour out there. I'm not getting wet just because some nobody wants to prove himself."
Carmen took another step forward, close enough now that Damian had to look up slightly to meet his eyes, he was surprisingly tall. "I guess all that talk was bs?"
Damian's expression shifted from amusement to anger. "Watch what your saying pal. I don't waste my time on weak trainers. Now get lost before I—"
"Scared?" Carmen asked softly, and the word hung in the air between them like a challenge.
Damian's face flushed red and he straightened up, trying to use his frame to intimidate. "I'm not scared of anything, especially not some scrawny kid who probably hasn't even won a single gym badge!"
Carmen paused, seeming to think before the thoughts vanished again, he felt it slipping "Two versus two," he repeated. "Unless you really are scared."
The remaining trainer in Damian's audience let out a low whistle and muttered something about this getting interesting. A few other people in the lobby had started to pay attention, drawn by the rising tension.
Damian's pride wouldn't let him back down now, not with witnesses. He grabbed two pokeballs from his belt and shoved past Carmen toward the doors. "Fine! I'll wipe the floor with you, and then maybe you'll learn some respect!"
Carmen followed him outside into the growing storm. The rain was falling steadily now, soaking through their clothes within seconds. Thunder rumbled overhead, and the sky had taken on that ominous gray-green color that promised worse weather to come.
A small crowd had gathered near the entrance to watch, including Nurse Joy, who looked concerned but didn't intervene. These kinds of impromptu battles happened all the time, and as long as no one got seriously hurt, the trainers were free to settle their disputes however they saw fit.
Misty had stayed behind after all, Carmen realized. She stood just inside the doorway, her expression troubled as she watched him take his position on the makeshift battlefield—really just a section of the Pokémon Center's back yard, now slick with rain.
"I'll referee," she called out, though she sounded reluctant. "Standard two-on-two rules. Battle continues until both Pokémon on one side are unable to continue."
Damian was already releasing his first Pokémon with a dramatic flourish. "Go, Tauros!"
The massive bull materialized in a flash of red light, steam rising from its wet hide as it pawed the ground and snorted aggressively. It was indeed an impressive specimen—heavily muscled with sharp horns that gleamed even in the dim light. Tauros were known for their raw power and aggressive nature, and this one looked like it had been chosen specifically for its intimidation factor.
Carmen released Nidorino without ceremony. His Poison-type appeared in the rain with a low growl, tail lashing as it sized up its opponent. Nidorino was smaller than Tauros by a significant margin, but there was no hesitation in its stance.
"Begin!" Misty called, her voice barely audible over the rain.
Tauros charged immediately, its hooves churning through puddles as it built momentum like a train. The ground shook with each step, and its horns were lowered in a devastating Horn Attack that promised to crush anything in its way
Nidorino didn't dodge and Carmen didn't tell it to. Instead, his Poison-type dug its claws into the muddy ground and braced itself, meeting the charge head-on with its own horn thrust forward.
The collision was thunderous. Both Pokémon recoiled from the impact, sliding backward through the rain-slicked pavement. Tauros recovered first, shaking its head and snorting before charging again, this time even faster.
"Hit it," Carmen said quietly, his voice cutting through the storm.
Nidorino surged forward and they met in the middle again, horn against horn. The Tauros was stronger, that much was obvious from the way Nidorino's hooves scraped against the ground as it was pushed backward. But Carmen's Pokemon refused to give way, pushing back with everything it had.
They broke apart and circled each other, both breathing hard. Rain plastered Nidorino's fur to its body and steam rose from Tauros's overheated muscles. The crowd watching from the doorway had gone silent except for a few murmured comments.
"What are you doing?" Damian shouted at his Tauros, "Stop playing around and crush that thing! Use Take Down!"
Tauros charged again, putting even more force behind the attack. Its eyes were wild now ina frenzy.
Nidorino waited until the last possible second, then twisted aside and raked its horn across Tauros's flank as the larger Pokémon thundered past. Purple energy crackled along the wound, Poison Point activating and Tauros stumbled, toxic damage beginning to seep into its system.
"Again," Carmen said, and this time there was something cold in his voice that made even Misty shiver.
The battle became brutal after that. Nidorino pressed its advantage with relentless aggression, not giving Tauros time to recover between attacks. Every time Damian's Pokémon tried to charge, Nidorino was already moving, dodging, striking, poisoning. It was raw power unleashed with surgical precision, and within minutes Tauros was swaying on its feet, toxins and exhaustion finally overwhelming its considerable strength.
"Tauros is unable to battle," Misty announced as the massive bull collapsed to its knees and then fell sideways into a puddle.
Damian recalled it with shaking hands, his face pale with shock and growing fear. "This isn't, you got lucky! My Raticate will tear you apart!"
He released his second Pokémon and Carmen recalled Nidorino, giving his partner a chance to rest. Vulpix stepped forward without being asked, her tails spreading out behind her like a fan.
Raticate was soaked within seconds of materializing, its fur plastered down and its huge teeth chattering slightly from the cold. It glanced up at its trainer, then at the elegant Fire-type across from it, and seemed to realize this wasn't going to end well.
"Don't just stand there!" Damian shouted. "Attack! Use Hyper Fang!"
Raticate charged forward but its heart wasn't in it. Carmen could see the hesitation, checkmate.
Vulpix moved like liquid fire , impossibly fast and graceful. When Raticate lunged with its teeth bared, she was already somewhere else. An Ember, weak in the rain but at point-blank range caught Raticate in the face and it recoiled with a pained squeak.
The battle that followed was almost perfunctory. Vulpix danced around Raticate's increasingly desperate attacks, landing hit after hit without taking any damage in return. It wasn't even close. Within two minutes, Raticate was down, unconscious in the mud.
"Raticate is unable to battle," Misty said, her voice hollow. "Carmen wins."
Damian stood frozen in the rain, staring at his fallen Pokémon with an expression that cycled rapidly through disbelief, anger, and finally humiliation. The watching crowd murmured among themselves, a few impressed comments about Carmen's skill, but mostly shock at how thoroughly Damian had been dismantled.
Carmen recalled Vulpix and walked toward the Pokémon Center entrance without looking at his opponent. When he reached Damian, he stopped but didn't turn to face him.
"Weak," Carmen said, the single word falling between them like a stone into still water.
Then he walked inside, leaving Damian standing alone in the rain.
The automatic doors slid shut behind him and the warmth of the Center washed over him, along with the stares of everyone who had witnessed what just happened. Carmen ignored them all and made his way to the counter where Nurse Joy waited with a concerned expression.
"I need to get my Pokémon checked," he said quietly, and his voice had returned to its normal gentle tone, as if the cold fury from moments ago had never existed.
Nurse Joy took Vulpix's and Nidorino's pokeballs with a nod and disappeared into the back. Carmen stood at the counter, dripping rain onto the tile floor, and carefully didn't look at Misty where she hovered uncertainly by the door.
The automatic doors burst open again and Ash and Brock rushed in, soaked to the bone and carrying something small and orange between them. Charmander—barely conscious, its tail flame reduced to the barest flicker.
"Nurse Joy!" Brock shouted. "Emergency! This Charmander's flame is going out!"
Nurse Joy appeared immediately with a stretcher and several Chansey, and they whisked the Fire-type away into the emergency treatment area. Ash and Brock followed, both looking frantic with worry.
Misty finally approached Carmen where he stood by the counter. She opened her mouth, closed it, then tried again. "Carmen... what was that?"
He didn't answer immediately and when he did, he still wasn't looking at her. "Someone needed to."
"But you were..." she struggled for the right words. "Unusual... it was as if your were not even there."
Carmen finally turned to look at her, and his eyes were back to their normal gentleness, though something haunted lingered in their depths. "We all have some steam built up misty, let it go"
Before Misty could respond, Nurse Joy returned with his pokeballs. "Your Pokémon are fine, just some minor exhaustion. They should be back to full strength after a good rest." She hesitated, then added more quietly, "That was quite a battle out there."
"Thank you," Carmen said, accepting the pokeballs and clipping them back to his belt.
The waiting began after that. Ash and Brock emerged from the treatment area looking haggard, they all settled into the uncomfortable plastic chairs to wait for news about Charmander's condition. Damian had apparently left the Center entirely, too humiliated to face anyone after his defeat.
Carmen sat apart from the others, staring at his hands and saying nothing. Vulpix curled up in his lap, offering silent comfort. Misty kept glancing at him with that same uncertain expression, like she was seeing someone she didn't quite recognize.
Outside, the storm raged on, rain lashing against the windows while thunder rolled across the sky. Inside the Pokémon Center, four trainers waited in tense silence to learn whether their efforts had been enough to save an abandoned Charmander's life.