"What should I make?" Brock wondered what to cook for lunch today as they walked, but Misty beside him felt utterly exhausted:
"This is infuriating! When will we reach Kuye City?"
Ash, on the other hand, felt refreshed. He had just heard Li Qingfeng tell him that his fifth Pokémon was likely to appear soon.
'What kind of Pokémon will it be~'
The thought that his fifth Pokémon might be a starter type like Bulbasaur made Ash walk with a bounce in his step.
Ash noticed Li Qingfeng had been a bit quiet lately and thought he might be feeling down, so he quickly said, "Li Dage, don't worry, when I become a Pokémon Master in the future, I will definitely search for the legendary Arceus for you!"
Li Qingfeng nodded slightly and thanked him, "Mm, thank you."
After speaking, Ash kept observing his surroundings, eager to see when his fifth Pokémon would appear.
As they walked, a stone pillar suddenly blocked Ash's path.
"It's here! My fifth Pokémon!" Ash saw a Pokémon with a flaming tail on the stone pillar and pulled out his Pokédex to scan it.
Upon learning it was Charmander, one of the starter Pokémon, he was overjoyed and wanted to take out a poké ball to capture it.
'Watch its tail.'
Li Qingfeng's words made Ash pause. He looked at its tail and noticed its flame was very small, as if it could go out at any moment.
Ash frowned. Why was this Charmander so weak?
He said, "Do you want me to take you to a Pokémon Center for treatment? Although I don't know why you're so weak, it's best to receive treatment."
"Ow…" (I'm waiting for my Trainer. He said he'd come back for me. I'm afraid I'll miss him if I get treated…)
Charmander let out a weak cry, attracting Brock and Misty's attention.
Brock, still holding a sandwich, saw the Charmander and frowned slightly: "This Charmander is so weak; we need to take it to a Pokémon Center for treatment quickly."
Li Qingfeng told Ash what Charmander had said and then told Ash to throw a poké ball to see what would happen.
'Li Dage, what's the point of this?' Ash was confused but did as he was told.
Sure enough, Charmander was successfully pulled in, but after a few shakes, it popped right back out.
'Indeed, this guy's poké ball was destroyed. So it's a wild Pokémon now. The whole 'waiting here' thing was just a trick. In fact, it's already been abandoned.'
Li Qingfeng sighed deeply. In "Pokémon: Origins," if you throw a poké ball at a Pokémon that has a Trainer, an energy shield appears.
But this Charmander didn't have one, so this was the only explanation.
Ash heard Li Qingfeng's words, clenched his fists, but eventually relaxed them, and told a kind lie: "Charmander, I know where your Trainer is. He's at the Pokémon Center. Do you want to come with us?"
The most important thing right now was to get it treatment.
Charmander's eyes brightened upon hearing Ash's words. It struggled to stand up, and with the help of Brock's Onix, it finally got back to the ground.
They first gave Charmander some treatment to make it less weak.
Ash carried Charmander and walked down, discovering a Pokémon Center located at the foot of the mountain. It was already overcast, the sky dark and heavy, and a downpour was imminent.
The three of them jogged into the Pokémon Center, and Charmander felt dizzy from the bumpy ride.
"Hahaha, Da You, you've caught so many Pokémon?" Laughter echoed from the center of the Pokémon Center.
Li Qingfeng reminded him: "Ash, turn on the recording function, just in case."
'Okay.'
...
"That's right, my strength is just that good. With so many Pokémon, that Charmander can just fend for itself."
"Let me tell you, I told it to wait on a rock for me to pick it up, and I didn't expect it to actually be so silly and wait there. What a good kid, hahaha."
"Anyway, I don't need such a weak Charmander, let it do whatever it wants."
The speaker was a novice named Da You.
Charmander had just broken free from Ash's embrace, wanting to run to its Trainer, but then it heard these words.
Ash turned off the recording and shouted, "Pikachu, Thunder Shock!"
Before Da You could react, Pikachu unleashed a powerful burst of electricity. Instantly, the entire room was shaken by the bright light and immense energy. Electricity crackled in the air, making a deafening popping sound.
Da You was instantly struck by the electricity, his body trembling violently. A painful expression contorted his face, and he couldn't help but let out a scream.
Da You's cronies watched this scene in horror, all wanting to help Da You, but they were helpless. They knew that if they touched Da You, who was currently releasing electricity, they would also be severely injured.
"Thunder Shock"
Li Qingfeng also recited a poem here:
The evening's lingering intent, the rising dawn.
The beautiful eye's lone ear, like the twilight's bonfire stream.
Time remembers that evening's memory, like amber sand.
Crimson mist rises in the east, like an agate pond.
...
Finally, Nurse Joy called the police and had Da You and his cronies taken away.
Only then did Ash and his two companions realize Charmander was gone. Ash was the first to notice, and he ran out of the Pokémon Center without looking back.
Ash put on his raincoat and ran uphill. He continuously called out Charmander's name, wanting to find its figure.
Finally, he found the Charmander, bathed in the torrential rain, on a rock pillar.
The rain poured down like a waterfall, fiercely striking the rock pillar. Every raindrop was like a sharp blade, cutting through the air, bringing boundless chill.
The Charmander was curled up there, alone, drenched and disheveled. A desolate, lifeless look was on its face. Ash reached out his hands, wanting to gently pick up this injured Charmander.
"Charmander, be my partner. Let's reach the peak together, okay?"
Ash felt its body trembling. He took off his raincoat and draped it over Charmander.
Charmander felt the warmth of the raincoat, which seemed to convey a sense of comfort. It leaned closer to Ash, its body still trembling slightly, as if seeking more warmth. Ash gently stroked Charmander's back.
As Charmander felt this warmth, its trembling gradually subsided, and the flame on its tail became more stable.
Compared to its previous weakness, Charmander's entire body now exuded an aura of flame, like a living torch.
Despite being battered by the wind and rain, Charmander's eyes showed determination. Those eyes were like two burning flames, shining with endless Guts and resolve.
Finally, it entered Ash's poké ball, and after just one shake, it stopped moving.
Blaze.
Born anew from the storm, like Nirvana.
----
In the interrogation room,
Officer Jenny held a piece of paper and declared: "The offender, Da You, is suspected of illegally possessing Pokémon, illegal abandonment, and intentional harm to Pokémon. According to Pokémon law, you will be permanently stripped of your right to become a Pokémon Trainer."
Good!