Even though Ash had already given up on Charmander in his heart,
He still couldn't just walk away.
The main reason was that Charmander looked extremely weak right now.
It seemed like he hadn't eaten in a very long time.
Both the waveguide inside his body and the flame on his tail were far too faint.
So Ash took out some general Pokémon rations and placed them in front of Charmander.
"Come on, eat something. You have to stay full if you're going to wait for your Trainer to return, right?"
"If you faint from hunger, you won't even get to see your Trainer when he comes back."
With Ash's gentle words and the irresistible smell of his rations,
Charmander, who was usually cautious, didn't resist the food offered by Ash.
He began eating slowly, taking small bites.
Of course, these rations were handmade by Ash himself.
They could easily last for ten days or half a month in the vacuum storage of his space backpack.
Whenever he didn't have time to cook, they were perfect for emergencies.
After finishing his meal in no time, Charmander's energy visibly returned.
The flame on his tail burned brighter and stronger!
"Li~~"
Charmander called softly to Ash, expressing his gratitude.
If there had been a favorability meter, Charmander's affection for Ash would have already passed 150 out of 255.
"Haha, you're welcome. Eat well, and we'll get going now. I hope your Trainer returns to you soon."
Ash smiled and gently patted Charmander's round head.
Then he turned to leave, with Misty following behind, still feeling regretful.
Before leaving, Ash couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Not every Pokémon with great potential is without a Trainer.
It seemed even his good luck had limits.
...
Before the three could reach the Pokémon Center after leaving Charmander,
The sky suddenly darkened. Heavy rain began to pour, covering the world in a gray curtain of water.
The rain fell like a waterfall, and the three quickly ran toward the Pokémon Center.
Fortunately, they weren't too far away,
So they didn't get too drenched.
After arriving, Ash immediately took out towels to help the two girls dry their hair.
Then he asked Nurse Joy to prepare a pot of ginger tea for them.
As for Ash himself...
With his strong physique, catching a cold would be harder than seeing a ghost.
The three of them sat together inside the Pokémon Center,
Wrapped in the warm blankets Nurse Joy had given them,
Watching the rain outside while sipping ginger tea in silence.
"I wonder if Charmander's Trainer has come back yet," Serena said softly, worry in her tone.
"I think so. It's been quite a while now, hasn't it?"
Misty counted the time on her fingers. It had been more than an hour since they left Charmander.
Including their time inside the Pokémon Center, it had been over two hours.
Didn't Charmander say his Trainer would return soon?
But Ash's expression darkened slightly.
He had a bad feeling in his heart.
Based on how long Charmander had gone without eating,
Either his Trainer had run out of food and gone to buy more,
Or... his Trainer hadn't come back for a very long time.
Ash silently hoped his second guess was wrong.
Just then, a loud and arrogant voice interrupted their thoughts.
"See? These are all the Pokémon I've caught! How about that, huh? Impressive, right?"
"Damian is awesome!"
"There must be over a dozen Pokémon here! Damian-kun really caught so many!"
Ash and the others turned toward the noise.
There sat a man dressed in flashy clothes, with more than a dozen Poké Balls spread across the table.
Normally, a Trainer could only carry six Pokémon at a time.
Any extras would be automatically transferred back to the Trainer's registered storage location,
Such as their home or the Pokémon Laboratory.
Very few people carried more than six.
It was simply impossible to care for that many at once.
Six Pokémon was already the recommended limit by the Pokémon League.
And most official battles were fought six-on-six.
So it was rare to see someone with more than six at hand.
Just by looking at the pile of Poké Balls, Ash's impression of the man dropped to zero.
More than a dozen Pokémon, and he looked so careless about it.
Could he even care for them properly?
No—he was clearly catching them just to show off.
People like that disgusted Ash.
But he didn't plan to argue.
It wasn't worth the effort.
However, what the man said next made Ash's anger explode.
Even Serena and Misty clenched their fists in fury at the man called Damian.
"By the way, Damian, you don't seem to have a Charmander, do you?"
"Charmander? Oh, I had one, but that Charmander was useless. Couldn't even beat a Poliwag."
"So I just tossed him into the mountains."
"But get this—after I threw him away four or five times, he still followed me back."
"So I said, 'Wait here for me, I'll come back soon,' and he just stood there wagging his tail while I walked off. Hahaha! Isn't that hilarious?"
"Hahaha!"
Damian was still laughing when suddenly he felt something grab him.
In an instant, he was yanked off the sofa.
He looked up in confusion at the young man who had grabbed him.
A boy in a cap stood before him—someone he didn't recognize.
Why was this guy touching him?!
Ash glared at him, barely suppressing his fury.
"I saw a Charmander waiting for its Trainer on a rock nearby. Is that Charmander yours?!"
"So what if it is? What's it to you?"
"How long have you abandoned him?"
"It's been... two days…"
Damian wanted to act tough and say it wasn't Ash's business,
But the rage in Ash's eyes was terrifying—so sharp it made Damian feel like his head might explode.
That overwhelming presence didn't feel human at all.
It was like staring into the eyes of a wild beast.
Under that pressure, Damian finally caved and told the truth.
Misty and Serena hadn't expected Ash to act so suddenly.
They hurried over just in time to hear Damian's confession.
He had abandoned Charmander for two whole days.
Which meant that poor Charmander hadn't eaten for two days straight!
"Do you even realize what your words did? That Pokémon has been waiting there the whole time—waiting until it could die!"
"Because of you, that Charmander refused to move or even eat for two days!"
Both girls shouted at Damian, their eyes burning with rage.
Even the usually gentle Serena couldn't contain her anger.
What kind of monster would do something like this?
"What does it matter to me? I told him I didn't want him! He's the idiot for waiting!"
"Scum!"
Ash couldn't hold back any longer. He swung his fist!
"Bang!!"
The punch landed squarely on Damian's jaw.
Damian flew backward.
Teeth and blood scattered through the air as he crashed into the wooden wall of the Pokémon Center.
The impact left cracks across the boards where he hit.
(End of the chapter)