The entire Pokémon Center fell silent.
Then, Damian's scream of pain tore through the air.
The sound was so loud that it made everyone's scalp tingle.
Misty and Serena both opened their mouths slightly, their faces filled with shock.
Obviously, neither of them expected Ash to actually hit someone.
They knew Ash's temper well.
During the entire journey, they had almost never seen him angry.
Even when Team Rocket appeared again and again to cause trouble, Ash would at most chase them off with a helpless smile.
Even after defeating that trio multiple times, he had never once lost his composure.
As for the two of them, they had never seen him truly enraged.
Throughout the entire journey, Ash had always been cheerful and calm.
This was the first time they had ever seen him angry—and his anger now was terrifying.
But honestly, even they wanted to kick that guy named Damian!
What did he mean by "it has nothing to do with me"?
That was his captured Pokémon!
The Pokémon League clearly states that if a Trainer releases a Pokémon without a legitimate reason or through proper procedures,
It is considered illegal and punishable by law, even by imprisonment.
And there are many other penalties as well.
In short, the consequences are serious.
As for Damian, not only was his reasoning unjustified, but his method was also against the rules.
If Officer Jenny had been here, she would have arrested him on the spot and thrown him in prison for over ten years.
So, Ash's punch wasn't excessive.
It was just shocking, that's all.
"What happened here?!"
Damian's screams had already drawn Nurse Joy from her office.
When she saw Damian rolling on the ground, bleeding from his mouth, her expression turned cold.
How dare someone cause trouble inside a Pokémon Center? They must have a death wish!
Not long ago, someone had caused chaos in the Pokémon Center of Viridian City.
And now, someone was stirring up trouble in her own Center?
Did these people really think the Joy family were soft targets?
Hearing Nurse Joy's sharp voice,
Misty and Serena, who had calmed down a little, immediately stood behind Ash.
Even if Ash got in trouble for hitting someone, they would defend him to the end.
Besides, they didn't think Ash had done anything wrong.
Ash glanced at Nurse Joy and took a deep breath, forcing down his anger.
"Nurse Joy, this man named Damian released his Pokémon without proper reason or procedure. Please contact the League and investigate him immediately."
"As for the assault... I'm Ash from Pallet Town. You can report my name to the League. I'll accept any punishment. But right now, I have something important to do. I'll take responsibility when I return."
After saying that, Ash grabbed a raincoat from the stand and started to leave.
But Serena and Misty quickly stopped him.
"Ash, you're going to find Charmander, right?"
"It would be too boring if you didn't take us along!"
Ash looked at the two girls silently for a few seconds. Then, without a word, he picked up two more raincoats and tossed them to them.
At a time like this, saying something like "It's raining too hard, you'll catch a cold" would only insult their determination.
So, the three of them went together.
Wearing raincoats, they dashed out into the storm.
"Joy... Joy, I've already prepared the medicine for my mouth..."
After Ash left, Damian finally staggered to his feet despite the pain, his face twisted and missing teeth.
He tried to complain to Nurse Joy, but she didn't even glance at him.
Instead, her eyes followed Ash's disappearing figure through the rain, thoughtful.
"Wait... he said his name was Ash? Why does that sound so familiar..."
"Ah, right! My sister in Viridian City mentioned a boy named Ash from Pallet Town who helped her Pokémon Center!"
"That must be him!"
Nurse Joy suddenly clapped her hands, remembering the name clearly.
When Ash had helped save the Viridian City Pokémon Center,
His name had spread among every Joy across the regions.
For Ash, it might have been nothing special.
But for the Pokémon Centers—and for the Joy family—it had meant everything.
If it weren't for Ash's quick thinking, countless Pokémon would have perished that day because of the blackout.
There weren't many people in the world who had earned the Joy family's gratitude.
But Ash was definitely one of them.
Realizing this, Nurse Joy's expression hardened as she turned toward Damian.
Her usually gentle eyes were now sharp and cold.
Damian froze.
Something told him that this wasn't going to end well for him.
...
Meanwhile, Ash, Misty, Serena, and Pikachu were already running through the heavy rain.
They arrived at the same rocky cliff where they had met Charmander earlier.
As expected, Charmander was still there!
Even the torrential rain couldn't drive him away.
At this point, Charmander was holding a huge leaf above his head, trembling as he tried to block the downpour.
But how could a single leaf shield him from such rain?
The flame on Charmander's tail was weaker than before—barely flickering!
Ash realized that if he hadn't given Charmander food earlier,
That flame would have already gone out by now.
If that happened, Charmander wouldn't just be injured—he'd die.
Without hesitation, Ash ran forward and scooped Charmander into his arms.
The power of Viridian flowed from his body, gently restoring Charmander's vitality.
At the same time, Serena and Misty used parts of their raincoats to protect the tiny flame from the rain.
Together, the three sprinted back through the storm.
In less than half an hour, they made it back to the Pokémon Center.
The moment they burst through the doors, the entire place went silent.
People sat frozen in their seats, sipping tea or whispering quietly,
But everyone's eyes were locked on Nurse Joy at the front desk.
There was a strange tension in the air.
Ash rushed forward and placed Charmander in Nurse Joy's arms.
Without hesitation, Nurse Joy took one look and hurried Charmander into the emergency room.
Ash, Serena, and Misty finally caught their breath—and noticed something strange.
Damian was gone.
His group of friends had disappeared too.
"What's going on?"
They asked the other Trainers nearby, and the answer stunned them.
Apparently, Nurse Joy's Chansey had thrown Damian out of the building.
And Nurse Joy herself had filed a report to the Pokémon League.
She'd even told Chansey that if Damian ever appeared again, she should beat him up on sight.
The League would now issue an arrest order for him.
If Damian dared to enter any city and got recognized,
He'd be caught immediately.
That punishment would be far worse than simple imprisonment.
It was the kind of fate that felt like slow torture.
(End of the chapter)