Ash's face froze instantly when he heard this, and then he wilted like a frostbitten eggplant.
"What's wrong, Ash? What did Charmander say?" Misty asked curiously.
"He said he already has a Trainer and he's just here waiting for his Trainer to come back."
Brock had a look of realization on his face. No wonder Charmander was unwilling to leave this rock. It seems like his Trainer told him to wait here.
And this Charmander is obediently staying here, even when he's so hungry his stomach is sticking to his back, and the flame on his tail is about to go out, he still chooses to wait here.
"Since he has a Trainer, there's nothing we can do. After all, nothing's ever that easy in this world," Misty said with a face full of regret.
It seems Ash's luck has run out. Even though he encountered a Charmander in the wild, it already belongs to someone.
"Yeah, there's nothing we can do if he has a Trainer. Brock, leave a pack of food here for Charmander. If his Trainer hasn't come back yet, he can at least fill his stomach."
"Mm." A pack of Pokemon food doesn't cost much, leaving it here for Charmander just in case is a good idea.
But I wonder what's up with his Trainer. Seeing Charmander waiting like this, it doesn't seem like a short wait. Is that guy stuck in a toilet or fell off a cliff? How can he be gone for so long?
In the end, Ash left a packet of Pokemon food in front of Charmander and made a somewhat carefree farewell.
But no one knew, his heart was bleeding inside, because this is a Triple S-grade Charmander!
High-level trainers have said that a Pokemon with S-grade potential is one in a million, and Triple S is the basic threshold for advancing to the Divine Domain.
A Pokemon with this kind of potential is already beyond rare in ordinary Pokemon.
Even Ash was momentarily swept away with excitement when he realized this, but he quickly came to his senses in under a second because of his genuine love for Pokemon.
If someone else knew that Charmander had this kind of potential, let alone Charmander being in a weakened state, even if on the brink of death, they would spare no effort and do anything to capture him.
Even if it's someone else's Pokemon, it would attract countless eyes and attempts to snatch it away.
This is the kind of treatment that a Pokemon with a Triple S-grade might incite.
Even Ash, upon knowing that Charmander has a Trainer, felt deeply troubled. This might just be the only Triple S-grade Charmander in the world, and to say that his heart wasn't bleeding would be a lie.
But what can he do? This Charmander already has a Trainer, unless that Trainer has lost his mind and abandons this Charmander, Ash doesn't stand a chance.
But how could there be such a person in this world? Even setting aside Charmander's potential, considering just his rarity and growth potential, he couldn't possibly be abandoned.
As the three of them left Charmander and walked down the main road, the sky suddenly darkened, heavy rain started pouring down, and the whole world was shrouded in a misty curtain of water.
Facing the waterfall-like rain, the three hurried down the road to the Pokemon Center not far ahead.
Fortunately, they were already close to the Pokemon Center at that time, so they didn't get too drenched.
However, they were still somewhat wet, including Ralts and Pikachu.
Ash borrowed three towels from Miss Joy and handed one each to Brock and Misty. He first wiped down Pikachu and Ralts with his towel before using it to dry his hair.
With his current physique, he wouldn't catch a cold even if he stayed out in the rain for a day and night, but having wet hair was uncomfortable.
Miss Joy also gave them three cups of hot ginger tea, and Brock praised Miss Joy for her good service and enthusiastically asked for her email, only to be politely declined.
After the small interlude, they looked at the rain outside the window, sipped on ginger tea, and quietly savored the serene environment at the moment.
This situation was quite pleasant, but there was still a hint of unease on their faces.
"I wonder if Charmander's Trainer came back," Misty suddenly said.
"He should have by now, right? It's been so long already," Ash said, but the unease on his face indicated that he didn't quite believe it himself.
Since that guy left Charmander there, letting him starve until his stomach was sticking to his back, it shows he's been gone for a long time, not just a short while. It's only been about an hour since we left Charmander; can that guy really return so coincidentally to pick up Charmander?
In times like these, Ash hoped that his guess and feeling were wrong. If Charmander didn't find his Trainer and still insisted on waiting on that rock in the rain, this weather could be deadly for him!
His body is still in a weakened state, and at a newbie level, he's very afraid of water.
If he stubbornly waits in the rain, it could even lead to his death.
At that moment, an annoying and arrogant voice sounded.
"See this? These are all the Pokemon I've captured! Pretty impressive, huh?"
"You're so amazing, Damian!"
"There must be over a dozen Pokemon there! Damian, you've captured so many Pokemon!"
The voice attracted Ash and his friends' attention, and they saw a trendily-dressed person with over a dozen Pokeballs on the table.
Typically, a person can carry up to six Pokemon. Any extra Pokemon are automatically sent to the place where the Pokedex was issued, or to a self-designated location, like their home.
It's rare for someone to carry so many Pokemon because it's hard to take care of them all.
The limit of six Pokemon is recommended by the League as the maximum you can carry and most battles are six-on-six.
So, usually, people don't carry more than six. Carrying more than six isn't against the rules, just not recommended.
Those people's arrogant words and the mountain of Pokeballs left a bad first impression on Ash and his friends.
But they were just some random people, not worthy of Ash and his friends' time or attention.
However, what Damian said next made Ash boil with rage!
"Speaking of which, Damian, you don't have a Charmander, do you?"
"Charmander? I do have one, but that Charmander is so useless, it couldn't even beat a Poliwag, so I tossed it in the mountains."
"But you know what? I've thrown it away four or five times, and it kept following me. So I told it, 'Wait here nicely, I'll be back soon,' and it just stayed put wagging its tail to see me off. Hahaha, isn't that funny?"
"Bastard!!"
As soon as Damian finished speaking, he felt himself being lifted off the ground. His sidekicks were also shocked by the scene.
They saw a boy, just a little over 5'7", who seemed skinny, lifting Damian off the ground with just one hand by his shirt.
What kind of monstrous strength was that!
Damian was startled by the sudden hefting. When he looked closely, he saw it was a boy wearing a cap with a Pokemon he had never seen on his shoulder.
Who is this guy? Did he offend this person? No way, he didn't even know this person!
Ash, holding back his anger and the urge to punch Damian, asked him, "I found a Charmander waiting for its Trainer on a rock in the nearby mountains. Is that Charmander yours?!"
"Yes... it's mine. So what?! None of your business!"
"How long have you abandoned it?"
"N-none... about two days..."
Damian attempted to retort Ash defiantly but shrank back instantly under Ash's eyes, which were glowing with a bright blue light.
This guy didn't seem normal, whether it was that strange strength or the way his eyes could glow, he didn't seem easy to deal with. Better to endure for now...
When Ash heard the words 'two days,' he couldn't hold back anymore and released Damian, following up with a punch across his face.