After entering the Pokémon Center, Kazuki had only just sat down to rest when he realized—he was in the right place.
This was the exact spot in the original script where Charizard's trauma began.
That disgusting voice confirmed it. In the nearly empty Pokémon Center, it was especially jarring.
"See? Catching Pokémon is a piece of cake!"
Damian swaggered around, showing off a handful of Poké Balls to the small crowd.
"You're amazing, Damian!"
"No doubt, man! I bet you'll totally win the Indigo Conference!"
A few Trainers hoping to get his help catching Pokémon were flattering him shamelessly.
"But, Damian, don't you… not have a Charmander?"
"Charmander? Hah!" Damian sneered. "Of course I had one!"
"But that damn Charmander embarrassed me during a roadside battle—couldn't even beat a Poliwag!"
"I was humiliated! So I tossed it!"
"That thing's persistent though! I ditched it so many times and it just kept coming back!"
"Finally, I told it, 'Wait right here, I'll come back for you.'"
"Only then did it stay put."
"And the idiot even wagged its tail to see me off!"
"I bet it's still sitting there wagging its tail right now! What a pathetic waste!"
"Bwahahaha…"
[Ding! Mission triggered: Rescue the abandoned Charmander in time and command it to unleash its true strength, shocking Damian!]
[Reward: Charcoal – boosts the power of Fire-type moves by 20%!
Heartfelt Reputation +1 – the higher your Heartfelt Reputation, the easier it is to interact with caring professions or individuals, and the higher the chance of unlocking special rewards!]
Kazuki read through the mission prompt, but before he could even react—
BANG!
Misty slammed her hands on the table, furious.
"You're disgusting! How could you treat your Pokémon like that?!"
Damian gave her a dismissive glance. "Who the hell are you? What I do with my Pokémon is none of your business."
"Ugh! You're such a jerk!!" Misty stormed toward him.
"What? Trash should be thrown out—what's the problem?" Damian stood up, clearly ready to get physical. But when he noticed Kazuki behind Misty, he paused, suddenly thinking twice.
"Oh? You two Trainers too? You wanna battle me or something?"
He casually grabbed a Poké Ball.
"We?" Misty blinked, then glanced over her shoulder. Seeing Kazuki backing her up gave her a burst of confidence.
"Hmph! Like we're scared of you!"
"Enough!"
Just as the tension spiked, Nurse Joy stepped in to stop them.
"Pokémon aren't meant to be used for reckless fights and bravado!"
"Tch. They're the ones who started it. Whatever, not worth my time."
Whistling smugly, Damian strutted out of the cafeteria like he owned the place.
"Ughhh! That guy seriously needs to be punched in the face!" Misty growled, glaring daggers at his back.
"He really isn't fit to be a Pokémon Trainer," Nurse Joy said with a scowl of her own.
"But technically, a Trainer is allowed to release their Pokémon."
"If you want him to face consequences, your best shot is proving he abused his Pokémon."
After calming Misty down, Nurse Joy offered a practical path forward.
"Sigh…" Misty sighed. "But Charmander's already been tossed away… how are we supposed to find proof?"
"Then let's go find Charmander," Kazuki said matter-of-factly, laying out the mission objective.
"Kazuki!" Misty looked at him, deeply moved. "You… you're so kindhearted! Alright, let's go right away!"
Nurse Joy's opinion of Kazuki visibly rose.
"If every Trainer were as compassionate as you, we wouldn't have so many Pokémon suffering emotionally."
After quickly forming a search plan, Kazuki and Misty donned rain gear and set out.
Kazuki had initially wanted Pidgeotto and Butterfree to scout from above.
But the heavy thunderstorm made it difficult for most Flying-type Pokémon to fly safely—and visibility was poor.
Fortunately, his Butterfree wasn't affected at all. Its red-ringed wings glowed faintly as it pushed through the rain with impressive agility.
The Health Biscuit was still in effect!
Thanks to its Compound Eyes ability and wide-angle vision, Butterfree quickly spotted a faint flicker of firelight in the dark.
Chi~!
With that signal, Kazuki and Misty broke into a sprint.
Moments later, they found the Charmander, curled up on a rock, barely conscious.
"Charmander! You can't keep waiting there like that! That scumbag Trainer abandoned you!"
"If you stay out here any longer, you'll die!" Misty's heart ached at the sight of the trembling, weak Charmander.
Charmander turned his head ever so slightly to look at her, too exhausted to show any emotion.
Kazuki immediately threw off his rain poncho and scooped the Charmander into his arms, shielding the flame on its tail.
"Misty, please hold the umbrella over us—especially the tail flame!"
"Let's get him to the Pokémon Center, fast!"
Misty gave a firm nod, no time for words, and raised the umbrella over them as they rushed through the rain, guarding Charmander with all their might.
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Next Goal:- 300 PS
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