As Ash's punch connected, Damian sailed backward and crashed into a sofa. The couch toppled; Damian rolled a dozen feet across the floor and smashed hard into the wall. Teeth scattered, blood spattered, and the wooden wall spider-webbed with cracks, he'd clearly broken more than a few bones.
Since the day his Aura had awakened, Ash had learned to rein himself in. He knew how dangerous his strength could be; one miscalculated blow could maim or kill. He'd been practicing control ever since and could usually keep his power in check.
But Damian's two cruel lines had cut too deep. In a flash, Ash lost his temper and slammed a serious punch. By instinct he pulled back most of his force, about ninety percent, otherwise Damian's skull might have exploded on the spot. Even so, the result was brutal.
"Do you think Pokémon are toys? Because of you, that Charmander stayed on that rock for two days, too afraid to go look for food, waiting for you while the flame on its tail nearly died!" Ash snarled.
Damian didn't answer; he'd already passed out from the impact.
Brock and Misty reached forward at once. Neither had ever seen Ash so furious. Each laid a calming hand on his shoulder.
"Forget him for now, go check on Charmander," Brock urged. "If we wait, it could be too late."
Misty and Brock's words steadied Ash. He spun to bolt out of the Pokémon Center, but Nurse Joy intercepted him, furious.
"You need to explain yourself," she demanded. "Why are you fighting in here? Causing a ruckus in a Pokémon Center, do you think this is a playground?"
Damian's groans had already summoned Joy from the desk. Seeing him crumpled on the floor with blood in his mouth, the usually gentle nurse looked half-outraged, half-exasperated.
"I'm sorry, Joy. He didn't mean it," Brock blurted, bowing. Even if Damian deserved it, brawling in the Center was disrespectful.
"Sorry, Joy," Ash added. "If you want to punish us, we'll accept it later. Right now we need to get out, there's a Charmander waiting in the storm. If we delay, it could be fatal."
As soon as Joy heard the word "Charmander," her expression changed. She darted to the front desk, grabbed three slick raincoats, and thrust them at the three travelers. "Take these. It's slippery out there, watch your step."
"Thanks, Joy," Ash said, grabbing a coat and tearing it on as he ran. Pikachu and Ralts leapt onto his shoulders. Misty and Brock followed hard on his heels.
Joy watched them splash out into the downpour and then, with a resolute little sigh, turned to the dazed crowd around Damian. "Chansey, take care of him," she ordered.
Damian and his gang were local troublemakers; they had friends in low places. Joy didn't relish dealing with them, but she couldn't leave him untreated, she was a healer. If she didn't intervene, the consequences could be severe.
Outside, the rain slammed against them. Even with the raincoats, the cold sheets stung exposed skin. The three sprinted through the storm until Ash finally skidded to a halt.
There, on the same rock where they'd left him, sat Charmander—stoic, soaked, and utterly exhausted. Even the brutal rain hadn't driven him from his post.
Charmander was crouched on the rock, a trembling leaf clutched over his head as sheets of rain hammered down.
A single leaf against a storm like this? It was heartbreaking, more symbolic than shelter.
And just as Ash and his friends rushed up, a new threat appeared.
A flock of Spearow.
The same kind of bullies that had once chased Ash and Pikachu now swooped in again. Four… no, five of them, circling Charmander with hungry, narrowed eyes. Normally in weather like this, they'd be tucked under trees waiting it out. But today, their sharp gazes were locked on something else, the bowl of Pokémon food sitting at Charmander's feet.
That was the prize. Charmander was just an obstacle.
Two Spearow dove at the already-weak Fire-type, while the other three gleefully pecked at the food, switching roles so they could torment Charmander and eat at the same time.
Ash's blood boiled. "Get out of here!" he roared.
But instead of retreating, the Spearow fixed their fierce little eyes on him and shrieked.
Then all five came charging.
Ash didn't flinch. He stepped forward, swung his arm, and chopped downward. His hand collided with the beak of the leading Spearow, CRACK!—and the bird was knocked backward faster than it had come, tumbling helplessly through the rain.
Ash glared at the rest. His expression alone radiated a force that even Spearow could understand. They hesitated, screeched to one another, then scrambled to grab their fallen comrade and retreat into the storm.
The battlefield cleared in seconds.
Ash, Misty, and Brock rushed to Charmander's side. The tiny flame on his tail flickered, nearly invisible in the downpour.
Brock's face tightened. "If you hadn't given him food this morning, Ash… he wouldn't have lasted until now."
Misty quickly crouched, stretching her raincoat over the fragile flame. But the water still hissed off it, threatening to snuff it out completely.
"This isn't enough," she said, panic in her voice. "Unless we can raise his body temperature, Charmander won't survive until we reach the Pokécenter."
Ash clenched his fists. His heart raced.
Think, think!
Then it hit him. "Wait… that's it! I have something that can save him!"
He fumbled at his belt, eyes blazing with sudden hope.
The Rainbow Feather.
A divine feather said to carry the blessing of Ho-Oh itself.
Ash held it high, its glow piercing the storm. According to everything he'd learned, the Rainbow Feather was more than just a key to Ho-Oh's trial. It was a sacred artifact, one of the greatest held items in the world.
Up until now, he had rotated it between Pidgeotto and Butterfree, since both Flying-types resonated with its blessing. Their rapid growth had been thanks, in part, to its power.
But now…
Ash's eyes burned with determination. "Charmander… please, hang on!"
He recalled Pidgeotto, gently removed the shining feather, and pressed the Rainbow Feather close to Charmander's fading flame.
"Wh-what is that?" Brock gasped, eyes widening at the feather in Ash's hands. He had never seen it before, though Ash had rotated it between Pidgeotto and Butterfree, Brock hadn't noticed a thing.
Ash and Misty exchanged awkward glances. Only now did they realize… they had completely forgotten to tell Brock about their encounter with Ho-Oh.
"This is Ho-Oh's feather," Ash explained quickly. "It's filled with life energy. If I put it on Charmander, it should help!"
He pressed the Rainbow Feather gently against Charmander's soaked body.
Instantly, the seven-colored feather flared brighter, light spilling across the storm. The tiny tail flame, shielded by Misty's raincoat, flickered, and then grew just enough that it no longer looked like it would go out at any second.
"It's working!" Ash cried, hope shining in his eyes. "Let's get him back to the Pokécenter, fast!"
He didn't waste a second. Even if the Rainbow Feather had bought time, it was only temporary. For Charmander to truly recover, Nurse Joy's treatment was essential.
They ran through the storm together. Misty shielded Charmander's tail flame with her coat. Brock tried to block as much rain as he could from Charmander's body. Ash held the Rainbow Feather firmly against him, refusing to let go.
On Ash's shoulder, Ralts spread her eyes wide and used Confusion to deflect raindrops that threatened to hit them, though her own body became soaked in the effort.
Less than half an hour later, the Pokécenter came into view.
Just as Ash moved to take the Rainbow Feather away… it vanished. Right before their eyes, the feather dissolved into radiant light and sank into Charmander's skin.
Ash froze. Then his Aura spread outward, searching. Sure enough, within Charmander's small body was a presence, out of sync with his own Aura, but undeniably there. The Rainbow Feather had fused with him.
There was no time to question it. If it meant Charmander could survive, then it was enough.
Nurse Joy was already waiting at the door, Chansey by her side. Damian and his gang were gone, likely having fled in fear of Ash's return.
Ash stepped forward and bowed his head. "Please, Nurse Joy."
"Leave it to me." Her eyes softened. She took Charmander into her arms and hurried inside.
Even though the building was just a wooden roadside Pokécenter, its facilities were as advanced as any hospital in the region, only possible thanks to the resources of the Joy family.
The three of them waited anxiously in the quiet lobby. Time crawled by until, finally, the operating room door opened.
Nurse Joy stepped out, her tense face giving way to a relieved smile. "It's all right. Charmander is safe and sound."
"That's great!!" Ash, Misty, and Brock nearly shouted in unison, then quickly clapped hands over their mouths when Joy hushed them.
"Many people are sleeping," she whispered with a gentle smile. Then, more seriously, she added, "Charmander's initial condition was severe. But during treatment, a mysterious power inside him stabilized his body. With that power and our equipment working together, his recovery advanced far faster than I expected. Honestly… even if you hadn't brought him in, I suspect Charmander might have healed on his own thanks to whatever is inside him."
Her words carried the weight of amazement. In all her years as a doctor, she had never seen anything like it.
Ash, Misty, and Brock exchanged looks. They didn't need to guess, the power she described was the Rainbow Feather.
Misty leaned closer to Ash and whispered, "Did you do that on purpose? Did you fuse the Rainbow Feather into him?"
Ash shook his head. "No… it wasn't me. The Rainbow Feather merged on its own. I don't know why. That never happened with Butterfree or Pidgeotto."