Some held items could merge with a Pokémon's body, otherwise, how could smaller Pokémon possibly carry oversized relics?
But the Rainbow Feather had never done this before. When Pidgeotto or Butterfree carried it, the feather always stayed external, glowing faintly against their plumage.
This time was different. With Charmander, it had fused straight into his body. That was what unsettled Ash the most.
He knew the usual way to remove a held item, but the Rainbow Feather wasn't "usual." What if it couldn't be separated now?
If so, he had just given up a legendary treasure, and his chance to become the Rainbow Hero, simply to save Charmander.
And yet, Ash felt no regret. If it meant Charmander lived, then losing the feather was worth it. Even if the price wasn't small…
Charmander's condition had stabilized, but he still needed to rest in the ward. After visiting him, Ash, Misty, and Brock returned to the Pokécenter lounge.
Nurse Joy later told them Chansey had treated Damian. When Damian woke, he and his gang had fled, but his glare had been full of resentment. Joy gently warned them to be cautious.
Ash brushed it off. That kind of coward wouldn't stand a chance against him anyway. After seeing Charmander's near-death state, Ash even felt his earlier punch had been far too merciful.
With no more problems, they went to sleep. Charmander was safe now, only recovery time remained.
The next morning, Ash stirred groggily in bed… and nearly leapt out when he saw an orange-red Pokémon standing at the foot of his bed.
He rubbed his eyes. "Charmander? Why are you here? Are you healed already?"
"His injuries are fully recovered~" came Nurse Joy's gentle voice.
Ash turned to see Joy smiling in the doorway. Her voice woke Misty and Brock, who sat up, instantly alert.
"Joy? You too?" Ash blinked, still half-dreaming.
"Yes," she said softly. "To be precise, this little one asked me to bring him here." She looked fondly at Charmander.
Ash met Charmander's gaze, and suddenly understood.
Last night, even as his body failed, Charmander had been conscious. He knew who had shielded him, who had fed him, who had pulled him back from the brink of death. And he knew that the radiant power burning inside him wasn't his own, it was a priceless treasure sacrificed by the boy before him.
And so, the first thing Charmander had done upon waking was ask to be brought here.
"Charmander, are you here to thank me? You don't need to," Ash said with a smile, kneeling down. "We just happened to meet. If I hadn't gotten lost, I probably wouldn't have even seen you." He didn't mention the Rainbow Feather or what it had cost him. He chalked it all up to fate.
"Char…" Charmander pressed his head against Ash's leg, then pointed firmly at Ash's belt.
Ash blinked, then broke into a grin. "You want to come with me?"
"Char!" Charmander nodded, eyes blazing with determination.
Even the most stubborn loyalty had limits. Yesterday, he had waited foolishly for a Trainer who would never return. That hope had shattered. But just as despair threatened to consume him, a new light appeared, this boy who had fed him, sheltered his flame, and risked everything to save his life.
Charmander had made his choice.
"In that case," Ash said, holding out a Poké Ball, "let's work together from now on!"
With no hesitation, Charmander tapped the ball. Light engulfed him, and the ball clicked shut without a single shake.
Ash clenched it to his chest, joy overflowing. At last, Charmander was his.
Indeed, good deeds always came back around.
"I caught Charmander!!"
"Pika-pi!"
"La~lu!"
The cheerful sound of capture was joined by Pikachu's cry and Ralts's groggy little call, she'd only just woken up and didn't understand what was happening. But as far as she was concerned, if Pikachu shouted, then she should shout too.
"Congratulations, Ash. You caught another Pokémon," Brock said warmly.
Misty, however, could only clutch her head. "What kind of ridiculous luck is this? First you get a shiny Ralts dropping out of nowhere, then a Bulbasaur, now a Charmander, and let's not even talk about your Pikachu. And you even..." She cut herself short before mentioning Ho-Oh. But even without that, Ash's fortune was outrageous.
These were the kinds of opportunities a normal Trainer might never see in a lifetime… and Ash had stumbled into them all in just one month! Was there any justice left in the world?
Ash released his new Charmander, then instinctively used Insight Eye to check his stats. "Okay, let's see… aptitude 3S, right?"
He blinked. Rubbed his eyes. Stared again. "Wait… 4S?!"
Charmander's aptitude had jumped overnight, from 3S to 4S, his stamina had gained an extra S rank.
Not only that, his level had risen from Novice to Intermediate.
Ash's head spun. Was Insight Eye glitching out, or had something truly miraculous happened to Charmander?
When in doubt, ask the experts!
Ash first thanked Nurse Joy, then recalled Charmander, washed up, and slipped into the restroom to close his eyes and enter the group chat.
[Newbie Ash: Seniors, something strange has happened to me.]
[Breeder Ash: What strange thing?]
[Newbie Ash: Well, I just caught a new Charmander, and that Charmander…]
Ash described everything that had happened with Charmander in detail.
The group's first reaction wasn't shock at Charmander's sudden aptitude boost, but at Ash's absurd luck.
[Champion Ash: You're really lucky! A Charmander with 3S aptitude is already a once-in-a-millennium find. My Charizard only had one S when I started with him.]
[Fishing Enthusiastic Ash: Ugh, why is it every time I pop in here, you're bragging again?! Are you even human?! Can't you spare a little of that luck for the rest of us? At least let me catch something other than Magikarp for once!]
The poor Fishing Ash practically made himself sick with rage every time he saw the group logs. And yet, he still scrolled through the chat whenever he missed something, just to get mad all over again. Truly self-inflicted misery.
[Newbie Ash: Uh… I don't know why I always bump into you. By the way, why do you experts always reply to me instantly? Are you just sitting around staring at the group all day?]
Every time he asked a question, someone replied within five seconds. Did they have nothing better to do? Ash only had time to peek at the group during breaks, or by sneaking off to the restroom like now.
[Aura Ash: It's not that we're always staring at the group. We've set you as a special contact. That way, whenever you say something, we get a direct ping in our heads. …Fishing Ash probably didn't set it, though. He just happens to walk in right when you're flexing. That's what we call fate.]
[Newbie Ash: Sp-special contact? That's a thing?! Why did you all set me as one?!]
Ash was stunned. This was the first time he had heard that the group could set special contacts. If you set a special contact, the chat group would notify you as soon as they came online and spoke.
No wonder every time he popped up, someone in the group immediately answered, and as the first person appeared, others followed right after. It turned out everyone had set him as a special contact… But why?
Was his message, as a small newcomer, really that important?
[Champion Ash: Because you are the only one in the group who hasn't reached the peak in any field, a pure newcomer.]
[Breeder Ash: You're like a blank sheet of paper, ready to be dyed with any color. We all want to experience what it's like to be a mentor.]
[Aura Hero Ash: Theoretically, each parallel timeline represents a possibility of our own change. So there's also a possibility that a "me" in one timeline could possess all the knowledge and power from every parallel timeline.]
[Aura Hero Ash: We want to see if, under our guidance, you can absorb everything from us, who stand at the peak of different fields , and make it your own, becoming that theoretical existence.]
[Champion Ash: If you can do that, you'll definitely become what you dream of, a Pokémon Master!]
Ash stared at the messages from the experts, his eyes gleaming with a strange light.
So the experts think so highly of me!
[Newbie Ash: The experts think too highly of me… But I will do it. I'll become a Pokémon Master!]
[Champion Ash: Haha, that's the confidence we want. By the way, what you said about Charmander's stamina aptitude becoming S is related to the Rainbow Feather. Let the Rainbow Hero explain.]
[Rainbow Hero Ash: The Rainbow Feather, as Ho-Oh's separated core feather, contains part of Ho-Oh's essence, such as… Nirvana Rebirth!]
[Rainbow Hero Ash: Normally, this ability won't activate. First, the Pokémon must be on the verge of actual death, not just fainting in battle. Second, it must be a Fire-type. Finally, it must have both the aptitude and emotions recognized by the Rainbow Feather.]
[Rainbow Hero Ash: Newcomer, you said the Rainbow Feather didn't immediately merge with Charmander's body, right?]
[Newbie Ash: Yes, I put the Rainbow Feather on him, and it took about half an hour before it fused.]
[Rainbow Hero Ash: The Rainbow Feather isn't like ordinary items. Under normal circumstances, it cannot merge with a Pokémon's body. For it to do so, the Pokémon must have unwavering devotion to you, the Rainbow Hero candidate, and be a Fire- or Flying-type.]
[Rainbow Hero Ash: In other words, Charmander felt your affection and sacrifice during that time, and his feelings for you changed. That bond led to the Rainbow Feather fusing into him, which triggered the aptitude improvement and boosted his level.]
[Newbie Ash: This is just a feather from Ho-Oh. Isn't the effect a bit exaggerated?]
Just a feather could do all this? If Ho-Oh itself appeared, wouldn't it be able to raise Charmander straight to 6S?
[Rainbow Hero Ash: Not exaggerated at all. Ho-Oh's three Legendary Beasts were once ordinary Pokémon. By Ho-Oh's grace, they became legendary beings. The original trio all reached 4S and probability of their descendants had a much higher probability of inheriting S-ranked aptitude. That is Ho-Oh's divine power, Nirvana.]