The rain poured heavily, soaking Elliot's hoodie as he trudged through the forest. Thunder rumbled overhead, casting eerie shadows' between the trees.
"Charmander!" he called out, his voice barely carrying over the storm.
No response.
Deino walked beside him, alert, its dark blue scales gleaming under the occasional flash of lightning. The two of them had been searching for nearly an hour, and Elliot was running out of time.
He knew what happened to abandoned Charmanders.
He wasn't about to let history repeat itself.
Then, he saw it—a faint, flickering glow in the darkness.
Elliot's eyes widened, and he sprinted toward the light.
And there, curled beneath the roots of an old tree, was Charmander.
The small Fire-type Pokémon trembled, its tail flame dangerously low. Drops of rain sizzled as they hit the flame's surface, and its body was covered in mud and bruises.
But when Elliot stepped closer, Charmander's weary eyes hardened with resolve.
It didn't move.
It was waiting.
For William.
Elliot knelt down. "Listen, you're not gonna survive out here waiting for him," he said firmly.
Charmander's tail flickered weakly, but it shook its head.
Elliot clenched his fists. It still believed in William.
Even after being left behind.
Before he could say more, a loud buzzing filled the air.
Elliot froze, his Aura-enhanced senses tingling.
From the darkness, a swarm of Beedrill emerged, their stingers gleaming. These weren't nearly as strong as the one he met before, but there were too many to fight alone.
Elliot's eyes narrowed.
"Deino—defend!"
Deino roared and launched a Dragon Breath, blue flames searing through the rain and forcing some of the Beedrill to scatter.
Charmander flinched as a stray Beedrill lunged toward it, but Elliot didn't hesitate.
He stood between them.
"Are you gonna die for a trainer that left you bruised," Elliot shouted, his Aura amplifying his voice, "or are you gonna fight and live?"
Charmander trembled.
It still wanted to believe in William.
But deep down—it knew the truth.
William wasn't coming.
Tears welled up in its eyes as it let out a pained cry.
But then—
A bright glow erupted from Charmander's body.
Elliot's eyes widened as the light engulfed the small Pokémon, its form shifting, growing taller, stronger.
The Beedrill hesitated, their buzzing faltering as the light dimmed—
And standing in Charmander's place was Charmeleon.
The newly evolved Fire-type let out a fierce snarl, flames burning brighter on its tail.
The Beedrill reeled back.
Elliot grinned. "Charmeleon—use Ember!"
With a roar, Charmeleon launched a burst of fire, igniting the rain-soaked battlefield. The Beedrill scattered, unable to withstand the heat, disappearing into the forest.
The battle was over.
Elliot exhaled, rainwater dripping from his face as he turned to Charmeleon.
"You okay?"
Charmeleon looked at its claws, flexed its fingers, then nodded.
Elliot smiled. "Then let's get you patched up."
Pokémon Center – Later That Night
William sat at a table inside, bragging to a small group of teen trainers about his newly caught Squirtle and Beedrill.
"They're gonna be unstoppable when Squirtle evolves into Blastoise," he smirked. "Unlike that weak Charmander."
The others nodded, feeding his ego.
He never even looked outside at the storm.
He never even thought about his abandoned partner.
Then, a tap on his shoulder.
"Huh?"
He turned—
And caught a fist straight to his face.
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Here's another chapter for ya folks, I hope you all like this because I honestly have like, 40+ chapters stored, if you want a patreon you can have it early, but only I you want me to.