Chapter 52: The Troubled Charmander
"Lord Alan will protect me."
Liz turned her head with a smile and stroked Ryū's back. She then leaned down, gently poking Charmander's head with her finger. She didn't take the Pokémon Researcher's words to heart.
Because what she thought was exactly what she said. Moreover, she felt that she, and everyone else in this world, seemed to have some misunderstandings about Pokémon.
"My Queen, Lord Alan is also a Pokémon! No one can guarantee he..."
"Don't let me hear anyone say Alan is a Pokémon again."
Liz turned to look at the Pokémon Researcher, the smile still on her face, but her words carried no emotion. "This is the first time I've disliked that term so much."
"..."
Ryū, standing nearby, stared blankly at Liz and quietly swallowed. It was the first time he had seen such a terrifying expression on her face. He could clearly sense her anger. Although he was the one being targeted, Liz was even more furious than he was.
"...Yes."
The Pokémon Researcher seemed frightened as well and quickly lowered his head. The people who had been watching from a distance also dispersed, all pretending to be busy, as if nothing had just happened.
"Regarding Alan, you don't need to worry. I understand him better than you do." Liz waved her hand, signaling that the researcher could leave.
"...Yes."
The researcher sighed and reluctantly turned away. He finally understood. Even if Hestia or Liz's deceased parents were present, they couldn't change Liz's mind. He could only hope that her trust in Ryū would not be betrayed.
"Let's go, Alan. Let's eat. I'll grill some meat for you myself."
Liz turned and left with Ryū and Charmander.
"You can grill meat?"
"I'm really good at it. You'll see in a bit."
"Alright, I'll be waiting."
Half an hour later.
"Haa!"
After biting into a piece of grilled meat, Charmander excitedly bounced up and down on its two little legs, just like Ash's Totodile.
"The taste is actually really good. I never knew you had this skill," Ryū said, genuinely surprised after taking a bite. To say it was exquisitely delicious would be an exaggeration, but her skill level was certainly high—more than enough to open a popular barbecue restaurant back on Earth.
"It's delicious, right? Hehe." Liz chuckled as she watched the two of them eat happily.
Then, suddenly remembering something, she took out a piece of grilled meat, rinsed it with water, and cut it into small pieces. Next, a scene that made Ryū feel relieved appeared. Liz had remembered the two quiet Magikarp and threw all the small pieces into their fish tank.
'Liz is starting to look like a real Trainer,' Ryū thought, nodding as he watched from the side.
Liz's Magikarp ate very happily. But the other Magikarp looked a bit dejected, clearly feeling lost without its owner nearby.
After a full meal came time for sleep. In this era, people didn't have a strong sense of time. Especially when traveling in the wild, they judged the time by observing the sky and the changes in temperature. It was late winter, so the sun set early, and the temperature remained low, making everyone go to bed earlier than usual.
Inside Liz's large tent.
"With Little Flare here, the tent is much warmer," Liz said as she spread the sheets, looking at Charmander, who was sitting on the ground, shaking its head and dozing off.
Little Flare was the name Liz had given to Charmander. And Magikarp was called Little Carp. With Liz, only Ryū and the deceased 'Amber' had names starting with 'A'.
"Just be careful the kid doesn't set the tent on fire," Ryū warned, keeping a close eye on Charmander.
Although he had a general understanding of most Pokémon, this was his first time encountering a real Charmander. His knowledge of the flame on its tail was limited, not much better than Liz's. He had to constantly monitor it. It was possible that if Charmander had a nightmare and became agitated, the flame could flare up, and things would get complicated.
"It's ready! Alan, Little Flare, come and sleep," Liz called the two Pokémon over.
Meanwhile, Magikarp had been asleep for who knows how long in the nearby fish tank.
However, when Liz saw the flame on Charmander's tail, a hint of hesitation appeared in her eyes. It seemed obvious that if Charmander got under the blanket, it would set the whole thing on fire.
"Let this little guy sleep on the side," Ryū suggested, pulling out a small section of the blanket and spreading it in front of Charmander.
Because he wasn't sure if Charmander's tail would ignite the blanket, he could only let it sleep a short distance away from them. Charmander was still very young, and its control over its own power didn't seem very skilled. Ryū felt that being cautious was always for the best.
Charmander was already exhausted. It immediately pounced onto the blanket, hugged its tail, and fell fast asleep.
"Let's sleep too."
"Okay."
Early the next morning, the caravan set off again on the road to Cherrygrove City.
With the lively and cheerful Charmander joining them, the journey had a much more energetic atmosphere. Charmander would stick close to Ryū, asking him to take it flying in the sky. Every time they flew, Charmander was ecstatic, its heart filled with a growing desire to fly, and its eyes toward Ryū were full of admiration.
But the little guy was sometimes a bit simple-minded. While standing on Ryū's back, it would suddenly flap its arms and leap off. The first time it happened, it scared Ryū so badly he nearly fainted. Fortunately, he knew the move Agility and quickly caught Charmander; otherwise, the little Pokémon might have met its end right there.
One could only say that Ryū's previous assumption was correct. Without him and Liz looking after it, this Charmander would likely never reach its final evolution into a Charizard. Even if it wasn't defeated by other Pokémon, it would probably get itself into trouble.
"Perfect. I can have Liz command this little guy in battles along the way to level up. It won't be a waste of time," Ryū quickly thought of a good plan that accomplished three things at once.
He planned to use their rest times to guide Liz in commanding Charmander to battle weak wild Pokémon. This way, Liz could learn how to command Pokémon, Charmander could gain experience and level up, and Charmander's boundless energy could be put to good use, making it more well-behaved during the march.
He decided to act immediately.
Soon, it was time for the midday break. The army stopped, but there was no need to set up camp. They prepared to make a fire for cooking and would take a short nap after eating. This lunch break was relatively long.
Ryū and Liz didn't need to nap. During the journey, they could sleep whenever they wanted. On the contrary, this free time was very precious. Ryū seized the opportunity, coiled his tail around Liz and Charmander, and flew to a nearby area to search for weak Pokémon.