The scorching sun beat down on the dirt road leading to Vermilion City, and the air was filled with the dry scent of dust. Ash wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up at the sky—a few ominous dark clouds had already gathered in the distance.
"It looks like it's going to rain, we need to speed up." Brock squinted, observing the change in weather, his fingers unconsciously caressing the Poké Ball at his waist.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu stood on Ash's shoulder, his ears twitching alertly, as if sensing something.
Xiao You suddenly pointed ahead and shouted, "Look over there!"
About fifty meters away, a red-haired teenager was frantically chasing a Charmander. The flame on the Charmander's tail was unusually vigorous, shimmering with a dazzling orange-red light in the sun. It ran forward without looking back, completely ignoring its Trainer's desperate shouts from behind.
"Charizard! You stop right there!" The red-haired teenager gasped, sweat soaking his Trainer uniform. "I order you to come back!"
The Charmander suddenly stopped, turning to face its Trainer. Its eyes were filled with disdain, and the flame on its tail shot up with a "whoosh," casting a flickering shadow on the dry grass.
"Vani (Order)?" The Charmander sneered, its voice only understandable to Ash. "Vani… Vani (Who do you think you are? You're not worthy of ordering me)?"
Da You finally caught up, bending over with his hands on his knees, gasping for air: "Finally… I caught you… hurry back into your Poké Ball…" He tremblingly pulled out a red and white Poké Ball.
"Vani (Dream on)!" The Charmander suddenly raised its right claw, which glowed with a bluish light. "Vani (Dragon Claw)!"
With a crisp "crack," the Poké Ball split in half, and the red light dissipated into the air. The fragments fell to the ground, making a clear sound.
Da You stared dumbfounded at the remains in his hand: "You… how dare you…"
"Vani (I've had enough of your incompetence)!" The Charmander shook its claw, sparks flying. "Vani (A Trainer like you isn't worthy of owning a Pokémon like me!)"
Ash and his companions had already approached and witnessed this scene. Xiao You gasped in surprise, covering her mouth: "Oh my, a Pokémon actively destroyed its own Poké Ball!"
Brock frowned, his finger on his chin: "This situation is extremely rare… usually only when a Pokémon is extremely dissatisfied with its Trainer…"
Ash didn't speak immediately. Instead, he reached out and touched the azure flute hanging around his neck. This mysterious sapphire pendant glowed faintly, as if responding to his thoughts.
"Let me see what happened…" Ash murmured softly, his finger gently stroking the surface of the pendant.
In an instant, scenes flooded Ash's mind like a tide—
In a dark underground warehouse, various rare Pokémon were confined in iron cages. Da You's parents were talking to a masked hunter, and on the table was a specially made cage, containing a weak but stubborn Charmander.
"This Charmander is not ordinary," the hunter's hoarse voice carried greed. "Its mother is a wild Salamence, and pure Dragon-type blood flows in its veins. We went to great lengths to catch it."
"We'll pay triple the price!" Da You's father said eagerly, his fingers tapping on the table. "My son is participating in the New Trainer ceremony next week…"
The scene shifted. The Charmander was sent to Da You's home in a gilded cage. Young Da You excitedly circled the cage, while the Charmander watched everything with indifference.
"From today on, you are my Pokémon!" Little Da You proudly announced, a naive arrogance on his face. "I will train you to be the strongest Charizard, and make everyone envy me!"
The Charmander scoffed: "Vani (With you, a brat who doesn't even understand basic training)?"
The following scenes flashed by like a revolving lantern—Da You's improper commands frequently led to Charmander's injuries; during training, he only cared about showing off and not tactics; and even during battles with other Trainers, he disregarded Charmander's stamina limits for victory… Finally, returning to reality, Ash took a deep breath, understanding why Charmander was so resistant to Da You.
At this moment, Da You, enraged and humiliated, pointed at Charmander: "You ungrateful fellow! My parents spent a fortune to buy you, and you actually…"
"Buy?" Ash suddenly spoke, interrupting the red-haired teenager, his voice filled with suppressed anger. "Pokémon are not commodities and should not be bought and sold."
Da You was stunned for a moment, then angrily turned to Ash: "What does it have to do with you? This is my Charmander!"
"Vani (It used to be)." The Charmander said coldly, the flame on its tail suddenly shooting up. "Vani (It isn't anymore)."
Ash stepped forward, looking directly into Charmander's eyes: "I can feel the dormant power within you, that is the Dragon-type bloodline from your father."
The Charmander looked at Ash warily: "Vani (What do you want to say)?"
"Battle me." Ash said with a smile, his eyes sincere. "If I win, will you be my partner? I will respect your choice."
Pikachu leaped lightly from Ash's shoulder, landing steadily on the ground, the electric sacs on his cheeks flashing with dangerous electric light: "Pika Pika (Let me take you on)!"
The Charmander looked at Pikachu, then suddenly grinned: "Vani (Interesting… your Pikachu certainly looks extraordinary. Alright, I accept the challenge! Let me see what you've got)."
Da You stomped his feet in anger: "You can't do this! That's my Charmander!"
Xiao You pulled back Da You, who was about to rush forward: "It's clear Charmander is no longer willing to follow you, forcing it is meaningless."
"What do you know!" Da You shook off Xiao You's hand, his voice tearful. "My parents spent so much money…"
Brock interrupted him sternly: "Pokémon are not measured by money. If you truly care about it, you should respect its choice."
In the center of the field, Pikachu and Charmander had already taken their battle stances. The flame on Charmander's tail burned brightly, showing its vigorous fighting spirit. The surrounding air shimmered slightly due to the high temperature.
"You go first." Ash said politely, making a "please" gesture.
The Charmander didn't stand on ceremony, taking a deep breath, its chest puffing out, and a scorching flame erupted from its mouth: "Vani (Flamethrower)!"
The orange-red pillar of fire shot straight towards Pikachu, instantly charring the grass leaves in its path.
"Pikachu, dodge and then use Surf!" Ash quickly commanded, his voice steady and strong.
Pikachu pushed off with his hind legs, leaping nimbly to avoid a direct hit from the flame. He gracefully spun his body in mid-air, and suddenly, surging water appeared around him, mixed with flashing electric light, making a "zzzt" sound.
"What? Pikachu knows a Water-type move?" Da You's eyes widened in shock, his jaw almost dropping to the ground.
Surf hit Charmander accurately, and Water-type moves are super effective against Fire-type Pokémon. Charmander was pushed back several meters, kneeling on one knee, completely drenched, the flame on its tail weakened by the water, making a "hissing" sound.
"Vani (It's not over yet)!" The Charmander gritted its teeth and stood up, shaking off the water droplets, its claws glowing with an even stronger blue light. "Vani (Dragon Claw combo)!"
It quickly rushed towards Pikachu, its claws striking like a storm, drawing blue trajectories in the air.
Pikachu, however, remained calm, and under Ash's command, summoned Surf again. The water formed a shield, blocking most of the attacks, and the remaining energy was skillfully guided to the sides.
"Pikachu, final attack!" Ash shouted, his voice full of confidence.
A larger wave appeared out of nowhere, completely engulfing Charmander. When the water receded, Charmander lay weakly on the ground, the flame on its tail also faint, but the stubbornness in its eyes remained undiminished.
Ash took out a new Poké Ball, weighed it lightly in his hand, and then tossed it towards Charmander: "Be my partner. I will help you unleash your full potential."
The Poké Ball touched Charmander, drawing it inside. The ball shook a few times on the ground, finally emitting a soft "ding"—capture successful.
"No!" Da You cried out in despair, falling to his knees. "That's my Charmander! My parents spent so much money…"
Ash picked up the Poké Ball and looked at Da You sternly: "It chose its own path. Forcing a Pokémon to obey will only backfire." He paused, "Moreover, a true Trainer should earn a Pokémon's recognition through strength and trust, not through their parents' money."
Just then, a deafening thunderclap echoed in the sky, and large raindrops began to fall, quickly turning into a downpour.
"We need to get to the Pokémon Center quickly!" Xiao You shouted, already pulling out her raincoat.
Brock nodded: "The nearest one should be two kilometers ahead! Run!"
The three paid no more attention to Da You and quickened their pace towards their destination. The rain quickly soaked their clothes, the cold touch making them shiver. Pikachu hid in Ash's hat, only his two ears showing.
Twenty minutes later, the drenched group finally arrived at the Pokémon Center. Upon seeing them, Joy immediately arranged for their stay and thoughtfully brought them dry towels and hot drinks.
"Thank you, Joy." Ash said gratefully, taking the towel to dry his hair. "May I use the treatment machine? I just caught a Charmander."
"Of course." Joy smiled, taking the Poké Ball. "I'll arrange it right away. You all go rest in your room, I'll have someone dry your clothes and bring them to you."
An hour later, the three gathered in the room Joy had arranged. Pikachu had recovered his spirits and was playing with Xiao You's Eevee in the corner. Ash took out Charmander's Poké Ball and gently pressed the button.
A red light flashed, and Charmander appeared in the center of the room. It looked completely recovered, the flame on its tail burning steadily, illuminating half the room.
"How do you feel?" Ash asked with concern, squatting down to be at eye level with Charmander.
The Charmander moved its limbs, the blue light on its claws even more noticeable than before: "Better than I expected… your Pikachu is strong, and your tactics are very clever."
Ash smiled: "Pikachu is my most important partner. We've been together since we left Pallet Town." He turned to look at Pikachu, who was playing with Eevee. "Now, you are our partner too."
The Charmander was silent for a while, then suddenly asked: "Why can you understand what I say? Other humans can only hear 'kaka' calls."
Ash touched the azure flute around his neck, the golden pendant shimmering with a mysterious light in the lamplight: "Because of the owner of this. It gave me the ability to communicate with Pokémon."
"What is that?" The Charmander curiously leaned closer, its nose almost touching the pendant.
"A very special treasure." Ash didn't explain in detail, but instead changed the topic. "Speaking of special… I can feel the dormant power within you."
The Charmander's eyes became complex: "You mean… Dragon-type bloodline?"
Ash nodded: "Your mother is a Salamence, right? That power sleeps within you. If it can be awakened…"
"So what?" The Charmander interrupted him, a hint of bitterness in its tone. "I am still a Fire-type Pokémon, and will never become a true Dragon-type."
"That's right, the type won't change." Ash said seriously, gently touching Charmander's forehead. "But you can gain resistance to Water-type, and even learn some Dragon-type moves. Want to try?"
The Charmander hesitated for a moment, the flame on its tail flickering uneasily, and finally it nodded: "Okay… I want to try."
Ash had Charmander stand in the center of the room, while he held the azure flute with both hands, closed his eyes, and concentrated. The pendant began to emit a soft blue light, which gradually enveloped Charmander's entire body, wrapping it in a blue sphere of light.
"This is…" The Charmander looked at its glowing body in surprise, its claws unconsciously spreading.
A warm current surged from deep within its body, as if something was awakening. The Charmander felt its body filled with unprecedented power, its bones made a slight "crackling" sound, and the blue light on its claws became even brighter.
"It worked!" Ash opened his eyes, saying joyfully, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.
The Charmander tried to wave its claws, and a bluish-green energy wave cut through the air, leaving a charred mark on the wall.
"Dragon Rage…" It looked at its claws in disbelief, its voice trembling slightly. "I can really use Dragon-type moves!"
Pikachu jumped over, clapping excitedly: "That's great!"
Xiao You asked curiously: "What happened? Charmander looks different."
"Its Dragon-type bloodline has been awakened." Ash explained, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Although its type hasn't changed, its abilities will improve, especially its resistance to Water-type moves."
Brock thoughtfully stroked his chin: "This means it can learn some Dragon-type moves, and its battle strategies will be richer. What an exciting discovery!"
The Charmander walked up to Ash and said solemnly: "Thank you… I never thought there would be a Trainer who could understand and unleash my potential."
Ash squatted down, and handed the Charcoal and Dragon Fang, which he had just taken out of the small world using the power of the azure flute, to Charmander, looking at it at eye level: "This is what I should do. As Trainers, our responsibility is to help Pokémon reach their full potential, not to force them to obey."
The Charmander directly ate the Charcoal and put on the Dragon Fang. The power of its Dragon-type and Fire-type moves reached a new level.
Outside the window, the rain gradually subsided, and the dark clouds began to disperse. A ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining into the room, landing perfectly on Charmander and Ash, coating them with a golden outline.
The Charmander looked at the sunlight outside the window and suddenly said: "I used to think that human Trainers were all like Da You, only treating Pokémon as tools for showing off."
"And now?" Ash asked with a smile, the sunlight twinkling in his eyes.
The Charmander turned its head, its eyes firm: "Now I understand that between a true Trainer and a Pokémon, there should be a partnership of mutual respect and shared growth."
It extended its claw: "I am willing to follow you, Ash. Let's become stronger together."
Ash grasped the small claw, feeling the power and determination within it: "Welcome to our team, Charmander. I promise, you won't regret this decision."
Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder, extending a small paw to his new partner: "Let's become stronger together!"
The Charmander smiled, gently touching Pikachu's paw with its own: "Of course, I look forward to our next battle—but next time, I won't be defeated so easily."
Xiao You and Brock looked at this scene, exchanging smiles. They knew that a powerful new member had been added to the team, and the adventure ahead would be even more exciting because of this special Charmander.
The post-rain sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on the room's floor. In the distance, a rainbow arched across the sky, as if cheering for this newly forged bond.