"Ah, Mark, what's your favorite Pokémon type? I absolutely love Ground-types! I think Ground-type Pokémon are just incredible—steady and dependable like the earth itself!" That day, as Mark and Giselle continued their journey toward Professor Bill's Lighthouse, they walked and chatted along the way.
"Well," Mark replied, "my favorites would probably be Steel-types and Fire-types. Their willpower is as hard as steel, and their ambition burns like fire! That's what a real Pokémon Trainer should be like!"
"Haha, then you're definitely no match for me in the future! The types you like are all Ground-type Pokémon's guaranteed defeats!"Giselle boasted proudly.
"Y-yes, Miss Giselle! Then please go easy on me when we battle someday! Don't beat me too badly!" Mark grinned.
"Charmander, use Ember!"
"Squirtle, use Water Gun!"
Just then, the sound of a battle erupted from ahead!
"There's a Pokémon battle up ahead! Mark, let's go check it out!"Giselle exclaimed excitedly.
They ran forward and saw a boy and a girl facing off. The boy had a Charmander, while the girl had a Squirtle. Their moves collided midair—Ember against Water Gun. But Fire is weak against Water, and in an instant, Water Gun shattered Ember! The blast hit Charmander squarely, knocking it out immediately.
"Tch! Useless! Losing to a tiny Squirtle like this! What a waste!" the boy growled, venting his frustration by scolding Charmander harshly.
"Hmph! Using Fire-type moves straight up against Water-types? Clearly the fault lies with you, not your Pokémon! Why blame the poor thing? How low can you be!" Giselle snapped angrily. Though she could be strict at the academy, she always cared for Pokémon, and her schoolmates never unfairly blamed them for their trainer's faults. This behavior deeply offended her.
"Hmph! None of your business! Cute as you look, it's best you mind your own affairs! How I treat my Pokémon is my own concern! I don't want this Charmander anymore—weakling that it is! It can go wherever it wants!" The boy didn't even bother helping the fallen Charmander and simply walked off!
"Hey! How can you be like this? Your Charmander's still injured!" Giselle shouted.
"That's enough,Giselle . Don't waste your energy on this trash. First, let's treat Charmander's wounds!" Mark, equally angry, intervened. But the immediate priority was healing the injured Pokémon.
With some quick treatment, Charmander slowly regained consciousness. "That's great! Charmander, you're awake!" Giselle cheered. But Charmander ignored her, standing up and scanning its surroundings desperately—as if searching for its trainer.
"Are you looking for that jerk of an owner? Don't bother! He doesn't want you anymore! There's no reason to stick with someone like that! Go find someone who truly cares for you!"Giselle urged.
But Charmander didn't listen. Ignoring her words, it sniffed the air, catching its trainer's scent, and sprinted toward the direction he had gone.
"Ugh! Why won't Charmander listen?" Giselle grumbled.
"Pokémon are fiercely loyal," Mark explained calmly. "Some even see their trainers as their whole world. They'd risk their lives to protect them. It's Charmander's choice to stick with him."
The boy was clearly exasperated. After pondering, he pointed to a large rock and said, "Charmander, I've got important business to attend to. Stay on that rock here, and I'll come back for you once I'm done."
Though the lie was obvious, Charmander trusted him completely and obediently curled up on the rock. The boy took advantage of this and walked away swiftly.
A short while later, Mark and Giselle arrived at the scene and spotted the Charmander lying on the rock. Mark's eyes widened instantly, recognizing it at once. Could this be the future Charmeleon? He immediately scanned its data.
Charmander, Lizard Pokémon, Ability Blaze, Nature Naïve (+Speed, -Sp. Defense), Height 0.6m, Weight 8.5kg, Mythic Aptitude, potential to surpass Champions.
It was him! Mark's eyes lit up.
"This is outrageous! How could someone just abandon their Pokémon like this? It's disgraceful! I'm going to find that jerk and settle this!" Giselle's anger exploded, and she sprinted forward.
Soon enough, they caught up with the boy.
"You jerk! Charmander's been loyal to you, and you just left it behind? How can you call yourself a Pokémon Trainer?"Giselle roared.
"Ugh! You again? Such meddling nonsense! Trainers are supposed to catch strong Pokémon! Of course I'd discard a weak Charmander! That's normal!" the boy retorted, totally unapologetic.
"Ah! I can't hold back anymore! Mark, don't stop me—I'm going to take him down!" Giselle's elite temper flared up.
"True training means nurturing Pokémon from weak to strong," Mark said firmly. "Elite Four Lorelei once said that a Pokémon's strength isn't what defines it—big or small is just someone's opinion. A great Trainer fights for the victory of the Pokémon they care about."
"Hmph! Training a weak Pokémon is a waste of time! I'd rather catch a stronger one! There are plenty of Charmanders in the nearby valley—I caught this one there! I'll just catch another when I get the chance!" Saying this, he turned and walked away without looking back.
Giselle wanted to confront him, but Mark grabbed her arm.
"Let it go. People like this aren't worth our anger. Even if we convinced him now, he wouldn't treat Charmander well later," Mark reasoned. Besides, he thought, I want to see what expression he'll wear when this Charmander evolves into Charmeleon and battles in league tournaments or even takes on Legendary Pokémon. Poor guy… he's walked the wrong path and abandoned a future powerhouse.
"Then what should we do? Mark! You said you like Fire-types—why not catch it yourself?" Giselle suddenly suggested.
Mark shook his head.
"Why not? Don't tell me you think it's too weak to catch, either! Hmph! I misjudged you! You men are all the same—judging by appearances and fickle with new things!" Giselle snapped furiously.
"I'm definitely not thinking that! First, Charmander still trusts its owner—it wouldn't listen to me if I tried to convince it otherwise. Second, its destiny isn't with me. It's about to meet someone who will care for it deeply and guide it to greatness," Mark explained.
"What?! How do you know it'll meet its real trainer? You're just making excuses!"Giselle scowled.
"Alright, Giselle, trust me this once, okay? Very soon, you'll see it again, and you'll understand," Mark said sincerely. Seeing the earnestness in his eyes, Giselle couldn't help but choose to believe him.
"And that valley full of Charmanders he mentioned earlier… I'm really curious now! Maybe my very own Charmander is waiting there for me!" she grinned.
After all, being in the Pokémon world and not having a Charmeleon—officially endorsed no less—would be such a waste!
"Fine! Let's go check it out!" Giselle muttered, still not fully convinced but willing to try.
Mark knew she had lingering doubts—but he also knew that once she met Ash again, everything would click into place. For now, Mark's mission was clear: find out if that valley held a Charmander meant for him.
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