Adventures In Galar: Pokémon Haven

The Fire Within

It was a warm sunny day. The clouds floating lazily in the sky, packs of growlithe running by our camp in the wild zone. "Ah, this is the life!" I sighed with a smile, and laid back on the grass. The light breeze was so calming, listening to the leaves moving in the trees...
"Pika pika!" Shouted Pikachu as he unceremoniously dropped himself on my stomach. I snapped out of my daydream fast, "Pikachu! What are you doing, you silly sausage!" I laughed and moved him off me, sitting him gently on the grass as I took a moment to stretch and sit up. "What's up Pikachu, is something the matter?" I asked him. "Pika pika pikapi pipipi!" He said hurriedly as he pulled and pulled on my arm. "Okay okay, I'll follow! Just stop pulling me!" I laughed and stood up, brushing any loose grass off my legs and picking up my backpack. I turned to the rest of the team "I won't be long guys, Pikachu just has something he urgently needs to show me" I chuckled and rolled my eyes. The other Pokémon laughed, knowing how determined Pikachu gets, and waved us off on our mini adventure, Pikachu yelling at me to follow so I started running.

We go into the forest near camp. Pikachu keeps running ahead too far, more nimble at climbing over tree roots than I am. "Hey Pikachu, don't go too far or I'll lose your trail!" I shouted ahead to him. He slowed a little, but was still determined we get to our destination swiftly.
Soon, the trees opened up to a little clearing. This perfect meadow of flowers and little trees, hidden in the depths of the forest! And what quickly caught my eye, was a little Charmander. I remembered what a Charmander was from my early days, back when I chose Pikachu from Professor Oak in Kanto! It had been years since I'd actually seen one in person though.
"Hey little guy, is everything okay here?" I asked curiously. He looked up at me, with large eyes, and started to cry!

"Hey hey, it's okay!" I soothed him, as Pikachu ran forward and held him. "Very protective of your new friend, aren't you Pikachu" I said. "Pika pika pipipipi!" He replied, pointing at Charmanders tail frantically. The flame was very, very small. "I'm sure I remember something about this.." I said, muttering to myself. "I know! Let's ask rotom phone to pull up the pokedex app! Maybe there is a note on this". I pulled out my rotom phone, loaded up the app, typed in Charmander and hit the search button. The familiar robotic voice of the dex started to explain. "Charmander, the lizard Pokémon. From the time it is born, a flame burns at the tip of its tail. Its life would end if the flame were to go out. Thank you for using rotom phone." And with that, the app shut down. I looked at Pikachu in shock, "is that what you were trying to tell me, Pikachu?!" I started to panic. The little Charmander did not look well. He was thin, like he had been there a while. "Pi pi pika, pika pika pikachu" Pikachu started talking to Charmander. "Chaaaarrr...char char, Charmander!" He replied to Pikachu. I sat in awe, it always impressed me how Pokémon can understand each other so easily! Pikachu turned to me, gesturing and explaining. I listened thoughtfully, trying my best to understand. "What you're telling me, is that Charmander can't use fire?" I asked Pikachu.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu nodded. Seems I had understood! "Okay...that might explain his flame, he has enough to live, but not enough to channel it" I said sadly. A Charmander who can't use fire? It's unheard of. I looked at the Charmander who looked at me with huge eyes, ashamed of the truth. "Pika pipipi!" Pikachu got my attention and explained some more of the story. It seems, that this Charmander had been abandoned because he was too weak to use his fire. "Hey, would you like to join my team?" I asked him, holding out my hand cautiously. "Charmander...." he thought about it, then ran off deeper into the forest! "For a supposedly weak Pokémon, he sure is fast!" I said to Pikachu as we took off after him.

We kept running as fast as we could, looking everywhere for Charmander. "Pika pikaaaa!" Shouted Pikachu. "Hey Charmander! Come back!" I shouted, starting to run out of breath a little. We still hadn't found him, maybe we never would. About to give up on our mission, we ran round a large tree, and into a Diggersby nest! I looked at Pikachu in a panic, these are part Ground types! They will be completely immune to Pikachus electric moves, and they're going to hit him like a truck! I tried to call Pikachu over to me before they noticed. "Pikachu, come on, up my arm" I whispered, urging him over to me. It was no good, they saw us.

We tried to fight, but there were too many Diggersby for one trainer and her Pikachu! Pikachu used Slam and managed to knock one away, but then a second Diggersby joined the fray! "Pika pikaaaa" Pikachu cried out as he got flung through the air. I lunged forward and caught him, but the force sent us both flying into a tree. The Diggersby leered at us, we couldn't escape.
Meanwhile, Charmander heard the commotion and turned, arriving just in time to see us both go flying into a tree! He sat there sadly, his old trainer was right, he was useless. He looked at his paws and cried. I must try anyway, thought Charmander to himself. This Pikachu and his human, they were kind to me, and now they're in trouble because they looked for me! He focused all his rage against the Diggersby into his breath...however nothing came out but a smokescreen that filled the air. The Diggersby turned and laughed at him, but he wasn't about to give up! He thought of Pikachu, of the human, and it gave him hope! He dashed through the smokescreen, and flew into the face of one Diggersby with an iron tail that knocked it out cold!
The other Diggersby straightened itself up, angered by what had befallen it's mate. Charmander stood in front of it, legs shaking and dared the Diggersby to try. Diggersby started to ready a giant earthquake! Charmander focused, and threw up a protect just as its old trainer had shown him. I guess that old trainer was useful for something, he smirked as Charmander, Pikachu and Mischa stood safe behind the protect barrier.
Charmander looked at the Diggersby from behind the barrier, and smirked. He focused the last of his energy into his fist, and launched himself through the barrier, smashing it and cracking into the Diggersbys jaw with a mega punch! Both Diggersby defeated, the other Diggersby saw their match and ran. Charmander collapsed on the ground, satisfied he had saved his new friends, and the world went dark.

"Charmander! Charmander!" I shouted, shaking him and begging him to wake up. His tail flame dimmer than ever, I panicked. "Right, that's it he's coming with us whether he likes it or not!" I turned to Pikachu and he nodded. "Let's get him back to camp before it's too late!" I took off my jacket, laid Charmander safely inside it, and ran as fast as we could back to the others at camp!

We arrived back, I shouted my buddies. "Right, we need to work fast! Cinderace, start the fire under the cooking pot! Sobble, collect water for boiling up some food and warm drinks." I directed them all into their jobs and they ran about frantically, everyone wanting to save the little Charmander. I laid him in the tent, Pikachu refusing to leave his side, and I set about making salves and mashing berries to make a health regenerating curry!
Food was ready, everyone watched with baited breath as I took a warm cloth and put it on Charmanders head. Then I took a small spoonful of curry, and waggled it under his nose. One tweak, another wiggle. His nose twitched a third time! Charmander lunged forward and aye the whole spoonful, and almost the spoon too! "Oh Charmander you're okay!" I cried. "You saved our lives! What you did was incredible! You don't have access to fire moves and you still completely wiped them out!" I gushed, amazed at this little Charmander. "Please stay with us?"
Charmander started to cry, he had finally found someone who saw him for who he was, even if he didn't have fire moves like the other Charmanders. I hugged him, "you are a hero, Charmander! Never forget it" and he cried some more.

"Right, I know the cure for tears! Come on team, group hug!" I shouted, and we all piled together, Charmander in the middle as we laughed, happy to have a new teammate.