Summery:
Our heroes are once against lost, and Misty is quite frustrated with Brock over his inability to find Vermilion City. However, Ash finds a path that will take them to Route 24 which will most definitely lead them to their destination, and so they head off. However, the soon find a huge rock in the middle of the road and on top is a Charmander. Dexter analyzes that if the flame on its tail goes out, it will die. They are curious as to why it's on the rock in the middle of nowhere, but Misty points out that it looks like it's injured. Brock wants Ash to capture Charmander without weakening it in order to take it to the pokémon center. As Ash tries to throw a pokéball at it, however, Charmander knocks it back with its tail. Pikachu converses with Charmander, and after a bit of a charades game, we find out that Charmander is sitting on that rock waiting for its master to come back and get it. The gang decides that it is probably best to leave Charmander there for its master and leave. As they see the pokémon center of route 24 over the hill, storm clouds roll in, and the group has run in get out of the rain. We then see Charmander clinging on to a little leaf to protect its flaming tail from the rain and the wind. Inside, Misty gets some soup, but Brock is silent as he looks out the window and worries about the Charmander. Just then, they hear laughter and see a group of trainers surrounding another trainer named Damien. He boasts about how many powerful pokémon he has (there are about 20 pokéballs on his table) and how he is a great trainer. Our gang tries to ignore how conceited he is, until he reveals that he once had a Charmander but abandoned it because it was too weak, by leaving it at a rock and promising to return to it one day. Brock rushes over to him and tries to order him to go get it before it dies in the rain. A battle is about to begin, but Nurse Joy breaks it up, of whom Brock says, "She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." But then, Misty points out that she looks like all the other Nurse Joys in the other cities, to which Ash responds with isn't it a joy-ful world. Our heroes rush out to save Charmander. They find it being attacked by a flock of Spearows which Pikachu disperses with a simply thundershock, and using their own rain coats, Brock and Ash carry Charmander back to the pokémon center to keep its tail lit. Nurse Joy takes it to the ER, and they wait nervously. Finally, Nurse Joy comes out saying the operation was a success and Charmander is recovering, and the storm suddenly clears. The next day, Ash is abruptly woken up by Brock who says Charmander is gone. They deduce that Charmander is very loyal to Damien and went back to the rock to wait for him. We then see Charmander walking away from the pokémon center, but it suddenly stops and looks back. As the gang is about to head off again, Team Rocket is digging up another pit trap (this time promising toremember where it was).
It successfully traps the humans, and wearing rubber suits to protect them from electricity, Team Rocket captures Pikachu using a rubber balloon bazooka. They gloat at Ash, but as they are about to leave, Charmander shows up telling them (through Meowth's translation) that they better let Pikachu go. They refuse and Charmander is able to drive them away with a powerful flame attack. Finally getting out of the pit, Ash thanks Charmander and asks him to join his team, since Damien abandoned him. However, Damien shows up all of a sudden, saying that he wants Charmander back after seeing how it defeated Team Rocket. The gang tries to convince Charmander that Damien is a bad trainer, but Damien does a better job of defaming himself by saying he only cares about using pokémon in a fight. Damien attempts to capture it in a pokéball, but Charmander hits Damien in the face with it. As Damien is about to attack with his other pokémon, Charmander drives him away with the help of Pikachu. Brockwants Ash to have Charmander, who gladly jumps into the pokéball of its new master and friend. And so they head off, still in search of Vermilion City. |
