"Ohhh~~"
The Charizard standing tall before them let out a thunderous roar. The sheer force of its presence swept across the field like an invisible storm, crashing down on Ash's Charmeleon with immense pressure.
Charmeleon, who had just been provoking Charizard moments earlier, was suddenly overwhelmed by the intense aura. Though he struggled with all his might to resist, his efforts were futile. The gap between their strengths was too vast. No matter how much he fought back, Charmeleon couldn't even lift himself off the grass.
"Charmeleon!" Ash called out, worry tightening his chest. Instinctively, he stepped forward, but before he could rush to his partner's side, Red—formerly known as Robert—extended a hand to stop him.
"Ash, hold it right there," Red said calmly but firmly. "This is training. My Charizard is helping your Charmeleon grow. If you truly want him to become stronger, you'll let this continue. But if you'd rather he stay the same, then by all means—step in."
"…"
Ash froze mid-step, his right foot lingering in the air. He looked down at Charmeleon, who lay panting on the lawn, and then back up at Red's Charizard, who stood firm and unrelenting.
Red's words echoed in Ash's mind. Though it hurt to see his Pokémon in pain, something inside him resonated with Red's reasoning. If Red truly meant harm, he wouldn't have involved Charizard in the first place. Besides, after seeing how powerful Red's Pokémon were, Ash couldn't help but dream of making Charmeleon just as strong.
With a heavy heart, Ash clenched his fists and slowly brought his foot back, remaining where he stood.
Red nodded in satisfaction. If Ash had insisted and tried to intervene, he would've allowed it—but deep down, he would have been disappointed in him. Recklessness without trust or understanding would have meant Ash wasn't ready for the path of true strength. If that had been the case, Red would've seen him no longer as a comrade, but as just another passerby.
Having handled Ash, Red signaled Charizard to continue.
Charizard responded with a nod, and then intensified its presence. The pressure bearing down on Charmeleon grew even heavier, like an invisible mountain crushing him into the earth. Charmeleon gritted his teeth, eyes wide with fury and humiliation.
"Ahhh!!"
The struggle was no longer just physical—it was psychological. Charmeleon felt betrayed. His trainer, the one he trusted most, just stood there and watched. Didn't Ash care? Why didn't he step in?
That moment of realization turned into a searing flame of anger. Charmeleon's heart boiled over with defiance. He had one goal now: to prove himself. To defeat this arrogant Charizard that dared to look down on him, and to reclaim his dignity with his own strength.
Buzz!
A strange energy began to ripple around him. A white light flared from within Charmeleon's body, signaling a forced evolution—he was trying to evolve into Charizard through sheer rage and determination.
Red's eyes narrowed at once.
"Charizard, stop him!"
He gave the order without hesitation. This wasn't how evolution should happen. Red knew from experience: forced evolution when a Pokémon isn't ready sacrifices their latent potential. The result? A weakened, incomplete form—a Charizard in name, but one permanently held back from greatness.
If Ash weren't the protagonist in the original story, Red thought grimly, his Charizard would've ended up forgotten and discarded at Professor Oak's lab. That's why Red had decided to help him—not just to train Charmeleon, but to save his future.
Charizard understood the command instantly. With a swift and powerful motion, it swung its thick tail like a hammer, striking Charmeleon and sending him rolling across the grass. The forced evolution was interrupted.
"You're still too weak," Charizard growled under its breath. "Even if you have potential, it means nothing if you can't control it. You'll waste it. That's why I'm stronger—because I used every drop of mine."
Charmeleon tumbled a few times before coming to a stop, groaning in pain. But Red's Charizard had held back—it was a calculated blow. Charmeleon wasn't knocked out, only stopped from evolving.
Red's face remained calm, but there was a flicker of emotion behind his eyes. He wouldn't have chosen Charmander as his first partner if he didn't genuinely admire the species. And he wouldn't go to such lengths for Ash's Charmeleon if he didn't see something special in him.
He often wondered—what if the original Charizard hadn't evolved prematurely and lost so much potential? What if it had grown slowly, trained diligently, and then evolved naturally at the peak of its strength?
That version of Charizard might've been able to do more than just hold its own against Articuno. It could've triumphed outright—especially if Ash had been more experienced as a trainer.
"Charmeleon!" Ash cried, finally running over. He knelt beside his partner, checking every inch of him for injuries.
Charmeleon wasn't seriously hurt, but Ash still looked torn between guilt and confusion. He trusted Red, yes, but seeing his Pokémon in pain was hard to take.
When did Charmeleon become so stubborn? Was that part of the reason Red wouldn't let him intervene?
(Author's note: Charmeleon's always been stubborn—some things never change.)
"Char…!"
But Charmeleon pushed Ash's arms away, climbing to his feet by himself. His expression was cold, and his eyes didn't meet Ash's.
Now you care?
Where was that care when I needed you the most?
You stood there and watched me suffer.
You didn't fight for me.
Charmeleon turned away, refusing to acknowledge Ash. In his heart, he felt abandoned—and a little betrayed.
He decided then and there that he would ignore Ash for a while. Let him reflect. Let him feel what it was like to be pushed away.
If Ash didn't apologize soon, he could expect the silent treatment for a good two or three days.
Charmeleon's eyes shifted toward Charizard, still blazing with anger and defiance.
You said I'm weak?
Maybe I am.
But with the same potential, I'll become stronger than you.
Right now, the only thing separating us is one evolution step.
That gap won't last forever.
One day, I'll surpass you.
Even though his evolution had been interrupted, and even though he had been consumed by rage just moments earlier, Charmeleon now felt a strange sense of clarity.
He'd almost thrown away his potential out of anger. Almost evolved too soon. But now… now he understood.
His path forward would be painful, but it would be worth it.
The goal was set: defeat Red's Charizard.
He burned that image into his mind—a powerful, unbeatable Pokémon brought to its knees before him.
Not to humiliate him.
But to prove he could rise.
To prove he could grow stronger.
To prove he could conquer the flame.
One day, he promised, you'll be the one lying on the ground.
And I'll be the one walking away, without even looking back.