Chapter Fourteen: The Vow

After returning to Greenleaf Town, Zhao Fang hurriedly carried Charmander to the Pokémon Center. He handed his Poké Ball to Nurse Joy and explained that Charmander was severely injured. After a brief examination, Nurse Joy’s expression darkened noticeably.

Zhao Fang understood her concern immediately. He quickly detailed Charmander’s condition to dispel any suspicion. After all, Charmander’s wounds were grave, and in this world, there were indeed some despicable people who delighted in abusing Pokémon. Zhao Fang had seen reports on TV about Ms. Junsha from the Hoenn region dismantling an underground fighting ring in Kaina City, where Pokémon were treated merely as commodities.

Gyarados and Glaceon were recovering the fastest; neither had sustained serious injuries. Gyarados was only exhausted from using Dragon Rage, with no other issues, while Glaceon had only a minor burn on its foot.

However, Charmander’s condition was far more serious. Zhao Fang waited most of the day at the Pokémon Center before Nurse Joy returned, her face grave and clutching a long list of medical reports.

Hearing Nurse Joy’s words and seeing the lengthy bill, Zhao Fang silently withdrew his savings. Charmander’s injuries were severe, and its vitality was extremely weak. If Zhao Fang hadn’t treated the wounds early with potent medicine, Charmander would likely have already been buried.

Even so, the extensive diagnosis and treatment recommendations made Zhao Fang’s heart ache. The final tally was dizzyingly high, practically emptying his funds. After paying, Zhao Fang was left with just over ten thousand league coins.

“Training a Pokémon really costs a fortune,” Zhao Fang sighed. No wonder people said that being a trainer wasn’t a casual profession—the expenses were astronomical. He had just gotten rich enough to escape the miserable days of eating only sandwiches, but now, it seemed, sandwiches would still be his staple.

Charmander’s recovery would take a long time. Nurse Joy thoughtfully prepared a private room for Zhao Fang to rest. Since visits were forbidden during treatment, Zhao Fang abandoned the idea of seeing Charmander and quickly fell asleep.

That night passed in darkness. Since the last time when Celebi was killed by the hooded men, the tower had seemed sealed off for a long time. Yet Zhao Fang knew this tower’s special purpose—it was meant as a trial for challengers, so it wasn’t unusual for it to remain untouched for lengthy periods.

The next morning, Zhao Fang barely opened his eyes when he saw Nurse Joy’s serious face, which immediately startled him, causing him to leap out of bed.

“How much more do you need? If it’s not enough, I can raise some more,” Zhao Fang said instinctively, fearing Charmander’s treatment was not going well. But Nurse Joy looked puzzled.

“Of course the treatment went well,” she said, covering her mouth with a joyful smile. “I just came to tell you we need the bed for someone else and wondered whether to wake you.” Zhao Fang scratched his head awkwardly but felt relieved Charmander was alright.

The next time Zhao Fang saw Charmander was in the Pokémon Center’s backyard. Charmander was sitting on a rock, staring off into the distance. But now, it looked less like a young Charmander and more like a fragile white dragon, wrapped extensively in white bandages, especially around the area bitten by Charizard.

“Thinking about your family?” Zhao Fang approached and sat beside Charmander.

Charmander showed no reaction to Zhao Fang’s presence, staring blankly at the sky. If Zhao Fang hadn’t trusted the medical skills of the Joy family, he might have suspected a serious problem had affected Charmander’s mind, rendering it unable to speak.

“Your family is safe. I helped it escape yesterday. But it probably can’t return to its clan—it has angered many Charizards,” Zhao Fang comforted. Since Charmander fell unconscious after being captured, it likely knew nothing of what happened afterward.

At Zhao Fang’s words, Charmander turned its head and looked at him, its eyes gradually becoming more lively.

“Although I’m not strong enough yet to face so many Charizards, I’ll grow stronger on our journey,” Zhao Fang said with a smile, reaching out his hand.

“Will you travel with me, fight strong opponents, and become stronger? I’ll take you back here once you evolve into a Charizard and help you find your family and avenge them.” Zhao Fang looked at Charmander seriously. Yesterday’s capture had been more of a compromise, but Zhao Fang didn’t want compromise—he wanted a Pokémon who believed in him wholeheartedly and was willing to travel together.

“Roar,” Charmander called softly, then earnestly reached out its bandaged left hand and placed it on Zhao Fang’s.

Zhao Fang smiled. From this moment on, Charmander officially became his Pokémon. Of course, he would keep his promise. Once Charmander evolved into Charizard, Zhao Fang would return with it here.

This was their pact. Though Charmander was just a Pokémon, Zhao Fang did not intend to cast this vow aside lightly.

“I’ll train you well! I’ll nurture you! You’ll fight strong opponents and grow even stronger, Charmander!” Zhao Fang said passionately.

“Sir, your Pokémon is still too weak and cannot battle or train for now. Please let it rest for about a week,” Nurse Joy said, standing behind Zhao Fang with her arms crossed, clearly displeased.

Zhao Fang laughed awkwardly and quickly promised to follow Nurse Joy’s advice and let Charmander rest properly.

“Let’s go, Charmander.” Zhao Fang took out the Poké Ball, but Charmander stubbornly shook its head, opening its mouth to call out incessantly. After some communication, Zhao Fang realized Charmander wanted to start training by walking.

“It’s good that you want to become stronger, but your body isn’t ready yet. When your injuries heal, then we’ll train, alright?” Zhao Fang said with a slight headache. If Nurse Joy saw this, he was sure he’d be scolded again.

Besides, taking such a fragile Charmander out might soon earn him an invitation from Ms. Junsha for tea—an inquiry into whether he was mistreating his Pokémon.