Misty wiped her face with the back of her hand, glancing around the area. "So… what are we doing here again?" she asked, her voice tinged with fatigue.

Ash, still catching his breath, turned to Brock. "I was just gonna ask the same thing."

Brock, unusually quiet, didn’t look up from where he stood. "Professor Oak, remember?" His voice was low, almost distant.

Misty’s eyes widened in sudden realization. "Right! The one Professor Ivy told him to study."

Ash shook his head, a frown crossing his face, but Misty didn’t notice his reaction. She was too caught up in her own train of thought.

A moment later, Misty looked around again and realized something. "Brock?" she called, but there was no answer.

Both she and Ash scanned the area, then spotted Brock on the ground a few feet away. He was sitting with his back against a tree, hugging his knees to his chest, staring off into the distance.

"Remember what happens every time we mention that name?" Ash whispered to Misty.

Misty nodded solemnly. "Yeah… Professor Ivy." She sighed, crossing her arms. "We probably shouldn’t have brought it up."

Ash looked at Brock, concern etched on his face. "He’s still not over it, huh?"

Misty frowned. "Nope. Every time we even mention her, he gets like this. It’s like a switch flips." She bit her lip, unsure of how to approach Brock when he was in one of these moods. "We should give him a minute."

Ash sat down next to Brock, trying to be supportive without saying too much. "Hey, Brock… it's okay, Buddy. We don’t have to talk about her if you don’t want to."

Brock didn’t respond, but after a few moments, he finally let out a deep sigh. He still didn’t say a word, but Ash and Misty knew that was the closest they’d get to a response for now.

Misty nudged ash. " We should go find... Whatever we have to find."

Ash nodded. " Let's go."

" PIKA PIIIII!" Pikachu yelled as he ran to Ash and tugged his pants.

Ash looked down. " What happened, buddy?"

Pikachu ran, looked back, and ran.

" I think he wants us to follow." Misty said.

Ash nodded. " Yeah. Let's go."

When they rounded the counter, Ash saw his Charmander shielding its hand. He gasped and rushed to it, kneeling down before it.

" What happened, buddy?" He asked as he picked the Pokemon up and sat it in his lap.

" Char." It replied weakly.

Ash noticed its hand. " What happened to your hand?"

Charmander winced as it revealed a deep gash.

Ash gasped. He turned to Misty.

" We're gonna need Brock for this."

" I'll go get him."

" Easy, Charmander, easy." Brock said as he sprayed the disinfectant on it.

Charmander winced and burried deeper into Ash's jacket.

" Easy, buddy."

Ash gently stroked Charmander’s head as it burrowed deeper into his jacket, wincing from the disinfectant Brock was applying to its injured hand. "You're doing great, buddy. Just a little longer," Ash reassured his Pokémon softly.

Charmander let out a low whimper, clearly in pain, but stayed still, trusting Ash and Brock.

Brock was focused, his usual calm demeanor returning as he worked on cleaning the wound. "This looks pretty bad, Ash," Brock said, his tone serious. "But don’t worry. We’ve got this under control. It’ll heal in time."

Misty stood nearby, biting her lip nervously. "How did this even happen? Charmander’s usually so careful."

Ash shook his head. "I don’t know. It must’ve gotten hurt while we were distracted."

Brock finished bandaging Charmander’s hand and gave it a reassuring pat. "There, all done. Now just make sure he doesn’t overexert himself for a while. That cut was deep."

Charmander looked up at Ash with tired eyes, letting out a soft "Char…" before curling closer into Ash’s jacket.

Ash smiled down at his Pokémon. "Thank you, Brock. I don’t know what we’d do without you."

Brock smiled, standing up. "No problem. Just make sure Charmander gets some rest. It’ll need time to heal properly."

Ash nodded, holding Charmander close as he stood. "You hear that, buddy? We’re going to take it easy for a while. No battles, okay?"

Charmander nodded weakly, clearly exhausted from the pain and treatment.

Misty smiled softly. "You’ve got the best trainer looking out for you, Charmander."

Ash gave Misty a small smile of thanks, grateful for the support. "Let’s head back to camp. Charmander needs to rest, and we’ve got to figure out what happened."

As they started walking, Pikachu tugged on Ash’s pants again, this time with a worried expression. "Pika…"

Ash glanced down. "What is it, Pikachu?"

Pikachu pointed toward the trees with a determined look in its eyes.

Brock, noticing Pikachu's behavior, narrowed his eyes. "Something else is out there. We need to be on alert."

Misty nodded, gripping her Pokéball tightly. "We should check it out. But first, let’s get Charmander settled."

Ash agreed, his mind now racing with worry—not just for Charmander, but for what Pikachu might have sensed in the forest. Something wasn’t right.

A few hours later, they needes food.

The forest.

But as they made their way deeper into the dense forest, Ash heard a sudden, heart-wrenching cry. His heart immediately raced. “That’s Charmander!” he shouted, panic gripping him. Without waiting for a response from Brock or Misty, Ash bolted in the direction of the scream, his legs moving faster than he thought possible. His thoughts were a blur, filled with images of his Pokémon hurt or in danger.

"Charmander! Hold on, buddy!" he yelled, branches whipping against his face as he tore through the underbrush.

As Ash burst through the thick trees, the sight before him made his stomach drop. Charmander was lying on the ground, its flame tail pinned under a massive boulder. The small Pokémon was writhing in pain, its eyes squeezed shut as it let out desperate, pained cries.

"Oh no... Charmander..." Ash whispered, his voice catching in his throat. His heart clenched at the sight of his Pokémon in such agony. He sprinted over to it, dropping to his knees beside the struggling creature.

"You poor dragon..." Ash said softly, running his hand gently over Charmander’s head, trying to calm it down even though he knew it must be terrified. "It’s okay, Charmander, I’m here. I’ll get you out, I promise."

Charmander whimpered, its tail flickering weakly as it struggled to pull free. Ash’s eyes were drawn to the boulder that was pinning its tail, and he realized just how massive it was. The rock was easily twice his size, and there was no way Charmander could move it on its own.

Ash clenched his fists. He had to do something. "Okay, Ash. You can do this," he muttered to himself, standing up and planting his feet firmly on the ground. He pressed his hands against the boulder and pushed with all his strength. His muscles strained, his arms shaking as he tried to shift the heavy rock.

But it didn’t budge.

"Come on!" Ash grunted, pushing harder. Sweat began to bead on his forehead as he struggled against the weight of the boulder. Charmander cried out again, its tail twitching under the pressure, and Ash’s heart ached hearing his Pokémon in pain.

He gritted his teeth. "I’m not giving up on you, Charmander," he vowed, steeling himself for another attempt. Ash pushed with all his might, digging his feet into the dirt to gain some leverage. His arms trembled from the strain, his face contorting as he put every ounce of strength he had into the effort.

But still, the boulder refused to move.

"Come on!" Ash yelled, frustration and fear bubbling up inside him. He wasn’t strong enough. Charmander’s cries were growing weaker, and Ash knew that he didn’t have much time left. The fire on Charmander’s tail was starting to flicker dangerously low, and Ash’s stomach twisted in fear.

"No… No, I can’t let this happen," Ash whispered, his voice filled with determination. He stepped back from the boulder, looking around desperately for something—anything—that might help him. But the forest was dense, and there was nothing nearby that could be used to lift the boulder.

Then an idea struck him.

Ash took a deep breath and backed up, putting as much distance between himself and the boulder as he could. He eyed the rock carefully, calculating his next move. If he could get enough speed… maybe he could push it off with enough force.

"I’m coming, Charmander. Hold on!" Ash shouted, his heart pounding in his chest. He sprinted away from the boulder, gathering as much speed as he could. The trees around him blurred as he ran, his legs burning with effort, but he didn’t care.

When he reached a far enough distance, he turned and sprinted back toward the boulder with all the strength he could muster. His feet pounded against the ground as he raced toward the rock, his eyes fixed on Charmander’s tail pinned beneath it.

As he neared the boulder, Ash lowered his shoulder and threw his entire body into the push. The impact was jarring, and pain shot through his arms and legs, but Ash gritted his teeth and kept pushing.

For a moment, it felt like nothing was happening, and Ash feared the worst. But then, slowly, the boulder began to shift. Inch by inch, it lifted off the ground, and Ash let out a strained cry as he continued to push with every bit of strength he had.

The pain in his arms was almost unbearable, his muscles screaming in protest, but Ash refused to give up. He pushed harder, his body trembling from the effort. The boulder lifted a few more inches, and with one final, desperate shove, Ash managed to roll it off of Charmander’s tail completely.

He collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his body aching from the strain. But he didn’t care. He had done it.

"Charmander…" Ash gasped, scrambling over to his Pokémon. He carefully lifted Charmander’s tail, wincing when he saw the burn marks left by the boulder. The fire on its tail was dangerously low, flickering weakly as Charmander lay motionless.

"Come on, Charmander, stay with me," Ash begged, his voice shaky. He gently cradled Charmander in his arms, holding the Pokémon close to his chest. "I’ve got you. You’re okay now."

Charmander let out a weak, soft cry, its eyes fluttering open just a little. It looked up at Ash, and though it was in pain, Ash could see the gratitude in its tired eyes.

"That’s it, buddy. Just rest. I’m going to get you help," Ash whispered, his heart pounding in his chest as he stood up, carrying Charmander in his arms.

Misty and Brock arrived just as Ash was walking back toward the clearing, both of them wide-eyed and worried. "Ash! What happened?!" Misty asked, her voice full of concern.

"Charmander… it was stuck under a boulder. I… I managed to get it out, but it’s hurt," Ash explained, his voice filled with worry.

Brock immediately pulled out his medical supplies, his eyes scanning Charmander’s injuries. "We need to get it back to camp, now," he said urgently. "That tail burn is serious. We need to treat it right away."

Ash nodded, his arms tightening around Charmander as they all hurried back to the campsite. His heart was still racing, but he knew that as long as Charmander was alive, he wouldn’t give up.

As they reached the camp, Ash carefully laid Charmander down on a blanket, watching as Brock began tending to its wounds. Misty stood beside him, her hand resting on his shoulder in support.

"You did good, Ash," Misty said softly, her voice full of admiration.

Ash didn’t respond at first, his eyes locked on Charmander as Brock worked. "I just… I couldn’t let anything happen to it," he said quietly, his voice filled with emotion.

Misty smiled softly. "And you didn’t. You saved it."

Ash nodded, his heart full of determination. He wasn’t going to let anything stop him from protecting his Pokémon—not now, not ever.

Ash knelt beside Charmander, watching intently as Brock carefully bandaged the Pokémon’s injured tail. Charmander let out a series of small, soft growls, glancing up at Ash as it made noises that sounded oddly like... tattling.

Ash blinked in confusion at first, then furrowed his brows. "What... what did I do now?" he asked, genuinely baffled. He looked over at Brock and Misty, who both glanced back at him with raised eyebrows.

Charmander continued its little complaints, wiggling its tail slightly, still wincing from the pain but clearly having something to say. The tone of Charmander’s growls seemed to imply it was upset about something besides the injury.

Ash’s jaw dropped as realization hit him. "Wait a minute... I just saved you from a boulder! You’re tattling on me?"

Brock, unable to hold back a chuckle, glanced up from his bandaging. "Seems like Charmander’s not too happy with the way you handled things, Ash."

Ash threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "I ran halfway across the forest, pushed a giant boulder off your tail, and now you’re blaming me?"

Charmander gave a sharp, but weak, "Char..." as if affirming its point.

Misty smirked, folding her arms. "Maybe Charmander thinks you could’ve done it a little more carefully."

Ash groaned, his face filled with playful frustration. "Oh come on, I ran as fast as I could! If I hadn’t, you’d still be stuck under that rock!" He gave Charmander a pleading look. "Can’t you give me some credit here?"

Charmander’s eyes softened slightly, though it still grumbled as Brock finished wrapping the bandage snugly around its tail. Ash sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head with a grin. "Well, next time I’ll try not to make you mad while I’m saving your life."

Charmander gave a small huff but nestled closer to Ash, showing it appreciated him despite its complaints. Ash smiled softly and gave Charmander a gentle pat on the head. "That’s more like it."

As Ash sat there, still recovering from his playful argument with Charmander, Pikachu approached him, arms crossed and a smug expression on its face. It tapped its foot and glared up at Ash with an accusing look in its eyes.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "What now?" he asked, feeling a little exhausted from the day’s events.

Pikachu pointed to Ash’s leg with one paw and then crossed its arms again, clearly annoyed about something.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu exclaimed, as if scolding him.

Ash rolled his eyes, groaning in playful exasperation. "Oh, you're so annoying sometimes, Pikachu," he said with a sigh, already knowing where this was going.

Pikachu smirked at Ash, its eyes narrowing mischievously. "Pika pi!" it repeated, tapping Ash’s leg again with its paw, this time a little more deliberately.

Ash winced slightly. "Ow! Pikachu, come on!" he protested. "If you know that’s the spot that hurts, could you please stop doing that?"

Pikachu crossed its arms once more, its smirk widening. "Pika pika!" it said, clearly enjoying this little game.

Ash shook his head, unable to hide a grin despite the pain in his leg. "Why do I get the feeling you're just doing this on purpose now?"

Pikachu gave a playful nod, its tail wagging behind it as it continued to poke at Ash’s leg, but this time with a lot less force.

Misty, watching the whole thing, chuckled. "Looks like Pikachu's having too much fun getting back at you."

Brock smirked as well, packing away his medical supplies. "Well, Ash, you’ve got to admit—after all that running and jumping around today, you probably had it coming."

Ash groaned again, though this time there was more amusement in his voice. "Yeah, yeah, I know... but can’t I get some peace around here?"

Pikachu finally stopped poking him, gave a happy "Pika!" and hopped into Ash’s lap, nuzzling up against him. Despite the teasing, Pikachu knew Ash had done his best all day and was grateful.

Ash smiled and ruffled Pikachu’s fur. "Alright, alright, I forgive you. Just take it easy on the leg from now on, okay?"

As the group returned to their fossil hunting, the evening air had settled into a peaceful calm. Ash made sure all of his Pokémon were resting comfortably by the campfire, each one bundled up and nestled into their own little makeshift beds. He was quietly ensuring their comfort, glancing over them like a protective parent.

Brock, having just finished packing up his medical kit, walked over to check on things. When he peeked in, his eyebrows shot up in confusion. "Uh… Ash," he began slowly, trying to make sense of what he was seeing, "why are all your Pokémon drinking milk from baby bottles?"

Ash, who was busy examining some fossils and hadn’t bothered to look up, answered casually. "Oh, those?" he muttered, focusing on his work. "Yeah, I found them in your bag."

Brock blinked, taken aback. "Wait, my bag?"

Ash nodded, still not taking his eyes off the fossils. "Yeah, no one was using them, so I figured they could help the Pokémon relax a bit before bed."

Brock stood there in stunned silence, looking at Pikachu, Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur, each sipping contentedly from their own bottle. The sight was both hilarious and bewildering. "Ash," Brock said, his voice caught somewhere between amusement and disbelief, "those bottles were for baby Pokémon—like Togepi! You can’t just… give them to fully grown Pokémon!"

Ash shrugged. "Well, it’s working, right? Look at them. They’re all relaxed and ready for bed. Besides, it was the easiest way to make sure they drank their milk."

Misty, overhearing from where she was sitting, tried and failed to stifle a laugh. "Brock, just let him be. It’s Ash we’re talking about here. Nothing he does should surprise us anymore."

Brock shook his head, still trying to process what he was witnessing. "You do realize that now I’m going to have to explain to Nurse Joy why we’re out of baby bottles, right?"

Ash finally looked up, grinning sheepishly. "I’ll replace them! I promise."

Brock sighed, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth despite himself. "You better. Otherwise, I’m the one who’s going to be in trouble with Joy."

The Pokémon, meanwhile, were oblivious to the conversation, each of them happily dozing off with their baby bottles still in hand, looking as content as ever.

Misty, shaking her head in disbelief, leaned back and gazed at the stars. "Only you, Ash. Only you."

Ash just grinned, scratching the back of his head. "Hey, whatever works, right?"

In the middle of the quiet night, Misty stirred awake, her ears catching the faint sound of Ash’s Pokédex on its lowest volume. She could hear Ash whispering to himself, excitement evident in his tone.

“Wow… an Omanyte fossil. Cool. Brock would love this.”

Misty rubbed her eyes, still groggy from sleep, and glanced over to where Ash was sitting by the fire, illuminated in its soft glow. “Ash,” she mumbled, half-awake, “you’re supposed to be asleep.”

Ash turned to her, looking a little sheepish. “Sorry, Mist. I couldn’t sleep.”

Misty rolled her eyes but smiled as she got up and walked over to him. “Figures.” She sat down next to him and, without a second thought, wrapped her arms around his chest, resting her head on his shoulder.

Ash’s expression softened as he instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. “I love you, Misty,” he whispered, the moment feeling tender and comforting in the stillness of the night.

Misty smiled, her voice soft as she replied, “Love you too, Ash.”

Just as the warmth of the moment began to settle in, a sudden voice broke the peace. “ Don’t say that name!” Brock yelled from his spot near the fire, his face buried in his knees.

Both Ash and Misty jumped, startled by the outburst. Ash blinked, confused. “What name? We didn’t say her name.”

Brock froze, blinking as if coming out of a daze. “Oh…” he muttered, rubbing his head in embarrassment. “Right. You didn’t.”

Misty sighed, resting her head back on Ash’s shoulder. “Poor Brock.”

Ash chuckled softly. “He’ll be fine. We just have to avoid saying that name.”

Brock gave a small, defeated groan, but after a moment, he laid back down, seemingly returning to normal.

Suddenly, they heard a yawn. Ash turned and saw a sleepy Charmander holding a small pink stuffed bunny. He had a pink and white striped nightcap, and his eyes were covered by his face mask.

" Char?" He mumbled as he tried to walk.

" Charmander?" Ash asked. * What are you doing up so late?"

" Char." Charmander tried to walk to Ash, but made a slight turn.

Before they knew it he was going to walk into the campfire.

Ash quickly darted forward, scooping Charmander into his arms just in time to prevent him from walking straight into the campfire. "Whoa, buddy! You okay?" he asked, concern in his voice as he gently cradled the sleepy Pokémon.

Charmander blinked drowsily, his face mask still askew. "Char…" he mumbled, clearly half-asleep.

Ash chuckled and carefully removed the mask. "Look, Charmander!" He held out the fossil he’d been examining, hoping to get Charmander’s attention.

Charmander’s eyes slowly focused on the object in Ash’s hand, and when he saw the fossil, they widened with curiosity. "Char?" he murmured, reaching out a small paw to touch it.

Brock and Misty, who were watching from nearby, both leaned in. "Whoa…" Misty whispered, her eyes wide in amazement. The fossil was unlike anything they had seen before, its intricate spirals gleaming faintly in the firelight.

Brock grinned, his excitement contagious. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a camera. "This is a moment we need to capture!" he said with a grin. "Everyone, squeeze in!"

Ash laughed and nodded but quickly held up a hand. "Wait! Hold on a sec!" He gently set Charmander down on a blanket and rushed back into his tent, rummaging around for a few moments.

When he re-emerged, he had three very hyper Pokémon trailing behind him—Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. The trio looked wide awake, bouncing with excitement. Pikachu immediately ran up to Ash’s side, while Squirtle and Bulbasaur took their places, clearly ready for the photo.

Brock chuckled, adjusting the camera to fit everyone in the frame. "Alright, everyone smile! And, uh… no running off this time, Ash."

Ash grinned sheepishly as he squeezed in next to Misty and Charmander. "Yeah, yeah. Ready!"

"Say 'Fossil!'" Misty added playfully.

"Fossil!" they all chimed in as Brock snapped the picture.

As the camera clicked, Charmander clutched his pink stuffed bunny tightly and gave a sleepy, contented smile, while Pikachu crossed its arms and gave its signature "Pika pi!"

See? Cute Misty and Ash

Asty

Ash and misty equals asty

Or Ashty

Choose people

Lool she went to Ash

How cuuute 🎉🎉🎉

Lookiw holding hands