Pokemon : Rewind

After hearing Ash's explanation, Charizard understood his intentions clearly. It wasn't abandonment—it was refinement.

Ash's plan made sense to Charizard. Ordinary battles were no longer challenging enough to bring significant growth. 

In the Charicific Valley, however, there would be numerous rivals to challenge and opportunities to train even when battles weren't happening.

Moreover, if Charizard ever missed Ash, all it had to do was ask Liza to contact him. The teleportation system also meant Charizard could reunite with Ash anytime. 

After some thought, Charizard realized that staying in Charicific Valley offered better growth opportunities than remaining at Professor Oak's lab.

"Roar!"

With a resolute nod, Charizard agreed to stay, earning joyous reactions from both Richardon and Charla.

For Richardon, this meant it could spar with Charizard regularly. For Charla, it was the excitement of spending more time with a Charizard she admired deeply.

That evening, Ash and his friends stayed in the Charicific Valley. Brock's cooking skills left Liza utterly astonished. She had never imagined that the quiet, unassuming boy could create such delicious meals.

---

The next morning, after completing their morning exercise, Ash handed Charizard's Poké Ball to Liza, officially leaving Charizard in her care. 

Before departing, Ash exchanged phone numbers with Liza, ensuring they could stay in contact.

To balance his team, Ash also arranged to have Haunter return from Professor Oak's lab, using the teleportation system to switch Haunter for Charizard.

"Please don't worry," Liza promised Ash earnestly. "I'll take excellent care of Charizard and make sure it gets the respect and training it deserves."

"I trust you," Ash replied with a smile, before turning to Charizard. Despite Charizard's reluctance to part, both understood that this was only a temporary separation.

"Charizard, train hard," Ash instructed, his tone firm but encouraging. "Learn as much as you can from the other Charizards, especially Richardon. You're already strong, but I know you can reach even greater heights."

"Roar..." Charizard responded softly, bowing its head in determination.

Ash leaned closer to Charizard's ear and whispered, "Oh, and by the way, I noticed Charla seems to like you. If you're interested, you might want to get to know her better."

Charizard glanced toward Charla, who was watching from a distance. In Charizard's eyes, she was undeniably beautiful by Charizard standards, and their ages seemed well-matched. 

While romance wasn't on its mind at the moment, Charizard decided to keep Ash's suggestion in mind.

With a final wave to Liza and Charizard, Ash turned and walked away, Misty and Brock following close behind. 

Charizard took a deep breath, looking back at the valley. It resolved to train harder than ever and one day surpass Richardon to become the new king of Charicific Valley.

---

After nearly ten days of travel, Ash and his friends arrived at Azalea Town, a quaint settlement in the southern region of Johto. 

Despite being called a "town," Azalea's size rivaled that of smaller cities. Its fame stemmed largely from the Slowpoke Well on its outskirts, home to a large population of Slowpoke.

Azalea Town's residents revered Slowpoke, as their Rain Dance ability had historically ensured plentiful rainfall, bolstering the town's agricultural prosperity.

However, as the trio approached the outskirts of Azalea Town, they were struck by an unexpected sight.

"Isn't this place supposed to have plenty of rain? Why is it so dry?" Misty asked, shielding her eyes from the blazing sun overhead. The intense heat was oppressive, and the cracked ground spoke of a severe drought.

The surrounding farmland fared no better. Crops wilted under the unrelenting sun, their once-vibrant greens now faded to lifeless browns.

"And where are the Slowpoke?" Brock added, scanning the area. "I thought they were everywhere around here."

As if on cue, a lone Slowpoke appeared near the edge of the farmland. It sat motionless under the harsh sunlight, seemingly unfazed by the heat.

The trio approached, only to realize that Slowpoke was fast asleep.

"Figures," Brock muttered with a wry smile. "Slowpoke is famously slow to react. It probably doesn't even realize how hot it is."

Misty shook her head in exasperation. "Even in this heat, it's just... napping?"

Ash crouched down to get a closer look. "It must have fallen asleep before the heat became unbearable. Slowpoke doesn't feel pain or discomfort as quickly as other Pokémon."

Before they could move on, a voice rang out behind them.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

The trio turned to see a farmer running toward them, his expression a mix of concern and anger.

"Relax," Ash said quickly, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "We were just looking at Slowpoke. We didn't mean any harm."

The farmer eyed them suspiciously before waving them off. "Don't disturb Mr. Slowpoke! It's not just any Pokémon—it's special to us."

"Sorry," Misty interjected, eager to change the subject. "What's going on here? Why is it so dry? I thought this place was known for its rain."

The farmer's expression softened into one of weariness. After a moment's hesitation, he replied, 

"This is a rare drought. It's been years since we've seen anything like this. Normally, Slowpoke performs Rain Dance to bring the rain we need, but... something's gone wrong."

"Something's gone wrong?" Brock asked, frowning.

The farmer nodded gravely. "Only a handful of Slowpoke have been seen recently, and none of them are performing Rain Dance. The rest seem to have vanished."

"Have you checked the Slowpoke Well?" Ash asked.

"Mr. Kurt—the town's elder—went to investigate," the farmer explained. "But we haven't heard back from him yet. Ordinary folks like us aren't allowed near the well without permission."

The trio exchanged uneasy glances. Something was clearly amiss in Azalea Town, and they had a feeling it was up to them to figure out what.

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