Blaze of Honor

Emerald, Leaf, and Khoury are on Route 12, resting on Silence Bridge. Their Pokémon are all out interacting with each other. Beedrill hovers bear Emerald, watching Charmander train. Emerald’s Bulbasaur and Khoury’s Kangaskhan play with Leaf’s Oddish and Zubat. Wartortle helps Leaf’s Poliwag practice its water attacks. Khoury’s Cubone stays away from the other Pokémon, pouting. Frisk appears behind it.

Frisk: Ga!

Cubone leaps away, bursting into tears. It runs towards Khoury, who picks it up.

Khoury: H - hey! What’s the matter?

Cubone points its bone at Frisk.

Cubone: Cu, cu!

Khoury: E - Emerald! Your Gastly -

Emerald: (Looking at his Pokédex) Frisk!

Khoury: Frisk scared Cubone! Now it’s c - crying!

Emerald doesn’t pay attention, instead looking down at his Charmander’s Pokédex entry.

Khoury; E - Emerald!

Emerald: (Snaps head at Khoury) What? I’m busy!

Khoury: N - never mind…

Leaf walks over.

Leaf: (Notices Emerald on his Pokédex) What’re you doing?

Emerald: I’m trying to find nicknames for Charmander after what Mr. Fuji said about them! But, gah, it’s so hard!

Khoury: H - he did say you have to make a connection in order to make a good nickname!

Leaf: You don’t have to nickname your Pokémon.

Emerald: Yeah, but he was champion! Plus what he said about having strong bonds with my Pokémon, (grits teeth) I have to prove my bond! Right, Beedrill?!

Beedrill: (Nods head, buzzing) Bee!

Emerald walks over to Charmander, who’s practicing her Metal Claw attack.

Emerald: Nice job, Charmander! Hey, Charmander, do you wanna train with Beedrill?

Charmander: (Nods) Char.

Emerald: (Grins) Alright, c’mon!

Emerald positions himself on the Silence Bridge, Charmander next to him and Beedrill on the other side.

Emerald: I want you two to give it your best! Let’s go, Charmander! Ember!

Charmander releases a spew of flames, Beedrill dodging and leaving afterimages behind.

Emerald: (Grins) Agility, huh? Use Ember again, this time go in!

Charmander does as Emerald says, rushing in towards Beedrill while releasing bolts of fire this time. Beedrill dodges again, faster than before, reappearing before Charmander with its stinger raised high.

Emerald: (Widens eyes) Dodge!

Charmander doesn’t move, instead taking the hit. Charmander is flown back by the Twineedle, sending her skidding through the wooden planks of the bridge.

Emerald: (Grits teeth, thinking back to what Mr. Fuji said) Alright, Charmander! Dragon Rage!

Charmander gets up, grunting. She releases a stream of large indigo fireballs, panting from exhaustion. Beedrill rushes towards the attack with Agility, blocking the fireballs with its stingers. Charmander concentrates herself, her claws gaining a metallic texture as she reels in.

Emerald: She’s using Metal Claw!

Beedrill sidesteps the Metal Claw, ramming its stinger into Charmander. She’s sent flying backwards into a fisherman fishing. A group of Poliwag stands beside him, disturbed by Charmander’s presence.

Emerald: Woah… wait, (grits teeth) Poliwag?

The fisherman’s rod drops, however he holds onto it, reeling in… nothing. He stands up, annoyed.

Fisherman: Hey! I lost that Poliwag! It was huge, it must’ve been at least sixteen feet!

Leaf and Khoury walk over.

Leaf: I don’t think Poliwag come that large.

Fisherman: (Scoffs) Of course you’d say that. I’m an expert fisher!

Emerald: (Pauses) Who are you?

Wilton: (Does a double take) Wha?! I, I’m the Fisherman Guru himself, Wilton! (Points at Emerald) And you interrupted my fishing! I challenge you to a battle!

Emerald: (Grins) You’re on!

Wilton: Ah, ah, ah! Not just any battle! I bet I can beat you in only three moves!

Emerald: Three? Hah! As if!

Wilton: (Shrugs) Mark your loss now!

Emerald: Charmander, let’s go!

Charmander is hesitant, wide-eyed at the group of Poliwag. She’s frozen in fear.

Wilton: (Scoffs) C’mon! I’m not waiting! (Releases Poliwhirl) Poliwhirl, come on out!

Poliwhirl stands before everyone, waving friendly. Charmander widens her eyes further, cowering in fear. Emerald sighs, going over to pick her up.

Emerald: Charmander, I get it, you’re scared, but (grins) you can’t beat your fears without facing it! Will you battle?

Charmander: (Slowly nods head) C - char…

Leaf: Emerald, are you sure you want to use Charmander? She’s a fire type, and Poliwhirl’s a water type!

Emerald takes position with Charmander, scoffing.

Emerald: If Charmander believes in itself, then I believe in it! No exceptions!

Wilton: We’ll see about that! I’ll let you have the first move since you’ll need all the help you can get, hah!

Emerald: (Grits teeth) Hey! I’m not going to go first, I want to win without an advantage!

Wilton: Oh? Then fine! Poliwhirl, Water Sport!

Poliwhirl releases a stream of water around the bridge. It doesn’t do anything to Charmander.

Emerald: That didn’t do anything! What gives?

Leaf: (Sighs, commenting) You have a Pokédex for stuff like this. Water Sport cuts fire-type attacks’ power in half.

Emerald: Hah, good thing we have more than just fire! Dragon Rage!

Charmander releases a weak stream of indigo fireballs, her throat exhausted from the last Dragon Rage attack. Poliwhirl takes the attack, shrugging it off.

Wilton: Hah! Belly Drum!

Poliwhirl hits its stomach repeatedly, each hit creating a vibration. It winces with each hit, but is reinvigorated from the move.

Emerald: (Scoffs) Three moves, and you’ve wasted two of them! Charmander, Metal Claw!

Wilton: Now! Ice Punch!

Charmander runs towards Poliwhirl, raising her metallic claw to claw at Poliwhirl. Poliwhirl grabs her arm, creating an opening for its ice-covered fist. Poliwhirl reels in for a lunging punch that instantly covers Charmander in ice, sending her flying back with strong wind pressure. Charmander skids backwards, knocked out.

Emerald: (Shouts) Charmander!

Wilton: Hah, I told you! (Tips hat) Now, return.

Wilton walks off, leaving Emerald, Leaf, and Khoury to look after the frozen Charmander.

Scene change

Night has fallen as Emerald sits before Charmander, his jacket thrown over her body. He rubs his hands over her frozen body, breathing hot air onto them. Beedrill helps rub her body too with its stingers to help heat her up. Leaf looks over Emerald.

Leaf: H - has Charmander’s flame - (cut off)

Emerald: No!

Leaf: (Taken aback) S - sorry… I, I’ll try to find something to help Charmander.

Emerald: (Sighs) S - sorry, I didn’t mean it. I’m, I’m just worried for Charmander! (Grits teeth) I failed her.

Beedrill: (Defensively) Bee!

Leaf: Maybe you did, but you just went in underprepared. Everyone does at some point. (Looks at moon) Khoury said he’d be back with - (falters)

Khoury runs up to the group, panting heavily. He’s holding a lot of yellow fruit with green rings over it.

Khoury: Aspear Berry! I - it’s a, (thrusts the berries) take it! It’ll help with Charmander’s frost!

Emerald takes the Aspear Berry, widening eyes. He grins at Khoury, before turning back towards Charmander. Charmander winces upon feeling Emerald’s touch on her head, however she recognizes him and calms down. Emerald puts the Aspear Berry to her mouth.

Emerald: (Hushed) Eat up, Charmander.

Charmander takes a bite, however spits it out.

Khoury: C - Charmander must like bitter fruit, since Aspear Fruit is more sour.

Emerald: (Confused) What’s the difference?

Leaf: It doesn’t matter, just get Charmander to eat it.

Emerald gives Charmander another bite of the Aspear Berry.

Khoury: (Yawns) J - jus… (yawns again) just give Charmander some more, and you should be fine…

Leaf: Come on, it’s, (yawns) time we head to bed. (Turns to Emerald) I hope Charmander will be alright

Emerald: (Mutters) I hope so too… (Turns to Beedrill) You should go to sleep!

Beedrill: (Shakes head) Bee!

Emerald: (Grins) Alright.

Beedrill rubs Charmander’s frozen body with its hands, while Emerald continues to feed Charmander the Aspear Berry.

Scene change

Damian, is on route 6 at night in the rain, with Charmander by his side. Charmander looks around, confused by her surroundings. The two stand before a group of Poliwag who waddle towards them.

Damian: Charrmander, Ember!

Charmander: (Confused) Char? (Distressed) Char, char, CHAR! CHAR!

Charmander looks at the group of Poliwag, who release gushes of water towards Charmander.

Damian: (Scoffs) I told you Ember!

Charmander crawls away, trying to not look at the group of Poliwag as she’s blasted backwards again. She skids into the ground, being hit by another blast of Water Gun. Another Water Gun hits her. She gets back up, coughing out water before being nailed by another Water Gun. She crawls back onto her feet before being struck by another Water Gun. Charmander gets back up, coughing out water, but barely able to hold onto herself. She collapses onto the ground.

Damian: (Scoffs) You’re weak! I thought you were strong, but I guess not!

Charmander stands there, watching as Damian walks off. Closing her eyes briefly, she feels a gut punch, finding herself frozen into a statue by a Poliwhirl. The Poliwhirl menacingly stands before her, ready to finish her off -

The Poliwhirl disappears, as she finds herself in the care of Emerald. She wakes up, panting heavily to see Emerald holding onto her. His jacket covers her, now drenched in the melted ice all over her body. Beedrill watches approvingly, nodding its head. She smiles, embracing Emerald’s hug.

Scene change

Emerald marches towards Wilton with Charmander and Beedrill by his side, early in the morning.

Emerald: (Points at Wilton) I lost to you!

Wilton: … Is that all you had to say? (Scoffs) I told you, three moves, (grins) but you couldn’t handle it!

Emerald: (Grimaces) I’d challenge you to a battle, but… I lost to you, and I lost more than that battle! I lost my honor and I want to regain it! (Shouting, driven) So I want to train! I want to beat you, and so does my Charmander!

Wilton: (Taken aback) Train? You’re not as stupid as I had thought you were.

Emerald: HEY!

Wilton: But, you’re still a fool to think you’ll be able to beat me, even with my expertise.

Emerald: (Grins) Guess you failed me as a teacher then!

Wilton: (Grits teeth) Fine, you’ve got me there. (Thinks) But, your Charmander will need… something, to assist it in battle, until it can find the strength to match my Poliwhirl.

Emerald: Huh? What do you mean?!

Wilton: (Thinking) Yes! Thunder Punch! It’ll help Charmander against water types! Follow me!

Wilton takes Emerald, Charmander, and Beedrill to Route 11’s forestry. He stands to the side of a tree, gesturing for them to get up close.

Wilton: In order for you to master Thunder Punch, you’ll need to throw precise punches! Make an impact on the tree, while only barely touching it!

Emerald: … Huh?! T - that’s crazy! I didn’t sign up for Enter the Poliwrath!

Wilton: Hmph, then you’ll never beat me!

Emerald: (Grits teeth) Fine. Charmander, do what he said.

Charmander punches the tree hard, connecting directly with it.

Wilton: No, no, no! You have to make sure to touch it only slightly! Don’t focus on power, but precision!

Charmander throws another punch, slamming into the tree!

Wilton: Again! (Points at Emerald and his Beedrill) You two do it too!

Emerald: Why me?!

Wilton: (Smirks) For my amusement.

Emerald groans as he flails his arm at the tree. Charmander giggles.

Wilton: Is that supposed to be a punch? Pathetic! Take better form, you’re just smacking the tree, not punching it! (They punch again) Clean!

Emerald grits his teeth but holds back any remarks. Charmander punches fast and sloppy.

Wilton: No! You’re focusing on doing as much damage as possible as fast as possible instead of taking proper form! As you practice, you’ll gain speed, but now we’re focused on technique, precision!

Emerald groans. Beedrill picks it up quickly, its stingers barely connecting with the tree as it creates fast and powerful, but clean and precise jabs.

Wilton: There you go! Why can’t you be like Beedrill?

Emerald: Its stingers were made for it!

Wilton: Whatever. I will return later tonight, and by then I expect you and

Scene change

It’s late at night, Emerald, Beedrill, and Charmander having finished taking a break. They get back up.

Emerald: (Looks at sky) We don’t have a lot of time! Charmander, have you gotten Thunder Punch down?

Charmander throws a punch at the tree, creating sparks that fade away instantly.

Emerald: (Sighs) We need to learn it, fast. (Pauses) I have an idea! Wartortle knows Ice Punch! It can teach you! (Releases Wartortle) Hey, Wartortle, could you help Charmander train its Thunder Punch?

Wartortle: (Nods head) War!

Wartortle goes up to the tree, putting its right foot ahead and left foot behind. It holds its fist one inch away from the tree, holding it open in a knife shape.

Wartortle: War…

Its fist closes, popping forward against the tree with explosive power. The tree’s frozen entirely.

Emerald: Woah… I - I recognize that move! The one inch punch that Master Hamm used against Lance’s Dragonite in episode 8 of Proteam Omega!

Wartortle: (Grins, pushing up sunglasses) War!

Emerald: Alright, Charmander! Can you do that?

Charmander: (Nods) Char!

Charmander goes up to the tree, preparing its form. One foot ahead, one foot behind. She reels her fist in fast, releasing an explosive punch upon the tree. An electric surge is released, dispersing immediately.

Emerald: H - huh?

Wartortle shakes its head, going up to Charmander to correct her form. Charmander cowers away from Wartortle.

Wartortle: (Backs away) War.

Wartortle does another demonstration for Charmander. Charmander attempts it again, making the same mistake, however she repeatedly tries it out.

Scene change

Emerald and Beedrill drag Leaf and Khoury during twilight, taking them to the center of Silence Bridge where Wilton awaits with his Poliwhirl.

Khoury: (Weary) E - Emerald, i - it’s late at night! Did you even sleep?

Leaf: (Grumpy) What did you want us for?

Emerald: I can’t sleep till I prove myself! I’m gonna rematch Wilton!

Beedrill: (Supportive) Bee!

Emerald turns to face Wilton. He releases Charmander from its Pokéball.

Emerald: (Boasts) Wilton! I challenge you!

Wilton: Hah! (Smirks) How about this, two moves!

Emerald: You’re on!

Wilton: Belly Drum!

Emerald: Thunder Punch!

Poliwhirl hits its stomach repeatedly, creating powerful vibrations. Charmander runs through the dark, her tail flame illuminating the dark. She leaps above Poliwhirl, her fist gaining sparks. Before the sparks can disperse, Charmander thrusts the sparks forward as a burst of electricity that hits Poliwhirl. Poliwhirl skids back by the attack, however holds its ground firmly, wincing in pain.

Leaf: (Commenting) Belly Drum cuts Poliwhirl’s health in half, the timing of Thunder Punch really helped Emerald out!

Wilton: And for a second I thought you mastered Thunder Punch!

Emerald: Charmander couldn’t master it as a punch, but we didn’t have to!

Wilton: If that’s all you have, then consider this over! Ice Punch!

Emerald: Thunder Punch!

Poliwhirl leaps towards Charmander, its fist engulfed in ice. Charmander prepares another Thunder Punch attack, however Poliwhirl lunges towards Charmander, hitting her once again as Charmander blocks it with her electric engulfed attacks. Charmander skids back, collapsing.

Khoury: C - Charmander!

Emerald grins as Charmander slowly rises, grunting in the process. Static surrounds Poliwhirl as it struggles to stay in place.

Wilton: (Taken aback) H - how?!

Emerald: (Grins) Charmander doesn’t like to dodge, so we started blocking! And now, you’ve used up two moves!

Wilton: Ice Punch!

Emerald: Thunder Punch again!

Charmander and Poliwhirl leap towards each other, fists engulfed in electricity and ice respectively. They punch each other, fists clashing against each other, before a burst of wind pressure throws them both back. Charmander collapses, defeated, while Poliwhirl lands on one knee.

Wilton: I’ve beaten you… but failed to do it in two moves.

Emerald holds Charmander, grinning.

Emerald: I promise I’ll beat you next time!

Wilton: Don’t make promises you can’t keep!

Emerald: That’s why I promised!

Wilton walks off, laughing with Poliwhirl. Leaf and Khoury rush over to Emerald and Charmander.

Khoury: Y - you lost!

Emerald: (Grins) And I won’t lose next time! Me and Charmander are just gonna get stronger and stronger, and soon enough (shouts) we’ll be the strongest team there is!

Leaf: (Giggles) I thought you would’ve moped around after losing, but you seem happy.

Emerald: I think I’ve found a nickname for Charmander, (holds Charmander up, both having a burning fire within their eyes) Luma! Every time I see her, it’s like there’s this fire inside of her! It reminds me of the stories my mom told me about Moltres, illuminating the dark storms.

Khoury: Luma… that’s a great name!

Emerald: What do you say, Charmander? You like it?!

Charmander: (Happy) Char, char!