They didn't speak for a long while after the collapse.
The forest had settled, but the air still felt thin, like it was holding its breath. Ash walked more slowly now, watching each step, listening for shifts beneath the soil. Maya stayed close, her earlier confidence replaced with careful focus.
Charizard remained in front.
Not by distance. By position.
When they finally reached a stretch of solid ground, Ash signaled for a stop. He set his pack down and crouched, checking Poliwag first. No scratches. Just shaken. Raticate paced once, then settled. Metapod was unchanged, as always.
Ash turned to Charizard. "Let me see your wing."
Charizard hesitated, just a moment, then angled its body enough for Ash to look. The bandage was torn, the old scar beneath visible again, pale against orange scales.
"It's okay," Ash said quietly, working carefully to rewrap it. "We'll slow down."
Charizard didn't pull away.
Maya watched from a short distance, saying nothing until Ash finished. Then she spoke softly. "You didn't hesitate back there."
Charizard's tail flame flickered once. That was all.
They resumed walking as the light began to fade. The forest thinned gradually, giving way to open ground, the sound of distant water drifting in from somewhere unseen.
By the time they made camp, the sky had deepened to a dull blue. Ash started a small fire, keeping it low. He shared food, thanked his Pokémon, and sat back with his hands resting loosely on his knees.
Charizard lowered itself near the fire.
Closer than before.
Ash noticed. He didn't comment.
The forest breathed around them. Somewhere far off, a Pokémon called, then went quiet again.
Ash stared into the flames, replaying the moment in his mind. The collapse. The rush. The way Charizard had moved without being asked.
Not because it had to.
Because it chose to.
When Ash finally lay back to rest, Charizard remained awake, watching the trees, tail flame steady against the dark.
The road ahead was uncertain.
But for the first time, Ash felt sure of one thing.
Whatever waited next, they wouldn't face it alone.
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T/N:
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