Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.  This is just one of many stories my imagination helped me create.





                                           Charmeleon's Reformation


       It was a bright and sunny day.  Ash, Misty and Brock decided to take a break from their journey, and were resting in a forest. 
       "Let's let our Pokemon out," Brock said.
       "Good idea, that way they can get some fresh air," Misty said.
       "All right, lets do it," Ash said.
       "All Pokemon, we choose you!" they said together.
       All of their Pokemon were released.  Vulpix and Zubat played with Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Pidgeotto.  Geodude and Onix just stayed in one spot and took a little nap.  Misty's Pokemon swam in a nearby lake, except Psyduck, who only stood on the shore.  Charmeleon was in his usual "I don't want to have anything to do with you" mood.  He just moved away from the others and closed his eyes.

       Pikachu and the others played Hide and Seek.  Pikachu was it, and he had to count to 15.  When he finished counting, he started to look for the others.  He soon found Bulbasaur, the other Pokemon and Ash not too far from Charmeleon.
       "Pika pika pi chu pikachu? (Why does he always sleep like that?)" Pikachu asked.
       Squirtle responded, "Squirtle, squirt squirtle. (Because he doesn't want to be friends with Ash or us.)"
       "Bulba bulba saur bulbasaur, (He needs to stop having that attitude.  He won't ever be Ash's friend if he continues to have that attitude problem.)"
       "Char me leon me char.  Char leon char char, (I could care less about Ash.  He's a child, and I am no child. )"  Charmeleon said; apparently, he was not asleep after all.
       As they were talking, they didn't know that Team Rocket was watching them from their balloon.  They had a plan that could not fail (how many times have we heard that before huh?). 
       "Finally, we have a full proof plan to swipe that Pikachu.  I'll be top cat again," Meowth said.
       "Yeah, we just suck it up with our new vacuum, and take it to the boss," James said.
       "The boss will love us for sure," Jessie said.  "Let's get to work."
       Meanwhile, Misty and Brock caught up to Ash and the Pokemon.  Misty had returned all of her pokemon from their swim.  They were just relaxing when they heard an all too familiar motto.
       "Prepare for trouble."
       "Make it double."
       "To protect the world from devastation."
       "To unite all people's within our nation."
       "To denounce the evils of truth and love."
       "To extend our reach to the stars above."
       "Jessie."
       "James."
       "Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light."
       "Surrender now or prepare to fight."
       "Meowth, that's right."
       "Don't you guys ever give up?" Ash asked.
       "We never give up twerp.  And we won't give up until that Pikachu of yours is with our boss," Meowth said.
       Then, James turned on the machine.  Pikachu started to get sucked up.  Ash ran to the vacuum and pushed Pikachu out of the way.  He got sucked into the vacuum instead.
       "Ash!/Pikapi!" Brock, Misty and Pikachu shouted.
       "Oh no, the twerp foiled our plan," James said.
       "We can send him to where he'll never bother us again," Jessie said.
       Then the balloon headed east.  Team rocket then pulled up the vacuum tube.  Before it got too high, Charmeleon managed to jump on it.  All he wanted to do was fight Team Rocket.  The ride lasted for ten hours.  Then, they approached an island that was literally in the middle of nowhere.
       "Let's drop the twerp off here," Jessie said.
       Team Rocket lowered the tube, put it in reverse, and Ash was thrown on the island's shore.  They still failed to notice Chameleon.  Charmeleon gave them a Flamethrower.
       "Where did that come from?" James asked.
       "Char char, (From me)" Charmeleon said.
       They looked on the tube and saw Charmeleon.
       "Char charmeleon, (Now to send you blasting off) Charmeleon said.  He aimed a flamethrower at the balloon and jumped off seconds before it blew up.  He landed next to Ash.
       "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"
       Ash started to wake up.  He looked to the side and saw Charmeleon napping as usual.  Then he stood up and looked around.  "Where are we?" he asked.
       Charmeleon was still taking his usual "I'm not listening to you" nap.
       Ash walked around a little bit.  Unknown to him, there was someone watching him and Charmeleon.  The person reached for an arrow, put it in the bow, took careful aim, and fired.  The arrow made a slight noise going through the bush.   Ash heard the sound.
       "What was that?" he asked as he turned in the arrow's direction. 
       The arrow implanted itself in Ash's chest, just several inches from his heart.  He fell to the ground from the arrow's force.  The thud woke Charmeleon from his little nap.  He looked to the side and was very concerned about what he saw.  Ash was lying on the ground with an arrow in his chest.
       "Char char leon! (Ash, oh no!)"
       The archer just stood there and watched.  When the suspected time that Ash should have been dead arrived, Charmeleon was still standing next to Ash.  The archer knew that Charmeleon wasn't going to leave anytime soon.  Then, the archer walked over to them.  Charmeleon heard footsteps and saw a man with a bow and arrows.  Charmeleon took a protective stance in front of Ash.
       "Don't worry, I won't hurt your friend anymore.  I only shot him because he was intruding on my island.  I don't shoot Pokemon, so you're friend was my target unfortunately.  I have more bad news on top of that.  I dip my arrows in a fatal poison.  Other people who came to this island were shot by me, and they died in a matter of minutes because I aim for the heart.  Your friend seemed to have heard me and moved.  The arrow did not pierce his heart," the archer explained.
       Charmeleon was really upset.  He wanted to burn the man really badly for shooting Ash with a poison arrow.
       "I now understand how you feel.  Don't be so rash and assume your friend is dead.  He is not dead, yet.  Because the arrow missed its mark, he has only six hours to live.  You and he will have to go to the temple on the other side of the island.  The antidote lies within.  You will have to go as fast as you can.  When the six hours are up, your friend will be dead," the man said.
       Then, Ash woke up.  "What hit me?  Uhhnn," he said as he sat up.  He saw the arrow and pulled it out of his chest.  He saw the archer and asked, "Who are you?"
       "I am William, master archer of this island.  I shot you because you were intruding on my territory.  It seems that you knew that I was nearby because my poison arrow missed your heart.  Your movement has given you more time to live.  Your Pokemon here had a fit and would have flamed me if I didn't tell him about the antidote.  You need to travel to the temple on the other side of the island.  The antidote is in the center.  You need to make it in less than six hours starting now, or you will die," the archer said.
       "All right Charmeleon, let's go," Ash said.
       "Char char me char, (I hope we can make it in time)" Charmeleon said.
       Then Ash and Charmeleon were on their way.  Charmeleon thought about the words "your friend" that William kept saying.  Charmeleon had a flashback of when he was Charmander.  Of when he was abandoned in a storm with a flock of Fearow attacking him.  Ash and friends came to the rescue.  He was taken to the Pokemon Center and nursed back to health.  When Damian came back, he found out the true objective.  He and Pikachu sent Damian calling for his mother.  That's when he became one of the group.  Charmeleon realized that Ash was his friend, and now felt guilty for almost forgetting about Ash saving his life.
       Meanwhile, Ash was thinking about what William said about Charmeleon.  Ash was really surprised that Charmeleon almost flamed William.  Ash knew that Charmeleon never showed that kind of feeling, or any feeling for that manner, for him before.
       About three hours later, they were halfway to the temple.  Ash started to feel the poison in him.  He kept going nevertheless.  He would either make it to the temple, or die trying.  Charmeleon admired Ash's strong will to make it to the temple.  But he was also very worried.
       "Charmeleon char char, (I hope we get there soon)" he said.
       Two and a half hours later, they made it to the temple.  Unfortunately, it was on the other side of a cliff that dropped for miles.
       "How are we going to make it across here?" Ash asked. 
       The poison made him so weak, that he could no longer stand.  He leaned over and fell off the cliff.
       "Char! (Ash!)" Charmeleon cried as Ash fell over.  He dove off the cliff without thinking.
       They fell for a few miles.  It appeared that they were going to be falling to their deaths together.  However, Charmeleon was determined to save his friend.
       "Charme.  Charme! (I've got to save him.  I've got to save him!)"  Charmeleon said.
       Suddenly, Charmeleon started to glow.  He grew taller and had wings.  He also had two horns instead of just one now.  In the place of Charmeleon, was Charizard.  He continued his dive after Ash.  He caught Ash in seconds.  Then he flew for the temple.
       Due to how far they fell before the evolution, it took fifteen minutes to enter the temple.  Charizard continued to fly with Ash in his arms.  Ash's breathing was getting shorter and shorter.  Five minutes later, they were in the center.  Charizard landed and set Ash down.  He got the vial, lifted Ash in the sitting position and helped Ash drink the antidote.
       Ash's breathing became steadier.  The poison in his body dissolved, and the wound was sealed up.  He awakened to find himself in a sitting position on the temple floor with a Charizard supporting him.
       "What happened?" Ash asked.
       Charizard was very happy and hugged his friend.  Then Ash remembered what happened.  He saw that he was in the arms of a Charizard.
       "Did you evolve from Charmeleon?" Ash asked.
       Charizard nodded.  
       Then Ash realized something else.  He stood up and asked, "How do we get back to the others?"  "I'm sure that they're very worried about us," he added.
       Charizard stood up.  He agreed with what Ash said.  They were too far from any other land.
       Then a mysterious voice said, "I'll teleport you back."
       "Who's there?" Ash asked.
       "That's not important right now.  What is important is that I take you back to your friends.  I've been watching you and your friends for a while.  You have the qualities of a master.  Don't ever change that," the voice said.
       Then Ash and Charizard were teleported back to where the others were.
       "Pikapi! (Ash!)" Pikachu said in delight.
       "Ash, we looked all over for you.  We were worried when we couldn't find you.  Where were you and what happened?" Misty said.
       "It's a long story," Ash said.
       "Where did that Charizard come from?" Brock asked pointing to Charizard.
       "He evolved from Charmeleon," Ash responded.
       Just then, a pair of arms grabbed Pikachu.
       "Prepare for trouble."
       "Make it double."
       "I don't have time for this," Ash said.
       "No way, we dropped you off miles from the nearest shore.  How did you make it back here?" Jessie said.
       "That's for me to know, and you to find out," Ash responded.  "Now, return Pikachu, or do I have to make you," he added.
       "Why you little smart aleck.  No one talks to Team Rocket like that except the boss.  Arbok, go!" Jessie said.
       Arbok was released and headed straight for Ash.  Charizard stood protectively in front of Ash.  He flamed and tail whipped Arbok before it could attack.  Arbok was returned.
       "Now, let's get Pikachu back," Ash said.
       By then, Team Rocket was in their balloon and in the air.
       "Pikapi, pika! (Ash, help!)" Pikachu shouted.
       "Pikachu!" Ash shouted.  He ran after the balloon.
       Charizard flew after him and soon caught up to him.  Charizard moved a little in front and to the side as if saying, "Get on, I'll help you."
       Ash got on Charizard's back, and Charizard flew up for the balloon.    
       "Charizard, aim a Flamethrower at the arm holding Pikachu," Ash said.
       Charizard obeyed and the hand released Pikachu.  Charizard flew under Pikachu, and Ash caught him.
       "Pikapi! (Ash!)" Pikachu said excitedly.
       "Pikachu, Charizard, send them flying with Thunderbolt and Flamethrower," Ash said.
       Pikachu jumped off Ash's hat and gave a devastating Thunderbolt.  At the same time, Charizard unleashed a Flamethrower at the balloon.  The balloon blew up, and Team rocket was----
       "Blasting off again!"
       Charizard landed, and Ash got off his back.
       "Thank you Charizard.  You saved me from death and I wouldn't have been able to save Pikachu without your help," Ash said as he hugged Charizard.
       Charizard hugged back.
       "Well it looks like Charizard made up with you wherever you were," Brock said.
       "He sure did," Ash said.
       Charizard agreed.
       "What do you mean by Charizard saving you from death?" Misty asked.
       Ash told them the story.
       "Oh Ash, I hope you never have to go through that again," Misty said.
       "So do I," Ash said.
       Charizard nodded in agreement.  He hoped he would never have to go through an experience like that ever again.  He was going to do everything in his power to make sure of that.
       Brock made dinner and everyone ate.  They had a little fun before they prepared to sleep.  Brock returned all his Pokemon, and Ash did the same except for Pikachu of course.  Charizard came out of his ball again.  Ash knew what Charizard wanted.  Ash got in his sleeping bag and went to sleep.  Charizard was on his left, and Pikachu was on his right.  They slept that way for the rest of the night.
       In the morning, they woke up and continued on their journey.  Ash returned Charizard until he would be needed.  Ash and Charizard would always be friends like they once were, and nothing was going to change that again.