Charmander the Stray Pokémon!

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**Charmander the Stray Pokémon!** is the 11th episode of *Liam's Adventures of Pokémon: Indigo League*.

## Plot

The episode opens with Ash and company getting lost while making their way to Vermilion City, ultimately frustrating Misty. After consulting Brock's map, they determine that the path they are on should lead to Route 24, which leads to Vermilion City. Once they get moving, they come across a large shadow that falls across their path. When the sunlight dims, they find that the shadow belonged to a Charmander sitting on a rock. After checking his Pokédex, Ash is happy that he has a chance to catch a Charmander. Brock points out how weak its tail flame is, and that it probably needs help. However, Charmander resists Ash's attempt to catch it. Brock suggests that Ash try again, but Ash's second attempt also fails. Pikachu then climbs up onto the rock and talks to the Charmander. He then comes back down and manages to communicate to Ash that Charmander is waiting for someone to come by and pick it up. Brock decides that if it belongs to someone else, it is best to leave it, and they leave.

Farther down the trail, Ash and his friends discover the Pokémon Center that is on their map, and they enter just as it begins to rain. Despite Brock's concerns, Ash reassures him and points out that there is no way the Charmander would have waited around that long. However, they overhear laughter nearby, and look over to see a Trainer named Damian surrounded by a group of friends. They listen in on his conversation, Damian reveals that he had a Charmander, but since it was so weak, he left it on a rock out in the middle of the woods promising to return for it, though he admits he has no intention of doing so. Ash and his friends conclude that the Charmander they saw and that based on Damian's description are one and the same. This pushes the normally calm Brock over the edge, and he confronts Damian, demanding he retrieve his Charmander. Damian pushes him off, but Ash and Misty soon arrive to back up Brock. After Damian and his crew leave, Ash, Misty, and Brock hurry back to find Charmander.

The three race back through the pouring rain towards the rock where the Charmander is, and find it under attack from a gang of Spearow. Ash tries to drive them off by throwing a rock at them, but the Spearow turn their attention to him and his friends. Ash orders a Thunder Shock from Pikachu, and he obeys, scaring off the Spearow. The group quickly wrap Charmander up in their raincoats and race back to the Pokémon Center, begging Nurse Joy to help. Initially, Nurse Joy is angry at Ash and his friends, but Ash explains that it was Damian that left the Charmander there, taking advantage of Charmander's loyalty. Brock pleads with Nurse Joy to save the Charmander, and she promises to do whatever she can. After an intense and distressing wait, Nurse Joy finally comes out of the operating room and reports that Charmander has pulled through, and it will be fine by morning.

Morning arrives, and Brock's shout causes Ash to fall off the couch. It turns out Charmander has disappeared from the emergency room. Ash is certain that the Charmander has simply gone back to the rock. Brock wants to go after it again, but Misty points out that it is no use. Even though Damian does not care about it, the Charmander is still stubbornly loyal to him. Although Brock is still disappointed, Ash and his friends leave the Pokémon Center. Meanwhile, up ahead, Team Rocket has just finished digging another pitfall trap for the twerps. However, Pikachu's light weight does not activate the trap. Jessie and James argue over who is responsible for this failure, until Meowth silences them with scratches to the face. Ash, Brock, and Misty, being a lot heavier, end up triggering the trap and fall into the hole. Team Rocket then appears, laughing at the fact that their trap worked. Pikachu tries to shock them, but Team Rocket's rubber uniforms insulate them against electricity. Pikachu tries to run, but they release a special ball that swallows Pikachu and also insulates his electricity.

Team Rocket prepare to leave with Pikachu in tow, though Charmander confronts them. Charmander, as translated by Meowth, orders them to give Pikachu back to Ash and the others. Team Rocket refuses, and warn Charmander to beat it or else. Charmander responds by closing its eyes, focusing hard, and unleashing a massive Flamethrower, which roasts Team Rocket. They drop the Pikachu and flee. Ash, Misty, and Brock, having gotten out of the pit, thank Charmander for its help, and Ash asks Charmander if it wants to come along with them. However, Damian, who witnessed Charmander's impressive Flamethrower, claims that he has come back for Charmander, just as he promised. Damian goes on to say that abandoning Charmander had made it stronger. Despite retorts from Ash and his friends, Damian brags about his methods of treating and training Pokémon. When he tries to recall Charmander by throwing his Pokéball, it rejects him as its trainer by throwing the ball back at him with its tail. Enraged, Damian attempts to attack Charmander with all his Pokéballs. Charmander responds with a Flamethrower, followed by Pikachu's Thunderbolt, along with Spearow's Tri Attack, which forces Damian to flee, only to be apprehended by Ben who strips him of his Pokémon license. After some negotiation, Brock insists Ash should have Charmander, and the Fire-type Pokémon happily jumps into Ash's Pokéball.

## Major events

* Ash catches a Charmander.
* Liam's Spearow is revealed to know Tri Attack.
* Liam's Oddish is revealed to know Razor Leaf.
* Vivian is revealed to know Swift.
* Yui is revealed to own a Goomy nicknamed Huggy.
* Mio obtains a Chansey which Damien previously abandoned, and nicknames it Lucky.
* Nida evolves into Nidoqueen, and learns Earth Power.
* Forearms is revealed to know Strength.

## Characters

### Humans

* Ash Ketchum
* Misty
* Brock
* Agent Ben Rockefeller
* Liam Hammerfield
* Yui Hirasawa
* Ritsu Tainaka
* Mio Akiyama
* Tsumugi Kotobuki
* Azusa Nakano
* Ui Hirasawa
* Jun Suzuki
* Jessie
* James
* Nurse Joy
* Damian
* Trainers

### Pokémon

* Pikachu (Ash's)
* Meowth (Team Rocket)
* Charmander (Ash's; formerly Damian's; new; debut)
* Spearow (multiple)
* Charmeleon (Liam's)
* Oddish (Liam's)
* Spearow (Liam's)
* Goomy (Yui's; Huggy)
* Flareon (Ritsu's; Corona)
* Chansey (Mio's; nicknamed Lucky; new; debut)
* Nidorina (Mugi's; Nida; evolves)
* Nidoqueen (Mugi's; Nida; debut; newly evolved)
* Eevee (Azusa's; Vivian)

## Trivia

* Liam's Oddish and Azusa's Eevee remains outside of its Pokéball for the entire episode
* Ben has a Pokédex-like device which allows him to search and look up profiles of trainers who have a Pokémon license, (in this case, Damian) and release Pokémon from their Pokéballs back into the wild should the trainer be abusive and spiteful towards them. He also has the authority to revoke a trainer's license.
* This is the first episode that credits Izumi Shimura as an animation director.
* This is the second episode of a three-episode arc where Ash catches each of Kanto's starter Pokémon.
* Misty states that the group has been searching ten days for Vermilion City since they left Cerulean City at the end of *The Water Flowers of Cerulean City*.
* Damian is shown to be carrying around twenty Pokéballs, all allegedly containing Pokémon; however, it is later established that a Trainer can only carry six Pokémon at a time in their party, just like in the games. This may be because he wasn't shown to have a Pokédex; therefore, he is not forced to use the storage system. Alternatively, he may have had a maximum of six Pokémon on his team already, while the rest of the Pokéballs were meant for recapturing Charmander.
* This is the first episode mentioning that Pokémon could die.
* It is revealed in this episode that using a battle to settle a personal argument is frowned upon, and that Pokémon battles are not supposed to occur in Pokémon Centers. Ironically, the Cable Club, where players can link up to battle exists exclusively in Pokémon Centers, and in fact neighbors the healing counter in the Generation I games.
* This is the first episode where Meowth translates a Pokémon's speech.
* This episode is featured on *Volume 9: Charmander* from Viz Media's Pokémon All-Stars series.
* This episode aired in the United States on the 30th birthday of Megan Hollingshead, the voice actress of Nurse Joy.
* This episode was partially adapted into the book Charizard, Go!.
* Parts of this episode are reanimated and used for flashback material for *The Fires of a Red-Hot Reunion!*.

## Transcript

*Main article: Charmander the Stray Pokémon!/Transcript*