Chapter 173: I’ve Caught Chimchar!

Words : 918 Updated : Oct 10th, 2025

"Buizel, we might not have enough water. Can you head over to the river and fetch some more?" "Bui! Bui!" Without turning around, Ash gave his instructions. Buizel nodded, grabbing a bucket before heading toward the river. "We might not have enough firewood either. Grotle, can you go with Pikachu and gather some from the forest?" "Grotle!" "Pika!" With that, Grotle and Pikachu trotted off into the trees, starting their search for firewood. Meanwhile, Dawn had already begun practicing the techniques she would use in the upcoming Pokémon Contest. "Pachirisu, release a wide-ranged Discharge!" "Piplup, spin and use Bubble Beam!" "Buneary, freeze Piplup's bubbles with Ice Beam!" "Chipa!" "Pipluup!" Piplup unleashed a dazzling stream of bubbles. Pachirisu then struck them with its electric attack, scattering the bubbles into smaller fragments. At that moment, Buneary's Ice Beam perfectly synced in, freezing the floating shards into glistening ice crystals. The scene was breathtaking. "Wow! That was amazing! Keep this up, and we're sure to win the contest in Hearthome City! We've got this!" "Mi! Mi!" "Piplup!" Buneary, Piplup, and Pachirisu nodded enthusiastically. Then, Dawn turned toward Aipom. "Aipom, since you're officially with us now, you'll need to start training with us, too! Let's work on moves that are both beautiful and effective in battle!" "Aipom-aipom!" Aipom nodded excitedly, eager to join in. On the other side, Anabel's Stantler was happily playing on Metagross's back while she sat nearby, gently massaging her Espeon. "How's the pressure? Does this feel better?" Before long, Buizel returned with the water. Suddenly, rustling came from the tall grass nearby. Three Zangoose leaped out! They had been drawn in by the scent of the food and immediately locked onto the feast spread out on the table. Without hesitation, they moved to snatch the food! Zangoose were known for their territorial nature, but they were also notorious for ganging up on weaker Pokémon and stealing food. "Grrr..." The sight of Zangoose sent a shiver down Chimchar's spine. The memory of being hunted down before resurfaced instantly, making its body tremble in fear. But Ash knew this was a golden opportunity. If he played this right, Chimchar could overcome its trauma! Dawn and Anabel instinctively reached for their Poké Balls, ready to defend their meal from the invading Zangoose. But Ash stopped them. Though confused, they trusted him and recalled their Pokémon. With no opposition, the Zangoose rushed forward, jumping onto the table. At first, their goal was just to steal food and leave. But when they saw that the trainers weren't fighting back, they assumed Ash and the others were afraid! Now, the Zangoose weren't in a hurry to leave anymore. Instead, they began eating the Pokémon food laid out on the table. Chimchar was shaking uncontrollably. Then, it felt something warm on its shoulder. A reassuring hand. "Chimchar, look straight ahead. From now on, you must live for yourself. If you want to become stronger, you must first conquer your fears. Right now, we need your help. Will you fight alongside us?" "Ch-Chim..." Chimchar hesitated for a moment, but then— "Chimchar!" It clenched its fists and nodded firmly. It had already made its decision. "Good. Chimchar, then let's do this! Use Flame Wheel!" "Chim!" A fiery aura erupted around Chimchar, engulfing its entire body in flames. It curled up and launched itself forward like a blazing fireball. The attack struck one of the Zangoose head-on! "Graaah!" The Zangoose yelped as the flames scorched its body, immediately drawing the attention of the other two. "Grrr! Grah!" Both Zangoose lunged, their claws glowing white— Slash attack! "Chimchar, don't be afraid! Use Dig to evade!" With a swift movement, Chimchar dove underground! The Zangoose swiped at empty air, whipping their heads around in confusion. Where would the attack come from? "Crack!" Suddenly, Chimchar burst out from the ground behind them, flipping one of the Zangoose into the air! "Nice! Now, use Flamethrower on the other one!" Chimchar spun mid-air and unleashed a powerful stream of fire at the second Zangoose! Boom! As Chimchar landed, it realized something— The Zangoose weren't so scary after all. For the first time, Chimchar felt something different. Confidence. The fear that once controlled it was fading away. Ash smiled. His plan had worked. Sure, breakfast had been ruined, but in exchange, Chimchar had taken a huge step forward in conquering its past. "You've got this! Give them one last Flame Wheel!" With a determined cry, Chimchar surged forward again, crashing into the trio of Zangoose. When the smoke cleared— All three Zangoose were knocked out. "We did it! Chimchar, you were amazing!" For a moment, Chimchar froze. Praise? It had never received praise before. Paul had never said anything like that to it. Before Chimchar knew it, Ash had pulled it into a tight hug. Chimchar's eyes welled up. Then, all at once— It burst into tears. "Ch-Chim... Chimchar..." All the pain, the frustration, the sadness— Everything it had held in all this time— It finally let it out. As the tears streamed down its face, Ash continued holding it, waiting patiently. Once Chimchar had calmed down, it looked up at Ash. Ash already knew. He pulled out a Heal Ball. Chimchar reached out and tapped it. Ding! Without even a single shake, the ball clicked shut. Capture complete. "I caught Chimchar!" -------------- T/N: Access Advance Chapters on my P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals

Chapter 173: I’ve Caught Chimchar!

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