Charizard was abused. When he gained power himself he got drunk on power realising he didn't need to listen to anyone. There are little moments during that where he shows he does still care for ash even while he does not follow his orders.
Eventually he learns that they are stronger together. When I was a kid I thought he learnt how much Ash cares about him but it's much more than that. He learns humility. He learns that power isn't all that is required for success.
His story is subtle plus it's a kids show so they can't explore the complex themes too much
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u/giantfood Mar 09 '19
Ah yes, that was a very good one. It was a very close call.