Author's Note: Crazy Bulbasaur just seemed like a good idea. This turned out a bit shorter than I wanted though. Eh…

Chapter Ten: Vs Bulbasaur!

"Pika!"

Petro practically laughed over his shoulder as he looked back at Ren. The girl was panting as she followed the Electric-type out of the steadily narrowing tunnel into daylight. Fortunately, Brock's directions had been plenty accurate, but it had still taken quite a while to get through Mt. Moon's winding passages.

"Petro…" Ren gasped. "Please… wait…"

"Chu…"

Petro reluctantly paused and waited for Ren to catch up. However, he then cocked his head to the side, blinking, and darted away again.

"What now…?"

Ren slowly jogged after the Pikachu. Several moments later, the pair stopped in front of a small building that Ren hadn't noticed before—but then again, there was a row of trees growing near it.

"Route 4 Flower Shop?" Ren said curiously as she read the sign. "Let's go in, Petro!"

"Ka…" Petro sighed.

Ren turned the doorknob and slowly opened the wooden door. As she and Petro entered the building, Ren saw several tables lined with potted flowers and other plants. There weren't any other customers at the moment, and the woman behind the small counter grinned in relief when she spotted Ren.

"Ah, good afternoon! Would you like anything?"

"Um… I guess I'm just… looking around for now," Ren explained nervously.

"All right! Please, tell me if you need anything!"

Ren nodded and started walking around the tables, and Petro sighed again as he scampered after her. There were several small flowers that she kind of liked, but she wasn't sure how she'd be able to get them back home easily…

"Saur!"

Suddenly, Ren accidentally stepped on something, and a voice cried out in objection. Ren gasped and took a step back, looking down to see a small, blue-green Pokémon with a bulb on its back. She glared back at Ren as she slowly got up, a pair of vines slowly rising out of her bulb.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"What's wrong?"

The cashier hurried over to Ren, and sighed as she saw Bulbasaur. The plant Pokémon glared again, but retracted her vines.

"I'm sorry about Bulbasaur," the woman apologized. "She's kind of hasty, so if you startle her, she'll just attack like that."

"Oh. I see."

"Pi—ka!"

Petro, meanwhile, hadn't seemed to have forgiven the Grass-Type. His cheeks were sparking, and he was clenching his fists. Bulbasaur, however, merely yawned at him, apparently further provoking Petro. The Electric-Type released the electricity in his cheeks, hitting Bulbasaur with a Thundershock. Ren and the cashier gasped as Bulbasaur stumbled backwards slightly.

"Petro, no!"

"Chu!"

Petro narrowed his eyes and shook his head as Bulbasaur got back up. A pair of vines emerged from Bulbasaur's bulb again, and she struck Petro with a Vine Whip. Tumbling backwards, Petro rolled over and raised his head just enough to see Bulbasaur, and shot out another Thundershock. As Petro hopped back to his feet, Bulbasaur fell to the side, sweat forming on her forehead.

"Why are they fighting?" Ren cried.

"I'm not sure… But I have an idea!" the cashier replied, snapping her fingers. "Do you have a spare Pokéball on you?"

"Y-yeah… Oh! I get it!"

Ren pulled a minimized Pokéball out of her pocket and tossed it at the weakened Grass-Type. The ball shook violently for a few seconds, but then clicked shut. Ren, Petro, and the cashier all sighed in relief.

"But… She's your Bulbasaur, right? So why could I catch her?" Ren asked, confused, as she pocketed Bulbasaur's Pokéball.

"Well… Actually, I never technically caught her," the cashier explained. "One of my friends has a Venusaur that just laid a few eggs recently, and she gave me one of the Bulbasaurs. That one preferred to wander around in here, see, but… Like you, some of the other customers had problems with her. I was thinking maybe if she got to get out and travel a bit, she might calm down. Can you take her?"

"Sure!" Ren grinned.

Petro, however, sighed and closed his eyes. Ren and the cashier giggled.

"Well, thanks. I'm glad you came in!"

"You're welcome! I have to get going though… Bye!"

Smiling, the cashier waved to Ren as she opened the door again. Petro growled under his breath as he followed her outside, and Ren managed to stop another giggle. Petro and Bulbasaur would hopefully get along sooner or later.

"Hey, Petro? What do think of calling her Venus?"

"…Chu?"

"Well, um… Like a Venus Flytrap, you know…?"

Petro suddenly smirked and nodded. "Pika!"

"Wait… What do those do again?"

Petro suddenly started giggling himself and darted along the path in front of the flower shop. Blinking, Ren hurried after him, hoping he was at least going in the right way to Cerulean…

"No, Petro! Not again…!"