It's Sentai Red.
I'm alive.
I'm just going through stuff, but I promise the chapters are still coming. Slowly, but surely. Thankfully, not many of you asked when's the next chapter. For those who had asked: you'll get one when I post one. That's it.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
It's cold.
One would think the early morning Sun would rise and everything would be warm, but right now it's the exact opposite. It's a misty day, gentle winds billowing through the open field. The small dew hitting Bulbasaur's face. He lets out a subtle shiver, before steeling himself.
He supposes it's fine. Why shouldn't he find it fine? He's used to it after all. All the training that he was subjected to should have made him resilient to the cold. Or that's what he wants to think. The word 'training' that he just thought of… was it really training? Or was it a way for his old trainer to abuse him? Was being taught to withstand Blizzard, Ice Beam, and various other Ice-Type moves a form of training? His old trainer thought it was. But, what about Bulbasaur himself? Did he want to be thrown headfirst into this type of training? Was he ever asked if this was something he wanted to do? No. It was something he had no desire to do. Why would he subject himself to torture? He's no masochist.
In the few short years of being born, he had seen humans at their worst. He had seen them put him through the ringer. The last one he just had knew he wasn't worth the trouble and just released him. The last thing the trainer did was call him "Pathetic" and yet, he finds it humorous. Is it pathetic at all? Sure, in the eyes of the trainer, if a Pokémon decides to not train or better themselves, they're just fodder for the stronger Pokémon. But, who's really the pathetic one? Is it the Pokémon that can clearly see the malintent of its trainer and not want to be subjected to strenuous activities that may end up crippling it all in the name of strength and power? Or is it the trainer that can't see beyond his own arrogance and believes he, the human, is smarter than the Pokémon and believes they're right and the Pokémon should just take it?
A trainer should be one that works with the Pokémon to uncover the hidden potential of those he trains.
That type of trainer – do they even exist?
In the years of being born, there has not been a single person out there that he deems respectable or worthy of training him.
Is it arrogance? Perhaps.
But must he stay with a trainer and stay devoted to someone who, in turn, reciprocates nothing? No. If someone were to call Bulbasaur arrogant and unwilling to stay with mediocrity, then let them call him out on it. All he will do to them is just snort and walk away. He has no times for games of that nature. As of right now, he has more important things to deal with than to think about a trainer or being stronger. A simple glance to the left tells him everything he needs to know and to do.
An Oddish, a young one that has been abandoned by its own parents, waddles over to him. In its mouth is a flower. It's a pretty, blue flower. Oddish puts it down nearby him and jumps up and down happily, "Oddish! Odd!" It found a pretty flower! Oddish cries out in pride, wanting to give it to Bulbasaur. "Oddish!" It's yours! The fellow Grass-Type states with a smile, pushing the flower closer to Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur stares at the flower, then glances back at Oddish, before smiling and nodding. That's a very thoughtful gesture. Is there a motive? One must always consider the reasoning.
"Saur…" Thank you. Either way, he accepts the gift.
Using one of its Vine Whips, he delicately picks up the flower and holds it in front of him. "Saur? Bulba Bulbasaur?" Where do you want me to put it? He asks the young Weed Pokémon.
"Dish, odd-odd!" Up there! On your bulb! The young Oddish replies, hopping up and down, trying to get the point across. Bulbasaur gives the young Weed an amused look, wondering why on its bulb of all places.
"Saur? Saur?" Why there? He asks the young Grass-Type.
"Oddish! Odd odd! Oddish!" It's for all you've done for us!
A simple answer. An acceptable answer.
Bulbasaur smiles, putting the flower in its bulb.
There comes a time in which you must humor a child in front of you, but to be given something of gratitude and told they appreciate you? Bulbasaur dared not mock the young child's pure answer. For as long as he has been here, he has never asked for a simple token of appreciation. The person in charge, a human girl that he can actually trust, always tries to thank him, but he always moves his vines to her mouth, motioning for her to stop. He never needed thanks. He never needed to be given appreciation for something he feels he was born to do. He was a helper. No trainer understood that. No person understood that. However, something this sweet from a small child in front of him?
It doesn't matter how tired he can get.
It doesn't matter how he often wishes things can be different.
If, for a single second, he can one day let himself bask in some form of love and affection, even from another Pokémon, he'll take it. If it means knowing that all the work he's doing is making everyone feel better, and this is how they want to show their appreciation, then he'll take it. Who is he to reject the kindness of something so sweet and innocent?
Oddish stares at the flower on top of the bulb and jumps up and down happily. The Weed Pokémon runs off, going back to play with some other Pokémon at the reservation. Bulbasaur watches idly by. From the Poliwag lazily staring at the river before sliding into the waters in bliss, to the Paras sleeping, Bulbasaur swore that he would make sure they would all be protected. Being abandoned hurts, and despite him running away, he would often think if his former trainers truly cared, they'd come to him and beg for forgiveness. They never had. In some ways, it still hurts him, but he trudges along.
Being found by the young, blue-haired girl, so many months ago, and being shown that there are humans out there that truly do care for Pokémon, he decided to stay for her. One day, he'll leave. That, for sure, he has decided upon. However, until that day comes, he swore to himself he'll protect the girl. He'll protect the wild Pokémon she's caring for. He'll protect them all until he can find a place he can truly call home.
If not now, then maybe someday.
Episode 18: The Hidden Village! Bulbasaur's Resolution!
As it is the norm, and never the exception, especially considering it has been an on-going pattern; the group has found themselves, yet again, lost. Deciding it was best to just lead the way, and not follow Serena's map or Brock's old reliable map, Ash has taken it upon himself to continue forward on a single road. Despite the clear objections, even from Froakie and Pikachu, Ash just felt like walking towards their next destination – to where? No one knows. Even still, the longer they walk this path, the less patience they're having.
With a soft sigh, and tiring legs, Serena picks up her pace and walks beside a prideful Ash. One can even see his own bravado tiring; however, he still holds firm to his resolution, and while admirable, it is also exacerbating. She pats his shoulder, the one where Froakie is resting on, but gentle enough to not disturb the Kalos starter. Ash turns to her, looking at her confused, "You need something, Serena?"
"Uh, yes, actually," she says with a tired smile, "why don't we take a break? We've been walking for a little too long now, don't you think?" she asks, not wanting to make it seem like her crush is pushing them too hard. "My legs are a little sore."
While Ash sympathizes with Serena, he knew they were almost close to the path that leads to Vermilion City, "Aw, we're almost there, Serena! I'm confident we'll get back to the right path if we keep following this road here." He tries to reassure her, but it seems the pout on her lips is doing the exact opposite and the words that left his mouth were not just for her, but for himself. He too is feeling the strain of walking too much, but Misty said something to him earlier that day that made him want to prove her wrong. A simple glance to his friends behind them is showing that even they don't believe him.
"Positive, huh?" Ash heard Brock mumble, quite sarcastically.
Misty then added on, "That's what you said an hour ago, Ash. I'm tired! We're all tired!" Misty whines, her arms spread out as if gesturing to everyone around her. As much as Serena didn't want to make it a big deal, she too nods, siding with Misty. Brock smiles apologetically at Ash, letting him know even he's feeling the burn. Sitting down on the path they're currently on, she lets out a huge breath of relief, "Phew… Oh, my legs…" she rubs her calves, massaging them.
She then gives Ash a nasty glare, "I told you to stick to the main road, but nooo, you just had to take a shortcut!"
Ash stares at her with bewilderment, and this is where it all began, "Hey! You wanted us to go the long way, and I said there's a shortcut! Had we gone the other way, we'd have gotten lost or worse, went back to Cerulean City! You even said I was right!" He didn't even hear Brock and Serena sigh, the two of them covering their faces with their hands. Pikachu and Froakie both just shrug, getting off Ash's shoulders to sit down on the ground, watching the two friends argue. Again.
"Froakie, fro-fro."
"Pipi-pikachu…"
"Fro."
"Pi…"
The two converse with one another, no one understanding what the two were saying, but also not really hearing it as Misty replies with her usual snarky tone, "Hah, as if I would ever say you were right – especially about directions! Let's face it, Ketchum, you can't read a map even if it was just all pictures! We're lost, and you know it!"
Not wanting to admit defeat, Ash crosses his arms, turning away, "And who says we're lost anyway?"
With a growl, Misty gets up to face Ash, their noses inches apart, as she roars, "Listen, genius, if you don't know where you are or where you're going then that means you're lost!"
Before a huge argument can erupt, Brock and Serena pull the two away, with Serena calming Misty down and Brock placating the two of them with a simple gesture. "Chill, guys… just, take it easy." He says, but mostly to Misty, who just harrumphs and sits back down childishly. Ash and the others just sigh at her but know not to take her seriously when she's tired. No one can understand just how much energy she truly has if she has enough to get back and yell. It's quite remarkable if one were to think about it. "Be as it may, we need to find another way to get back on track. And the first thing to do is just relax. We'll take a breather, get some food in, and we'll get back to finding the path that leads to Vermilion City. Is that fine with you guys?"
Everyone nods, with Misty acquiescing, "Alright, but remind me to yell at Ash some more when we get to Vermilion City."
Serena nervously laughs, "I don't think it's that serious, Misty… I think we'll be fine," she then gives Ash a side look, "maybe this time we'll use my tablet and use the map function, right?" Ash pouts, finally giving in and nods, to a satisfied looking Serena. She then winks at him, before sitting down, sending out her three Pokémon. Misty slides herself away, not wanting to be near a certain Bug-Type.
"At least now, I can groom you guys for the next contest!" Serena happily exclaims, taking out her brush and snacks. All her Pokémon eye's light up, with Beedrill yet again tearing up, happy to be groomed alongside its partners. Eevee and Fennekin both vie for Serena's lap, much to said girl's amusement. Beedrill shyly pokes its two stingers, waiting patiently for its turn.
Following Serena's example, Ash sends out his Pokémon as well, "Come on out, guys!" Butterfree and Pidgeotto both come out, eager to spread their wings and fly around, hoping to use the opportunity to train with one another. Froakie and Pikachu greet their two friends, with Butterfree nuzzling its face to both, with Pidgeotto swooping down to peck their heads gently. As much as they're all used to her pecking, sometimes she can peck a little too hard for their liking, but they never complain. It just means she's only getting stronger, and it helps build their pain tolerance. Brock and Misty both use the time wisely to send out their Pokémon, with Misty's going straight to a nearby riverbank. There was one Pokémon missing from the entire group. Misty wasn't yet ready to talk to that specific Pokémon just yet, nor wanted to see what would happen if she were to send it out. She whispered to herself that she would soon talk to it. Brock's Pokémon stay by his side, with Onix being the one to watch both Geodude and Sandshrew play wrestle with one another.
With everyone relaxing, the mood has shifted to being a lot less tense.
They would relax for quite some time. Brock was originally thinking the break should have been for maybe half an hour, but by the time they all decided to eat lunch, it's been nearly an hour. Were they that exhausted that time went by faster than expected? Possibly. Brock, for sure, was used to making things run smoothly and efficiently, but he's no machine. Even he can get tired and take breaks longer than usual. With that being said, no one has mentioned they should have gotten back on the road, so for now, they're just continuing to rest up until it's time to head off. Luckily for them all, it's only the afternoon, so it's not like too much time has been lost.
The smell of food that Brock has made permeated through the small forest surrounding them. It wasn't enough to attract too many wild Pokémon, considering some of the wiser ones saw a group of Pokémon surrounding the food, so they left it all alone. However, one was still too young to understand that concept, and sniffed the food, running towards it. "Oddish… oddish!" It smells good! It cries out happily, hopping straight out of the bushes, and in front of both Serena and Misty. Not realizing what it just did, it freezes.
Serena and Misty were both talking about her next Pokémon capture, considering Ash already has four. Misty obviously gave her the idea to catch a Water-Type, to diversify her contest performances to which Serena agreed with. However, she countered that she would catch Pokémon that she took a liking to and will find ways to incorporate them to her performances, typing aside. Misty approved of the thought, though still hinted to catch a Water-Type any at some point. Serena laughed and finally appeased Misty saying she would.
Now, their talking was interrupted when they both saw the frozen Oddish. Both girls immediately squealed, alerting everyone to what's going on. Serena was the first to grab her Poké Ball, "And speaking of which," alluding to her conversation with Misty, "I just found what I want to catch!"
Misty then grabbed her Poké Ball, "No way, Serena! It's going to be my capture!"
The two girls stared at each other competitively. Ash blinks, staring before turning to Brock and whispers to his older friends' ear, "I thought Misty wanted to be a Water-Type Master?" Brock almost sputters a laugh, thinking the same thing. Ash uses his PokéDex to record Oddish's data entry. Even though he knows what type Oddish is, he'd rather be aware of any new information that may be of use.
"Guess it's just a girl thing, I guess…" Brock crosses his arms, watching the two girls argue, "if you two are going to catch it, better hurry before it runs away!" He calls out, making the two girls stop their bickering, to then turn to find the Oddish shakily backing away. Misty immediately calls out her Starmie, who jumps from the riverbank and onto land in front of the Oddish.
"Kya!"
"Let's go, Starmie! Water Gun, now!"
Misty points at the Oddish, with Starmie spewing its Water Gun attack to the defenseless Oddish. Oddish, being young, and not knowing how to defend itself, is sent flying into the air. Misty immediately celebrates, pumping her fist into the air with a resounding cheer. "Alright!" she exclaims, "Don't let it have a chance to recover, Starmie! Use Tackle!"
"Kya!" Starmie rushes in, colliding with the Oddish, who cries in pain. Oddish lands on the ground with a painful thud, a small whimper escaping.
Serena frowns, realizing that the Oddish wasn't really fighting back. She looks to Misty, who is about to issue another attack, "Hold on, Misty… I don't think Oddish is doing too well with these attacks." Misty ignores her, making Serena sigh. And she thought Misty was supposed to be more mature than Ash? Sometimes she wonders if those two really are siblings. She gets in front of Starmie, who hesitates seeing Serena walk up. The honey-blonde haired girl holds out her arms in defiance, "Knock it off, Misty – just look at it! It wasn't even fighting back!" Ash and Brock both look over to see Oddish, slowly getting up, whimpering from being attacked out of nowhere.
The red head, already in her competitive mood, harrumphs, "Don't try to stop me from catching it, Serena! You want it just as badly as I do, but don't interfere with my attempt to catch it!" She enlarged her Poké Ball, "It's in its weakened state, so I'm going to catch it now! I'm not letting it escape, just because you're in the way! Poké Ball, go!" She throws the Poké Ball quickly, catching Serena off guard. The girl attempted to stop the ball, but it whisked past her. Before it hits its target, a Vine Whip comes out from the bushes, smacking the Poké Ball away. From the bushes, comes out an enraged Bulbasaur. The girls immediately back away when they see the Grass-Type baring its fangs out, ready to attack at any given moment. It guards the weakened Oddish.
"Uh… oops?" Misty apologizes half-assed. Serena gives her a small glare, making the redhead blush in embarrassment. "Heh… I guess I took it too far…"
"Ya think?" Serena sounded almost like Ash at that point.
"That's a Bulbasaur! I can't believe I'm seeing one in the wild!" Ash exclaims with a look of excitement, his eyes turning starry. Bulbasaur immediately gets on the defensive, lowering itself closer to the ground. It goes into the offensive.
Bulbasaur uses Vine Whip to attack Starmie, wrapping it tightly. It then charges, using Tackle and hitting Starmie right in the center of the jewel. Releasing its vines, Starmie flies into the air, landing with a painful thud of its own. Ash whistles, impressed at the sight. Misty immediately runs to her ace, cradling it in her arms, "Uh-oh… Starmie, are you okay? Oh, my poor Pokémon…" she recalls it into its ball.
Using his PokéDex for the second time, Bulbasaur's data entry has been registered. Ash grins, "That's one strong Bulbasaur!" He compliments, but the Grass-Type just continues to growl menacingly. Its tendrils are still out from its bulb, ready to attack whoever is next. Ash then gets in front of the two girls, "I guess it's my turn to try! Let's go, Butterfree!" Butterfree flies in front of Ash, ready to attack the grass amphibian. Bulbasaur glares at Ash and Butterfree.
"Free-free!" You're going down!
"Bulba… saur. Bulba-bulbasaur…" Right… I'd like to see you try…
"Use Sleep Powder, Butterfree!" Ash commands, with Butterfree obliging. Butterfree flies over to the amphibian, shaking powder off its wings to release on the wild starter. Bulbasaur jumps back, avoiding the powder. It then counters with a Vine Whip attack. It wraps the vines around Butterfree, before using its Tackle to hit the Bug-Type. Ash, knowing what was about to happen, immediately calls out, "Sleep Powder as it gets closer!"
Butterfree releases the powder once more, but Bulbasaur, already getting closer, decides to be creative. It simply blows the powder back to Butterfree. Both Ash and Butterfree look on in surprise, but it was only for a moment as Butterfree falls to the ground, sleeping. Bulbasaur then tackles the sleeping bug, which causes said bug to faint. Ash looks on in shock, unable to comprehend how strong and smart this Bulbasaur is. He recalls his fallen Pokémon, before grinning yet again, "You're quite the strong one! Well, I'm not backing dow – huh?" Ash couldn't finish his sentence as Bulbasaur wraps its vines around Oddish, it runs off into the bushes and disappears before anyone can give chase. "Wait! Come back!" Ash calls out to no avail. He sighs despondently, "No fair…"
Brock pats Ash on the back, "Easy there, little bud. You win some, you lose some. Although, the Bulbasaur must be quite the powerhouse if it can take down both Starmie and Butterfree without any issues." Ash nods, agreeing with Brock's sentiments.
Deciding it was high time to leave, the gang made sure to pick up after themselves. Once finished, they continued with the same path they were currently going in. Serena was able to find the route that leads them to their next destination on her tablet… ironically, it was the exact same route they were going the entire time, which Ash laughed and mocked Misty for, much to the redhead's chagrin. Serena had to chide Ash for being petty, making Misty mock him in return.
Other than Ash poking fun at Misty, and her giving Ash a taste of his own medicine, the walk is rather quiet. Whereas the entire ordeal with Oddish was over, Ash still couldn't help but think about Bulbasaur. It was a strong one, and something like that would be a great team member!
Suddenly, he feels an acute pain on the side of his head, making him gasp in pain for a brief second. He holds the side of his head that had the sharp pain. That was strange, he thought to himself, when the pain disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived. The sharp pain felt like someone drove a dagger into his temple and flicked the metal, causing it to vibrate and let out a whining sound while being stuck within him.
'Watch out, Ash…'
Huh?
Ash looks around, trying to piece who said that. He looks over to his friends, all of whom were just minding their own business as they walked. Brock was staring at some book intently, while still making sure he wasn't drifting away from the others. Misty and Serena kept talking about something that Ash wasn't privy to know, nor did he want to know out of respect for their privacy. No one said anything. He looks on to the ground, where Pikachu is walking beside him, and Froakie wrapped around his leg. The two couldn't have said anything… Was he going crazy?
'Do not cross the bridge, boy…'
There it is again! He darts his eyes around, trying to see if anyone is trying to mess with him. He looks around the path, looking at every tree they pass by, with every bush and with every possible hiding spot imaginable. Was someone playing tricks on him? But why can only he hear it? Why can't his friends? If he asks them, then they may assume he's going crazy and may postpone their travels to Vermilion City. He can't do that. He wants to get there quickly, not only for himself, but for Serena and for her next contest. He'd feel awful if he was the reason she couldn't participate.
So lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize that they came to a halt. In front of them a rickety bridge. It stands still, but one slight motion and it can start swinging at any given notice. They just stare befuddled, were they really going the right way? They all look to Serena, who sheepishly looks at her map app, trying to see where they are.
She scrambles to pinch in to zoom where they're located, staring at the legends on the bottom right of her screen, trying to identify their exact position. She stammers, giving a small nervous chuckle, "Uh, I think we're heading the right way, the map still says Vermilion City is still through this route… but I don't think the map forgot to mention there's a bridge…" she gulps, looking at the bridge with trepidation. She could've sworn she saw thread popping from the rope… Is it even safe?!
Brock nods, "Maps don't often give the most up to date information, especially in places that aren't as traveled. However, if this is the way we need to go, I guess we have no choice." Normally, he would recommend going around to find a longer, and safer, way, but they've all been walking for way too long without a clear end to their next destination. "We just need to be careful when crossing this bridge," he adds on with a frown, staring at the sight at the sad state of the bridge, "anything can topple this bridge over, and send us to our doom."
That small warning makes the two girls shiver, but Ash continues to stare at the bridge, his heart pacing faster than before. Something warned him about the bridge… but why? And who? He just couldn't fathom how or why.
Knowing his friends need input, he hides his hesitation in the form of confidence, "Well, I say we get on with it," he makes light of the situation by staring onward, "I bet there are just loads of Bulbasaur for us to look at, and maybe to capture!"
"Yeah, and maybe that Oddish too," Serena continues, trying to gain confidence.
"Alright, let's do this one at a time," Brock states, "Ash, you take the lead, then Serena you follow and put your hands on his back. Misty, you follow suit, and I'll take the rear." Everyone nods, with both Froakie and Pikachu getting on Ash's shoulders to keep themselves from falling in between the gaps between each step. "Just don't look down, guys, and we'll be alright."
Ash ignores the assurance, looking down the moment he steps on the old bridge, paling at the sight below him. Down beneath them is at least a 25-meter drop, or what looks to be it from his perspective to the bottom of the valley that separates the land masses. At the bottom, not only are there sharp rocks, but also a surging current of waves, splashing and crashing into the rocks and valley walls. Despite the fear, he knew he already took the first step, so he decided to continue.
With a small step, making sure each step was firmly planted on the planks, he begins his shimmy over to the other side. Following suit is Serena, who shakingly takes her time, taking every step as if it were the last thing she could ever do. She grips onto Ash's shoulders roughly, almost pinching the backside of Ash's two starters. Misty also follows suit. She trembles with every step, just like Serena, but she crouches a little to ensure her center of gravity. Brock takes small steps, making sure each step is calculated.
The pace is slow, but surely there. Nothing was amiss, making Ash almost breath a sigh of relief. It seems whatever, or whoever, was trying to spook him was wrong. Or stupid. Whichever.
'Dumb child…'
He hears the voice call to him, with a condescending tone. Before he can react to the insult, they all freeze when they hear a small snap. Brock is the only one to look, and he pales. "Guys, we… we better hurry!" He stammers, pushing them lightly. Everyone gets the picture, as they all try to book it, but as if God itself was there to punish them, the moment they start to walk a little faster, a harsh burst of wind hits them, rocking the bridge.
Another snap.
Followed by another.
They all scream, with Serena and Misty being the loudest of the four. Ash tries to hurry, hearing Brock yell at him to rush.
It was too late.
The rope snaps, causing the bridge to start turning over. Everyone crouches down, gripping the planks for dear life. "I'm scared, guys!" Serena is the first to cry out. The other rope behind them snaps, and they all scream as the bridge finally collapses, sending them to the other side of the valley as it swings them over. They all hold on for dear life as Ash tries to pull them up!
"Ash, you need to pull all of us up, it's our only chance!" Misty cries out, trying to hold onto Serena for dear life.
"I…I can't!" Ash stares, utterly terrified of trying to move.
"Ash, you have to!" Brock yells out, holding onto Misty, "Otherwise we're all going to fall!"
"Ash, hurry! I'm about to slip!" Serena wails, trying harder to grip onto him, tears dripping down her face as she fears falling to her death. Ash is about to have a breakdown – how could this voice know?! Why didn't he listen?! He tries to move, but he slips, causing them all to slip, and they all yelp in fright. Ash growls, holding onto the planks and rope with as much as strength as he can muster. He can't just fail now! His friends are in danger! There's no time to be afraid… not right now! Screw the stupid voice for now, this is more important!
"Froakie, Pikachu…" Ash says aloud, "I need you both to send out Butterfree and Pidgeotto from their Poké Balls! Have them help hoist us up!" He instructs them both, with the two nodding. They need to get this done!
"Froakie! | Pikachu!"
The two manouveur around Ash's body, grabbing the two Poké Balls that hold said Pokémon. Froakie calls out Butterfree, whereas Pikachu calls out Pidgeotto. When the two come out, they immediately see what's going on and try to help hoist Ash up first, seeing as he was their trainer. However, Ash stops them in their tracks, "No! Not me! Help out Brock and the others first! Butterfree, use String Shot to create a rope around Serena and the others to a safe spot! Pidgeotto, help them by pushing them up to me!"
Butterfree begins his work, creating a lot of webbing, thick and numerous enough to be used as a rope.
"Pikachu, Froakie! I need you guys to get up that rope and help pull the others up to safety!" Ash commands without wanting them to disobey. The two immediately run up the rope, to get onto land safely, and when Butterfree calls that Brock is safely wrapped around the String Shot, the two Pokémon begin pulling him up. Pidgeotto helps Brock, by putting herself under Brock's feet to help fly him up there while he's being pulled up.
"Serena, Misty, we're almost through, just hang on for a little longer," Ash says to them, with the two nodding, holding on, unable to say anything. Serena continues to cry silently, but the fact that Brock is no longer holding onto Misty, it lightens them up significantly. She begins to thank Ash silently for being a quick thinker.
Another gust of wind bursts through, rocking everyone, making them grit their teeth as they all hold onto something for dear life yet again. Sadly, because Butterfree wasn't expecting the gust of wind, the String Shot actually snaps! With the sudden weight of Brock now in full force, it pushes Pidgeotto away and Brock screams as he's falling into the valley below!
"Brock!" They all scream in terror, watching as their best friend/brother figure fall to his apparent doom.
Pidgeotto tries to fly fast enough, but it was too late… Brock splashes to the water below… The current pushes him away, and he disappears from sight. Ash begins to tear up, trying hard to not yell in anger. Gritting his teeth, he orders Butterfree to create more String Shots, and have Pidgeotto help Misty and Serena this time around.
Once Misty is wrapped around the String Shot, her sudden fear of bugs left her completely frozen and easy to hoist up. The fact she's being wrapped around webbing has left her petrified. She is the first to land safely on the other side of the canyon. She doesn't give herself much time to breathe though, as she begrudgingly grabs the String Shot to then help Pikachu and Froakie hoist Serena up.
Serena then is the next to be on the ground safely. Her tears fall openly as she helps Misty and the other Pokémon pull Ash up safely. He would then finally get onto the ground, his breath haggard, as well as everyone else's. They all look around, before hugging one another, wanting to just relish in the fact they all lived… However, Ash looks down to see where Brock fell and punches the ground, "Brock…" They all look down, their expressions sullen. Ash shakes his head furiously, "No!" He cries out. Everyone stares at him as he gets up in a resolute fashion, "He's still out there, I… I just know it! We have to find him, guys!" Serena and Misty both look at one another, before nodding. He recalls Butterfree and Pidgeotto, thanking them for saving their lives. Froakie and Pikachu perch up to his shoulders.
"You're right," Misty agrees, getting up in a similar fashion.
Serena wipes away her tears and nods, her expression being one of determination, "We'll find him. We just need to follow the bank of the river. Maybe he was able to pull himself out." The others agree with Serena's logic and run, heading off in the direction Brock was. As they continue to run, they don't notice something following them, a small growl emanates from the shadows from which its hiding.
The running across the bank to find Brock was easier said than done.
As they run, something just keeps bugging Ash. Something in his head is whispering to him to dodge certain things, take a step to the left, or just jump over something insignificant like a small pebble. While that has certainly gotten strange, and inquisitive, looks from his friends and partners, it has benefited them quite a bit. In one instance, he jumped over an inconspicuous set of dirt that was oddly colored differently than the normal ground around it. It wasn't too noticeable, but if one were to survey the ground beneath them, it certainly would seem strange. It was like someone dug up something and covered the hole with the same disturbed dirt.
Misty once didn't pay attention to him jumping over it, thinking he was being weird for the sake of being weird, and fell into a hole. Ash and Serena both bit back the urge to laugh at their friend, instead helping her up. Misty made a comment about Ash having some sort of sixth sense, to which Ash nonchalantly said, "I guess so…"
As harmless as that comment was, Ash thought about that and questioned what was going on with him. Serena noticed, but didn't say anything, out of respect for his privacy.
Soon enough they would find themselves in another precarious situation.
Despite their attempts to search for Brock, the lack of evidence began to creep up on them and the morale was starting to drop. Ash, in a moment of weakness, doesn't listen to the voice telling him there's a trap. Misty, walking aimlessly around, accidentally sets off a trap and is then lifted into the air, upside down! She yells, "Ah! What the Hell, Ash?!" Misty flails her arms around in fright, "Why didn't you tell me there was this trap here?!"
"Uh, sorry… Let me try to get you out," Ash apologizes lamely, going up to get Misty out of the trap. The rope was tightly wrapped around the girl's ankles and she began to whine about how much it's too tight. Serena walks up to help, but she doesn't realize she too has set off a trap. And before they all know it, a giant net erupts from the ground and lifts them all into the air, getting ensnared in the process. "Gah! What in the world?! Serena?!"
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't realize there was another trap! Who puts up another trap anyway?! Whoever is doing this is SO going to get it from me!" She yells in absolute frustration, shuffling herself around in the process, "And it's pulling on my hair!"
"Froakie…" Froakie croaks a small apology as he tries to move away from Serena, only to have his webbed feet touch Misty's cheek.
"Uh, Froakie! Kindly move your foot from me!" Misty says loudly.
"Fro-fro!" I can't move!
"Pipipikachu…" I'm being squished here…
"Ash, you better do something right about now!" Serena states, getting fed up with today. Her snappy attitude is making Ash sort of reminiscent of their younger days, making him huff a small chuckle. "Stop the laugh!" She demands, only making him laugh a little more. "Ugh! What's so funny, Ash?!"
"Just… it's nothing, 'Rena…" He dismisses it, trying to wiggle around in the net, seeing if there is a way to weaken a part of the net. Nothing. He then looks to Pikachu, "Hey, bud, do you think you have enough space to use Iron Tail to cut the rope?"
Pikachu shakes his head. Negative.
"Bu-bu-bulbasaur… bu-bu-bulba…!"
They all turn to see Bulbasaur strutting along, a smug look on his face which annoys everyone. He has his head held high, relishing in the human's misery. Serves them right for hurting Oddish. Ash sighs, thinking there's no point in getting upset at Bulbasaur and offers a smile, "Hey, uh… would it be okay for you to let us go? We're trying to look for our friend who fell down the river… If you can let us go to look for him, we'll leave you all alone. How about that?" Bulbasaur pretends to think about the offer, and everyone looks on in surprise as it uses its Vine Whip to go towards the rope.
"Oh, thank God," Misty whispers in relief.
Their pleasant surprise turns to anger when Bulbasaur just stops his vine a mere foot away and retracts it, before walking away, laughing at their misfortunes. "Hey, wait! Come back here!" Ash calls out, shuffling harder in the net to get its attention. However, his shuffling is causing him to wound up kicking both Misty and Serena, the two of them losing their patience with everything.
As the group suffers, the scene transitions over to our lovable Team Rocket idiots. They wander around, searching for something in particular. Meowth just stares at his map, "Hmmm," he hums as he tries to pinpoint where exactly they're at, before handing the map to James, "I forgot I don't know how to read, hehe… So, here you go, Jimmy!" James just rolls his eyes, deciding to take a gander at the map himself. He never knew why he even gave the map to Meowth in the first place… He looks on in horror as the map was upside down the entire time, but he just casually flips over without making a fuss. He eyes Jessie, knowing full well that should he say something, she would explode and bash him upside the head. Why him specifically? Well, he's the current map holder and Jessie would probably side with Meowth over the fact he clearly doesn't know how to read maps. Luckily, she doesn't seem to notice him flipping the map.
"The village we're looking for should be here, but… does it strike you as odd that the bridge collapsed right after we got on it?" Jessie asks.
"Well, if you would actually lay off the chips like you're supposed to, then I suppose it would seem rather weird," James remarks, staring at the map. Jessie just punches him upside the head, making him grunt dramatically. "Either way, I just hope these rumors are true." He nurses his head, feeling a small bump form on the area where Jessie punched him. He should have just kept his mouth shut for that…
Meowth giggles maniacally, his greedy eyes narrowing in thought of what would happen when they were to find the supposed hidden village, "Hehehe… just imagine all the Pokémon – ripe for the taking! When we give them all to the Boss, I can't wait to see the look on that stupid Persian's face when I finally become the top cat! Hehehahaha!" He rubs his paws together, a sneering smile forming as he can just taste the salty tears from the Boss' Persian.
As he walks, he doesn't pay attention to the ground below them, and as he steps on a patch of dirt, they all hear a crackling noise. They turn to face each other, all saying "Huh?" at the same time. Then the ground collapses and they all fall down, face first into the ground, all tasting dirt. They spit out the dirt in unison. It would be rather impressive with how they're all in sync if it wasn't for the fact that they're all idiots. "Heeeey, who put this stupid hole here?! And why did we fall into it!" Jessie asks, indignant at the fact they all fell into a hole, ignoring the karma striking them.
"Yeah! Only we can make others fall into our holes!" James adds on, upset with being in this situation.
"I bit my tongue…" Meowth whimpers out.
Back to the original group.
It's been about ten minutes or so since Bulbasaur left them to rot in the net trap. Fortunately for them all, they were able to just scoot around one another and finally untangle themselves from each other and lay on the net in relative peace. Ash and Serena are both playing Rock, Paper, Scissors while Misty is humming a small song. The idea was to just not let the net bug them and hope for the rope to just snap. Pikachu and Froakie realized they had the space now to cut the rope themselves, but because no one said anything, the two opted to just take a nap. They suppose they can always deal with Ash's reprimanding later. And maybe Serena's. On the other hand, they can easily ignore Misty's scolding.
"Rock, Paper, Scissors… Shoot!"
Both Ash and Serena play, with limited arm movement, and Serena beats Ash with Scissors to his Papers. Serena cheers lightly, with Ash staring at his fingers shaped as scissors. He harrumphs and crosses his arms, a sour expression on his face as he turns away from his friend. Serena just laughs at his salty behavior, not taking anything he's doing personally. He has never been much of a sore loser, but it can get quite hilarious when he does become one.
They all stop what they're doing when the wind blows, rocking the net and they hope it can somehow cut the rope. However, the rope stays firm and they all sigh despondently.
"How long are we going to be here?" Misty whines, her throat a little parched from the constant humming.
"I don't know, but we need to find a way out of here, otherwise we'll never find Brock," Serena adds on.
Sigh. "Makes me wonder something," Ash states, closing his eyes in thought. The two girls look at him, both urging him to continue on. "What if…" Ash trails, "what if Brock was unable to find land? What if he just continued being pushed by the currents out to the ocean! And what if he got caught by pirates? And now, what if he's just forever stuck as a slave or as a permanent member lest he wants to talk the plank to Sharpedo infested waters?!"
Everyone stares at him with various reactions. Pikachu and Froakie, who have woken up moments after the wind rocked the net, stare at Ash with some sort of dumbfounded look. Was he being serious? The two thought to themselves. Pikachu rubs the back of his head in slight guilt, maybe watching movies about pirates with him wasn't such a good idea. Froakie sighs, shaking his head. What kind of thoughts ran in his trainers' mind?
Serena shivers. She too thought about something happening to Brock. While that may seem scary, she began to mutter, "What if the river that Brock fell into led him to a whirlpool? And that whirlpool took him to another dimension? And-and that dimension was filled to the brim of scary, other-worldly Pokémon that had 6 eyes, tentacles on its face, and would cause him to go insane?! What if he's now a prisoner and the Pokémon that live there torture him until the end of time?!" Anything that Ash has said went out the proverbial window as everyone now stares at Serena, their eyes wide with horror. Ash and his Pokémon shiver at the thought. Misty blanches at the idea. Serena covers her mouth, "Why did I have to say that?!"
Misty shakes her head feverishly, "Woah, woah, woah! You two need to stop watching cartoons! This is real life, so obviously Brock wouldn't be in these situations! I swear, you kids and your hyperactive imaginations…"
"Ahoy, mateys!"
They all turn to see something in the distance. A voice that sounds eerily familiar. As their eyes adjust to the light facing them, with the figure obscured by it, they were able to discern the figures' features. Spikey hair, slanted eyes, and an attire that's all too familiar – it's Brock! Their eyes light up, with them all screaming his name!
"You're alive!"
"We were worried about you!"
"Did you get captured by pirates?!"
Brock laughs at them, going near them, "Hey, glad to see you guys are alright! And what's with the pirate's thing, Ash?" He gets out a small pocket knife and cuts the rope for them, causing them all to fall painfully to the ground. "There!" Without warning, they all jump up, hugging him tightly. He smiles, trying to wrap his arms around the entire group. "I missed you guys too…"
Immediately afterwards, when they all calmed down, Brock began to explain what happened. When he was struggling against the currents in the river down below, he thought he was going to drown. When all hope seemed lost, he heard someone call out to him. "I got you! Just hold on!" They yelled, grabbing his hands, pulling him up. To him, when he was able to see who it was, he was immediately enamored with his savior.
"The girl who saved me… she was just so beautiful… Incredibly beautiful," Brock states with a dopey face, his cheeks reddening, and a goofy smile. Despite the beady, judging looks they're giving him, they all are at least thankful that he's alive.
"At least they're not a pirate… or maybe, she is…?" Ash whispers to himself.
Serena goes along with her own imagination "Or maybe she's a siren that wants to take him to the underworld herself?"
Misty rolls her eyes at the two of them, before staring at Brock, "Well if it was some pretty girl, how about you introduce us to her?"
Brock nods emphatically, "Of course! I'll take you to her! Although, just keep where's staying a secret, I'll tell you all why when we get there." Ash and Serena both eye one another, thinking that their theories were becoming more and more palpable every second. "Although, a question: why didn't Pikachu and Froakie get you guys out? It looked like they had enough space to use Pound or Iron Tail."
Ash, Misty, and Serena all turned to glare at the rodent and frog, both of whom were sheepishly rubbing the back of their heads. Thanks, Brock…
Soon thereafter, they finally were led to a cabin in front of a lake. The cabin had smoke blowing out of the chimney, signifying someone was occupying the cabin. Surrounding the cabin were loads of Pokémon, all of whom were minding their own business and lazing about or playing with one another. One, on the other hand, saw Serena and Misty and hid itself away from them. As they gaze in awe at the tranquil spot, a girl with blue hair, adorned with a huge bow on her ponytail, walks out. Beside her is Bulbasaur, who walks with her, staring at her with adoration in his eyes. She looks to see Brock and the others, a small gasp, "Oh, Brock! There you are!"
Bulbasaur's friendly visage sours and he stares at Ash and the others with a narrow look, not wanting to confront them, but his distrust of them apparent.
"Hey, Melanie!" Brock greets her back, waving at her, his obvious attraction to her was apparent to everyone but the girl. "These are my friends that I was talking to you about!" He gestures for them to introduce themselves.
"Hi, my name is Ash and I'm from Pallet Town! These are my partners: Froakie and Pikachu!" Ash greets himself and his two Pokémon, the two chirping their own names, nodding as a welcoming gesture.
"My name is Serena and I'm from Vaniville Town from Kalos!"
"And I'm Misty from Cerulean City!"
"You all look like good people! Welcome to my humble abode!" Melanie bows to them politely, but the phrase catches everyone off guard. 'Good people'? What does she mean by that? Luckily, Brock is able to answer for them as he notices their inquisitive glares.
"What she means is that you guys aren't Pokémon Poachers or anything! You see, that's what I wanted to mention, this is a small reservation where Melanie here owns. She takes care of any wandering or abandoned Pokémon until they're all ready to leave." Brock explains to them, "And that's why I wanted to not say anything until we arrived, because I wanted to explain that this is meant to be secretive."
"What Brock says is correct," Melanie affirms, bowing yet again, "And I want to apologize for any harm that fell on you all."
Piecing her apology with what Brock is saying, Serena snaps her fingers, "So wait, you're the one that put up the net?" She asks, not with an accusatory tone, but one enough to garner the attention of Ash and Misty, who turn their eyes to Melanie in shock. The girl frowns apologetically, nodding.
"Yes, I'm sorry, but I hope you understand where I'm coming from: these Pokémon are afraid of humans, often hiding in my reservation to heal themselves, and to avoid all human contact. If a poacher or some bad trainer comes for them, I had to do everything in my power to deter them." Melanie defends herself, gripping her overalls tightly.
With a small sigh, Ash nods, "I can see where you're getting it. I mean, I'd probably have done the same, or used my Pokémon to fend them off."
Melanie smiles nodding, "Of course, but I don't have any Pokémon. The only Pokémon in my company are the ones wild and of the land, none of them are owned by me. Not even him," she gestures to Bulbasaur, who sneers at the group, "he's been my constant companion since I rescued him. He may not be my Pokémon, but he is very protective of me and our home. I hope you can also forgive him for how he acts, he's just been betrayed by a lot of people to the point he just can't trust one. It took me a while to gain his trust." Bulbasaur nuzzles his head against her shin, before glaring at the group once more.
"And this is why I also promised her on our behalf that we wouldn't catch any Pokémon here," Brock interjects, with Melanie giving him an approving look. He has a smitten look to himself, but forces to stay focused. He then looks at Ash and the others, "So, please don't break that promise, guys."
Ash and Serena both nod in understanding. While Ash did want to catch Bulbasaur, now that he knows the situation behind it, it would feel very slimy of him to still try and catch it. Misty whispers to Brock, "Did you guys seal it with a kiss?" She asks with a teasing, Cheshire grin. Brock, panicking, thinking Melanie may have heard, immediately whacks Misty upside her head, to which the girl clutches her head in pain. "Ow!"
Serena giggles, "I guess that means you really love her, huh?"
She too suffers the same fate as Brock whacks her upside the head. "Ow!"
Ignoring his friends' antics, not really hearing what Misty and Serena said to Brock, verbally accepts Brock's plea. "Sure, I'll keep the promise." And with that, the entire group spends their time with Melanie and the wild Pokémon. Ash talks to Melanie more about Bulbasaur, with Melanie explaining that Bulbasaur was abandoned by his trainer, left almost to die. The poor Grass-Type was starving, his bulb withering away from lack of nutrition, and suffering from bruises and scratches all around his body. When Melanie found Bulbasaur, it took her almost a week to get Bulbasaur to trust her enough to feed him. Even then, he would back away from her, snarling and using Vine Whip to smack her hand away. While Bulbasaur looks away, regretful of his past behavior to the girl that saved him, Ash slams his fist against his palm, surprising both Melanie and Bulbasaur.
"That's awful," Ash cries out angrily, growling angrily, "whoever this is prays I don't find them!" He then looks over to Bulbasaur, his expression softening, "You're such a strong Pokémon! And I don't mean just physically, but I mean mentally! You went through so much! If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't blame you at all for the things you've done to us! You were protecting Oddish and making sure we wouldn't hurt it anymore and that's very admirable of you! Melanie is so lucky to have you as a partner! Froakie and Pikachu both went through some stuff, not trusting people, and now they're my best buddies! I can't imagine anything happening to them."
Froakie and Pikachu both nuzzle their faces against Ash's, appreciating his words, making him laugh and hug his two friends. Bulbasaur stares on and Melanie whispers to Bulbasaur, "I told you, Bulbasaur…" she gives him a small smile, "not every person is bad…"
"Bulba…" Maybe…
Outside, as Ash and Melanie talk about Bulbasaur, Serena walks around aimlessly. She smiles as the Pokémon around her play or nap. She watches a Paras headbutt another Paras playfully, and the two jump on one another to wrestle. She pumps them both up, the two waving at her, before playing with one another again. She then spots a meek looking Oddish, her stomach dropping at the sight of it. The Oddish jumps, seeing her nearby and huddles towards a tree, wanting to not see her or the other girl for hitting it with Starmie. Sighing, Serena crouches down and slowly puts her hand over Oddish's head.
The small Weed Pokémon jumps and cowers even more.
"I'm sorry," she softly states, her voice coming out barely a whisper in the wind. "You were just going around, wandering to our campsite, and my friend and I got so excited seeing you that we both wanted to battle you to catch you… Look at you, poor thing. We hurt you pretty badly, huh? I know Starmie hurt you, but I should have done more to stop my friend… but I didn't. It was because of me being so pushed back that it led you to being hurt and needing to be rescued. I know that what we've done is wrong, and I know I may not be forgiven, but I just wanted to stop by and apologize to you. Here," she takes out a small pastry basket from her backpack, taking out a green, puffy pastry, "have this as a token of my regret."
She leaves it down for Oddish to eat. She walks away, with Oddish staring at her, then looking down at the food. "Odd…" Hmm…
Despite the relative peace around the small area, it all comes crumbling down as a net falls from the sky and ensnares the wild Pokémon. Misty, who was with some of the Pokémon, inadvertently gets caught in the trap. "Not again!" Misty yells, exasperated. This time, being more cramped as there way more bodies in the net than previously. "Help! Ash! Brock! Serena! Anyone!"
The noise from all the chaos causes everyone to scramble to see the net, which then leads to a familiar hot air balloon. Ash growls, "Not again!"
"Hahaha!" Team Rocket make themselves known, laughing haughtily as per usual, to the group. Melanie looks on in horror as all the wild Pokémon in her care are all caught in the net. "Looks like you twerps made it easy for us to just snoop in and grab all the weak and defenseless Pokémon!" Jessie taunts, angering the group, minus Melanie who is on the verge of collapsing. Brock holds her steady, whispering words in her ear to make her stay awake.
"Let go of our friend and those Pokémon, Team Rocket!" Ash yells out, Pikachu sparking his cheeks out, ready to fight. Froakie prepares a Water Pulse, ready to fire it at any given notice.
Brock stops them, "Don't. If you hit them, you may hit Misty and may hurt the Pokémon!"
Team Rocket laughs harder, "Looks like you twerps are all just stuck in a proverbial hole!" Meowth taunts, smacking his butt at them.
James snickers, "Yes! Not like the whole we were in for the past few hours…"
Bulbasaur snarls, "Bulbasaur!" He uses Razer Leaf, but seeing the move, James sends out Koffing to spew Poison Sting to counter the attack. Bulbasaur throws out more Razer Leaves to attack, but Koffing keeps up the counters, rendering the attacks useless. Ash, noticing Bulbasaur is getting angrier and angrier, steps up and pats Bulbasaur on the head, making the amphibian Pokémon look up at him, "Saur?"
"We can do this together, Bulbasaur…" Ash encourages him, giving him a thumbs up. "Just listen to me, and we'll save your friend!"
Bulbasaur stares at him, wondering if Ash is really meaning it.
Serena lets out a small gasp, "Oddish…" She whispers out, noticing Oddish on top of the net. Not capable of using strong moves, it's currently resorting to using its teeth to gnaw at the rope. Meowth, noticing a small green blob on the net, growls.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing, eh?!" Meowth calls out, alerting James and Jessie to see Oddish. Oddish, being the brave little thing it can be right now, ignores Meowth calling on it, trying to pull on the rope with its teeth roughly. "Knock it off!" Meowth yells out.
"Go after it, Koffing!" James commands, with Koffing going straight after Oddish. "Use Tackle to knock that pathetic weed off our rope!"
"Koffing!"
Tackling it, Oddish holds on with its teeth, trying hard to continue cut the rope. "Oddishhh…" It groans in pain, as Koffing constantly uses Tackle, followed by Poison Sting. Despite its typing being part Poison, it's still a young Pokémon, so it hasn't built its own immunities and thus is becoming weak from the Poison Sting. "Ish…"
"Now, Koffing! Use a mean Tackle to send it blasting off!"
"Oddish!" Serena cries out, sending out Beedrill. "Beedrill! Attack Koffing! Use Twineedle! Hurry!"
"Beedrill!" Beedrill rushes in, flying in to attack Koffing. Jabbing hard with its stingers, it lands a powerful one-two jab at Koffing, making it wince from the move.
Oddish, feeling weak, slips off from the rope, tumbling to its impending doom. Like a sprinter, Serena dashes in, exerting herself to catch Oddish in her arms, landing harshly on the ground in the process. She groans, but looks at Oddish with a smile, "Are you okay, little guy?" Oddish stares at her, before tearing up, nodding. She smiles, "Good…" She gets herself back up, holding Oddish in her arms. Bulbasaur looks on in shock, seeing that maybe Melanie was indeed correct. Maybe there are good humans after all?
Ash yells out, "Serena! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Ash! Worry about Misty and the others!"
With a determined nod, Ash turns to Bulbasaur, "You ready?" Bulbasaur stares at Ash with some hesitation, but Ash smiles, rubbing his nose, "I don't blame you for hesitating, but let me tell you something, Bulbasaur," he turns to look at Team Rocket, "The suffering you went through… the pain of being seen as weak, as helpless – use that to motivate yourself! Use that feeling to turn yourself into something big – something strong! When I was young, I was bullied, and made fun of, but I'm using that past of mine to become stronger! To prove to everyone that ever doubted me that I am strong! With my friends, my mom, and everyone around me, I know I'll be strong! What do you say, Bulbasaur? Do you want to get stronger?"
"Pika!"
"Froakie!"
Bulbasaur turns to see Froakie and Pikachu giving him encouraging nods. Staring at them, he can see their resolve is just like Ash's. He can see where, for the first time, a trainer worthy of him stands before him. Turning to face Ash, he nods, walking up where Pikachu and Froakie stand, and snarls at Team Rocket. A team…
"Let's go then! Use Razor Leaf, Bulbasaur!"
"Saur!" Razer Leaf flies out.
Jessie joins the fray, sending out Ekans to bide their time. However, Ash immediately calls out for Pikachu to use Thunderbolt on Ekans. Froakie launches a Water Pulse at Koffing, who zooms past an attacking Beedrill to defend its partner in crime. The Water Pulse hits Koffing square in the face, sending it flying, and hitting James in the face. The two grunt in pain, collapsing to the floor on the hot air balloon. Ekans gets bombarded by attacks, fainting in the process.
"Now, use Razor Leaf to cut the rope, Bulbasaur!"
"Beedrill, using String Shot to slow the descent of the net!"
Following their orders, Bulbasaur cuts the rope, with Beedrill immediately using String Shot to latch itself onto the rope. Beedrill almost falls down with the net, but when Ash calls out Pidgeotto and Butterfree to help, it lessens the load for him and they are able to soften the landing for all the Pokémon and Misty. Misty, getting out of the net, rushes to Ash and the others. Everyone is relieved they're all right and Misty now joins in, sending out Starmie.
Team Rocket, realizing how screwed they are, try to fly away, but Butterfree uses String Shot to stop them.
"Attack!" Ash cries out.
"Pika! | Froakie! | Bulba! | Pidgeoo! | Freee! | Kyah! | Bzzt!"
An onslaught of attacks, left and right, all come down on Team Rocket. They huddle one another, closing their eyes. The attacks land.
A big explosion.
And like a jet breaking the sound barrier, Team Rocket flies off into the distance, screaming, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Twinkle.
Everyone begins to cheer. All the Pokémon that were caught in the trap free themselves, thanking everyone, jumping around in pure joy. Melanie wipes away any tears about to fall and bows to the group, "Thank you all… thank you so very much…" Ash and the others just smile and tell her it was nothing. Bulbasaur looks at Ash with a smile and nuzzles his head against Ash's shin, much to the raven-haired boy's delight. Oddish jumps out of Serena's arms and jumps around her happily, making Serena clap happily at Oddish.
The next day passes, as by the time they all spent fixing Melanie of any damages Team Rocket made to the cabin, it was already hitting nighttime. Melanie didn't have much space for them all, but Ash and Brock both stated they'd be fine sleeping outside in their sleeping bags. Although it took Brock a minute to realize he could have slept near Melanie, Serena and Misty both put an end to his thoughts, by smacking him out of revenge for being hit themselves. Though, Misty did hit him for those thoughts.
During the night, Bulbasaur slept next to Ash, with Ash whispering praises to all his Pokémon, and it. Bulbasaur, for once, slept well near someone that wasn't Melanie.
As the morning Sun hits the small land, Melanie has been up for quite some time. Everyone began waking up and when they all woke up, they all woke to breakfast made for them in their honor. Melanie smiles, blushing at their drooling faces, and states, "As a token for saving my home, this is the least I can do for you all." Brock whispers something about her being perfect, since she can cook just as well as he can. Misty teases him, causing him to cover her mouth in a frenzy.
"I hope you all have safe travels," Melanie blesses them, bowing yet again. "Just follow this path and you'll get to Vermilion City in no time." She states, pointing to a trail that leads them back to the route they were at in the first place. Ash doesn't say anything, knowing the others were giving him blank stares. They, however, thank her for her hospitality. Before they can leave, Melanie and Bulbasaur look at one another and nod, "Wait, Ash."
Ash turns around and Bulbasaur walks up to him.
"I want you to take Bulbasaur with you," Melanie requests, a sad smile forming. Her heart is racing at the thought, but steels herself, knowing this is the right thing to do.
"… Are… are you sure, Melanie? I mean, what about the others?" Ash tries to reason.
"As much as I love having them all around, this is still just a place of comfort. They all need to leave the nest at some point, and with Bulbasaur doing too well of a job here, I fear they wouldn't leave unless he left. It's a sign that we all must grow and get stronger out in the world. They'll always be welcomed here, and you all as well. Plus, Bulbasaur needed someone like you to show him that there's still good trainers out there." Melanie states.
Bulbasaur nods and grabs one of Ash's vacant Poké Balls, staring at Ash to catch him.
"If you're sure," Ash gets an affirming nod from Melanie, and he grins, "alright! Welcome to the family, Bulbasaur!" He uses the Poké Ball that the starter grabbed and within a second, the Poké Ball stops shaking. It pings a noise, letting everyone know that the capture is successful.
"And Serena," Melanie calls Serena, with the honey-blonde staring at the blue-haired girl curiously. Melanie moves her leg to reveal Oddish, who walks over to Serena, "it seems Oddish here wants to be with you too." Before Serena can question her, Melanie already answers, "And it's fine by me. Oddish here even said it trusts you, so please take good care of it."
With a smile, Serena instantly catches Oddish, who too lets it be caught without any hiccups.
"Thank you, Melanie…" Ash and Serena say at the same time.
"Uh, Melanie… Would it be okay if I stay here with you?" Brock asks, making the others look at him in shock. Was he leaving?! Their moment of shock is turned to a look of pure annoyance as his face was just a dopey look. Any semblance of a serious moment was ruined by his odd attraction. Melanie, not knowing of his obvious attraction to her, shakes her head, hurting the boys' heart.
"As much as I enjoy your company, Brock, it wouldn't sit with me if I took you away from your friends. Besides, I think learning how to be a doctor would do wonders for the world. So, please don't let me stop you from pursuing your dreams!"
A small sniffle is heard from Brock, as he nods, "Right… Farewell, my love…" He bolts out, running with waterfall tears. Misty sighs in annoyance, before chasing after her friend.
"Sorry… Stop crying like a baby, Brock! Or I'll make you cry for a good reason!"
Ash and Serena laugh nervously, staring at one another. Melanie makes an innocent comment about how lively they all are, with Serena chuckling, "Yeah, they're something alright…"
They too take their leave, waving at Melanie goodbye. Before they chase off after their friends.
"Goodbye, Bulbasaur…"
