Viridian Forest was one of the more peaceful places in Kanto; the only sounds came from the rustling foliage and the sounds of Pokemon. Ash walked into the forest, feeling rather excited. He was looking forward to catching a Caterpie or a Weedle; even though they were one of the weaker bugs types. Ash wondered if he would be able to catch something rare. He read in a couple of books that Pokemon from Johto, Sinnoh, and even Hoenn sometimes migrated to the Viridian Forest. Hoenn winters were unnaturally cold, despite it being a coastal region. So many of it's grass and bug types would migrate to the Kanto region to escape the harsh winters.
But since it was approaching summer, that was highly unlikely.
"Well, Pikachu. It'll take a couple of days to get through the forest. Hopefully we'll catch a few-" Ash jumped in surprise when he heard a shrill scream.
He and Pikachu glanced at each other and nodded, racing towards the scream. It didn't take them long to find the source; a young girl with long, flaming orange hair, was curled up and shaking on the ground. Near her was a Caterpie who was particularly confused.
"Uh...are you okay?" He asked, kneeling down next to her.
"No!" She hollered, sitting up. "That...BUG just came out of nowhere and landed on my face!" She pointed an accusing finger at the Pokemon.
Ash turned to the Caterpie, who looked like it was blushing. The boy chuckled, holding his hand out to the girl. "It looks like it likes you."
The girl took Ash's hand and was hoisted back onto her feet. "Yeah well, I don't like it! I hate bugs!" She said crossing her arms over her chest.
Ash frowned, not liking her attitude. "Well, you don't have to be mean to it." He said, moving towards the Caterpie.
"I have every right to be mean to it! It jumped on my face while I was riding through here, and made me crash!" She exclaimed, pointing at her fallen bike.
Ash ignored the girl, and kneeled in front of the bug; Pikachu already having a conversation with it. "Hey there, Caterpie. You okay?" The bug type nodded its head. "That's good. How come you jumped on her?"
The Caterpie began to explain, though Ash didn't quite understand it all. He managed to understand that it only wanted to be friends with the girl.
Ash smiled and picked up the Caterpie. Pikachu jumped back up onto Ash's shoulder, smiling at it. "EW! Don't touch it!" She yelled.
Ash rolled his eyes. "Stop being such a baby." He frowned, moving closer to the girl. "Caterpie only wanted to be friends with you. The least you could do is apologize for being mean to it."
"Apologize?! That thing should apologize to me for making me crash!" She growled, her arms still firmly crossed.
Ash sighed; it was like he was talking to a child. He looked at Caterpie, gently patting its head. "Listen Caterpie. Why don't you apologize to-" he said, looking at the girl.
"Misty. My name is Misty." She said with a huff.
"Right...Why don't you apologize to Misty, and I'm sure she'll apologize to you. Then you two can be friends." He explained, stroking the small bug's scales.
"Hmph! I'm not going to apologize to that thing! Nor am I going to be friends with it!" She said stomping her foot, and looking away from the trio with a pout.
Ash saw Caterpie's expression sadden, which made Ash angry.
Ash walked up to Misty, his face cold and hard. "You're nothing but a whiny child. You throw a tantrum when asked to do the right thing. Apologize to Caterpie." He growled
Misty stared up at Ash with a scowl. "I will not apologize to that bug! That thing could have seriously hurt me!" She yelled. "It would have been one thing if he crawled out of the bushes, not jumping out from a fricken tree!"
Ash took in what Misty said, feeling a little guilty he was putting all the blame on her. She was right; she was lucky she just got out of that crash with a few cuts and bruises. She could have broken her arm or hit her head if she fell wrong. Ash sighed, a little annoyed at Misty's valid argument. He turned to Catierpie, kneeling down before the bug.
"Caterpie...what you did was really reckless." He said firmly, but with a soft voice. "Not only could have Misty been more hurt, but you could have been seriously hurt yourself."
Caterpie's eyes widened, and it lowered its head in shame.
"Now, don't be too hard on yourself. You just need to be more careful, alright?" Ash said, petting the side of Caterpie's head.
Caterpie nodded, cooing at Ash's touch.
Misty shuddered at the scene. It still grossed her out that Ash touched the bug.
"Now Caterpie...apologize to Misty for jumping on her."
Caterpie scuttled over to the red-head, and bowed its head apologetically.
"I-It's okay...just don't do it again. I-I'm also sorry, Caterpie. I know you wanted to be friends, and I was being mean to you.."
Caterpie smiled and waved a few of it's stubby, suction cup feet.
Misty sighed, giving the bug a small, hesitant smile. "Th-thanks." She looked up at Ash, still wary of the boy. "Uh...I'm sorry to you, too. I was being kind of a bitch to you." She looked away sheepishly.
Ash chuckled softly, putting Caterpie on his free shoulder. "I forgive you." He nodded. "But you might want to learn to keep that temper in check."
Misty nodded. "You think I'm bad, you should meet my older sisters. They're even worse." She chuckled.
Ash chuckled, as well. "Well, let's hope I don't have to meet them. I'm Ash, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, Ash. So what brings you to Viridian Forest?" She asked, picking up her bike off the ground.
"Well...I started my journey a couple of days ago. I'm on my way to Pewter City to take on the gym leader." He explained.
"So you're taking the Gym Leader Challenge." Misty thought aloud. "That's pretty cool." She smiled.
"What about you? How come you're in the Viridian Forest? If you hate bugs so much, I would expect you to avoid it as much as you can." Ash teased.
"True, but it's the only way to get to Pallet Town and Viridian City from Cerulean." Misty explained. "You see...I've been on a journey of my own for a while now. I want to be a Water Pokemon Master." She smiled brightly. "I love water Pokemon so much. I just think they're all darling." She gushed.
Ash nodded. "Nice. How long have you been traveling?"
"Well...I started about a year ago, and I've gotten in some really good training. I also caught a couple of new water types." She bragged. "But...my sisters are stupid and I need to go back home. I swear they can't do anything right." She grumbled.
She saw Ash staring at her with a confused expression, which made her laugh. "Don't worry about it. The point is, I have to help my sisters and cut my journey short."
Ash nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully the issue can be resolved and you can continue on your journey."
Misty chuckled. "Hopefully...but I doubt it. My sisters are pretty incompetent." She laughed and mounted her bike. "Thanks for helping me, and again...sorry."
Ash smiled and waved her off. "It's over and done with. Just keep it in mind for the future."
"Will do." She smiled. "Bye, Ash. Hopefully we'll meet again." She gave the boy a small wave and rode off.
Pikachu and Caterpie both called out their goodbyes and waved.
Ash looked at the Caterpie on his shoulder, smiling. "So Caterpie...I know you wanted to be friends with Misty. But I was wondering if you'd like to be friends with Pikachu and me. We're on a journey and it'd be awesome to have you as a part of the team."
Caterpie's eyes widened, staring at the young man. Its eyes grew watery, and nodded its head vigorously. It began to wiggle around in happiness, unable to contain its excitement.
Ash chuckled and took a pokeball off his belt and gently tapped it on Caterpie's head. The bug was sucked in with a red beam and didn't resist the capture. The ball quickly gave a soft 'ding,' and Ash immediately called out his new Caterpie.
Caterpie reared back onto its hind suction cups and wiggled its body, crying in happiness.
Ash chuckled and pulled out Dexter, scanning Caterpie.
"Caterpie: The Worm Pokemon. Caterpie uses its suction cup feet to climb trees and feed on its favorite leaves. To repel enemies, Caterpie will release an unpleasant odor from its red antenna. Gender: Male. Move set: Tackle, and String Shot."
Ash put away Dexter, and turned back to his Caterpie. "Alright Caterpie. We need to continue our way into the forest. Do you wanna ride up on my shoulder, or return to your Pokeball?" He barely finished his sentence when he felt the little bug climb up his body and onto his shoulder.
Ash laughed and stroked Caterpie's head. He turned to his other should, seeing his Pikachu smiling at him. "You ready to go, Pikachu?"
"Pikachu!"
Ash smiled and continued his way through Viridian Forest. He battled a couple of trainers, earning him a nice chunk of change in his trainer account. After making it to an open area, Ash set up camp and released his other Pokemon.
"Alright guys, I want to introduce you guys to a new member of our team." He smiled. "This is Caterpie." He said, plucking the worm off his shoulder and placing him in front of his two other Pokemon.
Caterpie smiled, giving his hello. Poliwag gave the new member his customary introduction: jumping up and down with glee. Spearow gave the worm a predatory look, crouching down slightly.
"Ah ah! Spearow no." Ash reprimanded. "Caterpie is not prey. He's a friend."
Spearow pouted up at her trainer, and sighed. She mumbled her introduction and turned away.
Caterpie blinked, looking up at his trainer.
"Don't mind her. She likes to be difficult." He teased. He saw Spearow pout more, and laughed. "Alright guys, I've set up camp for the night so we can continue with our training." He smirked.
"Poliwag, I want you to go meditate and continue working on your hypnosis. Later we'll have you do some more tail curls." Ash instructed.
Poliwag nodded and hopped away from the group to meditate.
"Spearow...I know you're probably still tired from battling Gary's Spearow-" Ash was interrupted by a loud squawk from his Spearow, seeing her trying to protest. "I'm not stopping you from training." He said, giving his Pokemon a look. "I want you to be careful. I know you're still tired, but if I instructed you to not train, you'd be upset and would do it behind my back."
Spearow wanted to protest, but knew he was right.
"I want you to continue working on your fury attack. But if you start to get tired, stop. I don't want you to overexert yourself and injure yourself further." He instructed. "Can you do that?"
Spearow huffed, nodding.
Ash chuckled, scratching behind her wing joints. "Good. Now get going." After seeing his Spearow go off to train, he turned his attention to Pikachu. "Alright, Pikachu. I want you to keep working on Charge. You're starting to get the hang of it, and I want to see how far you can get today."
"Pi Pikachu!" He cried, going to his own place to train.
"Okay, Caterpie." He smiled, kneeling in front of the bug. "I want you to try and teach you Bug Bite."
Caterpie nodded, giving Ash a determined expression.
Ash laughed, petting Caterpie's scales. "Just what I like to see. Let's get to work. According to Dexter, the move Bug Bite requires multiple, rapid bites to an opponent." Ash smiled, seeing Caterpie nod. "Okay, let's get started."
Ash grabbed hold of a branch that had fallen off the ground, holding it out to Caterpie. "Give it a try."
Caterpie began to nibble on the branch, leaving small teeth marks on the branch.
"You need to bite it, Caterpie." Ash instructed.
Caterpie nodded, and began to take larger chunks from the branch.
"There you go, keep going." He smiled. It was good to see Caterpie take instructions so well.
He continued with Caterpie for a while, making sure that the bug was making progress. After some time with his new addition, he left the bug to his training and went to check on his other Pokemon. He went to Pikachu first.
He watched his partner pull electricity from his body, encasing himself with the energy. Pikachu's body seemed to glow with power. He watched as the electricity receded back into the small rodent's body, giving Pikachu a boost of energy.
"Pika!" It cried with content.
"You got it, Pikachu! That's what Charge is supposed to do." Ash smiled, picking up his partner and hugging him. "Well done."
"Chaaaa!" Pikachu cooed under the affection.
Ash laughed and placed the electric type back down, smiling. "You did an awesome job, Pikachu. I want you to keep using Charge, to get used to the feeling. Once you're done, I've got something else for you."
"Pika!" Pikachu saluted, returning to his training.
Ash moved to Spearow, who was attacking a nearby tree. He watched as his avian friend faltered in the air during her barrage of attacks.
"Spearow, stop." Ash commanded.
Spearow landed on the ground, pouting at her trainer. She was still able to train...
Ash walked over and picked up the small bird, carrying her towards his backpack. "You're doing great, Spearow. I think you deserve a little break." He stated, nonchalantly.
Spearow squawked in protest, but her trainer wasn't hearing any of it.
"I told you to be careful. I want you to get better sooner rather than later." He scolded. He knelt before his pack, pulling out a potion.
"Spearow..." She mumbled softly. She didn't want her trainer mad at her...
Ash gave his Pokemon a soft smile, spraying her with the medicine. "I want you to take a break, okay? Take a small nap, or just relax while the Potion does its stuff." He instructed. "Hopefully tomorrow you'll be battling again."
Spearow pouted, but didn't fight. She knew her trainer was right; she needed to get better if she wanted to battle again. She hopped over to Ash's pack, jumping inside of it. She nestled in the bag, fluffing out her feathers in comfort.
Ash chuckled at his bird's actions, walking to his final Pokemon. He saw Poliwag sending the pink waves towards a tree trunk. The waves were bigger than they had been the last couple of days, which made Ash smile.
"Good job, Poliwag! Your hypnosis is coming along nicely." He praised.
Poliwag turned to his trainer, blushing at the praise.
"I want you to use your hypnosis on me. I want to see how much stronger it's gotten." He said, sitting in front of his aquatic Pokemon. "If I fall asleep, go ahead and wake me up."
Poliwag nodded, taking a deep breath. His eyes glowed a soft pink, waves flowing towards Ash.
Ash stared into Poliwag's eyes, the waves hitting him directly. The waves didn't hurt, it just felt like puffs of air hitting his face. Ash could feel himself start to nod off, his eyes growing heavy. After a few moments of staring at his Poliwag, Ash was sound asleep.
Poliwag jumped up and down, cheering in success. He walked over to his trainer, and nudged the boy's side. When Ash didn't wake up, Poliwag tried a different approach. He stood in front of his trainer, giving a snicker; he took a deep breath and released a low pressured water gun, hitting his trainer in the face.
Ash flailed in surprise, coughing when the water stopped. "P-Poliwag?! Why'd you do that?"
Poliwag snickered again. "Poli! Poli Poli Poli!"
Ash shook the water from his face and hair, staring at the amphibian. He understood; Poliwag did it. Ash beamed, jumping to his feet. "You did it Poliwag! You put me to sleep!" He cheered, picking up the small Pokemon. He hugged Poliwag, laughing in happiness.
Poliwag was laughing as well, happy to have finally gotten the hang on hypnosis.
Ash smiled, putting Poliwag down. "I'm very proud of you, Poliwag. You finally got the hang of hypnosis. But there's still always room for improvement. You can always work on it's accuracy, and even increase its potency."
Poliwag nodded, giving him a determined look.
Ash laughed, patting the top of the blue Pokemon's head. "Don't worry. We'll work more on it later. Right now, I want you to work on your tail's strength." He smiled, grabbing the rope and a rock. He tied the rock to Poliwag's tail, nodding. "Alright, buddy. Do about 30 minutes of tail curls. Then take a break; you've worked hard today."
Poliwag nodded, getting to work on his newest task.
Ash stepped away and looked at all his Pokemon; he was proud. They all work so hard, and put in so much effort. He clenched his fists, determination filling himself to the core. He would do right by his Pokemon. He would.
.
.
Dinner time rolled around, and all of Ash's Pokemon were wiped out. They all ate in relative silence, mostly because his Pokemon were shoveling food in their faces. Ash sat with his dinner in his hands, observing his team.
Pikachu had finally learned Charge. He still needed to master it, but it was a huge milestone for his Pokemon.
Spearow was on the mend, but was still making progress with fury attack. Another good night's rest, and she would be as good as new.
Poliwag had made significant progress with his hypnosis, which pleased Ash greatly. The strength in his tail was also building, which meant he would soon be ready to learn double slap.
Finally, his newest addition, Caterpie was full of determination. He was able to get the hang of the new move, but it was something they would still need to work on.
All in all, Ash was very proud of his team, and was looking forward to his gym battle in Pewter City. He was still worried about the match; only one of his Pokemon had the type advantage. He was seriously considering skipping the Pewter Gym until later, wanting to have a few other Pokemon in his arsenal.
Pikachu, who had finished his dinner, saw the thoughtful look on his trainer's face. He walked over, and pat the boy's knee.
"Pikachu?"
Ash looked down at Pikachu and smiled, scratching behind his ears. "I'm okay, Pikachu. Just thinking."
"Pika Ka Chu?" The mouse's head tilted as he stared up at the raven-haired teen.
"Well...alright. How do you guys feel about skipping Pewter City's Gym?" Ash asked gently. He flinched, hearing his Pokemon squawk and cry in protest. He chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. Nevermind. Forget I asked."
He looked at his Pokemon, seeing their faces full of concern.
"Alright, here me out. I think you guys will do awesome. You guys have been training really hard, and I'm super proud of you guys. But..." Ash took a deep breath and continued. "Poliwag is the only one with a type advantage. I know type isn't everything but it definitely helps." He sighed. "So, it's up to you guys. Do you want to wait, or do you want to take on the Gym?"
His team look at each other, their eyes telling of their decisions. They turned back to Ash, nodding.
Pikachu smiled, patting Ash's knee again. "Pi Pikachu!"
Ash chuckled. "Alright then. Well, we better train like there's no tomorrow." He smiled.
.
.
The next morning, Ash was back on his way through the forest with Pikachu on his shoulder. The thought of the Pewter Gym was still looming over his head, but he couldn't help but feel better about his match. After his Pokemon confidently agreed to take on the gym, he couldn't help but feel that the confidence was contagious. He was brought out of his thoughts hearing a loud caw above.
Ash looked up, seeing a black avian figure flying above. He watched the bird fly to a nearby tree; it was a larger bird with brown and cream feathers. It had a red crest, and a red and yellow tail. It watched Ash and Pikachu with a distrusting look.
Ash's eyes widened as he stared at the bird. "Woah...a Pidgeotto!" Ash cried with awe.
"Pika..." Pikachu blinked.
Despite the Pidgey line liking to nest in dense forest areas, Pidgeottos were still a rare sight in the Viridian Forest. Ash looked at his partner out of the corner of his eye and gave a short nod.
Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder, firing off a thundershock.
The Pidgeotto dodged the attack, taking to the skies. It cried out towards Ash and Pikachu, diving down at them. The avian's wings glowed a with a silvery light, slamming them into the electric mouse. Pikachu cried out, flying backwards.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried, running over to his fallen friend. "You okay, buddy?"
"Pika!" He nodded.
"Okay. Pikachu, use Charge!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu nodded, electricity covering his body. After a few moments, the electricity receded and Pikachu looked riled up.
Ash saw the Pidgeotto circling back around, diving down for another attack. "Pikachu use Thundershock!"
Pikachu leaped up in the air, and fired off the electric attack with a cry of its name.
The Pidgeotto squawked in pain, feeling the electricity go through its body. After the electricity dissipated, Pidgeotto fell.
Ash grabbed a Pokeball from his belt and threw it at the bird. The ball hit the avian, sucking it in with a red light. The ball fell, hitting the ground with a solid 'thunk.' The ball wiggled, the button flashing red. Ash held his breath, watching the ball rock back and forth. After a few tense seconds, the ball stopped wiggling and 'dinged.'
Ash smiled and walked over to the ball, picking up. He turned to his partner, smiling at the Pikachu. "We did it, buddy!"
"Pi Pikachu!" He cried, giving Ash a victory pose.
Ash smiled, kneeling before his partner. "You were awesome, Pikachu. Using charge really amped up your Thundershock."
Pikachu blushed, rubbing the back of his head.
Ash chuckled, and pet his Pokemon's head. "You did awesome. Come on, we're almost at the end of th-"
"You! Trainer!"
Ash and Pikachu turned towards the voice, seeing a boy dressed in a samurai outfit. Ash stood up, staring at the odd boy.
"Can I help you?" He asked, still taken back by this boy's strange attire. Ash noticed that there was a sword tied to the "samurai's" waist, which put Ash and Pikachu on edge.
"Are you a trainer from Pallet Town?" The boy yelled, pointing at Ash.
"Uh...yeah." Ash said, narrowing his eyes. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable being near this boy. He was weird, and having a sword didn't help either.
"Excellent! I challenge you to a battle!" He yelled, grabbing a Pokeball that was tied on the other side of his waist.
Ash shrugged, grabbing a Pokeball from his belt. "Fine by me." He smiled down at Pikachu, patting his head. "You should sit this out, Pikachu. You just finished battling Pidgeotto."
Pikachu nodded, standing beside his trainer.
Ash looked at Samurai, narrowing his eyes again. "Two-on two battle. And don't pull out your sword, okay?"
The samurai boy chuckled. "Do not be afraid, Trainer. The sword is merely a replica. It would not be able to cut you."
Ash felt a little better hearing that. He took a deep breath and threw his Pokeball.
"Spearow!" The small bird cried out, staring down the samurai boy.
"A wise choice, Trainer. But your bird does not compare to my prized Pokemon!" The samurai exclaimed, throwing his Pokeball.
A large brown Pokemon with two spiky pincers on its head stood before Ash and Spearow. A hiss escaped through its oblong, horizontally-toothed mouth.
"W-Woah...a Pinsir." Ash said in awe. He pulled out his Pokedex, scanning the large bug.
"Pinsir: the Stag Beetle Pokemon. This fearsome Pokemon uses its powerful pincers to squeeze its opponents until they are torn in half."
Ash shivered, hearing the Pokedex's description of Pinsir. He shook the fear that was creeping up, away.
"Alright, Spearow! Use Growl!"
Spearow took a deep breath, releasing a shrill cry.
Ash watched as the Pinsir cringed at the sound, shivering slightly. He smirked; this was good. Ash had studied a few Pinsir back at Professor Oak's lab, some of which had the ability Hyper Cutter. Hyper Cutter stopped moves like Growl from affecting it and lowering the attack stat. But considering that Pinsir was cowering, it meant that Pinsir had its secondary ability, Mold Breaker.
The samurai boy frowned, not liking the position his Pinsir was in. "Pinsir! Use Vice Grip!" He called out.
"Use Peck!" Ash commanded.
As the Pinsir rushed Spearow, its pincers opening and closing threateningly, Spearow flew up high. The Pinsir stopped, looking up as the small Avian circled above. Spearow dove down, its beak elongated and glowing. It plowed its beak into the bug's large body, forcing the beetle to move backwards.
"Use Bind, Pinsir!" Samurai cried out.
The large bug rushed the bird, grabbing Spearow with its skinny, clawed hands. The Pinsir began to squeeze the small bird against its wide body.
Spearow squawked in pain.
Ash bit his lip, thinking of a way to get out of the situation. "Spearow! Try and use peck!"
Spearow groaned, trying to move out of the bug's grasp, but couldn't. She looked at the larger Pokemon through squinted eyes, her beak elongating and glowing,. She reared her head back and thrust her beak into the Pinser's body. Pinsir let go, flinching at the sharp pain in his abdomen. Spearow flew away from the bug, waiting for its next command.
"Pinser! Use Vice Grip!" Samurai ordered.
"Dodge it Spearow! Then use Leer!"
Spearow flew away from the charging Pinsir, dodging its attack once again. She looked down at the giant bug, her eyes glowed an eerie yellow as she narrowed them.
Pinsir looked up, cowering at the look the Spearow was giving him.
"Shake it off, Pinsir!" Samurai yelled, trying to get through to his Pokemon.
"Don't let it, Spearow! Use peck!" Ash yelled up at his Pokemon.
Spearow's beak enlarged and she dove at the Pinsir. She rammed her beak into the bug's large body, causing the bug the fall.
The Pinsir landed with a thud, its eyes closed in pain.
Samurai sighed, recalling his large Pokemon. "You have fought well, my friend." He looked up at Ash, smirking. "Your Spearow is a very formidable opponent." He said putting Pinsir's Pokeball away and pulling another one out.
Ash smiled proudly. "Thank you. Your Pinsir was awesome. Did you get it at the Safari Zone?"
Samurai shook his head. "No. I caught my friend in Johto when I attended a bug catching contest."
Ash nodded. "I see." He waved for Spearow to come down, holding his arm out for her. She landed, and Ash started scratching under her beak. "You did awesome, Spearow."
She cawed happily, enjoying the attention from her trainer.
Ash smiled and pulled out her Pokeball, pointing it at Spearow. "Take a good rest, okay?" He said as he returned her. He clipped her ball back to his belt, and grabbed another Pokeball.
Samurai smirked. "You may have defeated my first Pokemon, but you won't beat this one. I caught this one not too long ago." He said throwing the ball in the air.
The ball opened, and a green cocoon-like Pokemon appeared.
"Heh, it's kind of ironic you chose a Metapod." Ash smirked. He threw his own Pokeball, and Caterpie appeared.
Samurai chuckled. "It appears so. Your Caterpie looks very healthy."
Ash thanked the boy, still smirking. "Caterpie, use Tackle." He commanded.
Catierpie scuttled over to the cocoon, ramming his head into its evolution. The Metapod fell over from the attack, but still looked like it could continue.
"Metapod use harden!" Samurai yelled.
Metapod's body glowed slightly, and his body hardened up.
The rest of the battle pretty much went the same; Caterpie would tackle Metapod, and the Metapod would use Harden. The battle was boring and monotonous, but Caterpie won the match.
Ash smiled brightly, excited for his small bug Pokemon to win his first official match. Ash went to congratulate his friend, but Caterpie exploded with light.
Ash gasped, not expected this to happen yet. "No way..."
Samurai's eyes widened as well. "You're Caterpie..."
"Pika..." Pikachu cooed in awe.
After a few moments, the light died down and a Metapod sat where Caterpie once did.
"Metapod." He called out.
Ash ran up to his friend, picking him up. "I can't believe it, Metapod! You evolved!" He cried out, jumping up and down with excitement.
Pikachu was next to his trainer, crying out with congratulations.
Metapod blushed, giving his friends an eye smile.
Samurai approached Ash after recalling his own Metapod. "Congratulations, Ash. You have quite the Pokemon."
"Thanks Samurai." He smiled. "What are you going to do now?"
"I think I will stay in Viridian Forest a little while longer. I want to train my Pokemon, and see if my Metapod will evolve." Samurai nodded.
Ash smiled, bidding farewell to the trainer. He looked down at his Metapod, smiling from ear to ear. "I'm so proud of you Metapod. You did such a good job."
"Met Metapod." The cocoon Pokemon blushed.
Ash chuckled, and stroked the bug's hard casing. He decided to keep Metapod out of his Pokeball, still ecstatic over his evolution. Once Pikachu reclaimed his position on his shoulder, Ash continued on his way through the forest with a smile on his face.