A Different Path chapter 4
Hi all! Dragonsrule18 and CharmedMilliE are back with our next installment of A Different Path! Hope you enjoy!
The Path To The Pokémon League and Bulbasaur And The Hidden Village
"I can't wait to get to Vermillion City!" Misty said happily as they walked along the trail. "I heard they have a luxury cruise ship and I HAVE to see that!"
"And I can't wait to battle at the Vermillion Gym." Ash said. "Lt. Surge is one of the toughest gym leaders. He was a commanding officer in the war and not many can defeat him."
"Who will you use to battle Lt. Surge?" Brock asked.
"I'm thinking Geodude, and Nidoran or Pikachu. I checked out the Gym Rater website a while back and I found out that Raichu, while having really strong attack and high defense, isn't so good with speed. Pikachu and Nidoran are my fastest, so I'll have one of them face Raichu, and Geodude will do well against Voltorb. What about you, Misty? Do you know who you'll use?"
"I'm not sure." Misty admitted with a sigh. "This is going to be a really tough gym. Electrics are really good against water, and I'm not sure how to get around that."
"Your Seel might be able to learn some moves that are good against Electrics." Brock suggested. "And Staryu can learn Psychic moves, but I'm not sure how well it can fight outside water."
"Here, you can check my Pokédex." Ash offered. "It helped me teach Pikachu Iron Tail. The search feature might be able to show you some moves your Pokémon can learn and also how to teach it to them."
"Thanks." Misty said, taking it. But before she could use it, a trainer ran up to them, looking for a battle. Ash accepted and released Nidoran. Misty went back to the Pokédex, but a girl ran up, challenging her to a battle, and she accepted, putting Ash's Pokédex in her pocket and releasing Seel.
…...
"Wow, I can't believe how many trainers we've ran into today." Misty sighed, treating Seel with a potion. "How many have we faced so far? Nine?"
"Yeah, I think so." Ash said. "But it's a good thing. Our Pokémon needed some battle experience. Plus, we have plenty of Potions."
"Hey!" a boy yelled, running up to them with a Rattata. "I challenge you to a Pokémon Battle!"
"I accept." Ash said. He threw Scyther's Poké Ball. "Go, Scyther!"
For a second, the boy looked a little intimidated by the mantis Pokémon, but he continued on. "Go, Rattata!" His Rattata stepped forward. "Tackle!"
"Use Slash, Scyther!" Ash called. Scyther hit the Rattata with his claw. Due to the Rattata's low level, it was a one hit K.O.
"Oh no! Rattata!" the kid cried, recalling his Pokémon. "You did a great job." he whispered to the Poké Ball. He handed Ash his prize money and shook his hand. "You're a great trainer. I bet you could even beat AJ!"
"AJ?" Ash asked.
The kid nodded. "Yeah, he lives right over there." He pointed behind him. "AJ trains savage Pokémon. He even built his own gym! And he's never lost a single match."
"Wow, he sounds incredibly strong." Ash murmured. "I'm gonna challenge him. Maybe I can break his streak."
"I'll take you there." the kid volunteered.
"Thanks." Ash told him.
The kid took them to the gym, a huge pink and yellow dome with a large fence around it. "Wow, this is a cool gym." Brock said.
"Ninety-eight wins. This guy's going to be tough to beat." Misty said.
"I know, but I want to try anyway." Ash told her.
"Are you my next victim?" a voice asked, and a boy who was about a year older than Ash with black and green hair, an orange and black shirt, and blue pants walked up to them.
"You must be AJ, the wild Pokémon trainer." Ash said.
"That's my job, but beating chumps like you is my hobby. Are you ready to lose?" AJ taunted.
"That jerk." Pikachu said angrily. "Want me to shock some sense into him, Ash?"
"No, let's just shock him on the battlefield when we kick his butt, buddy." Ash thought back.
They climbed onto the battlefield. "So which Pokémon will you choose for my ninety-ninth win?" AJ asked arrogantly.
"You haven't won yet." Ash said simply.
AJ looked at Ash a little strangely, some respect in his eyes. His new challenger hadn't responded with anger or arrogance, something he had come to expect of his challengers. Maybe this battle would be a real challenge.
"Sandshrew, go!" AJ called, releasing his starter.
"Sandshrew, huh?" Ash murmured. He reached for Shellder's Poké Ball. "Go Shellder!"
AJ smirked. Typical strategy; rely on type advantage. But Sandshrew's special training would negate that. "Sandshrew, Rollout!"
"Stop it with Water Gun!" Shellder shot off a Water Gun, but Sandshrew powered through it, taking barely any damage, before hitting Shellder and sending her back a few feet.
Ash gasped. "Huh?"
"Meet the only Sandshrew in the world that can withstand water." AJ said proudly. "Now Rollout again, Sandshrew!"
"Protect!" Ash called. Shellder put up her shield just in time and Sandshrew bounced off. "Now, use Ice Shard!" Ice hit Sandshrew five times, causing some damage.
"Shake it off and use Rollout!" AJ called.
"Dodge, then use Icicle Spear!" Ash called. Shellder got out of the way of the full force of the attack, but it glanced off her. She then used Icicle Spear, hitting Sandshrew three times.
Sandshrew was showing signs of tiring and AJ knew he needed to end it quickly. "Fissure Strike!" Sandshrew jumped in the air then punched the ground.
"Huh? What's…" Ash started before seeing a widening crack headed straight for Shellder. "Shellder, dodge!" Ash called frantically. But Shellder couldn't get out of the way in time and fell into the crack.
"Now finish it with Earthquake!" AJ ordered. Sandshrew punched the ground, unleashing a massive Earthquake and sending debris on top of Shellder, knocking her out.
"Shellder!" Ash cried, running to her and pulling her out of the crack. He sprayed a Revive on her and was relieved when she stirred. She cooed apologetically and gave him a sad look. "It's okay girl, you did great." Ash said softly, giving her a stroke before recalling her.
Ash turned to AJ. "Thank you for the battle. Your Sandshrew is really strong. How did you get its defense so high against water?"
"A lot of hard work and my own special training methods." AJ said proudly. "How long have you been a trainer, by the way?"
"A few weeks." Ash answered.
"You battled pretty well for someone who's only been training for a short amount of time, but I can see where you made your mistakes. For one, your Shellder, while great with attack and defense, lacks speed. And you shouldn't completely rely on type advantage." AJ explained.
"Thanks for the advice." Ash said.
"I'd like to challenge you to a battle too." Misty told AJ. AJ seemed pretty cocky about his Sandshrew, and Misty wanted to take him down a peg.
AJ nodded, then sprayed Sandshrew with a Hyper Potion. "Let's get started then."
"Go, Seel!" Misty called.
"Sandshrew, go!" AJ yelled. "Use Rollout!"
"Counter with Headbutt, then use Icy Wind!" Misty ordered. Seel slammed into Sandshrew with Headbutt, then used Icy Wind before Sandshrew could dodge, and Sandshrew took some damage.
"Earthquake, Sandshrew!" AJ ordered.
"Stop him with Icy Wind!" Misty called, but the attack that came out of Seel's mouth was much stronger than Icy Wind. It was a solid ray of ice that struck Sandshrew and sent it flying backwards. Seel had just learned Ice Beam.
Only Sandshrew's high defense kept it from fainting, and it shakily stood back up. "Use Rollout, Sandshrew!" AJ called desperately.
"Use Ice Beam to freeze the field!" Misty ordered. Seel shot an Ice Beam at the ground, and the field became solid ice and extremely slippery. "Now dodge using the ice!" Misty called. Seel dodged the attack by centimeters, and Sandshrew ran into the wall.
"Sandshrew, Earthquake!" AJ ordered, but Sandshrew slipped and slid on the field, unable to keep its balance.
Misty smirked. "Now finish it off with Ice Beam!" Seel shot off another Ice Beam, knocking Sandshrew out.
"Sandshrew!" AJ cried, running onto the field and spraying a revive and Hyper Potion on Sandshrew. It groaned and got up. AJ turned to Misty, handing her the prize money she had earned. "I completely underestimated you and got way too cocky, and so I lost. It seems I still have a lot to learn about being a trainer."
"You did a great job, Misty." Brock told her.
Ash nodded. "Freezing the field was ingenius. I'll have to teach Shellder that move. It would really help her on land."
Misty smiled, blushing a little. "Thank you. But really, it was Seel who did it. He learned Ice Beam just in time." She bent down and hugged Seel, who cooed happily.
The group said goodbye to AJ, then headed on their way towards Vermillion, and towards their next adventure.
…...
"This is the LAST time I'm letting you hold the map, Ash!" Misty complained as they waded through tall grass that came up to their waists. "Now we're completely lost!"
"Don't worry, I'm positive this way will take us back to the path." Ash said.
Pikachu sighed. "No, you aren't." Scyther, who Ash had decided to let out of his Poké Ball, sighed.
"Positive, huh?" Brock said sarcastically. He liked Ash, but his raven-haired friend had no sense of direction whatsoever.
"You said that half an hour ago! I'm tired." Misty muttered. She glared at Ash. "I told you to stick to the main road, but you just had to take a shortcut, didn't you?"
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Ash told her. "You were right and I was wrong!"
"Good. Now give me the map and I'll get us out of here." Misty replied. Ash sheepishly handed her the map and Misty led them out of the tall grass.
They soon arrived at a river with some large rocks nearby. "Whew. Break time." Ash said, sitting down with Pikachu on his lap. The others quickly followed suit. Suddenly, they heard water splashing and movement in the grass. "What was that?" Ash asked, unable to get a good look at it through the grass. He reached for his Pokédex.
"Oddish. This Pokémon is typically found wandering the forest, scattering pollen as it walks."
Misty stood up to get a better look at the little blue Pokémon. "It's so adorable!" she cooed. "I'm gonna catch it!" She grabbed Staryu's Poké Ball. "Go, Staryu!" Staryu came out of the Poké Ball and landed in front of Oddish, who gasped in fear and started to run away.
"Use Water Gun!" Misty ordered. Staryu jumped in the river and shot a stream of water at the Oddish, which sent the little grass type flying, but it quickly got to its feet. "Good job!" Misty called. "Now use Tackle!" Staryu slammed into the Oddish, sending it to the ground.
"That weakened it!" Misty yelled triumphantly. "Gotta catch it now! Poké Ball, go!" She tossed a Poké Ball towards Oddish, but vines came out from behind a bush and knocked it away, then a Bulbasaur jumped out of the bushes, standing between Oddish and Staryu protectively.
"Leave her alone! This is a safe place for injured and abandoned Pokémon and I will not let you harm my friends!" Bulbasaur yelled.
Pikachu's eyes widened and he translated the message to Ash, who walked up. "Misty, I think Bulbasaur's protecting Oddish. Let's leave them alone." he told his red-headed friend. Bulbasaur looked at him in shock, then went to check over Oddish, keeping an eye on the trainers.
Misty nodded and recalled Staryu. She watched, feeling guilty, as Bulbasaur said something to Oddish, then helped her to her feet and led her away.
The group came to a bridge and began crossing it, hoping to find a way back to the main road. Just as they reached the middle, they heard an ominous creaking sound. A critical support rope snapped and everyone screamed as the bridge swayed and tilted on its side. Ash grabbed a rope and Misty and Pikachu grabbed hold of him, but Brock wasn't so lucky. He lost his grip and fell off the bridge. Ash, Misty, and Pikachu screamed and Scyther dived down towards him to catch him, but there was no way he could make it in time…
Suddenly, green vines wrapped around Brock, stopping his fall. It was Bulbasaur. The Seed Pokémon pulled Brock up and set him gently on the bank before turning to the others.
Scyther rushed up to his endangered friends and very carefully wrapped his arms around Misty's waist, making sure not to hurt her with his blades. But Misty refused to let go of Ash.
"Misty, let go of me and grab onto Scyther!" Ash called and finally Misty let Ash go and wrapped her arms around Scyther's neck. The Bug Pokémon carried her to where Brock and Bulbasaur were waiting.
The rope Ash was clinging to suddenly began to fray, and Ash managed to push Pikachu safely onto the solid part of the bridge. He tried to pull himself up too, but the rope snapped and he began to fall.
"Ash!" Brock, Misty, Pikachu and Scyther screamed. Bulbasaur shot out his vines and caught Ash, pulling him to safety. Pikachu ran across the destroyed bridge and leapt on Ash's shoulder, nuzzling him and checking him over to see if he was okay.
"What in the world were you doing on that bridge? Didn't you read the sign? If I hadn't been here, you guys would have been fish food!" Bulbasaur yelled.
"Sign? What sign?" Pikachu asked, mentally translating Bulbasaur's words to Ash.
Bulbasaur was about to reply when a blue-haired young woman came running up to them. "I heard a huge crash and a lot of screaming. What happened?" she asked in concern.
"The bridge collapsed." Brock told her. "Bulbasaur saved our lives."
"Why were you even on that bridge? There was safety tape and a sign on it saying that it was out." the woman asked. "That bridge has been out for months. It's far too dangerous to cross."
"There was no sign or safety tape." Misty told her. "We wouldn't have crossed if there had been."
"How in the world…" the woman muttered, looking across and seeing that the group was telling the truth. She turned back to the group. "Is everyone all right?"
"Thanks to Bulbasaur and Scyther, yes." Ash reassured her.
"Phew, that's good." the woman said. "I'm Melanie, by the way."
"I'm Brock, and this is Ash and Misty." Brock told her, grinning just a bit goofily. Melanie was amazingly beautiful after all.
"We're looking for Vermillion City, but my friend here got us a little lost." Misty added, pointing to Ash, who looked sheepish.
"Easy to do in a place like this." Melanie said with a laugh. "Come back to my cabin with me and I'll give you some directions. I'll make a pot of tea too. I think you guys need it after the scare you had."
"Thank you." Ash said gratefully.
Melanie smiled. "You're welcome. Just do me a favor and don't try to capture any Pokémon here. I created a sanctuary for injured and abandoned Pokémon and I don't want them to be bothered while they're trying to recover."
"We won't." Brock assured her. Ash and Misty were quick to say the same. "Are you a Pokémon doctor, Melanie?"
"No, but…" Melanie was cut off by Misty accidentally springing a trip wire. A net sprang up from the ground and wrapped around her, pulling her up into a tree.
"What the- What's a trap doing here?! Someone get me down!" Misty screamed, wriggling. Scyther cut the rope holding the net and Misty dropped out of the net. Ash ran to catch her, but she landed on top of him, sending them both to the ground.
"Sorry." Melanie said sheepishly as Misty got off Ash's back and helped her dazed friend up. "I was the one who set that trap. I wanted to catch Pokémon trainers before they reached the village so they couldn't capture the injured Pokémon here. There are other traps around here too."
"Okay, that is the most dangerous and ridiculous idea I have ever heard." Pikachu thought to Ash, who gave a slight nod.
"You can't just trap people! Someone could get hurt!" Misty protested. "If you want to keep the Pokémon in this area protected, call the Pokémon League. They can make this an official sanctuary and set up signs saying that it's illegal to catch Pokémon here."
"I never thought about that." Melanie admitted. "Thank you. I'll take down the traps and call them right away."
As they walked to the cabin, Brock and Melanie got into a discussion on Pokémon care and breeding, which both were extremely interested in. Melanie was impressed by Brock making his own Pokémon food, and even asked for some of his recipes. Misty smiled knowingly and Ash, Pikachu and Scyther just shrugged.
At the cabin, there was Pokémon everywhere, mostly forest types like Rattata, Paras, Caterpie, and the Oddish from earlier. They were all peacefully relaxing and eating. Melanie bent down to pet a Paras. "This is a place for Pokémon to just rest and recover. They don't battle one another here." She went inside to brew a pot of tea and the others followed.
…...
What the group didn't know was that danger lurked on the horizion. Team Rocket was up to their old tricks, spying on the village with binoculars from across the bridge. Earlier that day, they had removed the safety tape and "Bridge Out" sign thinking it was a trick, then had to duck out of the way as the twerps that were constantly foiling their plans approached. Apparently, the "Bridge Out" sign had been legit, so Team Rocket had to rework their plan, and had come up with another that was "completely foolproof."
"The village we're looking for should be on the other side of this bridge." Jessie said with an evil smile.
"Let's just hope the rumors are true." James replied.
Meowth laughed. "Just you wait and see what Team Rocket has planned for you, you delicious little village!"
…...
Later, Ash, Misty, and Brock offered to help Melanie with the Pokémon and she happily accepted. Brock took a dipper full of water mixed with a herbal medicine and poured it on a Staryu. "Feel better now, Staryu?" Ash asked and Staryu gave a little leap and a coo.
Meanwhile, Misty was talking to Oddish. "I'm sorry about what happened in the forest." she said softly. "I shouldn't have surprised you like that. You must have been scared." Oddish looked up at her and nodded. "Melanie told me your trainer abandoned you. Whoever it was, they were a real jerk to abandon a wonderful Pokémon like you." Oddish looked at her with teary eyes. The little Oddish had been abandoned by her trainer after being unable to defeat the rock gym, and she could still remember the disgust in his eyes as he walked away. She had blamed herself for the abandonment, even though Bulbasaur had repeatedly told her it was not her fault. And now this girl was saying the same, and apologizing for scaring her. Maybe she could begin to trust trainers again.
"Some trainers can be insensitive, but we're not all like that." Misty told Oddish, gently stroking Oddish's head. "You just need to find a trainer that understands you. Anyway, I'm sorry for what I did, and I hope we can become friends." Misty murmured, ashamed that she had hurt a Pokémon that had been hurt so much already. Tears filled Misty's eyes, and Oddish gently wiped them away with her leaves. "You're sweet, Oddish." Misty told her. "It seems all I've thought about lately is winning." She sighed. "I hope I'm not becoming heartless."
"Misty, you're one of the nicest people around." Ash said, walking up to her with Pikachu behind him. "You're the furthest thing from heartless."
Misty blushed a little. "Thanks, Ash." Suddenly Bulbasaur ran up and moved protectively between Oddish and Misty, growling.
"Bulbasaur, we're not going to hurt Oddish." Ash said soothingly. Bulbasaur looked up at him suspiciously, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not.
"Bulbasaur, Ash is telling the truth." Pikachu reassured him. "They promised you and Melanie that they wouldn't try to catch any Pokémon here and they'll keep their promise. We didn't know that this was a sanctuary before. Ash and Misty are good trainers. They would NEVER hurt or abandon a Pokémon. Trust me, I've known bad trainers and Ash and Misty are nothing like them."
"And I like Misty." Oddish put in. "I don't blame her for trying to capture me. I went out of the property and she simply thought I was a wild Pokémon."
Bulbasaur thought this over carefully, then gave Ash a nod. Ash HAD stopped the red-haired girl when he realized Bulbasaur was simply protecting Oddish and she had listened. He'd still keep an eye on them, just in case, but if Oddish trusted them…
"Is Bulbasaur your Pokémon?" Ash asked Melanie.
"No, but ever since he arrived here, he's been protecting the injured Pokémon here from anyone that tries to harm them. He guards the whole village and makes sure everyone is safe."
Ash looked at Bulbasaur in admiration. "Wow, that's real dedication."
Melanie smiled, picking up and hugging Bulbasaur. "Yes it is. He's the bravest and most loyal Pokémon I know."
Suddenly, they heard a loud rumbling and a huge shadow blocked out the sun.
…...
The group looked up to see Team Rocket come in on a giant stadium which was somehow held up by six balloons. The trio of idiots began going over their motto.
"Darn, they're too high to reach with Thunderbolt." Pikachu complained.
"Who are those guys?" Melanie asked.
"Team Rocket." Ash growled as the flying stadium landed.
"Welcome to the Jessie Stadium for the Team Rocket Pokémon Challenge!" Jessie taunted.
"The flying stadium was my idea!" James argued. Jessie rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. A giant vacuum hose came out of the stadium and turned on, sucking the smaller Pokémon towards it.
"All Pokémon are invited to come into the stadium." Jessie taunted.
"Yeah, we're not hosing ya. Well, maybe we are!" Meowth added with an evil grin.
Ash grabbed a Staryu that was about to get sucked into the machine as Scyther grabbed a Rattata. "Do these guys ever run out of ideas?"
"Everyone get into the cabin!" Brock yelled, grabbing Pikachu and holding the door open as Melanie and Scyther ran in, followed by all the other Pokémon.
Oddish started to get sucked into the machine. Misty made a grab for her but missed. "No! Oddish!" she screamed. Bulbasaur rushed forward and grabbed Oddish with his vines. He tried to get them to the cabin but the vacuum was beginning to pull him backwards.
"Take Staryu!" Ash called to Misty, running back for Bulbasaur and pushing him towards the cabin. Bulbasaur turned and looked at him gratefully. Brock held the door open for him as Ash pushed Bulbasaur into the cabin.
"That little pest! Why does he always have to ruin our flawless plans!" Jessie ranted as Misty slammed the cabin door shut.
"Not this time." James said smugly. "He's gathered them all into one place for us."
"And our Super Vacuum will suck them up!" Meowth added.
The hose went to above the roof and the vacuum increased in power. Bulbasaur jumped out the window and climbed up onto the roof, trying to swat the vacuum hose away.
Ash, Scyther and Pikachu ran out after him. "Scyther, go up and use Razor Wind! See if you can cut the hose!" Ash called. Scyther flew up, using Razor Wind on the side of the hose and cutting it off.
"Go, Shellder!" Ash called, releasing Shellder. The Water Type looked up at him. "Shellder, use Water Gun into the hole! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" The electricity followed the stream of water up, destroying the vacuum mechanism. It also hit a vital(and explosive) part of the engine.
Team Rocket just happened to be standing on the safety hatch and felt a rumble underneath them. "What the…" Jessie started. Then a shockwave came through, blowing through the safety hatch and blasting Team Rocket into the air.
"We're blasting off again!" Team Rocket yelled as they became a tiny speck in the distance.
…...
"Is everyone all right?" Melanie asked as they left the cabin.
"We're fine thanks to Bulbasaur, Shellder, Scyther, and Pikachu." Ash said, smiling at the Pokémon. They smiled back. "The village is well protected with Bulbasaur here."
"Ash, don't you agree that Bulbasaur would be an excellent addition to your team?" Melanie asked.
"Well, yeah, but…" Ash started.
"I think Bulbasaur should go with you." Melanie said.
"Huh?" Ash exclaimed.
Melanie picked up Bulbasaur and hugged him. "Bulbasaur stayed here to protect the weaker Pokémon, but the village is too small. The bulb on his back can't grow here. He needs to go out into the world now, and I know you'll take good care of him. Please, do me this favor. Take Bulbasaur with you on your journey. I know he'll be a good companion." She held out Bulbasaur to Ash.
"But what will happen to the village without Bulbasaur?" Misty asked.
"Yeah, who's going to protect you?" Brock asked.
"It's true Bulbasaur's done a great job. Maybe TOO great of a job. You see, Pokémon aren't supposed to remain in the village forever and ever. After they recover, Pokémon are supposed to leave, but it's too safe here, so none of them want to go away. They don't want to return to the outside world, but I think it's important that they all go back to the wild. That's where Pokémon belong. And hopefully someday, they'll run into great trainers like you." Melanie told them. "Taking care of sick Pokémon will always be my mission, but I know my job isn't finished until they return to where they came from. So it's the day a Pokémon leaves that is most rewarding to me."
Melanie held Bulbasaur out to Ash. "Please, take Bulbasaur with you. He won't be a burden. I promise. I want him to be in a place were he can grow strong and happy. And I think that place is with you, Ash."
Ash looked at Bulbasaur. "What do you think, Bulbasaur? Would you like to join me?"
Bulbasaur leapt out of Melanie's arms and took a battle stance. "He says he'll join you…. If you can beat him in a Pokémon battle." Pikachu translated.
Ash smiled. "All right then. Shellder! Go!" He threw Shellder's Poké Ball and the Bivalve Pokémon landed in front of him. "Use Icicle Spear!" Bulbasaur dodged the attack, then reached out and grabbed Shellder with Vine Whip.
"Withdraw!" Ash called, and Shellder withdrew into her shell just before Bulbasaur slammed her into the ground. "Now use Icicle Spear on the vines to make him let you go!" Shellder shot an Icicle Spear at the vines, and Bulbasaur flinched back, then ran at Shellder in a Tackle attack.
"Now use Icicle Shard while he's close!" Ash ordered. Sharp pieces of ice came out of Shellder's shell, doing some damage to Bulbasaur and sending him back. Bulbasaur fell, but got up quickly. He shot some sharp leaves from his bulb.
"Protect!" Ash yelled, and Shellder put up her shield just in time. "Now combine Tackle with Razor Shell!" Using Tackle to strengthen her attack, Shellder slammed her shell shut, spinning rapidly and slamming into Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur fell to the ground, not getting up this time. Ash tossed a Poké Ball at Bulbasaur, sucking him inside. He held his breath as it rattled, once, twice, three times, then clicked shut.
"Yes! We caught Bulbasaur!" Ash cheered, doing his victory pose. "Good job, Shellder." he told his water Pokémon, giving her a potion and petting her before returning her to her Poké Ball.
Ash let Bulbasaur out so he could say goodbye to Melanie. "I'll miss you, Bulbasaur." Melanie murmured, tears in her eyes as she hugged Bulbasaur. "Thank you for watching over us."
"I promise I'll take good care of him." Ash reassured her.
"Melanie, I've been thinking…" Brock started, a blush on his face.
"Yes?"
"Since Bulbasaur's leaving, I wouldn't mind staying and helping you out." Brock offered.
"That's very kind of you, but I'll be okay. I don't want to keep you from all your fun adventures." Melanie told him.
"Oh…right." Brock replied, looking a bit downcast.
"Bye Melanie!" Ash called as they set off.
"Have a safe trip!" she called back.
Suddenly they heard a little voice calling "Oddish! Oddish!" The group turned to see Oddish running up to them. She cooed and jumped into Misty's arms.
"Hi there!" Misty said with a smile. "Does this mean you want to come with me?" Oddish cooed again and nodded. Misty took out a Poké Ball and tapped it on Oddish's head. The little grass type was sucked in without even a struggle. "I promise I'll always take good care of you." Misty whispered to the Poké Ball.
And so with two new Pokémon by their side, Ash, Misty, Brock headed for Vermillion City, wondering what adventures would happen next.
Ash's Pokémon
Scyther (M): Vaccum Wave, Quick Attack, Leer, Focus Energy, Pursuit, False Swipe, Agility, Wing Attack, Razor Wind, Slash. Egg Move: Steel Wing (Locked).
Geodude (Peter) (M): Defense Curl, Tackle, Mud Sport, and Rollout. Egg move Hammer Arm (unlocked)
Pikachu (M): Thunder Shock, Thunder Wave, Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Iron Tail. Egg Move: Volt Tackle (locked)
Shellder (F): Tackle, Withdraw, Icicle Shard, Razor Shell, Protect, Icicle Spear, Clamp. Egg Move: Water Gun (unlocked)
Nidoran (M): Leer, Peck, Focus Energy, Double Kick. No egg move.
Bulbasaur (M): Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Take Down, Razor Leaf, Sweet Scent, Growth, Double Edge and Worry seed. Egg move: Nature Power (Locked)
Misty's Pokémon:
Staryu: Harden, Tackle, Water Gun, Rapid Spin, Recover, Bubble Beam. No Egg Move
Seel (M): Headbutt, Growl, Water Sport, Icy Wind, Encore, Ice Shard, Ice Beam. Egg Move: Signal Beam.
Goldeen (F): Peck, Tail Whip, Water Sport, Supersonic, Horn Attack, Egg Move: no egg move
Oddish (F): Absorb, sweet scent, acid, poison powder. Egg Move: Razor Leaf