Hey guys, TheDoctor1998 here with another chapter. Last time Cinder and her friends came across Pokémon Tech, with our protagonist easily beating one of its top students before fending off Team Rocket, and continuing on with her journey. Now, on with the show!
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Cinder and her friends were walking through the grasslands on the end of Route 5, something that the blind girl enjoyed very much. The sheer amount of life around her creating the perfect outline for her to navigate through with her Aura abilities.
"Why did you even take this shortcut?" Misty said, interrupting Cinder's thoughts. "I told you to stick to the main road."
"Wait, didn't you say to go this way?" Cinder asked, being entirely reliant on her friends to read the map.
"I think we just took a wrong turn somewhere." Brock said, holding up a map of the Route. "If we find a good landmark, I'm sure we can get back on track in no time."
"Anyone up for a break?" Cinder asked, trying to keep the tension low.
"Well, I am tired." Misty agreed, sitting down on a nearby boulder before the others did.
Cinder started glancing around with her Aura, her attention being caught by the sound of something drinking water. Her senses landed on a Pokémon, one that looked like a root vegetable on legs, drinking out of a spring as it unknowingly triggered Cinder's Pokédex.
"Oddish, the Weed Pokémon. A Grass/Poison Type.
Abilities: Chlorophyll and Run Away
Hidden Ability: Carbon Capture
Entry: This Pokémon will wander up to 300 meters during the night to scatter its seeds and find a good patch of soil to plant itself, with its leaves becoming glossier the more fertile the earth is. It buries its body during the day to protect itself from sunlight and predators."
"It's so cute!" Misty squealed. "I'm gonna catch it!"
"I thought you were a Water Type specialist?" Cinder asked.
"Nothing wrong with a little variety." Misty shrugged, turning back to see Oddish running away. "Go Starmie!" The redhead yelled, throwing her Pokéball and releasing her Psychic Type, who landed in front of the Poison Type. "Use Water Gun!"
Starmie did as its trainer said, and blew a torrent of water out of one of its limbs towards the little Grass Type, who was blown towards a tree.
"Pokéball, go!" Misty yelled, throwing a Pokéball at her target, intending to capture it.
Unfortunately for her, a Vine Whip appeared out of the bushes, smacking the Pokéball back into the face of the girl who threw it. When the Vine Whip retracted, a Pokémon jumped out of the bush it came from, growling and standing between Oddish and Starmie. It was a Pokémon Cinder saw plenty of times on posters back before her accident, and one time in real life when she started her journey.
"Is that a wild Bulbasaur?" Cinder asked, amazed at the sight of a wild Starter Pokémon in front of her.
As if to answer her question, Bulbasaur attacked Starmie with a Vine Whip, the Grass Type attack doing some tremendous damage on the Water Type Pokémon. "Saur!" The Starter growled, clearly angry at the trainers and their Pokémon.
"Guys, I think we should leave them alone." Cinder said to her friends. "That Bulbasaur clearly doesn't want to get captured, or to let Oddish get captured."
"Yeah, you're right." Misty said, conflicted as she returned Starmie. "Sorry, Oddish."
Oddish tilted her head in confusion, and Bulbasaur quickly but gently picked her up with his Vine Whip before rushing off.
"I guess we'll have to get back to our break now." Brock suggested, releasing his Pokémon before sitting down, his friends following his example.
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A while later, after finishing their break, the gang found themselves near a ravine. One with a bridge made of wood and rope connecting the two sides. After a bit of deliberation, the trio decided to carefully cross it, trying to make sure none of them fell into the river below.
"Where are we?" Misty asked, both to herself and to Brock.
"I can't find this bridge on my map." Brock answered, looking at his map.
Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind blew across the ravine, causing the bridge to wiggle. Unfortunately, the old ropes holding it together couldn't take it anymore and snapped, forcing Cinder and Brock to quickly hold onto the now collapsing bridge for dear life, with Misty holding onto Cinder's leg.
To add to the misfortune, Brock couldn't hold on any further and lost his grip. "AAAHHH!" The former Gym Leader screamed as he fell into the river.
"BROCK!" The two girls screamed, watching in horror while being unable to help their friend.
"Cinder, you have to get across, it's our only chance!" Misty screamed, fearful for both their lives and that of Brock.
"Fuck, don't scream in my ear Misty, you're gonna make me lose my grip!" Cinder grunted, carefully moving across the bridge.
Pikachu jumped from her shoulders and onto the remains of the bridge, carefully guiding his trainer, knowing she couldn't see where she was grasping. "Pikapi!" The Electric Type encouraged, praying to Arceus himself that she'd get out of this alive, and preferably unharmed.
Thankfully, Cinder managed to make it across the bridge, she and Misty collapsing in exhaustion now that they were safe. "That was so fucking close." The heterochromatic girl panted, completely exhausted now that she was out of adrenaline.
"We- we've gotta find Brock." Misty said, also exhausted and definitely traumatized, but unwilling to leave her companion for dead.
"We've gotta get down in that ravine." Cinder agreed. "Maybe he managed to get to shore."
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After looking around, Misty had managed to find a path leading into the bottom of the ravine, and the two girls wasted no time in getting down and searching for their friend. Unfortunately for Misty, she managed to fall into a trap, as she stepped on a fragile piece of tarp covered in dirt hung over a pit.
"Misty, what happened?" Cinder asked in concern, seeing Misty's Aura suddenly go down a few meters.
"I fell into a trap!" The redhead yelled in anger and pain. "Who sets up a trap in the middle of nowhere?!"
"This isn't our day, is it?" Cinder muttered, feeling around the edges of the pit and holding her arm out for Misty to take.
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After Cinder helped Misty out of her predicament, the girls decided to follow the river, which had likely carried Brock away.
"Brock! Where are you?!" Cinder called out, hoping the boy was both conscious and able to hear her.
"Do you think he washed this far downstream?" Misty asked, concerned about Brock.
"We haven't found him yet Misty, he had to get out of the water somewhere." Cinder answered, quietly adding the word "hopefully" into her head.
In an even bigger bout of misfortune, Misty's foot got caught in an unseen rope, triggering another trap, this one capturing both of the girls into a big net.
"What the hell?!" Cinder exclaimed in surprise, suddenly upside down and in the air as she dropped her cane and the belt holding her Pokéballs, her hands almost instinctively going to her skirt to prevent gravity from flipping it inside out. "What the fuck just happened?!"
"It's another trap!" Misty explained. "Try wiggling, see if the net will open!"
Cinder tried Misty's suggestion, the duo wiggling around for a few moments. "I don't think this is working."
"Do you have any better ideas?!" Misty asked, annoyed and desperate to get out.
"Pi, pikapi." Pikachu said, trying to get between the two to calm the girls.
"Bulbasaur." A Bulbasaur called out below, one who's Aura Cinder recognized as belonging to the Bulbasaur she encountered before. He was glaring at the humans, obviously still not happy at seeing them. "Saur saur." The Grass Type muttered, walking away.
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Meanwhile, back on the other side of the ravine the trio had crossed before, a certain group of criminals were hiding, disguised as bushes.
"The village should be just on the other side of that bridge." Jessie said, slightly annoyed as she saw the bridge had collapsed.
"Let's just hope the rumors are true." James smirked, looking at the bright side.
"Hee hee hee!" Meowth snickered, crawling between the two humans. "Just wait and see what we've got planned for you, you delicious little village."
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Meanwhile, back in the net, Cinder and Misty had seemingly given up trying to get out, the former having managed to get the right way back up again. "I wonder what happened to Brock." Misty sadly muttered, imagining the worst.
"Maybe he was dragged out into the ocean and got picked up by sailors." Cinder said, trying to cheer Misty up.
It worked somewhat, as the redhead chuckled humorlessly. "You've got a crazy imagination."
"Ahoy!" An all too familiar voice rang, much to the relief of the girls.
"Brock, you're okay!" Cinder smiled in joy, seeing through her Aura that he was alright.
"Why are you two hanging around in that tree?" The boy asked, smirking at their predicament.
"Oh haw haw, can you get us down already?" Cinder asked in mock annoyance, too happy at his safety to be mad at him.
"Okay, hang on. This is gonna get a little bumpy." Brock said, walking up to the rope holding the net and grabbing it. He quickly pulled out a knife of his, and started cutting through the rope until it gave, causing the girls to fall back down to Earth.
"Thanks." Misty said, slightly in pain. "Maybe you could let us down more gently next time?"
"Yeah, sorry." Brock smirked. "I did warn you though."
"We've been looking all over for you." Misty said.
"What happened after you fell in the river?" Cinder asked, curious as to why he was alright.
"Well, I was being washed away by the river." Brock stated, thinking back to that moment of him spluttering in the water. His thoughts were going faster than ever before, panicking and thinking he wasn't going to make it, until he felt something grab his hand.
"I've got you, hold on!" The blue haired girl in his memories yelled, holding onto him as she pulled with all her might to get him out of the water.
"She was beautiful, like a guardian angel came down from the heavens to save my life." He smiled, a dopey look on his face.
"A beautiful girl, huh?" Cinder asked, smirking.
"Oh, quiet you." Brock said, rolling his eyes. "C'mon, I'll introduce you to her." He said, beckoning the girls to follow him into the forest.
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Brock led the girls to a wooden cabin next to a small lake, where the girl who saved Brock was tending to some Pokémon. "Oh, Brock, are these the friends you told me about?" The girl asked the one guy in the area.
"Yeah." Brock confirmed, gesturing to his friends. "Melanie, these are Cinder and Misty. Guys, this is Melanie, the girl who got me out of the river." He introduced them all.
"Hello/Pika." The humans and Pikachu greeted.
"Wow, are these all your Pokémon?" Misty asked, seeing various Pokémon eating from bowls with kernels. A Weepinbell, a Caterpie, a pair of Rattata, a familiar looking Oddish, and a Paras.
"Oh no." Melanie waved the comment off.
"This is a place where Pokémon are able to rest and relax." Brock started explaining, patting the Paras. "This place is a sanctuary for abandoned Pokémon, and Melanie here takes care of them until they're well enough to leave."
"So Melanie is like a Pokémon doctor?" Misty asked, her admiration for the girl increasing.
"Oh no, I'm not qualified to be an actual Pokémon doctor." Melanie clarified, shaking her head.
"This place is more like a spa than a Pokémon Center." Brock explained further.
"The Pokémon here don't battle, they simply relax and play with each other until they've recovered." The girl continued, watching as the two Rattata played with a Staryu and a red fish Pokémon in the water, the latter of whom triggering Cinder's Pokédex.
"Magikarp, the Fish Pokémon. A Water Type.
Ability: Swift Swim
Hidden Ability: Rattled
Entry: This Pokémon can easily survive in any kind of water, regardless of how polluted it is. It's considered one of the weakest Pokémon due to its small amount of offensive attacks and low strength."
"Cool/wow." Misty and Cinder praised, their opinions on the girl being very high at the moment.
"Melanie here also collects plants around the area, being a practical expert on their medical applications." Brock finished.
"So, you both love to take care of Pokémon, do you?" Cinder slyly asked.
"We do." Brock easily answered, a grin on his face as he saw Melanie play with various Pokémon.
"Looks to me like there's something else Brock might love." Misty teased.
Brock's face immediately turned into an impressive shade of tomato red. "Be quiet, she might hear you!" He whisper yelled, putting a hand on the redhead's laughing mouth.
"Melanie, do you know who set up those traps in the forest?" Cinder asked, worried that someone around the place had ill intent towards the girl.
"I'm sorry, but I was the one who set them up." The girl apologized. "I set up those traps for poachers, and less honest trainers who want to catch these weakened Pokémon." She started giggling. "I guess they did their jobs."
"Did you boobytrap the bridge too?" Cinder asked.
"Oh goodness, no!" Melanie answered, truly upset about what happened. "The bridge got damaged a few days ago during a bad storm, and I didn't have the time to repair it. Seeing as I'm usually the only one using it, I didn't think someone would come before it was fixed." She started looking apologetic. "I'm sorry about what happened."
"It was just an accident, Melanie." Brock said, trying to give some comfort to the girl. "And aside from some bruises, we're all fine. Don't beat yourself up about it."
"Yeah, no harm, no foul." Misty smiled.
Cinder simply nodded, knowing the danger had passed. Besides, with how the bridge was now, only a couple of idiots would try to cross what was left of it.
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Meanwhile, back on the partially collapsed bridge, Team Rocket was busy going over it. Jessie and James were carefully holding onto the rope whilst shuffling on the edges of the planks, while Meowth was easily walking on the edge his partners were struggling with.
"This catch better be worth this hassle." Jessie growled.
"I'm sure things will work out." James reassured her. "Though I do wonder how we're going to carry them all."
"Don't worry, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Meowth joked, not noticing the one rope holding what's left of the bridge up starting to snap behind him.
Team Rocket was screaming, holding onto the bridge for dear life. Unfortunately, as the bridge slammed into the cliffside, the trio lost their grip and fell into the river below. Thankfully though, the fall wasn't too bad for them, as the end of the bridge they held onto was already pretty low when it slammed into the cliff.
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The gang had decided to let their Pokémon out for some fresh air, with the Pokémon generally playing around the lake. Cinder's Pokémon were running around with Geodude, Zubat, and the wild Pokémon on land, while Misty's Pokémon were playing with Magikarp and the wild Staryu. Onix was simply curled up on the forest's edge, taking a nap far away from the lake.
"I promised Melanie that we wouldn't capture any of the Pokémon here." Brock said, watching his pals.
"Did you seal the promise with a kiss?" Misty asked with a stupid grin, only to be rewarded with a punch on the top of her head by a heavily blushing Brock. Misty only grinned at the sight of his face. "Oh, you really do like her!" Once again, she got rewarded with a punch on the top of her head by a heavily blushing Brock.
"Alright then." Cinder shrugged, grabbing her empty Pokéballs before handing them over to Brock. "I do wonder how effective all those traps are though. I mean, yeah, Misty fell into a pit and triggered that net, but there have to be some blind spots and safe paths."
Misty simply grumbled at the reminder.
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Back with Team Rocket, the trio had just managed to get out of the river, walking on the same path Cinder and Misty had taken before. And typical of their own luck, they fell into yet another pit trap.
"This is the third hole we've fallen into!" Jessie screamed in rage. "Why does nobody fall into our traps, but we always fall into somebody else's?!"
"Well, these traps are both cleverly hidden and well made, and-" James seriously said, appreciating the craftsmanship before his partner interrupted him.
"I'm glad you're enjoying it so much!" Jessie sarcastically growled.
"Meowth." The feline Pokémon groaned in pain as he and his partners climbed out of the pit. Unfortunately, they didn't even walk a dozen steps before triggering yet another trap, binding the trio into a net. In the cacophony of noise, Meowth could barely hear James demanding for someone to let them go before he felt a sharp pain. "Ow! Stop pulling my tail!"
"That's it!" Jessie screamed in rage. "Once we get out of here, we get the balloon and find this village from the air! I am tired of this sneaking!"
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Cinder watched as Brock gently splashed some water on the wild Staryu, relaxing as she saw the Auras of Magikarp and Misty's Pokémon swim by. "Do you feel any better, Staryu?" She asked the Pokémon.
Staryu simply shook itself dry again. "Hyah!" It cried out, flexing its limbs to show it was feeling great.
Misty, meanwhile, had managed to find the Oddish she tried to capture before. "Sorry about what happened in the forest." Misty apologized, causing Oddish to tilt her head at her. "I shouldn't have surprised or attacked you like that, you must've been scared."
"Oddish." Oddish nodded, slightly uneasy around the trainer.
"Melanie told me your old trainer abandoned you." Misty continued. "Did they really think you were too weak?"
"Oddish." Oddish nodded sadly, remembering his insults.
"Some trainers can be really awful." Misty agreed, before patting Oddish's head. "But I hope you know not all of us are like that. Sometimes you just need to find the right trainer." The redhead started tearing up. "Anyway, I just wanted to say sorry, and I hope we can become friends."
"Oddish." The Grass Type muttered, wiping Misty's tear away with one of her leafs. "Oddish oddish."
"Oh, you're really sweet, Oddish." Misty smiled at the Pokémon before frowning again. "I hope I'm not becoming heartless."
"Nah, I don't think you've gotta worry about that." Cinder said, walking up to Misty. "You just didn't know the full story. Besides, if you're actually heartless, I doubt your Pokémon would've stuck around as long as they did."
"I suppose." Misty said with a sad smile.
"Bulbasaur!" The Bulbasaur from before screamed, using Tackle on Misty to try and get her away from Oddish, much to the shock of his fellow Poison Type.
"Hey, why did you just attack me?!" The Water Type trainer screamed, understandably upset.
"I think he was trying to protect Oddish from you, Misty." Cinder said, helping her up on her feet as she kept her Aura focused on Bulbasaur.
"Cinder's right." Melanie said, walking up to the girls and Bulbasaur. "Bulbasaur has volunteered to protect the village, guarding all the injured Pokémon whenever someone attacks them." She knelt down, slightly patting the Seed Pokémon, who didn't mind while staying on guard. "He's the bravest and most loyal Pokémon I know."
"He must've thought I was taking Oddish from the village." Misty said, understanding.
Cinder then felt something press up against her leg. Glancing down with her Aura, she saw Bulbasaur pressing his head against her legs, obviously telling her to leave in a relatively peaceful manner.
"Bulbasaur doesn't like trainers." Melanie explained sadly. "He wants you to get out of here."
"But we're not here to catch Pokémon." Misty argued. "We just want to help."
"It's true Bulbasaur, these people are our friends." Melanie told the Starter, who was still trying to push the heterochromatic girl away.
"So Bulbasaur is the protector of this place?" Cinder smiled, ignoring the pressure on her leg. "You must be proud to have him here."
Then, above the group, a strange platform held in the air with balloons appeared, on top of which was a familiar trio.
"To protect the world from devastation!" Jessie started the motto.
"To unite all people within our nation!" James continued.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!" Jessie continued, skipping over their names.
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" James said, going along with it.
"That's right!" Meowth finished, also skipping the name as he guided the balloon to land next to the sanctuary, flattening the trees.
"Not these guys again." Cinder sighed as her Pokémon stood on guard.
"Today at Jessie Stadium, it's the Team Rocket Challenge!" Jessie announced.
"Jessie Stadium? This thing was my idea!" James argued as he activated the attached hose.
"All Pokémon are invited!" Jessie smirked.
"Step right up." James darkly indicated.
"We're not hosing ya!" Meowth punned. "Well, maybe we are."
The wild Staryu was starting to get sucked in, causing Cinder to dive towards it and hold it tightly. "These idiots never run out of ideas, do they?! How did they even get this thing?!"
"Everyone in the cabin, hurry!" Brock yelled, the wild Pokémon being carried in by Cinder's Pokémon, with Melanie holding onto Magikarp as Misty's Staryu and Starmie ran in with Goldeen.
"Oddish!" Misty yelled, grabbing for the little Pokémon just as she got blown away by the wind.
Bulbasaur was quicker though, and managed to get a hold of Oddish before she got sucked into the machine. Unfortunately, with the added mass, the Seed Pokémon started to struggle against the winds himself.
"Here, take it to the cabin!" Cinder yelled to Misty, handing Staryu to her as she ran towards Bulbasaur, pushing the Pokémon towards the cabin as quickly as she dared. Thankfully, the trio made it to Melanie's place, the door quickly shutting behind them.
"That rotten little pest!" Jessie growled. "She's always ruining our plans!"
"Not this time, though." James smirked. "All she did was gather the Pokémon up in one place."
"Our super vacuum will suck 'em up!" Meowth boasted, aiming the hose towards the roof of the shack.
Inside, Bulbasaur quickly put Oddish down and opened a window, climbing out of it and onto the roof from which he quickly gave the hose a Vine Whip, causing a small malfunction within the machine that made it go into reverse.
Cinder also ran out of the cabin, her Pokémon behind her. "Butterfree, Pidgeotto, use Gust!"
The two Flying Type Pokémon flapped their wings as hard as they could, the gusts of wind they created fighting against those of the machine. The opposing forces then started to merge, creating a tiny tornado between them, which the duo managed to send over to Team Rocket.
"And the tornado is winding up." James said, starting to get nervous.
"But will it strike us out?" Jessie asked, equally nervous.
"There goes the whole ball game." Meowth sighed, already seeing where this was heading to. And just like the Normal Type thought, the tornado hit them, blowing them and their stupid stadium away. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" He yelled, holding onto the device for dear life with his partners.
Cinder just sighed, glad to see the morons gone again.
"Geooo?" Onix asked, waking up and looking around in confusion before drifting off to sleep again.
"Is everyone okay?" Melanie asked in concern, going over all the Pokémon.
"I only had the wind knocked out of me." Cinder joked, causing Bulbasaur to chuckle at the pun. "This place is well protected with Bulbasaur."
"Yeah, Bulbasaur would be an excellent addition to anyone's team." Melanie said, somewhat sadly. "I think he should go with you."
"Wait, what?" Cinder blinked in confusion.
Melanie picked the Grass Type up. "Bulbasaur stayed here to protect the weaker Pokémon, but this place is too small for him, he can't grow here."
"But why me?" Cinder couldn't help but ask.
"Because I know you'll take good care of him." Melanie said, simply. "He'll be a good companion, I just know it."
"But what about this place?" Misty asked in concern.
"Yeah, who's going to protect you and the Pokémon here?" Brock agreed.
"It's true that Bulbasaur did a good job here, but maybe he did his job too well." Melanie answered. "You see, these Pokémon shouldn't remain here forever, they're supposed to leave after they've recovered. But it's too safe here, so they don't want to return to the outside world. I think it's important that these Pokémon need to return to the wild, and maybe find good trainers like yourselves. I'll always take care of sick Pokémon, of course, but my job isn't finished until they're back in the wild again."
"Melanie, I-" Brock started.
"So it's time for Bulbasaur to leave, so please take him with you. He won't be a burden, I promise." Melanie said, talking with a warm but sad smile on her face. "He still has a lot of growing to do, and I want him to grow in a place where I'm sure he can grow strong and be happy." She then looked Cinder into the eye. "I'm certain that place is by your side, Cinder."
"Well, he's welcome to join if he wants to." Cinder said with a smile, grabbing her empty Pokéballs from Brock.
Bulbasaur then jumped out of Melanie's arms, standing ready in a tense stance.
Cinder immediately picked up what he wanted. "Guess you want me to catch you in a battle?"
"Saur!" Bulbasaur said with a grin, already liking the girl.
"Pikachu, come out my friend!" Cinder said, prompting Pikachu to stand in front of Bulbasaur.
Bulbasaur immediately went on the attack, trying to strike at Pikachu with his Vine Whips. Unfortunately for him, the rodent was simply too fast for him, as Pikachu simply darted between the vines without any issue.
"Quick Attack!" Cinder called out.
Pikachu went on the offensive himself, rushing in a blinding flash of speed at Bulbasaur. Unfortunately, the Seed Pokémon countered with his own Tackle, causing the rodent to fly back. Seeing his chance, Bulbasaur quickly grabbed Pikachu with a Vine Whip, and started slamming him on the ground.
Cinder only grinned, seeing an opportunity. "Thunder Bolt!"
Pikachu quickly grabbed the vines, making sure Bulbasaur couldn't let go, and zapped the appendages, causing a flow of electricity to strike at Bulbasaur, stunning the Grass Type.
"Heal Ball, go!" Cinder quickly threw one of her Heal Balls at him, causing Bulbasaur to get sucked into the device. A few tense moments later, the Ball dinged, indicating a successful capture. The blind girl walked up to and picked up the device, smiling. "Thanks for a good battle, Bulbasaur."
Misty then felt something rub against her leg. Looking down, she saw Oddish rubbing her leaves against her. "Oddish?"
"It looks like Bulbasaur isn't the only one who wants a new trainer." Melanie smiled. "Do you want to take care of her?"
"Who am I to say no when such a cutie wants to come with me?" Misty smiled, quickly tapping a Pokéball on Oddish, capturing her.
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The gang quickly gathered up their Pokémon in their balls, with only Pikachu, Oddish, and Bulbasaur being out of their Pokéballs, the latter of whom had his Heal Ball swapped for a Luxury Ball.
"Have a safe trip." Melanie said to the group, knowing it was time for them to leave.
"I promise I'll take good care of Bulbasaur." Cinder said, patting the head of her new Pokémon.
"Same with me and Oddish." Misty said, holding the Grass Type in her arms.
Melanie knelt down and gently patted the former protector of the village on his head. "Thanks for watching over us, Bulbasaur." She then gently stroked the leaves on Oddish. "And I'll miss you too, Oddish."
"Uh, Melanie, I've been thinking." Brock said, stepping up with a beet red face.
"Yes?" The girl smiled.
"I wouldn't mind staying and helping out. Since, you know, Bulbasaur is leaving." The boy offered.
"That's a kind offer of you Brock, but we'll be okay." Melanie declined. "I wouldn't want to keep you from your friends and all your wonderful adventures."
Cinder and Misty simply tried to hold their snickers as Brock tilted his head dejectedly. "Oh, I guess you're right."
"Bye Melanie!" Cinder waved as she and her friends walked from her cabin.
"Goodbye guys, and good luck!" She waved back, alongside the wild Pokémon around her.
"Bulbasaur." Bulbasaur said, waving goodbye with his vines.
"Don't worry Bulbasaur, I'm sure you'll see them again some day." Cinder reassured.
"And at least Oddish is coming with you." Misty smiled, the Weed Pokémon waving her leaves around.
"Bulba." The Grass Type said, sounding more at ease.
"Take good care of each other! Buh-bye!" Melanie called after the group.
Brock glanced back wistfully, before turning forward again with a sigh.
"So, what did Melanie say when you said you loved her?" Misty teased, walking up to Brock. "Did you kiss her goodbye?"
"That's enough stupid questions!" Brock panicked, holding his hand on Misty's mouth. "Will you please stop embarrassing me? She's cute, I understand that, but you don't have to keep rubbing it in!"
Oddish jumped out of Misty's arms, getting slightly dizzy from the shaking.
Cinder simply chuckled at the sight and continued walking, heading towards Route 24.
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Pokémon Seen: 38
Pokémon Caught: 11
Cinder's Pokémon: Pikachu (M), Butterfree (M), Beedrill (F), Pidgeotto (F), Clefairy (F), Bulbasaur (M)
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And that's a wrap. Cinder and the gang, after a near death experience, found the Hidden Village, with both Cinder and Misty catching a Pokémon. I did decide to let Misty capture Oddish for various reasons, though mostly because she had a good connection with her.
I also altered the whole collapsing bridge thing to make it a simple accident, as I don't think Melanie would just create such a deadly trap on purpose.
TheDoctor1998 here, signing out.
