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All in all, it was yet another forest. The Johto region certainly had a lot of forests...
This forest was very quiet, with beautiful white flowers blooming. Mei and Misty felt playful, so the group decided to take a good rest here. Relaxation was necessary; neither trainers nor their Pokémon could keep their nerves taut all the time. Don't you agree there should be a balance of tension and ease?
"Ash big brother, can Mei hold the Pokémon Egg too?" Mei, wearing the flower wreath Misty had woven for her, seemed to have missed Ash after being away for a while. She ran back to cling to him, clamoring to hold the Pokémon Egg. Ash didn't mind. He let her sit beside him and handed her the Pokémon Egg he was holding. "Be careful with it!" Actually, it wasn't a big deal. The Pokémon Egg was placed in a portable incubator, making it convenient for trainers to travel with. So even if it were dropped, there wouldn't be any issues.
"Mm-hmm!" Mei nodded repeatedly, hugged the Pokémon Egg, and peered through the glass at the ice-blue egg. "Little baby, be a good baby!" She was practically a big sister now.
"Scyther, take a break! Get your energy up and prepare for evolution!" Ash had swapped Noctowl for Scyther the last time they passed a Pokémon Center. Before Scyther could reply, a sudden scream came from Misty's direction. That scream probably meant she'd seen a Bug-type Pokémon again.
Ash quickly took Mei and Scyther and rushed over, only to find a large spider hidden in the bushes. Curious Misty and Togepi had moved the grass aside, revealing it. Misty was almost scared out of her wits.
"Misty, are you alright?" Brock, who had been cooking, also rushed over.
"It's an Ariados, the evolved form of Spinarak!" Ash recognized the large spider. Such a vividly colored insect was clearly highly venomous at a glance. Misty couldn't stand Spinarak, let alone such a large spider! However, this Ariados was inexplicably motionless with its eyes closed, yet it didn't seem to be sleeping! How could a spider sleep like that hidden in the grass?
"I found you, Ariados!"
Just then, a female voice came from above the trees. By the sound of it, she was playing hide-and-seek with Ariados? What fun! A young woman with a neat, long ponytail leaped down from the tree, accompanied by a Venonat. With her flashy movements and signature vibrant red attire, it seemed they were meeting familiar faces all along their journey. This was none other than Aya, the sister of Koga, the Fuchsia Gym Leader. Even though she was a ninja, she just loved wearing such bright colors.
Needless to say, Brock immediately darted forward, exclaiming, "Aya and I are truly bound by the red string of fate!"
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes, followed by a voice from the forest, "Ariados, begin the operation!" In an instant, the previously motionless Ariados suddenly opened its eyes. Aya immediately came to her senses, about to command Venonat to act, but someone was a step faster than her!
"Scyther, Iai Slash!" Scyther had been intently watching that Ariados. Now that Ash gave the order to attack, it immediately drew its blades and lunged! But Ariados was clearly well-trained; in an instant, it shot out a string of silk, swinging through the trees to dodge Scyther's attack!
"You attacked, and now you want to run?" Ash wasn't about to let such a great opponent escape so easily. "Scyther, use Whirlwind Slash!" A blade of whirlwind severed Ariados's silk, causing it to fall from the tree.
"It won't be defeated that easily, will it? Air Slash!" Ash's Aura controlled every detail of the battle. An Ariados that looked quite strong, twisting wildly on the ground after falling from a tree, didn't seem right! Blades of air transformed into countless sword energies, slashing towards Ariados. A spiderweb was shredded by the sword energy, which then continued towards Ariados.
"Ariados, dodge quickly!" The voice came again. Ariados flipped over with incredible speed, successfully dodging the Air Slash attack. But Ash's attack followed closely. Scyther transformed into dozens of Shadow Clones, surrounding Ariados. The blade on its right arm drooped slightly—this was clearly an Iai Slash!
"Ariados, use Pin Missile!" Bug-type needles shot from the venomous horn on Ariados's head, one after another, destroying Scyther's Shadow Clones. Scyther's Iai Slash activated at that moment. All the clones suddenly vanished, and Scyther's strike appeared behind Ariados, heavily injuring it in one blow.
"Young man, you won!" An older man emerged from behind a tree, looking at Ash's Scyther with genuine surprise.
"My apologies!" Ash patted Scyther, instructing it to sheathe its blades and stand firm. This was the true solitary warrior.
"That was amazing! Ash big brother won again!" Mei, still clutching the Pokémon Egg, was especially happy since this Scyther was caught by her and Ash together.
"Headmaster!" Aya, leading Venonat, also rushed over.
"Aya, who are these people?" The Headmaster was clearly very interested in Ash and Scyther. It turned out that Aya was currently undergoing ninja training at a Pokémon Ninja Academy located in this very forest. She herself came from a ninja family; Koga was a very powerful ninja, and now, she was being personally mentored by this Headmaster. It was just that Venonat's current strength was far from sufficient.
"So many Pokémon!" Mei sat on Bayleef's back, overjoyed to see so many Pokémon all at once. Ash was even happier, as he could now earn another wave of exchange points. What a delight! This time, he decided to exchange for another ability – a super ability that would allow his Pokémon to unleash a devastating ultimate move! It was just too expensive!
"At my Pokémon Ninja Academy, many students work day and night, diligently studying Pokémon Ninjutsu. Ariados's Spider Web, Venonat's Stun Spore, Scyther's Shadow Clone, Pineco's Spikes... these are all unique Pokémon Ninjutsu!" the Headmaster explained. Indeed, many Pokémon skills are imbued with a ninja aura. Even Ash's future ace, Greninja, is a living embodiment of ninja elements. This was the benefit of traveling – being able to witness all kinds of Pokémon and trainers.
"Aya, I've made up my mind!" Brock suddenly darted in front of Aya again. "I've decided to become your apprentice!" His intention was too obvious: use any means necessary to get closer to the young lady! (Hmm, I should really learn from the great Brock!)