"Bulba, Bulba!"
After letting out a pair of spirited cries toward Ash and Clarissa, the little green toad-like Pokémon acted immediately.
Two Vine Whips shot out from beneath the bulb on its back.
The vines wrapped around the unconscious Oddish lying on the ground.
Then, with a powerful leap, the Bulbasaur disappeared into the waist-high grass beside the clearing, vanishing without a trace.
"This…"
The whole situation had unfolded so suddenly that even Ash was caught off guard.
"Ash, that little Pokémon just now…"
"It looked like a Bulbasaur, one of Kanto's Grass-type starter Pokémon, didn't it?"
Clarissa covered her mouth in surprise as she stared in the direction the Bulbasaur had fled.
For a moment, she completely forgot that the Oddish she had just defeated and was about to capture had been stolen right before her eyes.
"Yeah."
"It was definitely a Bulbasaur."
Ash nodded, still looking astonished.
He had never expected to encounter a Bulbasaur in Viridian Forest.
I wonder if it's wild...
Or perhaps it belongs to a Trainer?
Or maybe it was abandoned?
Various possibilities flashed through his mind.
Starter Pokémon possessed two-stage evolutionary lines and generally began with at least Red Potential.
Whether in Kanto or any other region, obtaining a starter Pokémon required competing against countless other beginners.
No sane Trainer would simply release or abandon one.
Furthermore, they were currently deep within Viridian Forest, approaching its inner regions.
The Bulbasaur they had just encountered certainly didn't seem to have a Trainer nearby.
And considering that Viridian Forest was a paradise for Grass-, Bug-, and Flying-type Pokémon...
After a brief moment of deduction, Ash arrived at a conclusion.
That Bulbasaur is most likely wild.
"Ash?"
"What should we do now?"
Clarissa asked.
"We chase it."
Ash grinned.
"We finally found an Oddish that met our requirements."
"You already defeated it."
"You were only one step away from capturing it."
"How could we possibly let it get away now?"
"And then there's that Bulbasaur."
"I have a feeling it's wild."
"When you encounter a wild starter Pokémon in the wilderness, how could you possibly just walk away?"
A relaxed smile spread across his face.
Originally, today's trip to Viridian Forest had been entirely for Clarissa's benefit.
He already had plenty of Pokémon.
In fact, he hadn't planned on catching any new ones for himself.
Pikachu and Pidgeot had already matured into powerful members of his primary team.
Greninja and Fearow weren't far behind.
The four members of his first-tier squad barely required any special attention anymore.
Meanwhile, Milotic and Gyarados had just evolved and were entering a period of explosive growth.
Those two currently required most of his training focus.
Managing them wasn't difficult, but Ash had also been preparing to begin intensive Aura development training.
Adding another Pokémon to the roster would certainly increase his workload.
Still...
Plans rarely survived contact with reality.
A wild Bulbasaur had appeared right in front of him.
If he passed up an opportunity like this, he'd never forgive himself.
As for his Aura training?
He'd simply have to work a little harder.
"Alright!"
Clarissa nodded.
Truthfully, she still felt a bit unwilling to let that Oddish go.
After all, it had almost become her Pokémon.
Seeing that Clarissa agreed, Ash wasted no time.
He immediately activated his Aura tracking ability.
"Pidgeot, Fearow!"
"Track that Bulbasaur from the air!"
"Pikachu, Greninja!"
"Stay alert and keep watch!"
Then he reached out and took Clarissa's hand.
"Let's go!"
Together, they followed the direction in which the Bulbasaur had fled.
...
...
With Aura tracking combined with the aerial reconnaissance of Pidgeot and Fearow, there was nowhere for the Bulbasaur to hide.
No matter which direction it ran, Ash could quickly determine its position.
After weaving through the forest for quite some time, the pursuit eventually led them to the edge of a cliff.
Below, a swift river thundered through a narrow gorge.
Fortunately, a wooden suspension bridge connected the two sides of the ravine.
"Bulba! Bulba!"
The Bulbasaur had already crossed to the opposite side.
Oddish still hung from its Vine Whips.
Standing on the far cliff, it turned around and waved mockingly at Ash.
"A suspension bridge?"
Ash frowned.
Finding a bridge like this in the middle of Viridian Forest felt strangely out of place.
The forest was a primeval wilderness.
Why would such a structure exist here?
A sense of suspicion rose in his heart.
But before he could think too deeply about it, the Bulbasaur stuck out its tongue and continued taunting them from the opposite side.
Ash immediately abandoned his train of thought.
He grabbed Clarissa's hand and led everyone toward the bridge.
"Creak... creak..."
Strong winds howled through the gorge.
The suspension bridge swayed violently from side to side.
Every movement caused the wooden planks and ropes to groan ominously.
The sounds alone were enough to make anyone nervous.
"Greninja."
"Pikachu."
"You two cross first."
"That'll reduce the load on the bridge."
Then Ash turned toward Clarissa.
"Don't be scared."
"Hold onto the ropes and move forward slowly."
Pikachu and Greninja responded immediately.
"Pika~!"
"Gre-nja~!"
The two Pokémon dashed across the bridge in moments and reached the opposite side.
With their weight removed, the bridge felt slightly more stable.
Ash and Clarissa both breathed a small sigh of relief.
Then disaster struck.
SNAP!
One of the supporting ropes behind them suddenly broke.
The entire bridge tilted violently.
"Ah—!"
Clarissa's face instantly turned pale.
The wooden planks flipped nearly vertical.
Both of them lost their footing.
The world spun.
Their bodies plunged downward.
Fortunately, Ash reacted instantly.
His left hand shot upward and grabbed one of the remaining support ropes.
At the same time, his right hand lunged downward.
Just before Clarissa fell further, he caught her wrist.
"Ash!" (⊙﹏⊙)
Even someone as strong-willed as Clarissa couldn't hide the fear in her eyes.
Her voice trembled slightly.
"Don't be afraid."
"We'll be fine."
After reassuring her, Ash looked toward the opposite cliff.
Pikachu and Greninja stood there, visibly panicking.
"Greninja!"
"Use your tongue and pull us up!"
Ash shouted.
Greninja immediately nodded.
The tongue wrapped around its neck like a scarf suddenly shot forward.
Stretching over five meters in an instant, it coiled around both Ash's and Clarissa's waists.
Then—
YANK!
With a powerful pull, Greninja dragged them through the air.
A second later, both Ash and Clarissa landed safely on the opposite cliff.
For the moment, the crisis had been averted.
But as Ash steadied himself and glanced at the broken bridge behind them, his eyes narrowed.
That rope hadn't snapped naturally.
Something about this entire situation felt very wrong.
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T/N:
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