"Whoosh—!"
Click... Click... Click... Ding!
Gloom transformed into a beam of red light and was drawn into the Poké Ball.
The ball shook gently in Clarissa's hand several times before finally releasing a crisp chime.
The capture was successful.
"(^▽^)"
A bright smile immediately appeared on Clarissa's face.
She had successfully captured a Gloom with excellent potential, and her happiness was written all over her expression.
Meanwhile, Ash turned toward the Bulbasaur still resting in Melanie's arms.
"So, Bulbasaur."
"Would you be willing to become my Pokémon?"
"Bulba Bulba"
Bulbasaur shook its head.
Then it pointed toward the battlefield and assumed a fighting stance.
"Oh?"
Ash raised an eyebrow before smiling.
"You want me to defeat you in battle first before you'll willingly become my Pokémon?"
"Alright."
Through the Natural Affinity granted by the Power of Viridian and the Telepathy of Aura, Ash easily understood what Bulbasaur was trying to convey.
He readily agreed.
A capture battle was an important ritual between Trainers and Pokémon.
When both sides knew little about each other, battling was the fastest way to gain an initial understanding.
And when both sides already knew each other's strength, a formal capture battle became a matter of mutual respect.
Bulbasaur had already witnessed Pikachu and Greninja's overwhelming power during the Beedrill attack.
It knew how strong Ash was.
Yet it still insisted on having a battle.
Perhaps it was its final bit of pride.
Its last insistence before leaving the sanctuary.
Naturally, Ash chose to honor that wish.
"System, scan Bulbasaur's data."
As everyone moved aside and Ash and Bulbasaur stepped into the open clearing, Ash used the brief preparation period before the battle to inspect Bulbasaur's information.
After all, this was the very Bulbasaur that his predecessor had captured in the original anime timeline.
During the journey to collect Gym Badges and even during the Indigo Plateau Conference, Bulbasaur had contributed enormously.
More importantly, it had accomplished all of that without ever evolving.
Naturally, Ash was very curious about its talent.
Ding. Scanning. Please wait...
A moment later, the results appeared.
[Pokémon: Bulbasaur]
Level: LV.14
Type: Grass / Poison
Personality: Calm, Strong Sense of Justice, Strong Sense of Responsibility
Ability: Overgrow
HP: 50
Attack: 52
Defense: 52
Special Attack: 70
Special Defense: 70
Speed: 50
Total: 344
Potential: Blue Potential
Moves (Copyable):
Proficient: Tackle, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf
Skilled: Growl, Growth
Novice: Leech Seed
Because Bulbasaur was only Level 14, its data sheet was relatively simple.
Still, there were several details that immediately caught Ash's attention.
First was its potential.
Blue Potential.
That was significantly higher than the Red Potential commonly seen among starter Pokémon.
Its six core stats were also noticeably above average for its species.
Then there was its personality.
Calm.
Strong sense of justice.
Strong sense of responsibility.
"No wonder it became the peacemaker and caretaker of Professor Oak's ranch in the original anime."
Ash nodded inwardly.
The description fit perfectly.
"Since my opponent is Bulbasaur, I'll leave this battle to you."
"Come on out, Milotic."
Ash tossed a Poké Ball into the air.
Bulbasaur was only Level 14.
If he used any member of his primary team—most of whom were already above Level 40 and firmly within the Red Tier—the battle would end instantly.
Without holding back, they could probably defeat Bulbasaur in a single move.
To avoid crushing Bulbasaur's confidence, Ash chose a member of his second team instead.
Furthermore, he intentionally avoided using Gyarados, whose Flying-type advantages would have made the matchup even more unfair.
Instead, he chose a pure Water-type Pokémon.
"Milooooo~!"
The Poké Ball opened.
Accompanied by a long, elegant cry, a graceful figure appeared upon the grassy field.
Milotic.
Its beautiful scales shimmered beneath the sunlight.
Its long body flowed with mesmerizing elegance.
An air of mystery and dreamlike beauty surrounded it.
Although Milotic's Cute Charm-like attraction effect required physical contact to activate, simply seeing Milotic's breathtaking appearance was enough to momentarily stun Bulbasaur.
"Bulba..."
The little Pokémon froze.
Its eyes widened.
For a moment, it forgot that it was standing on a battlefield.
"Bulbasaur."
Ash chuckled.
"You can't afford to lose focus during a battle."
"You can attack first."
"Bulba!"
Bulbasaur immediately shook its head and snapped back to reality.
The dazed look vanished.
Its eyes sharpened.
Its fighting spirit returned.
Since Ash had given it the first move, Bulbasaur didn't hesitate.
It scraped its forelegs across the grass.
Snort!
Two streams of hot breath burst from its nostrils.
Then, like an enraged Tauros, Bulbasaur charged straight toward Milotic.
"Tackle, huh?"
"Milotic, use Aqua Ring to knock it away, then follow up with Water Gun."
The moment Bulbasaur launched its attack, Ash calmly issued his command.
Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
Milotic remained where it was.
It didn't move an inch.
Just as Bulbasaur closed the distance with Tackle—
"Aqua Ring."
Whoosh—!
Two intersecting rings of water began circling around Milotic like miniature planetary orbits.
Ordinarily, Aqua Ring was a recovery move.
But at that moment—
The rings suddenly expanded outward.
BOOM!!
The rotating water rings transformed into a powerful repelling force.
Bulbasaur was struck head-on.
"Bulbaaa!!"
The little Pokémon cried out in pain as it was blasted backward.
The enlarged Aqua Ring immediately contracted again, returning to its original form as twin streams of circulating water around Milotic's body.
At the same time, the rings continuously replenished Milotic's moisture and stamina.
Then the counterattack began.
Pshh!
Pshh!
Pshh!
Water Gun after Water Gun erupted from Milotic's mouth.
Like a barrage of water bullets, the attacks hammered toward Bulbasaur.
"Bulba!"
Bulbasaur was thrown into complete disarray.
Even though Milotic was a Water-type and Bulbasaur possessed a Grass-type advantage, the difference in combat ability between the two sides was simply too large.
Yet Bulbasaur truly was worthy of being the guardian of the Pokémon Sanctuary.
Worthy of its Blue Potential.
Despite being overwhelmed, it gritted its teeth and endured the pain.
The instant its body touched the ground—
It retaliated.
"Bulbaaa!!"
Sharp leaves erupted from the bulb on its back.
Razor Leaf!
The attack shot toward Milotic like a storm of spinning blades.
Unlike Water Gun, which targeted a single opponent, Razor Leaf was an area-of-effect attack.
No matter how rapidly Milotic fired Water Gun, it couldn't shoot down every single leaf.
Seeing the incoming barrage, Milotic immediately ceased its Water Gun assault.
There was no need for Ash to issue another command.
As the Razor Leaf attack approached, Milotic had already made its next move on its own.
Its beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.
Its elegant body shifted gracefully.
And the true battle between the guardian of the sanctuary and the beautiful sea serpent was only just beginning...
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T/N:
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