"Bulba?!"
Bulbasaur's eyes widened in shock.
It clearly hadn't expected its all-out Razor Leaf to be neutralized so effortlessly.
"Milotic, use Attract!"
Ash paid no attention to Bulbasaur's momentary daze.
After all, Milotic had casually swept away the incoming Razor Leaf with a single Dragon Tail, completely erasing the attack.
Now that the battle had fully entered its decisive phase, Ash immediately issued another command.
"Miiilooo"
Milotic's graceful body coiled elegantly like a beautiful sea serpent.
Then it rose into the air.
Like a celestial dragon dancing among the clouds, Milotic floated gracefully above the battlefield.
Its playful, charming eyes blinked toward Bulbasaur.
A string of pink hearts suddenly appeared and circled around the little Grass-type Pokémon.
Bulbasaur had only just recovered from the shock of seeing its Razor Leaf effortlessly destroyed.
The next moment—
It was struck by Attract.
"Bulba..."
Its eyes instantly transformed into heart shapes.
The little Pokémon stood rooted in place, completely entranced.
Ash wasn't surprised in the slightest.
After all, Milotic was one of the Pokémon he had carefully nurtured from the very beginning.
Although the type matchup wasn't in Milotic's favor, fighting against unfavorable type matchups was practically a required course for every Pokémon under Ash's command on their path toward becoming truly powerful.
"Milotic, finish it."
"Use Water Pulse."
Seeing that Bulbasaur had fallen completely under Attract's influence, Ash calmly gave the final command.
"Miiilooo!"
The elegant Pokémon let out a long, ethereal cry.
Raising its slender neck high, it opened its mouth and unleashed a Water Pulse toward the entranced Bulbasaur below.
BOOM!!
A sphere of compressed water shot forward.
Then another.
And another.
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
Three Water Pulse projectiles struck in rapid succession.
Bulbasaur, trapped in its lovestruck state, had become little more than a stationary target.
The attacks landed cleanly.
"Bulbaaaa!!"
The little Pokémon was blasted backward.
It crashed onto the grass.
Its eyes rolled upward.
Then it collapsed completely.
Bulbasaur had lost the ability to battle.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You defeated LV.14 Bulbasaur.]
[Experience gained: 176]
Hearing the familiar system notification, Ash didn't hesitate.
He immediately retrieved an empty Poké Ball from his system inventory and threw it toward the unconscious Bulbasaur.
Click!
A beam of red light engulfed Bulbasaur and pulled it into the Poké Ball.
The ball landed on the grass.
Shake.
Shake.
Then—
Ding!
Three crisp chimes rang out.
The capture was successful.
When the Beedrill swarm had attacked earlier, Ash had stepped forward without hesitation to save everyone.
As a result, Bulbasaur had already developed feelings of admiration and trust toward him.
Furthermore, the two had agreed beforehand that this battle would determine whether Bulbasaur joined him.
Now that Ash's Pokémon had defeated it fairly and openly, Bulbasaur naturally accepted the result wholeheartedly.
There wasn't the slightest bit of resistance.
"I captured Bulbasaur!"
(=^▽^=)/
Aside from Pikachu and Greninja, Ash had now successfully recruited another one of the iconic Pokémon from the original anime storyline.
Naturally, he was thrilled.
"Come on out, Bulbasaur."
After celebrating with a triumphant victory pose, Ash immediately released his newly captured Pokémon.
Flash!
Bulbasaur reappeared on the grass.
"Healing Grace."
A soft green light flowed from Ash's hand.
The wounds Bulbasaur had sustained during the battle rapidly healed.
A moment later, the little Pokémon slowly opened its eyes.
"Bulbasaur."
"From now on, we're partners."
"Please take care of me."
Ash greeted it with a sincere smile.
"Bulba Bulba" (^▽^)
Under the influence of Ash's Natural Affinity, Bulbasaur immediately rubbed its head affectionately against his hand.
It looked extremely attached already.
Clarissa had successfully captured Gloom.
Ash had successfully captured Bulbasaur.
Not only had the objectives for today's trip into Viridian Forest been completed—
They had exceeded expectations.
However, Ash didn't leave immediately after obtaining his new Pokémon.
Instead, he stayed behind to help Melanie and the other Pokémon in the sanctuary.
During the Beedrill attack, Ash hadn't intervened right away.
As a result, Melanie and many of the Pokémon had suffered various injuries.
Now that he was in an excellent mood after his successful captures, Ash willingly used Healing Grace to treat everyone's wounds.
The injuries left by the Beedrill quickly disappeared under the emerald glow of Viridian Power.
After finishing the treatments, Ash glanced at Melanie's wooden cabin and the peaceful valley surrounding it.
Then a thought suddenly struck him.
"Melanie."
"Earlier, you mentioned that you're planning to disband the Pokémon Sanctuary and move somewhere else, right?"
"Mm."
Melanie nodded.
"Even though I love this place, the Beedrill colony in the forest nearby is too much of a threat."
"I have no choice but to consider moving."
"As for disbanding the sanctuary..."
She lowered her head slightly.
"To be honest, I'd already been considering it for a while."
"I just couldn't bear to do it."
"But now..."
"I think it's finally time."
"The Pokémon that have fully recovered should return to nature."
As she spoke, she looked around the valley she had lived in for so long.
Then she looked at the Pokémon who had accompanied her through countless lonely days.
A trace of reluctance appeared in her eyes.
Ash understood that feeling.
"After you disband the sanctuary and move somewhere else, what are your plans?"
"Will you continue caring for injured or abandoned Pokémon?"
"Or are you planning to move back into a town or city?"
"Also..."
Ash looked at her curiously.
"Do you even have a stable source of income while living alone in Viridian Forest?"
"Um..."
Melanie fell into thought.
After a moment, she answered honestly.
"I don't have any relatives left outside."
"And I'm extremely introverted."
"I get nervous around people."
"Even though living in Viridian Forest can be dangerous, I'd still rather stay here than move back into society."
She paused before continuing.
"I also genuinely love Pokémon."
"So after moving, I'd still like to continue helping injured Pokémon and those abandoned by their Trainers."
"Income is the real problem."
"Living alone in the forest doesn't require much money."
"I don't buy fancy clothes."
"A lot of my food can be gathered directly from nature."
"But some illnesses require proper medicine."
"And various living supplies still need to be purchased."
"Previously, I earned money by submitting articles to magazines."
She smiled bitterly.
"But apparently my life in the forest is too repetitive."
"Most magazines aren't interested in my writing anymore."
"So now I don't really have a stable income."
She looked toward the battered cabin nearby.
"And because wild Pokémon keep damaging the cabin, repair costs are becoming more and more expensive."
"My savings are running out."
The more she spoke, the more troubled she appeared.
However—
After hearing her explanation, a smile slowly appeared on Ash's face.
"Melanie."
"Regarding the income problem..."
"I think I might be able to help."
Ash's eyes gleamed.
Coincidentally, he happened to have a certain job that needed to be outsourced to someone trustworthy.
And the girl living alone in Viridian Forest before him...
Seemed like the perfect candidate.
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals