"Hello! My name is Brock. Please, tell me your beautiful name!"
Seeing the young woman running toward them, Brock practically teleported to intercept her. This time, however, she ignored him completely and ran straight to Ash.
Under Ash's direction, Heracross and Chikorita had already successfully brought the Hoppip down.
"Hoppip, I was so worried about you!" The woman pulled the Hoppip into her arms, looking at Ash with gratitude. "Thank you so much!"
"My name is Mariah. If you don't mind, please come to my home for a rest."
Mariah lived in the nearby outskirts. In front of her red-roofed house stood a massive net. It was clearly designed to prevent her Hoppip from being blown away during high winds.
Mariah worked as a weather forecaster. Aside from the various anemometers on her roof and the instruments inside, she was researching how to use the behavioral patterns of Hoppip to predict the weather.
Suddenly, the group noticed seven Hoppip huddling together, intertwining the leaves on their heads. The sight made Mariah's heart sink.
"A strong wind is coming soon!"
As if on cue, dark clouds gathered, and the various wind gauges on the roof began to spin wildly.
"There's no mistake. A massive storm is forming, and it's heading right for us!" Mariah confirmed, her instruments backing up the Hoppips' warning.
Panic set in. The group rushed to board up the windows, but Mariah quickly realized the severity of the situation. This wasn't just a storm; it was a tornado, and it was heading straight for them in a linear path.
Even Mariah was terrified. "I've never seen a tornado this strong!" She turned to the group and shouted, "Everyone, get under the table, quickly!"
It was clear she didn't believe the house could withstand the force of the tornado.
Ash reacted the fastest. "Mariah, return the Hoppip to their Poké Balls!"
They had already moved the huddled Hoppip indoors, but if the house collapsed, the Hoppip would be in grave danger. They would be swept away and lost forever.
"But the Poké Balls..." Mariah hesitated. They had been put away, and finding them now would take too much time.
"Then there's no other way!"
Ash didn't bother returning Chikorita to her ball. Instead, he scooped up both Pikachu and Chikorita in his arms. Chikorita extended her Vine Whip and lashed itself around two of the Hoppip to keep them secure.
Misty followed suit, grabbing one Hoppip and Togepi and pulling them close before diving under the table. Brock, forgetting his attempts to woo Mariah,
grabbed another two Hoppip and held them tight. That accounted for five of the Hoppip. Mariah didn't hesitate either, hugging the last two Hoppip and shielding them under the table.
"Ash, thank you!" Mariah cried out.
No sooner had she spoken than the tornado arrived, mercilessly ripping the roof off the house. The terrifying wind was so loud it drowned out thought itself. It felt as if one's very mind was being swept away.
Moments later, the table proved unable to withstand the pressure and was sucked into the air. Mariah clung desperately to her Hoppip.
"Chikorita! Everyone! Just hold on a little longer!"
Ash was struggling the most. He was holding Pikachu and Chikorita, while Chikorita's Vine Whip held two more Hoppip. In the face of such a natural disaster, human strength felt pitifully small.
With the tables gone, a large piece of machinery was blown over, falling directly toward Misty!
"Dammit!" Ash gritted his teeth. Still holding Pikachu and Chikorita, he braced his back against the heavy machine to hold it up.
"Ash!" Misty's eyes welled with tears at his heroics, but as she tried to stand, the wind nearly took her. Ash reached out and grabbed her.
A blue light began to flicker around his body as his Aura Power surged, forming a stable protective layer around them. This was the first time Ash had utilized his Aura Power on such a scale. The mental energy he had just spent three days recovering began to drain rapidly.
His head throbbed with a splitting pain.
"Ash, you...!" Misty gasped. Under his protection, she couldn't even feel the wind!
But Ash's vision was darkening; he was on the verge of fainting.
"Chiko!" Chikorita cried out, looking at Ash with deep concern.
"It's okay, Misty... Chikorita... don't worry. Just hold on... it'll pass soon..."
However, it was obvious that Ash was in a bad state. On the other side of the room, Brock and Mariah were huddled together, each holding two Hoppip. By sticking together, they were managing to withstand the force of the wind.
"Damn it... is this tornado targeting me?" Ash hissed through gritted teeth. Why wouldn't it just leave!
Just as it seemed Ash couldn't hold on any longer, Chikorita began to emit a blinding light.
"What is this?"
As she evolved, Chikorita's body grew many times its original size. Ash could no longer hold her, and she landed firmly on the ground. The Vine Whip that had been holding the Hoppip extended further, knocking the heavy machinery off Ash's back and then wrapping around both Ash and Misty to anchor them.
Ash finally withdrew his Aura Power. Bayleef was significantly larger and heavier than Chikorita, allowing her to stand firm and immovable against the tornado's fury.
"That's amazing! Bayleef, you evolved!" Ash cried out in surprise and joy.
Chikorita had already gained significant experience, and Ash had poured a great deal of effort into her training recently. She had reached the level required for evolution long ago, but perhaps because she enjoyed sitting on Ash's shoulder, she had been unconsciously suppressing the change.
Now, however, to save Ash, she had chosen to evolve, trading her small stature for the strength to protect him. She wanted to fight for him!
In that instant, Bayleef's Bond Value rose to 160/200.
With Bayleef's evolved strength protecting them, the group held out until the tornado finally moved on, disappearing into the distance.
"Ash, are you okay?" Misty asked, rushing to support him as she noticed him swaying. Bayleef's Vine Whip remained wrapped around his waist to keep him from falling.
"I'm fine, Misty... Bayleef... thanks to you," Ash waved her off, signaling Bayleef to release him as he sat down on the ground.
Mariah checked on her seven Hoppip. They were all perfectly fine in fact, the carefree little things seemed quite happy.
"Ash, I can't thank you all enough!" Mariah said. The area was a wreck, but none of that mattered. Not a single Hoppip had been lost. If Ash and the others hadn't been there, she would have been in a desperate situation.
Ash patted Bayleef's rounded head. "The one you should thank is Bayleef. We really owe it to you!"
Bayleef Bond Value: 160/200
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/kleinmoretti to access 100+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).