"Catching bugs! Catching bugs!"
As girls go, Molly Hale and Misty couldn't have had more opposite reactions. All along the way to the National Park, Molly was cheering and jumping for joy on the back of Ash's Houndoom.
She seemed to genuinely love this kind of activity.
"Ash, the bug type Pokémon you've got your heart set on is Scyther, isn't it?" Brock asked, knowing his friend well.
Ash nodded. "Exactly. Morrison and Ritchie both had Scythers that were incredibly cool. They really fit my battle style!"
Truth be told, Ash's group had encountered Scythers more than once during their travels. Back in the Orange Islands, Tracey Sketchit had even caught an elderly Scyther.
Unfortunately, the previous version of Ash had never managed to catch one for himself. Now that he had transmigrated here, Ash was determined to raise a magnificent "Red Flash!"
Just imagine it when his Scizor underwent its Bond Phenomenon, it wouldn't be that angular, mechanical Mega Evolution. It would be something far more elegant and powerful!
With his System Shop, Ash could get his hands on any rare item he needed just by winning a few more battles. He could easily catch a Scyther and then evolve it into a Scizor.
"Big Brother Ash, can I go in with you?" Molly asked, tugging on his hand.
"Let's go ask the staff!"
At the entrance to the National Park, several staff members were dressed in Venomoth mascot suits.
"Excuse me, what are the prizes for the winner?" Ash asked. Since he was aiming for the championship, it only made sense to ask about the loot!
"The winner receives luxury goods and the bug type Pokémon they caught as a prize!" the staff member explained.
In other words, if you won, you got to take your new friend home!
Perfect. He was definitely in.
"I'd like to sign up for the Bug-Catching Contest. Can my little sister come inside with me?" Ash inquired.
The staff member looked at Molly, and seeing the hopeful glimmer in her eyes, he nodded. "Of course. However, please make sure to look after her. There are still dangers within the park!"
"Molly isn't afraid! Big Brother Ash is the strongest!" Molly cheered the moment she heard she could go.
The National Park certainly wasn't without its risks. If nothing else, the swarms of Beedrill alone were enough to give most trainers a serious headache.
While they were lining up to register, the group ran into a familiar face.
It was Casey, the rookie trainer Ash had battled before!
"Ash! Long time no see! Are you participating in the Bug-Catching Contest too? So am I!" Casey called out, running toward them.
Her Chikorita looked as energetic as ever.
"Since we went our separate ways, Chikorita and I have done a ton of special training. We've been on a winning streak!" Casey had clearly experienced a lot on her own journey.
"Casey, Chikorita, come meet your senior," Ash said, tossing a Poké Ball.
Bayleef's much larger form appeared before Casey and Chikorita, immediately nuzzling Ash's arm with affection.
"It's a Bayleef!" Seeing the evolved form of her partner, Casey looked even more excited than her Pokémon.
In terms of size, Bayleef was actually large enough to carry Molly, and its rounded body would have been more comfortable to sit on. However, Ash wanted Houndoom to train while wearing its Macho Brace. Having it carry Molly was a way to kill two birds with one stone.
After signing up, Ash and Casey stood in the queue, waiting for the contest to begin.
The rules stipulated that trainers could only use one Pokémon. For Ash, his partner was naturally Pikachu, so he simply held Molly's hand and waited quietly.
Furthermore, trainers weren't allowed to use their own Poké Balls to catch bug type Pokémon. They had to use a special Sport Ball provided by the park one per person.
Unlike a standard Poké Ball, which becomes useless once a Pokémon is released, these Sport Balls could be used repeatedly until the trainer decided on the specific bug type they wanted to keep.
Ash received a Sport Ball, which Molly immediately took and hugged to her chest. Molly was fascinated by Poké Balls; to her, they represented the true romance of being a Pokémon Trainer.
As the announcer declared the start of the Bug-Catching Contest, Ash gave Casey a quick wave, hoisted Molly onto his back, and took off at a dead sprint.
"So fast! Go, Brother! Go, Pikachu!"
Ash didn't even know how fast he was running. Molly cheered from his back this was, after all, a girl who had once dared to ride an Entei all over the place.
In no time at all, Ash left the other contestants in the dust and dived deep into the heart of the forest.
"Big Brother Ash, do you want to catch a Scyther?" Molly asked from atop his head.
"I do. If you see one, make sure to tell me, okay?" Ash replied with a laugh. He wasn't worried about Molly recognizing one; despite her age, she knew quite a lot about Pokémon.
"Mhm! I'll look really hard!"
Ash smiled; she was such a well-behaved girl.
In truth, he was running so fast because he had already detected the general location of the Scyther population. Deep in the forest ahead was a Scyther nesting ground. Back then, the elderly Scyther Tracey had caught had been a deposed leader of such a colony.
"Brother, there's a Weedle!"
"Molly, you have to be careful when you see a Weedle. If you hit a small one, it's easy to attract a whole bunch of big ones!"
No sooner had the words left Ash's mouth than a massive swarm of Beedrill suddenly flew out, as if proving his point.
"Brother, it's the Beedrill!" Molly's voice trembled with fear.
But Ash and Pikachu didn't show the slightest hint of cowardice.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
With a single command, Pikachu unleashed a "map cannon" of electricity. The entire swarm of Beedrill was instantly paralyzed, falling from the sky like a hail of dumplings.
Ash didn't pay them any more mind; they would recover after a short rest. Casey had mentioned she liked yellow Pokémon with stripes; he figured she'd have a field day with all these Beedrill.
Crossing through the Beedrill territory and passing several trees hanging heavy with Pineco, Ash finally reached the Scyther domain.
"Brother, look! Scyther!"
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