After saying goodbye to Duplica and her Ditto, Ash and his companions arrived at a forest famous for its tall and lush Exeggutor trees, the Leaf Forest.
By coincidence, a lively carnival was being held there. Colorful flags and stalls were everywhere, and cheerful crowds filled the area. The air was rich with the aroma of delicious food and lively music.
"Wow! A carnival!" Misty's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Let's go have some fun!"
Ash and Brock were also swept up by the festive atmosphere, and the three of them quickly blended into the bustling celebration.
Ash and Brock were even pulled into the crowd by enthusiastic dancers, clumsily but energetically following the rhythm of the music.
While Ash and Brock were immersed in dancing, the observant Misty noticed a lonely figure standing in a corner.
It was a young man wearing a slightly faded magician's robe and a tall top hat. He was muttering to himself while staring at an empty box. Curious, Misty walked over to ask what was wrong.
The young magician introduced himself as Melvin. It turned out his assistant had just abandoned him and even ran off with his most important performance props.
Now he had neither an assistant nor proper equipment, and he had nearly lost all confidence in performing.
"Please, miss, could you temporarily be my assistant? Just for a little while!" When Melvin saw Misty, he clung to the opportunity like a drowning man grasping for a lifeline, pleading repeatedly.
Kind hearted Misty hesitated for a moment when she saw how miserable and sincere he looked, but in the end she agreed to help him.
However, Melvin's magic performance was… painful to watch.
Without proper props and with clumsy technique, his so called "vanishing person" trick nearly left Misty stuck inside the box, and the "levitation" act ended with Misty falling flat when the mechanism malfunctioned.
The audience booed loudly, and the carnival organizer angrily dismissed Melvin from the show.
"I'm sorry… I dragged you into this…" Melvin crouched in a corner, holding his broken props, looking utterly dejected. "I'm really just a failed magician…"
At that moment, Ash and Brock arrived and learned what had happened.
Looking at the despondent Melvin, Ash did not laugh at him. Instead, he stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.
"One failure doesn't mean anything. What matters is that you don't give up on your dream. Maybe your magic still needs practice, but we've seen your passion. Let's think of a way to help you together."
Ash's encouragement made Melvin lift his head, a faint spark of hope rekindling in his eyes.
Just then, a group of Exeggutor suddenly appeared from somewhere in the forest. With heavy steps, they began wandering toward the center of the carnival grounds.
There were many of them, and their massive bodies knocked over stalls and tore down flags wherever they passed. The crowd panicked and scattered as the joyful festival threatened to be destroyed.
"It's an Exeggutor group!" Brock exclaimed. "It looks like they're being drawn by something… or maybe they're sleepwalking?"
They had to stop them.
Ash immediately sent out Charmander, hoping to block the Exeggutor's path with flames.
"Charmander, use Ember on the ground in front of them!"
Charmander did its best to spit flames, but against the large group of Exeggutor, which also had the type advantage over it, the small sparks barely made a difference. Instead, it caught the attention of several Exeggutor, who began shaking their heads as they prepared to launch Seed Bomb.
Seeing the danger, Charmander's suppressed power suddenly erupted as it tried to protect its trainer and companions. A dazzling white light instantly enveloped its body.
Evolution.
Charmeleon.
The newly evolved Charmeleon had grown larger, and the flame on its tail burned far more intensely, radiating an imposing aura.
It raised its head and let out a powerful roar, momentarily intimidating some of the Exeggutor.
Ash felt the surging power inside Charmeleon and the strong bond between them, strengthened through long periods of Aura communication and mutual understanding. He knew this was the perfect moment to further enhance its strength.
Silently, he thought, "System, exchange for High Quality Charcoal."
[800 World Points consumed. Successfully exchanged for High Quality Charcoal. Equipped directly to Charmeleon.]
[Current World Points: 18,600]
A warm and powerful fire type energy instantly flowed through Charmeleon's body. With a sudden burst, the flame on its tail surged higher, its color becoming deeper and more intense.
Feeling the strength bestowed by its trainer, Charmeleon's loyalty and fighting spirit reached their peak, without the slightest sign of disobedience.
"Great, Charmeleon!" Ash's confidence soared. "Let them see our power. Use Fire Spin!"
With the High Quality Charcoal equipped, Charmeleon's Fire Spin spread wider and burned hotter. The blazing wall of fire successfully blocked the Exeggutor group's advance, trapping them in place for the moment.
"We'll help too!" Brock sent out Vulpix, the one entrusted to him by Suzie, and had it use Flamethrower. Misty commanded Starmie to use Water Gun to moisten the somewhat dried roots of the Exeggutor, hoping it might wake them from their trance.
Meanwhile, Melvin stood nearby watching Ash and his Pokémon fight with all their might to protect the carnival. Seeing the powerful strength Charmeleon displayed under Ash's command deeply moved him.
He remembered the reason he had become a magician in the first place: to bring joy and wonder to people.
"I… I can't give up either!" Melvin suddenly stood up. Picking up the scattered colorful cloth and his remaining props, determination returned to his eyes. "Everyone! Look over here! The real magic begins now!"
Taking a deep breath, he poured all his focus and passion into the performance.
Even without complicated mechanisms, he cleverly used visual illusions and skilled hand movements to create a large illusion with the colorful cloth. It successfully attracted the attention of most of the Exeggutor and gradually guided them back toward the forest.
His performance was simple, but filled with sincerity and quick thinking, almost like a different kind of magic.
With Ash and Charmeleon, strengthened by the High Quality Charcoal, blocking the path with force, along with Brock and Misty's support, and Melvin's determined and ingenious "magic" guiding them away, the Exeggutor group was finally led back into the depths of the forest. The carnival crisis was resolved.
The crowd burst into enthusiastic applause for Ash's bravery and for Melvin's courageous effort at the crucial moment.
The carnival organizer also realized he had acted too rashly earlier. He invited Melvin to return to the performance and even promised to fund the purchase of new props.
Melvin gratefully grasped Ash's hand. "Thank you, Ash! You made me realize that real magic isn't about how fancy the props are. It's about the determination to never give up and the desire to bring joy to others!"
"If you've realized that, then you've truly understood it," Ash said with a smile, patting his shoulder.
Charmander had successfully evolved into the powerful and loyal Charmeleon, strengthened further by the High Quality Charcoal. At the same time, the discouraged magician Melvin had regained his confidence and his dream.
With double the joy, Ash and his companions said goodbye to the now lively Leaf Forest carnival and continued on their journey.
After all, a journey should include a bit of everyday life too.
(T/N: Man... I know author-sama skipped many filler episode, but I was kinda hopping for Cyber Soldier Porygon.)