The atmosphere on the way to the National Park was somewhat strange.
Looking at Misty, who insisted on coming along, Ash could not help but try persuading her again.
"Are you really sure you want to come? You know the Bug-Catching Contest will have lots of Bug-type Pokémon around."
Misty straightened her back and forced herself to appear calm.
"I-It's fine! I already said I won't cause you any trouble. Brock and I can just wait for you outside the park."
Beside them, Brock wore a thoughtful expression. He had keenly noticed that Misty's unusual persistence seemed to be hiding something on her mind.
However, being the considerate companion that he was, he chose to remain silent for now and instead shifted the topic to the upcoming Bug-Catching Contest.
"Ash, what Bug-type Pokémon are you planning to catch this time? Scyther?" Brock asked, then quickly remembered something. "Wait, that can't be right. You already have Scyther!"
Unexpectedly, Ash shook his head.
"No, my target this time is Beedrill."
"Beedrill?" Brock looked slightly surprised. "Why choose it? As far as I remember, you've never shown much interest in Pokémon like Beedrill."
Based on Brock's understanding of Ash, a Pokémon like Scyther perfectly matched his battle style, but Beedrill was much harder to figure out.
Ash smiled and began explaining his reasoning in detail.
"From the perspective of team composition, Beedrill can make up for several weaknesses we currently have. First, its Poison typing can counter Fairy-types, while its Bug and Poison combination is effective against Fighting-types and Grass-types. Second, Beedrill is among the fastest Bug-type Pokémon, making it ideal for high-speed offensive tactics."
After a brief pause, he continued his analysis.
"More importantly, Beedrill's evolutionary line is relatively straightforward. It only requires raising friendship to reach its final stage, which means it can become combat-ready much faster. In comparison, Scyther requires a Metal Coat and a trade evolution."
Ash silently added another thought in his mind.
Once Mega Evolution appeared in the future, Mega Beedrill would become an incredibly powerful force. Of course, if he said something like that now, nobody would believe him, so he kept the idea to himself.
As they chatted, the trio arrived at the entrance of the National Park.
A staff member dressed in a Venomoth mascot costume enthusiastically approached them.
"What is the grand prize for this tournament?" Ash asked with concern.
"The winner will receive a Sun Stone, in addition to keeping the Bug-type Pokémon they catch during the competition," the staff member answered.
A Sun Stone!
A flash of excitement appeared in Ash's eyes.
This Evolution Stone could evolve Gloom into Bellossom and Sunkern into Sunflora. In the future, it could also help Pokémon like Cottonee and Petilil evolve.
Overall, it was definitely a prize worth fighting for.
After arranging for Misty and Brock to wait outside the park, Ash entered the venue alone to register.
To his surprise, he encountered a familiar face there, the rookie trainer Casey.
"Hi, Ash! Long time no see!" Casey greeted him enthusiastically. It seemed she had fully recovered from the crushing defeat when Ash's Pidgeot had swept through her entire team last time.
"Looks like you've improved quite a bit," Ash remarked as he noticed the energetic Chikorita beside her. It was obvious the Pokémon had been receiving excellent training.
To encourage the junior trainer, Ash released his own Bayleef.
The two Pokémon quickly became friendly with each other. Seeing Bayleef affectionately rubbing against Ash made both Casey and her Chikorita look visibly envious.
After registration was completed, all participants gathered at the starting line.
The rules of the competition were simple. Each trainer could only use one Pokémon as assistance, so Ash naturally chose Pikachu. Any captured Pokémon had to be caught using the special Park Ball. Everyone only received one ball, but before successfully catching their desired target, they were free to change targets at any time.
"The competition begins!"
At the announcer's command, Ash shot into the forest like an arrow released from a bow.
With the help of his Aura abilities, he quickly located the area where a Beedrill colony lived.
However, danger lurked along the way. To reach his destination, he had to pass through a dense patch of bushes, which also happened to be the Beedrill colony's territory.
Wasn't this exactly like having a pillow delivered when you were feeling sleepy?
"Pikachu, get ready for battle," Ash quietly reminded his partner on his shoulder.
Just as they were about to cross the bushes, an angry buzzing sound suddenly filled the air.
A swarm of Beedrill burst out from their nest. Seeing Ash and Pikachu as intruders, they were clearly furious about the trespass.
"This is bad." Ash quickly made his decision. "Pikachu, provide cover with Thunder Shock! We have to stop them here, otherwise other contestants could be put in danger!"
Golden electricity flashed throughout the forest. While directing Pikachu to use defensive attacks, Ash carefully observed the swarm.
Suddenly, one particular Beedrill caught his attention.
Its body was noticeably more robust than the others. Its movements were faster, and its stingers gleamed with an unusual purple sheen.
"That's the one!" Determination flashed in Ash's eyes. "Pikachu, use Electro Ball on that Beedrill leading the group! I'm going to catch it right here!"
Ash felt that Beedrill could serve as a valuable trump card in the future. If he ever faced Giovanni someday, perhaps it could even learn something from battling the master of Team Rocket himself.
...
RedX43's Note:
➤ Want More? Get up to +25 Extra Chapters on Patreon!
➤ [email protected]/RedX43
➤ +200 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter Drop!
➤ Consider giving a review or leave some comments, it help boost the story!
➤ Thanks for reading! 🙌