After leaving Pokémon Tech, Ash and his group continued their journey toward Vermilion City.
While passing through a picturesque plain, they encountered a gentle young girl named Melanie, who was tending to wild Pokémon.
"Hello there, I'm Melanie," she introduced herself with a warm smile. "I'm responsible for looking after the Pokémon in this area."
A variety of docile Pokémon followed her, including several Oddish that seemed particularly close to her.
While Ash and the others were talking with Melanie, one of the Oddish accidentally tumbled down a slope. It twisted its foot and let out a pained cry.
"Oh no! Oddish!" Melanie ran over, her face full of anxiety.
Ash immediately stepped forward. "Don't worry, we have a Potion!" He skillfully brought out the medicine and carefully treated Oddish's wound. His Aura flowed slightly, transmitting a soothing emotion that quickly calmed the little Pokémon down.
Melanie looked at Ash with gratitude. "Thank you! You really are a kind-hearted Trainer."
Just then, a stubborn and alert figure emerged from the tall grass it was a Bulbasaur.
When it saw Ash and Melanie caring for the Oddish, the guard in its eyes softened slightly, though it still kept its distance. It appeared to be the de facto guardian of the Pokémon in this area.
Melanie explained, "This Bulbasaur has lived here for a long time. It's very strong and protective of everyone, but... it seems to have been hurt by a Trainer in the past, so it doesn't trust humans very much."
Ash nodded in understanding. Through his Aura, he could feel Bulbasaur's internal resilience and a faint, almost imperceptible sense of loneliness. He didn't rush to approach it, instead choosing to respect its space.
This Bulbasaur had its own pride. Given that it had been scarred by a human before, its wariness was hardly surprising.
Furthermore, based on what he knew of the future, this Bulbasaur was quite dismissive of evolution. Its philosophy was that it could become stronger even without evolving.
In the early stages of the original journey, Bulbasaur had indeed been a mainstay of the team. However, after the Johto arc, once it was appointed as the guardian of Professor Oak's backyard, its appearances became few and far between.
As it happened, Ash had purchased an Everstone back at the Pewter Gym. If this Bulbasaur still had no desire to evolve, Ash would follow its wishes and let it wear the Everstone.
However, just as Ash was lost in thought, a boisterous voice shattered the silence.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
The Team Rocket trio made their grand entrance once again! They were driving a strange machine, intending to capture the gentle Pokémon scattered across the plain!
"Hahaha! Look at all these rare Pokémon! We'll capture them all and present them to the boss!" Jessie laughed loudly.
"Especially that Bulbasaur! It looks like a prize catch, Meowth!" Meowth stared intently at Bulbasaur.
"Don't even think about it!" Ash stepped forward immediately. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Bulbasaur, quick! Lead everyone to safety!" Melanie shouted.
Bulbasaur reacted instantly, using its Vine Whip to drive the surrounding Pokémon toward an exit. At the same time, it angrily launched a Razor Leaf at Team Rocket's machine! However, the machine's armor was thick, and the Razor Leaf had little effect.
The machine fired a capture net, which looked ready to drape over several Oddish and Bulbasaur!
"Pikachu, knock that net down! Use Electro Ball!"
"Butterfree, use Confusion to redirect the other net!"
"Scyther, use Slash on the machine's legs!"
Ash commanded his current companions to resist with everything they had.
Pikachu's Electro Ball accurately shattered one net, Butterfree's Confusion skillfully diverted another, and Scyther's swift attack caused the machine to wobble.
Bulbasaur watched Ash and his Pokémon fighting desperately to protect them. Seeing Ash's unwavering focus and clear tactical commands, a spark of surprise and recognition flashed in its eyes.
It realized that this human Trainer was different from any it had known before.
"You meddling Twerp! Ekans, Koffing, all-out attack!" Team Rocket released their Pokémon and launched a total offensive.
"Bulbasaur!" Ash looked at the Pokémon and reached out a hand, his gaze sincere. "Let's fight together! Protect your home!"
Bulbasaur locked eyes with Ash for a moment. Finally, it nodded and walked to Ash's side, taking up a combat stance!
"Great! Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip on Arbok! Pikachu, clear out Koffing's attack with Thunderbolt! Butterfree, use Sleep Powder on the machine! Scyther, keep attacking the machine!"
Under Ash's excellent coordination and with the addition of Bulbasaur's powerful combat strength, Team Rocket was once again routed. Their machine was eventually torn apart by the combined efforts.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"
The world fell quiet, and peace returned to the plain.
After the battle, Bulbasaur walked up to Ash. It was no longer wary or distant; instead, it affectionately nudged Ash's hand with its head.
Melanie said happily, "Bulbasaur has truly accepted you!"
Ash crouched down and spoke seriously to the Pokémon. "Bulbasaur, you are strong and kind. Are you willing to travel with me? We can go see the wider world together and help even more Pokémon in need."
Bulbasaur cried out and nodded, but then it immediately stepped back and took a battle stance, its eyes burning with a desire to fight.
Melanie explained, "It wants to become your partner officially through a battle! This is its way of showing recognition and respect."
Ash understood. He stood up with a smile. "Alright! Then we'll settle it with a battle! Pikachu, this one is yours again!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu jumped into the field.
A brilliant battle unfolded.
Bulbasaur's Vine Whip and Razor Leaf were incredibly sharp, while Pikachu used its speed and electric attacks to maneuver around the guardian.
Ultimately, Pikachu used a clever Quick Attack followed by an Iron Tail to secure the victory.
Though Bulbasaur lost, it was completely convinced of Ash's strength. It walked forward and touched the Poké Ball.
[Ding! Host has captured Bulbasaur. Reward: 100 World Origin Points.]
[Current World Origin Points: 5600.]
"Melanie," Ash said, looking at her. "Staying in this area is ultimately limiting your talents. If you like, once my journey is over, why don't you come to Pallet Town? The people there are simple and the environment is beautiful. You could open a larger, more official shelter there. If you run into any trouble, you can just look for Professor Oak."
Melanie was stunned by Ash's invitation, but after a moment, she nodded. Her intuition told her the boy was telling the truth.
Of course, Ash wasn't saying this just because he was tempted by her beauty!
The Starter Pokémon trilogy was moving right along!
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