"All right, everyone's injuries have been fully healed."
Ash wiped the sweat seeping from his forehead with his finger and spoke gently to the Pokémon before him.
"After you go back, remember to protect yourselves well. Don't recklessly compete or fight with other Pokémon and end up getting hurt again, okay?"
"And once you're back, please help spread the word about the free treatment clinic. Let the injured and sick Pokémon around you know that they can come to the small stone bridge outside Pallet Town, and I'll treat them free of charge."
"Splash—"
"Plash—"
The Water-type Pokémon that had been healed bubbled gratefully in response. After expressing their thanks, they dove back into the river and quickly disappeared downstream.
"Phew—!"
Watching them leave, a visibly tired Ash finally sat down on the stone slab where villagers usually washed clothes.
Healing so many Water-type Pokémon in succession had consumed a huge amount of energy. His entire body felt exhausted—but the rewards had been equally enormous.
Each time he healed an injured wild Water-type Pokémon, the Viridian Blessing within him would gently boil and rise. Earlier, he had been too busy to check exactly how much it had grown.
Now that things had finally quieted down, Ash immediately summoned his system panel.
…
Ascension Trainer System(Severely Damaged)
Host: Ash
Gender: Male
Age: 6
Strength: 05 (Adult average: 10)
Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 10
Charm: 10
Talents:
Viridian Blessing LV.20
Aura Power LV.7
Pokémon: Pichu, Frogadier
Item: Soothe Bell
…
"Hiss—!! It jumped three levels!"
Ash stared at the panel in disbelief.
"This morning it was only LV.17, and now it's already LV.20. Compared to Aura Power, the growth speed of Viridian Blessing is downright terrifying."
Seeing that his Viridian Blessing had reached LV.20, on par with Frogadier's level, Ash felt an uncontrollable surge of joy.
Earlier in the morning, healing around 30 Pokémon had raised it by two levels.
Now, after treating over 50 Pokémon, it had risen three levels at once.
"At this rate… on average, healing about 15 Pokémon raises my Viridian Blessing by one level."
Of course, even in his excitement, Ash remained clear-headed.
Today was the first day of the free clinic, so naturally there were far more injured Pokémon. After today, the number coming to the stone bridge would decrease significantly.
Moreover, the growth of Viridian Blessing wouldn't stay this easy forever.
Just like Pokémon leveling—early on, defeating a LV.5 wild Pokémon could grant a level-up. But the higher the level, the more experience was required.
Right now, fifteen healed Pokémon equaled one level. In the future, it might take one hundred—or even more to gain the same increase.
Still, Ash wasn't discouraged.
The number of wild Pokémon in the river outside Pallet Town was limited—but the sea downstream held an enormous population of Water-type Pokémon.
And beyond the river and ocean, he also planned to open a free clinic route through Viridian Forest.
Once that happened, the number of injured Pokémon he treated would explode even further.
"Viridian Forest + the river outside Pallet Town + the ocean downstream…"
"Combined, there's no way my free clinic will ever lack patients."
"By then, the growth speed of my Viridian Blessing won't slow down at all—it'll probably continue rising steadily."
Ash was full of confidence.
After finishing treatment for the Water-type Pokémon at the stone bridge, Ash waved to Gary, who was still training seriously on the other side, then set off toward Viridian Forest with Pichu and Frogadier.
Buzz—
Activating Aura Perception, Ash carefully scanned the area around the town. He detected no trace of Team Rocket or any malicious Aura signatures.
Even so, after what happened yesterday, Ash remained cautious. He didn't go deep into the forest, instead passing through the fields and stopping near the outskirts—an area where wild Pokémon were already active.
"Chii—chii!!"
Just as Ash was using Aura Perception to look for a slightly hidden spot suitable for setting up another free clinic, a wild Pokémon suddenly burst out of a patch of tall grass.
It was one of the most common wild Pokémon in the Kanto region—
Rattata.
Its sleek purple fur shimmered in the sunlight. Twitching its whiskers, it bared sharp incisors and let out a shrill cry at Ash.
Rattata lowered its stance, its small body crouched like a predator ready to pounce. Beneath its smooth fur, the firm curves of its waist and hind legs revealed a raw, feral beauty.
"Oh? A Rattata," Ash said with a grin.
"I was just about to look for you, and you come delivering yourself instead."
"Pichu, prepare for battle."
Ash gestured for Frogadier to restrain its presence, then called out confidently.
"Pichu—!"
Perched on Ash's shoulder, Pichu sprinted down his outstretched arm, landing lightly on the ground. Sparks of fighting spirit flickered in its eyes as it stared down the Rattata blocking their path.
[Pokémon: Rattata]
Level: 9
Type: Normal
Nature: Aggressive
Ability: Guts
Potential: Green
Moves (Copyable):
Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Focus Energy, Bite
This Rattata was LV.9, two levels higher than Pichu.
Even so, neither Ash nor Pichu doubted their chances of victory.
"Chii—chii!!"
With no referee and no signal, Rattata lunged the instant it saw Ash send out a Pokémon.
"Pichu, fall back and open some distance—use Nuzzle!"
Ash reacted instantly, issuing his command the moment Rattata attacked.
"Pichu~!"
"Chii—!"
On the grassy clearing, the two small rodent Pokémon darted back and forth at incredible speed. To an uninformed observer, it might have looked like playful chasing—but in reality, it was a fierce, life-or-death skirmish.
Rattata was a melee physical attacker, while Pichu excelled as a ranged special attacker.
Against an opponent like Rattata, Pichu absolutely could not allow itself to be dragged into close combat. It needed to maintain distance and exploit its superior range.
"Pichu—Pichu—!"
Both Pokémon were quick and agile, but overall, Rattata's speed was slightly higher. Coupled with Quick Attack's built-in burst of acceleration, it rapidly closed the gap.
In the blink of an eye—
Rattata was already upon Pichu.
--------------
T/N:
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