"Thank you, Ash."
Seeing Ash use his mysterious powers to heal Beedrill, the leather-jacketed boy hurriedly expressed his gratitude.
"No problem. You've raised your Beedrill very well. Let's battle again if we get the chance."
Ash's Viridian Power had already reached a very high level. Once the healing technique was activated, the Beedrill—whose injuries were mostly minor wounds and exhaustion—quickly recovered and regained consciousness.
"Sure!"
Even though he knew Ash was probably just being polite, the leather-jacketed boy was still delighted.
...
After more than three hours of livestreaming that afternoon, everyone—Ash, Clarissa Joy, Gary, and Green—was feeling somewhat tired.
Especially now that it was already dinner time.
After bringing Bulbasaur to the battle hall and letting it experience its first official battle, Ash had no intention of making it continue fighting.
At its current stage, laying a solid foundation through hard training and adapting to human society was far more important than mindlessly battling one opponent after another.
As they left the battle hall together, Ash carefully reviewed the match with Bulbasaur, analyzing its strengths, weaknesses, and the lessons it could take away from the battle.
To be honest, Bulbasaur had performed very well.
Although it was a Grass-type Pokémon, its previous role as a guardian in the Pokémon Day Care had given it combat instincts that exceeded Ash's expectations.
Most importantly, while Bulbasaur had been nervous and uncomfortable around large crowds, the moment the battle started and it entered combat mode, everything else faded from its awareness.
It became completely focused on the battle itself.
That concentration was what satisfied Ash the most.
Another thing that pleased him was how battle-hungry Bulbasaur was.
Most Grass-types were relatively gentle by nature.
Bulbasaur, however, was far more combative than average.
Although it wasn't a special Pokémon blessed by destiny like Pikachu or Greninja, nor did it carry any grand mission upon its shoulders...
As one of the original storyline Pokémon once owned by the previous Ash, its talent was undeniably outstanding.
Its Blue Potential was proof enough.
In the anime, for reasons Ash still didn't fully understand, Bulbasaur had always resisted evolution.
A perfectly capable frontline Grass-type battler had ultimately ended up retiring to Professor Oak's ranch, becoming the manager of the backyard and a mediator for Pokémon disputes.
Ash had always found that outcome deeply regrettable.
Now that he had inherited this world and Bulbasaur had become one of his Pokémon, he absolutely refused to let things unfold the same way.
He would nurture Bulbasaur into Ivysaur.
Then into Venusaur.
And eventually unlock Mega Evolution, allowing it to become Mega Venusaur.
A true Grass-type ace worthy of standing among the strongest members of his team.
"Everyone worked hard today."
"Dinner's on me tonight."
After reuniting with Gary and the others outside the Pokémon Center, Ash made the generous announcement.
"Haha... now that's what I'm talking about!"
"If the boss is paying, then I'm definitely not holding back. I want sukiyaki!"
Gary immediately declared.
"Deal."
...
During dinner, Ash casually steered the conversation toward a topic he cared deeply about.
"Bulbasaur, you fought really well today."
"Make sure you eat plenty."
"You're still growing, after all."
"And you're getting pretty close to evolving into Ivysaur."
"So eat lots and build up the energy and nutrients you'll need for evolution."
As he spoke, Ash subtly planted the idea in Bulbasaur's mind.
He still didn't know why the Bulbasaur from the anime had resisted evolution.
But now that this Bulbasaur belonged to him, he sincerely hoped it wouldn't reject evolution.
Not only because evolution was a necessary stage in a Pokémon's growth and development—
But because it was also one of the most effective paths toward becoming stronger.
If it were a situation like Pikachu's, Ash could understand.
Pikachu had once lost to Lt. Surge's Raichu.
It carried a lingering sense of unwillingness and wanted to defeat Raichu while remaining a Pikachu.
That was at least a reasonable motivation.
But rejecting evolution without any clear reason was a different matter entirely.
As a Trainer, the first responsibility was to understand the reason behind such resistance.
Only then could an appropriate decision be made.
If the Pokémon feared change or was afraid of growing up, then the Trainer should help it through that fear—or even seek psychological assistance if necessary.
If the reason resembled Pikachu's desire to win a rematch while staying in its current form, then the Trainer should respect that wish and help it achieve its goal.
But once that goal was accomplished, and the timing was right, evolution should still happen.
A Trainer could respect, spoil, or even dote on their Pokémon.
But there had to be limits.
When it came to a Pokémon's growth, development, and future, bad habits couldn't simply be indulged forever.
Pokémon possessed the right to choose whether or not to evolve.
However, for a Pokémon partnered with a professional Trainer, refusing to evolve indefinitely could become a form of disrespect toward the partnership itself.
If communication failed and both sides couldn't reach an agreement, then after obtaining the Pokémon's consent, parting ways peacefully might become an option.
And if the Pokémon still wanted to stay with the Trainer while insisting on remaining in its current form and somehow becoming the strongest in the world—
Then, from a rational perspective, the best solution might be lowering that Pokémon's priority within the team.
Dropping it from the first echelon to the second or even third echelon.
If it could continue keeping pace with the top members despite receiving fewer resources, then the Trainer could always restore its position and help it pursue its dream.
Ash had never agreed with the way his predecessor had indulged Pikachu's refusal to evolve.
Nor did he think the original Ash had fully fulfilled his responsibilities as a Trainer regarding Bulbasaur's resistance to evolution.
Of course, if this Bulbasaur truly turned out to be the type that absolutely refused to evolve no matter what, while still wishing to remain with a Trainer...
Then perhaps becoming the caretaker of Professor Oak's ranch wouldn't be a bad future for it.
"I really hope that isn't the case."
Ash sighed inwardly.
After all, his plans and expectations for Bulbasaur were enormous.
He envisioned it becoming the team's premier Grass-type battle ace.
"Bulbaaa~ (^_^)"
Hearing Ash's words, Bulbasaur nodded obediently.
As things stood now, it didn't dislike evolution.
At least, not anymore.
Back when it lived in the Pokémon Day Care, countless Pokémon had poured out their grievances to it.
Many claimed that they had been abandoned because they couldn't evolve.
Listening to those stories day after day had sparked a rebellious streak inside Bulbasaur.
It had once thought:
If I ever get caught by a Trainer someday... then maybe I'll refuse to evolve too, just to prove a point.
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T/N:
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