Bulbasaur's gaze was firmly Lock-On to Roy.
Especially when it saw this unfamiliar male Trainer standing right beside its most trusted master, Melanie.
The tightly closed flower bud on its back trembled slightly, and four Vine Whips silently extended from its sides, pulled taut and ready to strike at the tips.
Its eyes were filled with undisguised vigilance and hostility.
This male human... why is he here?
And he's so close to Master!
Is he trying to do something bad to Master?
In an instant, the cold faces of its former Trainers flashed through Bulbasaur's mind, along with its scarred companions who had been abandoned in the forest.
It had an instinctive distrust of human Trainers, especially male ones.
It lowered its thick front limbs slightly, adopting a standard charging stance, and let out a low, intimidating Growl from its throat.
"Bulba!"
It used its Vine Whip to gently scoop up the timid Oddish beside it, carefully placing it behind in the safe shadows of the bushes.
The action was gentle, forming a sharp contrast with its current tense battle posture.
Having settled the Oddish, Bulbasaur no longer had any reservations.
Its hind legs kicked off the ground violently!
Its dark green figure shot forward like an arrow from a bow, charging straight at Roy!
It was incredibly fast, bringing with it the sound of rushing wind!
"Bulbasaur! Wait a minute!"
Melanie's expression changed, and she hurriedly stepped forward, spreading her arms to block Roy.
"They aren't bad people!"
Her voice was clear and urgent, carrying a soothing tone:
"This is Roy, and inside the house are Misty and Sister Delia. They are my friends, and they're here to help!"
Bulbasaur's charging figure came to a sudden halt right in front of Melanie.
It looked up at Melanie's anxious and sincere face, then looked suspiciously at Roy behind her.
Roy stood his ground, neither retreating nor adopting any offensive or defensive stance. He simply looked back at it calmly, his eyes devoid of malice, instead holding a hint of appreciation and inquiry.
Bulbasaur's nostrils flared slightly.
From this male human, it indeed did not smell any unpleasant scents of hypocrisy, greed, or violence.
Instead... there was a very comfortable, fresh scent similar to a mix of sunlight and soil deep in the forest, and an indescribable aura that made Pokemon instinctively feel safe and close.
The hostility in Bulbasaur's eyes receded slightly, but its vigilance did not completely vanish.
It slowly retracted its ready-to-strike Vine Whips, but its body remained in a slightly tense state, ready to react at any moment.
It gave a low cry, which counted as a temporary acceptance of Melanie's explanation.
However, it did not approach Roy. Instead, it silently turned away, walked to a relatively secluded corner of the yard, and lay down facing the yard entrance.
Its lapis-colored eyes still sharply scanned every movement inside and outside the yard.
It was the posture of a dutiful guardian.
Melanie finally breathed a sigh of relief, turned to Roy, and said apologetically:
"I'm sorry, Roy. It... it's very wary of strange Trainers."
"It's okay, I understand."
Roy waved it off, but his gaze never left the Bulbasaur in the corner.
Its figure lying there was steady and robust. Although the bud on its back was tightly closed, one could feel the vibrant vitality and a certain suppressed power within it.
"It looks very reliable," Roy said sincerely.
"Yes, it's one of the strongest and most heart-wrenching children I have here."
Melanie followed Roy's gaze, her eyes tender but filled with complexity.
She hesitated for a moment, then lowered her voice:
"Roy, about this Bulbasaur... there's actually a more troublesome problem."
"Oh?" Roy looked back at Melanie. "What's the problem?"
Melanie sighed, her gaze landing on the flower bud on Bulbasaur's back that had never bloomed.
"It's the issue of its evolution."
"The flower bud on its back should have reached the stage of blooming long ago."
"When it was first abandoned, its injuries were very severe. Even the seed on its back looked withered. It had significant defects, making it very difficult to evolve and bloom!"
"I used some herbal formulas, treating it both internally and externally. I managed to save it with great difficulty, and I also restored its flower bud to health, allowing it to accumulate enough evolution energy. It can now attempt to evolve."
"Originally, everything should have happened naturally. But..."
"It refused to evolve."
"Refused to evolve?" Roy looked at Bulbasaur again.
"Yes." Melanie nodded. "It has stayed here for a long time and has seen many abandoned Pokemon. One of them... after evolving... its personality changed drastically. It completely forgot the bond it shared with its companions and even became somewhat irritable."
"Bulbasaur... it's afraid."
"It's afraid that after it evolves into Ivysaur, it will become like that too. It's afraid it will forget this place, forget these children who need its protection, and forget... me."
"So, it has been using its own will to stubbornly suppress the urge to evolve, refusing to let the flower bud bloom."
"I've tried to persuade it many times, telling it that evolution is part of life's growth, a necessary path to becoming stronger. But it's too stubborn and cares too much about everything here."
"By now, my herbal formulas can only help it maintain basic health; they can no longer help it channel that suppressed evolution energy."
She looked up at Roy earnestly, her eyes filled with hope:
"Roy, if you can really capture it and take it with you... please, you must find a way to help it."
"Help it resolve this mental block, find a way to safely guide its evolution without letting it lose itself. Let it truly bloom with its own greatest power."
"I believe that if it's you... perhaps you can do it."
Roy met Melanie's gaze and nodded seriously.
"I promise you, Melanie. If it's willing to go with me, I will definitely find a way to solve the evolution problem."
This wasn't just lip service.
He possessed the affinity of a "Friend of Nature" and was sensitive to energy. Combined with his knowledge of this world, finding or figuring out a way to help Bulbasaur evolve safely was not impossible.
"Thank you, Roy." A smile of relief appeared on Melanie's face, as if a heavy burden had been lifted... By evening, the setting sun draped a veil of warm gold over the forest and the small yard.
Roy took the initiative to stay and help Melanie care for the Pokemon in the yard.
Feeding, changing water, checking on the recovery of injuries, and adding some insect-repelling herbs... Roy worked efficiently and patiently, quickly winning further trust from all the Pokemon. That Pidgey even tried to fly over and stay on his shoulder for a while.
Melanie saw this and her estimation of Roy rose even higher.
By the time they finished, it was dark.
Warm light shone from the small wooden cabin.
Since Melanie lived alone, there was only one sufficiently wide wooden bed in the house.
She generously gave the bed to Misty, who needed good rest for her injured leg.
Hanako naturally stayed inside to look after Misty, while also exchanging some nursing and herbal knowledge with Melanie.
Roy, carrying the spare bedding Melanie had found, prepared to set up a simple tent in the yard to spend the night.
Melanie felt a bit bad about it and brought out some tools to help.
The two of them chatted as they worked together to pitch the tent.
The night breeze was cool, carrying the unique fragrance of forest plants.
Not far away, Pikachu was carrying out the "special mission" Roy had assigned—to build a good relationship with the Bulbasaur in the corner.
Pika~chu!
Pikachu was full of energy. It directly pulled out its most beloved treasure from the backpack Roy had set aside—an unopened bottle of ketchup.
It skillfully twisted off the cap with its small paws, moved it in front of Bulbasaur, and offered it diligently.
Its big eyes blinked, the meaning clear: Want a taste? It's delicious!
Bulba?
Bulbasaur looked doubtfully at the bright red, gooey liquid in front of it, then at the expectant Pikachu.
This thing... looks weird. Can you really eat it?
Pika! Pika-pi!
Pikachu patted its small chest and wagged its tail like a flagpole, giving its utmost guarantee.
Seeing Pikachu so enthusiastic, Bulbasaur hesitated. Out of politeness, it carefully extended the tip of a Vine Whip, dipped it into a tiny bit of ketchup, and put it in its mouth.
Bulba!!!
The next second, Bulbasaur's entire face scrunched up!
Sour!
Sweet?
No, it was mostly just sour! And it had a strong seasoning flavor that it couldn't understand!
What a strange taste!
It quickly shook its head, trying to get rid of the weird taste in its mouth.
Pikachu looked at it expectantly: How is it? Great, right?
Bulbasaur looked at Pikachu's taste, which was clearly different from normal Pokemon, and then thought of its other companions in the yard who had various physical defects... It suddenly "understood."
So this Pikachu... has a severe defect in its sense of taste!
No wonder it likes this kind of weird stuff.
Thinking of this, the look in Bulbasaur's eyes toward Pikachu instantly changed from doubt to sympathy, and even took on a touch of softness from shared suffering.
It reached out with a Vine Whip, gently patted Pikachu's head, and gave a low cry as if to comfort it: It's okay, I understand. Even though what you eat is very strange, we are still companions.
Pikachu was a bit dazed by the pat, but feeling Bulbasaur's attitude become significantly more friendly and kind, it was overjoyed.
Success!
It turned its head proudly and wagged its lightning-shaped tail at Roy, who was pitching the tent. Its small eyes were full of showing off:
Master, see that? Who said this guy was hard to handle?
When I go out, I'm worth two! I got it done in one go!
As expected of me!
After its moment of pride, it happily picked up the ketchup bottle, took a large gulp, and its face showed an expression of incomparable, intoxicated happiness.
This further solidified Bulbasaur's judgment that it had a "severe taste defect," and the sympathy and desire to look after it in its eyes increased a few more points... Roy took all of this in. Seeing Pikachu finish its task, he also began to focus on persuading Melanie.
The tent was soon set up.
Melanie sat on a rock by the tent, and Roy sat down as well.
The forest at night was very quiet, with only the Bug Buzz and the occasional Growl of Pokemon in the distance.
As they chatted, the topic naturally turned to Melanie herself.
"I actually have ideals too..." Melanie hugged her knees and gazed at the starry sky, her voice sounding a bit distant. "It's actually very simple. I just want to learn more professional knowledge about caring for and healing Pokemon."
"I use old folk remedies passed down from the older generation, or experience I've figured out myself. Many times, I feel inadequate."
"If only I could go to a Pokemon Center in a big city to study, or visit some famous Breeders or doctors."
She paused, her voice lowering with obvious disappointment and conflict:
"But... I can't leave them."
She looked back at the quiet wooden cabin and the figures resting peacefully in the yard under the night sky.
"If I leave, what will happen to them? Those new, injured, poor children—who will find them and take care of them?"
"To capture them all and take them with me... Not only can I not afford so many poké balls and daily expenses, but many of the children's injuries are not suitable for long-distance travel."
"Sometimes when I think about it, I feel really lost. It's like I'm trapped here, unable to move forward and unable to retreat."
The night breeze blew the hair on her forehead, and her profile looked somewhat fragile in the moonlight.
Roy listened quietly.
He could understand Melanie's predicament and the constraints brought about by her kindness.
After thinking for a moment, he had a rough idea in mind.
"Melanie," Roy spoke, his voice sounding clear and steady in the night. "Perhaps there's a middle-ground solution."
"Hmm?" Melanie turned her head and looked at him expectantly.
Roy didn't say it immediately. Instead, he first cautiously checked the situation in the yard.
Bulbasaur seemed to have closed its eyes for a nap, and Pikachu, tired from playing, was dozing off nearby. The other Pokemon were also quiet.
To ensure that the plan and his mood weren't detected by those sensitive Pokemon, especially Bulbasaur, Roy leaned his body slightly toward Melanie, closing the distance between them.
Melanie didn't seem to expect Roy to lean in so close, and her body stiffened imperceptibly.
Roy leaned close to Melanie's ear and began to explain his strategy...