After leaving the Forest of Illusion, Ash and his group arrived at a small town called Antler Town.
There, Brock rescued an injured baby Stantler. The baby Stantler seemed to sense Brock's kindness and professional care. It affectionately rubbed against Brock's hand, its eyes filled with gratitude and dependence.
When Brock prepared to leave, the baby Stantler actually struggled to its feet and limped after him.
"You want to come with me?" Brock asked in surprise. Looking at the hopeful gaze in the baby Stantler's eyes, his heart softened for a moment, but he still shook his head. "I can't. I still have to continue traveling, and I won't be able to properly take care of you. You should return to your family."
The baby Stantler let out a disappointed cry and stubbornly refused to leave.
Watching the scene, Ash stepped forward and patted Brock on the shoulder. "Brock, the fact that it chose you means it trusts you. Having another partner during the journey isn't a bad thing. Besides, look how much it likes you."
Misty also chimed in, "Yeah, Brock. You take such good care of Pokémon. If it stays with you, it'll definitely be happy."
Under Ash and Misty's persuasion, Brock looked into the baby Stantler's pure yet determined eyes and finally gave in.
Letting out a sigh, he revealed a gentle smile and took out an empty Poké Ball.
"Alright. Since you insist so much... please take care of me from now on."
The Poké Ball lightly touched the baby Stantler's forehead, and it willingly entered the ball without the slightest struggle.
After spending a night resting in Antler Town, they continued toward Violet City.
The road ahead gradually became flatter, and a massive mountain range stretched out before them.
What made it unusual was that the lower half of the mountain was covered in lush green forests, while the upper half was blanketed in snow, as though two different seasons had been stitched together.
"Once we cross this mountain, we should be able to see Violet City," Brock said while looking at the map.
"It's summer at the foot of the mountain and winter at the top. Nature really is incredible," Misty marveled.
As they discussed how to cross the snowy mountain, Ash's attention was drawn to a large tree not far away.
A small Pokémon with a pale green body and a single leaf growing from its head was curled up beside the roots, sleeping soundly.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves above, scattering across its body.
It was Chikorita! And... this familiar feeling, this prideful yet clingy little personality, wasn't this the same Chikorita from the original story that had been completely devoted to him?
As though sensing Ash's gaze, Chikorita's long eyelashes trembled slightly before it slowly opened its eyes.
Its ruby-like eyes were crystal clear and bright. The moment it turned its head, the first thing it saw was Ash standing nearby.
At first, Chikorita's gaze looked confused, but it quickly became sharp and... full of challenge?
It stood up, shook the bits of grass off its body, then walked gracefully yet proudly toward Ash. Raising its head, it let out a crisp cry filled with fighting spirit.
"Chika!"
Its meaning could not have been clearer.
Let's battle!
Ash smiled. As expected, it still felt exactly the same.
And he was more than willing.
"You want to battle? Alright, I accept your challenge!"
"Meowth, I choose you!"
"Meow!"
Meowth leapt out neatly and assumed a battle stance.
Chikorita attacked first. The leaf on its head swayed as several sharp leaves spun through the air toward Meowth.
"Meowth, use Quick Attack to dodge, then Fake Out!"
Meowth's body flashed forward, nimbly avoiding the Razor Leaf attack before instantly closing the distance. It suddenly clapped its paws together right in front of Chikorita.
Smack!
The crisp sound startled Chikorita, instantly causing its movements to stiffen.
"Great chance! Use Fury Swipes!"
Meowth's claws glowed white as it unleashed a rapid barrage of slashes against the immobilized Chikorita!
Chikorita cried out in pain as it was forced backward again and again.
But the stubbornness in its eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
"Chika!"
Steadying itself, it used Vine Whip. Two green vines lashed toward Meowth like whips.
"Dodge it, then Iron Tail!"
Meowth agilely jumped aside to avoid the vines, while its tail instantly became coated in metallic light before swinging sideways like a steel whip!
Bang!
Iron Tail struck Chikorita directly.
The impact sent Chikorita tumbling across the ground. Its body was already covered in injuries, and its breathing had become ragged.
Yet even so, it still stubbornly stood back up, refusing to give up the battle.
That unyielding determination was so strong that it moved everyone watching.
"That's enough! Stop!" Ash hurriedly shouted. He could already tell Chikorita was in terrible condition. If the battle continued, it might suffer serious injuries.
He quickly ran over and carefully checked Chikorita's wounds, ignoring its instinctive caution and attempts to pull away.
"You're badly hurt. You need treatment immediately!" Ash's voice was filled with undeniable concern as he carefully picked up the struggling Chikorita. "Easy, don't move. I'm taking you to a Pokémon Center."
The nearest Pokémon Center was in a small town at the foot of the mountain. Nurse Joy and Chansey immediately began emergency treatment on Chikorita.
Ash remained outside the treatment room the entire time, his brows tightly furrowed.
After the treatment, Chikorita's condition stabilized, though it still needed rest.
Ash sat beside its hospital bed, looking at the little Pokémon that was still faintly frowning even in its sleep, and felt a little troubled inside.
When Chikorita woke up again, it saw Ash sitting beside the bed. Its eyes still carried traces of caution and distance.
Ash did not immediately take out a Poké Ball. Instead, he simply looked at it gently and softly said,
"You're awake? Feeling better? You're really strong, but battling isn't about risking your life. Protecting yourself is the most important thing."
He took out prepared Pokémon food and fresh water.
"You must be hungry. Eat something."
At first, Chikorita turned its head away and refused to accept it.
But Ash did not get discouraged. He patiently stayed by its side, talking to it and sharing funny stories from their travels while slowly wiping its face with a towel.
Gradually, Chikorita's tense body relaxed.
It secretly observed this human. The concern and gentleness in his eyes did not seem fake at all.
...He had clearly won the battle, yet instead of taking the chance to capture me, he was here carefully taking care of me instead...
Carefully, it moved closer and took a bite of the food from Ash's palm.
It tasted really good.
Over the next two days, Ash stayed by Chikorita's side almost every moment.
Its injuries recovered quickly, and its spirits improved significantly.
It began taking the initiative to approach Ash, lightly tapping his hand with the leaf on its head. Sometimes, when he stroked it, it would even let out soft, contented cries.
When Chikorita had completely recovered and become lively again, Ash suddenly did something that caught it off guard.
He crouched down and looked seriously at Chikorita, his tone gentle yet sincere.
"Your injuries are healed now. From now on, make sure to take good care of yourself. Don't push yourself so hard anymore, alright? We... have to continue our journey now. You should return to your forest too. Stay safe."
After saying that, he stood up, smiled at Chikorita, then turned around and walked toward the exit of the Pokémon Center together with Misty and Brock.
Watching Ash leave without hesitation, Chikorita froze in place.
The careful care he had shown these past few days, his gentle words, his patient companionship... scene after scene flashed through its mind.
This human... was completely different from the people it had met before who only wanted to conquer it through force.
He genuinely cared about me!
An intense feeling of reluctance and impulse surged within its heart.
It did not want to part like this!
"Chikaaaa!"
Just as Ash and the others were about to step out of the Pokémon Center, Chikorita let out an urgent cry filled with determination. It leapt off the bed and rushed forward as fast as it could.
The moment Ash turned back in surprise, Chikorita jumped directly into his arms, rubbing its little head against his chest while letting out affectionate cries.
Ash staggered back a step from the impact and instinctively caught the little Pokémon.
Feeling the warm, slightly trembling body in his arms and that completely unreserved trust, he was stunned for a moment before an incredibly gentle and delighted smile spread across his face.
He softly hugged Chikorita and stroked the leaf on its head.
"You want to travel with me?"
"Chika! Chika!"
Chikorita nodded vigorously in his arms, its ruby-like eyes sparkling brightly.
Ash took out an empty Poké Ball and held it in front of Chikorita.
Without the slightest hesitation, Chikorita touched the button with its head and transformed into a red light, entering the Poké Ball. The ball did not even shake once before the capture was instantly successful.
"I caught Chikorita!" Ash raised the Poké Ball high, his voice filled with joy and emotion.
Misty and Brock exchanged smiles, both genuinely happy for Ash.
They knew this Chikorita had been moved by Ash's sincerity and kindness.
Holding the Poké Ball containing Chikorita in his hands, Ash felt warmth filling his heart.
A new companion had joined his team in a completely unexpected way.
And for the upcoming Violet City Gym battle, it felt like he had gained another source of strength.
...
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