Chapter 125: The Compassionate Sage
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
Ash placed his hat back on his head and instantly felt a great sense of calm.
He was like a four-eyes who was used to wearing glasses. Or perhaps a bald man accustomed to his wig; they would often feel ill at ease without it.
He pushed down on his hat, gripping the Poké Ball tightly in his palm.
Although he had caught the Primeape head-on, that didn't mean it would obey his commands. Not having a chance to bond before the catch was quite troublesome.
However, the thought of having a powerful Fighting Type on his team made his blood boil with excitement.
He then bent down and rubbed Bulbasaur's head.
"Your Solar Beam is as strong as ever!"
"Bulba, saur!"
Bulbasaur responded calmly, its demeanor even more reserved than before.
Ash silently recalled it, a difficult problem weighing on his mind.
It seemed like all his Pokémon had major issues right now.
"Go to Celadon City. There's a habitat for Bulbasaurs there. It might help resolve its Psychological Barrier," Red's voice suddenly spoke from within his soul.
Although he could see Bulbasaur's symptoms at a glance, the specific solution was Ash's responsibility as its Trainer. He was fine with just offering advice.
"Celadon City, huh..."
Hearing Brother Red's suggestion, Ash clenched his fist, feeling like he finally had a direction.
Now, besides a Badge, he had another compelling reason to go to Celadon City!
Route 7.5.
Before the trio was a small village, about a few hundred meters away.
"I think I see a village! Let's go over there and rest for a bit," Misty said cheerfully, raising a hand to shield her eyes as she looked into the distance.
Ash couldn't help but retort, "Rest for what? Wouldn't it be better if we just went straight to Celadon City?"
He wished he could be standing in front of the Celadon Gym in the next breath.
"But at this pace, it will probably take us another three days to reach Celadon City. Let's just stay in this little village for the night."
Every word from Brock was filled with sound reasoning.
It was already around 4 PM, and the sun would be setting soon.
"Besides, we're out of medicine. It would be a problem if we get into a battle."
Brock took out his two-dimensional medicine box and shook it, but only a single Sitrus Berry fell out.
Energy lost in normal battles could be recovered slowly over time, but stamina needed to be restored immediately with a potion. On top of that, Ash was a hot-headed battle maniac, so their medicine consumption was enormous.
"I heard this small village sells hyper potions. We can go check it out."
As Brock spoke, a golden glint flashed in his eyes. He had long heard that on the mysterious Route 7.5, there was a small village famous for its high-quality medicine, where even their regular potions were said to be better than other places' super potions.
Although he was a Pokémon Breeder, he was also very interested in healing Pokémon.
Hearing this, Ash could only suppress his inner impatience and slowly walk towards the village.
The village was indeed as small as the rumors said, so small that the entire village consisted of just a few pitched tents.
Each tent had a pharmacy signboard.
Names like Farfetch'd Pharmacy, Slowpoke Pharmacy, and even Tauros Restaurant were everywhere.
So, Ash chose the largest tent and walked towards it. Just then, a figure emerged from within.
It was a young woman of about seventeen or eighteen, half a head taller than them. She had a pure and beautiful face, and her deep blue hair was tied up in a bun, giving her a playful and cute look. She wore a traditional Magua-style outfit, lending her a certain exotic charm.
"Oh, are you customers? Welcome."
Seeing the three of them, the woman's eyes curved into crescents as she greeted them with a smile.
"My name is Qingmei. I'm the daughter of the owner of this Parasect's Secret Pharmacy."
Ash and the others quickly returned the greeting.
"I'm Ash, and I'm on a journey with my Pikachu, training to become a Pokémon Master."
"I'm Misty. I'm just along for the ride."
When it was Brock's turn, the mood suddenly shifted. He pushed the other two aside, his eyes narrowing to appear profound. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a set of dazzlingly white teeth.
"My humble name is Brock, a man influenced by the Ascetic Ideology from the legendary Eastern Nation."
Brock gave a gentlemanly bow, taking Qingmei's slender hands in his own. He couldn't help but lick his lips, a force of Muscle Memory.
The two behind him: "?"
Didn't he say his soul had already been redeemed?
Why was he having a relapse?
Sensing the confusion behind him, Brock turned his head back. The brilliant light in his eyes was so intense the other two didn't dare to meet his gaze, and they guiltily lowered their heads.
"That was youthful folly. Now, I view the world with a gaze of appreciation, without a single wicked thought!"
Brock gently stroked Qingmei's arm, his style giving off the vibe of a pretty boy from a BL story.
During those few days he was turned into a doll by Sabrina at the Saffron Gym, Brock had attained a great enlightenment.
The others couldn't help but rub their eyes. It seemed like they could really see the faint, golden Great Buddha aura surrounding Brock's body, inspiring a sense of awe that prevented any profane thoughts.
Even Qingmei, who was closest to him, merely blushed, unable to muster any thought of resistance, letting Brock perform an 'Empowerment' caress on her hand.
"This must be a compassionate Sage," Qingmei thought to herself.
The caressing session ended.
Qingmei couldn't help but shiver, her face flushed and her body feeling a little weak.
However, she finally remembered the matter at hand and asked expectantly, "You're all trainers, right? Could I please have a battle with you?"
Hearing this, Ash's body jolted. His boiling Qi and Blood needed a battle as an outlet. He immediately kicked aside a very satisfied-looking Brock and sidled up to Qingmei.
"I, the future Pokémon Master, accept your challenge!"
Do even small villages like this have battle-hungry trainers?
Meanwhile, after the physical contact, Brock sensed that something wasn't quite right. He kicked Ash aside in turn and asked gently, "Miss Qingmei, may I ask why you want to battle?"
Qingmei nodded. Her gentle expression didn't seem like that of a battle maniac.
"Actually, I just want to help it gain experience to complete its evolution."
With that, she threw out a Poké Ball. A red light flashed, revealing a small, red-shelled Crab. It had a pair of large pincers in front and a small head with a pair of cute, big eyes. The most surprising feature was the pair of pink-spotted small Mushrooms growing on its back.
"Pokédex Beep. Paras, the Crab Pokémon. Part-animal, part-plant, it comes with its own ingredients. No marinade is needed for grilling. Roasting the mushroom and the crab together over a fire ranks sixth on the top ten list of delicacies."
The Pokédex automatically reported.
Ash frowned. The last part-animal, part-plant Pokémon he knew was his own Bulbasaur.
Soon, under everyone's puzzled gazes, Qingmei also explained why she was seeking a battle.
"Our Parasect's special medicine is famous throughout the Kanto Region. Speaking as a neutral bystander, I've got to say, besides the Pokémon Secret Pharmacy in Cianwood City in the Johto Region, there's absolutely no one that can surpass us!"
The moment she mentioned her shop, Qingmei's expression changed, her tone becoming incredibly proud and confident.
"Their shop relies on a Pokémon called Shuckle, while ours relies on a Pokémon called Parasect, which is the evolved form of this Pokémon."
Qingmei pointed at her Paras.
Unlike what the Pokédex said, the medicinal value of Paras was actually much higher than its culinary value.
It was precisely by using the unique material produced by this Pokémon that their secret concoction could outperform everyone else's.
But the materials provided by Paras were too weak. To make the real medicine, they needed its evolved form, Parasect.
As the heir to the pharmacy, she was deeply troubled by the fact that her Paras had yet to evolve.
And achieving evolution through battling to accumulate experience and raise its level was arguably the most normal method.
"I get it..."
Everyone turned their gaze to the little red-shelled Crab.
(end of chapter)