The day after saying goodbye to Casey, Ash and his friends passed through a forest. Before long, they noticed something unusual.
"What's going on? Why did it suddenly turn so desolate?"
"It was clearly a beautiful, green forest just now…"
Ash closed his eyes and sent out his Aura Power. Sure enough, only this area had become desolate; all the trees had withered.
Quickly, he noticed something was wrong.
"This way!"
Ash opened his eyes and called the others, then hurried in that direction.
There stood a tall, thick tree—easily large enough that five or six people would need to join hands to encircle its trunk. Several Heracross, each about one and a half meters tall, were comfortably positioned around it.
They seemed to be feeding on the tree sap.
"Ah, what are those? Are they all insects?"
Misty was terrified of bugs. Back when Ash caught Caterpie in the Viridian Forest, they'd only made a quick crossing because of her fear.
"That's Heracross, Misty. They're beetle-type Bug Pokémon, not fuzzy or creepy. Don't be afraid!" Ash reassured her with a smile.
At his words, Misty nodded. "Now that you say it, they don't look so bad! Kind of cute, actually."
Heracross, the single-horn Pokémon, was gentle by nature, incredibly strong, and adept at swinging its horn under an enemy's belly to toss them aside.
As the three of them talked, several Butterfree fluttered over.
The Heracross not only allowed Butterfree to share the food, but even gave up the best spots for them.
"They really are so gentle. That's nice!" Misty wasn't afraid of Butterfree—after all, Ash used to have one, too.
"So what exactly made this place turn so bleak?" Brock began to ponder.
"Let's wait and see!"
Ash had barely finished speaking when the answer appeared.
Several Pinsir showed up from deeper in the forest.
Compared to Heracross, Pinsir looked much fiercer—and certainly more intimidating.
Their arrival immediately scared the Butterfree away, and the Pinsir climbed up to the very top of the great tree, glaring down menacingly at the Heracross below.
"Heracross, don't just run—do something!" Misty shouted, watching the Heracross retreat step by step under Pinsir's threat.
But as the Heracross took to the air, just when Misty thought they were about to fight back, they suddenly fled the scene.
They ran away?!
"Now I get it! Pinsir's arrival frightened the Heracross off, so now Heracross can only feed on the sap of these smaller trees—no wonder the trees are withering!" Brock understood right away what had been happening here.
"Seriously?! Aren't Heracross being way too timid?" Misty shot a resentful look at the Pinsir now occupying the big tree.
"Misty, you're wrong—a gentle nature doesn't mean cowardice! When the world is threatened, that's when heroes are born."
Hearing that, Misty grew a little confused.
Unbeknownst to her, back in the Viridian Forest, when the Pidgey flock was endangered, Ash's Pidgeotto had evolved into Pidgeot!
But Pikachu had made a discovery: from among the Heracross that had left, one had flown back.
This particular Heracross was even bigger than the rest, with much sharper and keener eyes.
"There it is… a hero!" Misty murmured, watching the Heracross.
The Heracross glanced at Ash, then flew ahead.
Ash grinned. "Pikachu!"
"Pikachu!"
Ash and Pikachu hurried after him!
The Heracross flapped its wings, and a white gleam shone along its giant horn.
"Hm? That's a Flying-type move—Aerial Ace!"
Ash immediately recognized Heracross's move.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
Flying-type moves are strong against Bug types; with Pikachu's agility, it didn't take long to drive the Pinsir away.
"Not bad!"
Ash praised as Heracross landed in front of him.
"Here, have this!"
It was some bug-type feed he'd just Exchanged from the System shop—by all appearances, Heracross liked it just as much as tree sap.
With Pinsir chased out, the Heracross and Butterfree soon returned as well.
The Heracross by Ash's side glanced his way and began walking deeper into the forest, in the same direction the Pinsir had escaped.
Seeing this, Misty, now back at Ash's side, murmured, "Is he going after the Pinsir? 'A real hero!'"
"I don't think he's going for revenge!" Ash signaled for the others to follow, Pikachu already back on his shoulder.
The three of them followed Heracross. Brock, thinking it over, agreed with Ash. "Misty, think about it—why did those Pinsir come here to feed on tree sap in the first place?"
"Isn't it just because Pinsir are really savage Pokémon?" Misty replied without hesitation.
"Of course not!" Ash shook his head. "Pinsir may look mean and have ruder personalities than Heracross, but they still need their own territory. They would never invade another's home without a reason!"
If that's the case…
Brock caught on quickly. "That means something must've forced Pinsir out of their own territory, driving them to Heracross's side!"
"Brock's right."
With that Heracross leading, their walk was smooth. Soon, they spotted a canyon ahead.
Heracross stopped at the edge of the canyon and looked at Ash.
Ash guessed, "Looks like Pinsir's territory is just on the other side of this gorge!"
"But how are we supposed to get across?" Brock scratched his head in frustration.
Charizard still wasn't strong enough for passenger flights just yet.
Ash glanced around. "Heracross, can you push that tree down? I bet you could!"
"Heracross!"
Heracross's eyes lit up. He strode over to the big tree's base.
Boom!
Seemingly with ease, Heracross toppled the great tree. It landed across the gorge, forming a single log bridge.
"Amazing!"
Ash complimented Heracross again, then, with Pikachu, set out first across the makeshift bridge.
Ever since gaining some control over Aura Power, his "rookie champion" athleticism had shot up—it was easy for him to cross a single log bridge like this.
However, Misty, trailing behind, was having a hard time.
"Hey, don't go so fast!"
Ash looked back and saw Misty, the group's only girl, clearly terrified.
After all, the trunk was round; if she slipped and fell into the canyon, not even nine lives would save her.
Shaking his head, Ash walked back toward her.
"Ash? Why are you coming back?"
Ash turned, crouched down with his back to her. "Climb on!"
Pikachu: 185/255