"Squirtle?"
Hearing the sound, Squirtle's large eyes widened into perfect circles.
Its small body tensed, and it turned warily toward a patch of dense shadow deeper in the forest.
Something seemed to be watching them from there.
"What's wrong, Squirtle?"
Leaf's self-control was strong—she had already pulled herself out of her earlier gloom, regaining her composure.
She followed Squirtle's gaze.
Deep within the inky blackness of a thicket, she could just make out… a pair of eyes silently watching them.
"Bulba~"
The gaze carried a hint of curiosity as it studied Leaf and Squirtle, accompanied by a faint sound, like leaves brushing together.
The familiarity of it made Leaf's heart skip a beat.
She blurted out without thinking:
"Bulbasaur?!"
She'd studied the original starter trio—this was Bulbasaur's cry. There was no mistaking it!
"Bulba?"
In the distance, the shadow in the grass seemed startled by her precise call, flinching noticeably.
Clearly, it hadn't expected a human to recognize it from so far away.
After a brief pause, the Bulbasaur suddenly darted away, the bushes rustling in its wake as it bolted deeper into the forest.
"Wait!"
Leaf panicked at the sight, rushing after it without hesitation.
She really wanted to capture a Bulbasaur!
And so, in the moonlit Viridian Forest, a chase began—
A Bulbasaur darted nimbly through thick grass and tangled roots, moving like a green streak skimming the ground.
Behind it, a skirted girl and her Squirtle gave chase.
Moonlight spilled sparingly through the treetops, just enough to faintly light their path.
Their three shadows stretched and crossed in the mottled light.
It was hard to tell how long they ran before the Bulbasaur suddenly skidded to a halt.
Leaf finally stopped as well.
"Hah… hah…"
She was breathing hard, hands braced on her knees, a sheen of sweat on her forehead.
"Squirt… tle…"
Squirtle panted with its tongue sticking out, clearly exhausted.
As they caught their breath, they glanced around curiously.
The trees here grew sparser, and above them, the canopy opened up completely.
A broad wash of moonlight poured down unhindered, bathing the clearing in silver like it was daytime.
The air was filled with the scents of earth, dew, flowers, and fresh grass—a fragrance so clean it was invigorating.
Underfoot, instead of a blanket of fallen leaves, there was a soft carpet of thick grass dotted with tiny, faintly glowing flowers.
"This is… a garden?"
Leaf's eyes widened.
In the depths of Viridian Forest—there was such a place?
"Bulba!"
A sharp, warning cry drew her attention.
Bulbasaur had finally stepped out from hiding.
It stood on an open patch of grass, two vine whips extended tautly from its back, their tips aimed directly at Leaf and Squirtle.
It had taken up a clear battle stance.
This human and her Squirtle had intruded into its secret garden!
"Bulbasaur…"
Leaf looked at the little Pokémon bristling with hostility.
Instead of fear, she felt a surge of guilt.
She quickly set Squirtle gently on the ground, then raised both hands high to show she meant no harm, her face full of sincere apology.
"I'm really, really sorry! We didn't mean to intrude on your territory!"
"I just… really like you, and wanted you to be my partner. That's why I chased after you!"
"If you don't want to, that's completely fine—I won't force you, I promise! I'll leave right now, okay?"
Her voice was calm and earnest.
Squirtle waved its little arms, chattering "Squirtle, squirtle" in support, as if to help explain—its trainer wasn't a bad person.
"Bulba…"
Bulbasaur's intelligent eyes stayed locked on Leaf's face, as if weighing her words.
Seeing nothing but genuine sincerity in her and Squirtle's gaze, it relaxed slightly.
The vine whips slowly withdrew.
But then—
From the thick grass and low shrubs around them came soft rustling.
A moment later, dozens of Pokémon peeked out cautiously—watching the human and her Squirtle with curiosity and wariness.
Oddish, Caterpie, Rattata, Pidgey, Weedle…
There were dozens of them.
"My gosh…"
Leaf stared in astonishment—Then her expression shifted to shock.
Every one of these Pokémon was injured—some lightly, others badly.
"You… you're all hurt?"
Seeing so many wounded Pokémon gathered together stirred her compassion and sense of responsibility instantly.
She took a step forward, hand outstretched.
"Don't be afraid. I'll take you all to the Pokémon Center!"
"Nurse Joy will heal you, and—"But before she could finish,"Bulba!"
Bulbasaur's vine whip lashed out, knocking her to the ground and leaving a scratch on her arm.
"Squirtle!!"
Seeing its trainer attacked, Squirtle glared furiously, demanding an explanation.
"Bulba, bulba!!"
Bulbasaur shot back, tense and unyielding, vines at the ready again.
Leaf clutched her arm, confused and hurt.
"Why…? I just wanted to help them."
Why would Bulbasaur attack when she only wanted to save these injured Pokémon?
"Because… they're all Pokémon abandoned by trainers, meow~"
A voice suddenly spoke beside her.
It was Meowth.
[End of Chapter]