Chapter Five: The Insect-Catching Boy’s Ambition

“Did you really forget what happened last night?” Xiaoxia asked, puzzled.

Ash simply shrugged with an innocent look.

“I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed last night, right, Pikachu?”

“Pika,” Pikachu nodded, confirming his words.

“That can’t be right. Yesterday, there were clearly two Pikachus, and one even used the powerful move ‘Extreme Speed’!” Xiaoxia insisted, not letting it go.

“You must be seeing things. There’s always only been one Pikachu, right, Pikachu?” Ash asked, baffled.

Had he encountered a fool this early in the morning?

“Pika,” Pikachu nodded again, agreeing with Ash.

Xiaoxia rubbed her head, realizing she had probably been quite dizzy last night. Besides, even Pikachu seemed to agree—could it be that she was so frustrated by the bike turning into a lost cause that she got confused? Or was this rookie trainer simply pretending to be the Flame King, trying to take down an Incineroar?

Xiaoxia furrowed her brow, sensing the situation was more complicated than it appeared. She then slipped into a mysterious state of silent observation...

...

At the entrance of Viridian Forest.

To reach Pewter City, one must pass through Viridian Forest.

Countless low-level Bug-type Pokémon lived here—not very strong, making it an ideal first stop for many novice trainers.

Just as the two were about to enter, they noticed someone already standing at the gate, seemingly preparing to venture into the forest as well.

Wearing a straw hat, shorts, and a tank top, with a simple bug-catching net slung over his back—the typical attire of a bug-catching boy.

“Hello, I’m Goro. I’m planning to train in Viridian Forest,” the bug-catching boy greeted them.

“Hi, I’m Ash...” Ash started, but before he could finish, Xiaoxia suddenly screamed and scrambled behind him.

“Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!”

It was understandable—girls often feared bugs.

Ash looked closely and saw a green Caterpie beside Goro’s leg, its big eyes vacant and dull.

“Beep beep. Caterpie, a common Bug-type Pokémon with little use. Its protein content is six times that of Tauros,” the Pokédex automatically reported.

“It’s a Caterpie, huh? But why does yours look so much plumper than the usual ones?” Ash licked his lips, puzzled.

There were plenty of Caterpies on the hill behind Pallet Town, so Ash was familiar with them.

Yet the typical ones were only about half an arm’s length, while this one was even longer than Ash’s entire forearm.

The protein content must be at least sixteen times higher, right?

“Of course! This is my carefully nurtured Caterpie!” Goro said proudly, hands on his hips.

Xiaoxia peeked out and timidly asked, “Usually, Caterpie evolves after a few days, but yours...”

“Three years!” Goro interrupted, rubbing his Caterpie’s head with pride.

For these three years, he and Caterpie had done everything possible to suppress its evolution, allowing it to grow so plump!

“Wait, evolution can be suppressed...?” Ash looked bewildered.

Eat when hungry, sleep when tired, evolve when gaining enough experience—that was natural! How could one stop evolution?

Seeing Ash about to act like the Flame King again, Xiaoxia tried to explain, all the while closely watching Ash’s expression.

“There are generally three ways to suppress evolution. First, the Pokémon resists with sheer willpower. Second, with an item called an Everstone. Third, a Trainer pressing the B button on the Pokédex. You don’t not know that, right...?”

“Don’t underestimate me! Of course I know!” Ash rubbed his nose, blushing as he retorted.

He quietly took out his Pokédex, thinking how besides broadcasting all sorts of nonsense about Pokémon, it actually had this function.

But then again, evolution made Pokémon stronger, bigger, and cooler-looking—why wouldn’t anyone want to evolve?

After all, for a man, bigger is the ultimate beauty!

“Hmm... should I tell you the secret...?” Goro hesitated, then decided to share quietly.

“Don’t spread this around, okay?”

He leaned in and whispered, “Legend has it, if you train a Caterpie to max level without evolving it, it will awaken the ancient dragon bloodline within. Then, when it finally evolves, it becomes the legendary Dragon-type Pokémon, Rayquaza!”

He even showed them a sketch of Rayquaza.

Even as a mere drawing, they could sense the terrifying aura of the depicted Pokémon.

Upon closer inspection, the colors, shape, spirit, and patterns bore some resemblance to Caterpie.

Ash and Xiaoxia gasped in surprise.

Meanwhile, inside Ash’s soul space, the awakened Akatora trembled, nearly having his spirit scattered.

“Heh, this is a secret my best friend told me. According to him, in his hometown of Hoenn, all Caterpies are raised this way. Rayquaza are everywhere, and everyone can soar the skies riding invincible dragons,” Goro boasted.

Ash and Xiaoxia were stunned.

Akatora was speechless. You might want to reconsider that “best friend”...

“Anyway, I must get back to training my Caterpie!” Goro declared, leading his hefty Caterpie into Viridian Forest, his confident and triumphant laughter echoing behind.

“One day, I will ride Rayquaza and rule the Kanto region as the strongest Trainer! Hahaha!!”

Chaos reigned in Viridian Forest.

...

“So Caterpie really has ancient dragon blood! That’s amazing!” Ash was instantly captivated, slapping his hand and preparing to enter to catch a Caterpie to raise for three to five years.

“Ash, I think there might be some misunderstanding...” Xiaoxia, clearly not naive, quickly suspected that this bug-catching boy had been fooled by his so-called best friend.

Such friends were better off buried alive.

“There’s no misunderstanding; his story is well-reasoned,” Ash insisted.

“Beep beep. There is a certain possibility,” the Pokédex chimed in support.

Hearing this, Ash excitedly dashed into Viridian Forest. The Pokédex never lies.

Professor Oak himself said that no matter what, you can always rely on the Pokédex.

Crunch crunch...

Just as he stepped inside, Ash saw a Caterpie munching on leaves in the grass, looking rather vacant.

...

“Wow, from a distance, it really has the aura of a dragon!” Ash exclaimed without hesitation, throwing a Poké Ball.

Snap!

The Caterpie didn’t flee but was swiftly enveloped in a red light.

“Beep... beep... beep... click!”

After shaking thrice, the Poké Ball stopped—the capture was successful.

Ash raised the Poké Ball excitedly and roared, “Haha, I’ve caught Rayquaza!”

Xiaoxia and Akatora were speechless.

“Ash, what do we do? I feel my body burning up—I think I’m about to become a Pokémon Master!”

At that moment, Ash was ablaze with passion.

Holding the Poké Ball containing Caterpie, he seemed to be clutching his future.

Xiaoxia and Akatora were at a loss.

This wouldn’t do—the B button on the Pokédex had to be removed secretly, or else a perfectly fine trainer would lose his mind...

...

The two continued deeper into the forest. Xiaoxia cowered behind Ash, while the constant buzzing of insects around them made him uneasy.

During this time, Ash also caught a Pidgey, a decent catch.

Nothing worth mentioning beyond that...

...

Night fell, and they lit a campfire to ward off the approach of Bug-type Pokémon.

Not all Bug-types were as gentle as Caterpie.

For example, Beedrill was aggressive and had venomous twin stingers, a nightmare for novice trainers.

Soon, the two fell into a deep sleep, while Akatora once again took control of Ash’s body.

“Looks like it’s not a one-time thing...” Akatora looked at his arm, adjusted his cap, and smiled.

He enjoyed this feeling.

Seeing Pikachu and Caterpie sitting on a tree stump nearby, communicating in their own draconic language, he didn’t disturb them, quietly gazing at the moon hanging in the sky.

“I wonder how Blue and Emerald are doing...?”

...

Nearby Pewter City, at Mt. Moon.

By a cliff, a brown-haired, hedgehog-like boy sat alone by a campfire.

Beside him was a robust Wartortle.

Oddly, though he was alone, he muttered to himself as if in conversation.

“You ask me who my rival is?”

Gary paused, his first thought being Ash, but he quickly shook his head with a disdainful smile.

Someone who could even be late for the start of a journey—how could that person be Gary’s rival?

Gary was invincible; he had no rivals!

-------

(New book, please support with votes—this is very important...)