Weedle, despite its typically slow appearance, devoured the Oran Berry with impressive speed. In just over ten seconds, it had finished the berry, which was about the size of its head.
"Looks like you've got a good appetite," Ash said with a smile as Weedle let out a small burp after finishing its meal.
It was at that moment Weedle fully realized its situation—it had been captured by the Trainer standing before it.
"So, what do you think? Would you like to join me and explore the world?" Ash stretched out his right hand toward Weedle, not the least bit concerned that Weedle might attack him.
Weedle glanced at Ash, then at Pikachu, who was resting nearby, and finally at Pidgeotto, who was training not too far away.
After a brief hesitation, it nodded and touched Ash's hand with its small head.
"Alright, let's get properly acquainted.
My name is Ash, and my dream is to become the world's greatest Trainer!" Ash grinned as he carefully stroked Weedle's head, avoiding its sharp horn.
After some time had passed, Pidgeotto returned from its training session. The team took the opportunity to officially introduce Weedle to the rest of the group.
Though Weedle was still a bit nervous around Pidgeotto, recognizing it as the evolved Pidgey that had previously defeated it, the Pokémon soon began to settle in.
Pikachu, always friendly and outgoing, welcomed Weedle enthusiastically, quickly forming a bond between them.
Ash had initially planned to rest for the remainder of the day, but Pidgeotto, eager to keep improving, returned to training in the forest under Ash's guidance.
Pikachu, too, had felt a surge of strength after the recent battle, having reached a new level, and was keen to adjust to its improved abilities.
As for Weedle, Ash had a different plan. Weedle's combat abilities were quite limited before it evolved into Beedrill, and after some assessment,
Ash realized that Weedle only knew two moves: *Poison Sting* and *String Shot*. Both were innate abilities, as Weedle had not inherited any advanced moves from its parents.
For now, Weedle wasn't capable of much, and apart from Caterpie, there weren't many Pokémon it could defeat.
To help Weedle become more competent in battle, Ash began training it in the basics.
He knew that, until it evolved, Weedle would struggle to keep up with more experienced fighters, so he planned to gradually increase its experience by having it battle Caterpie.
After teaching Weedle some simple combat techniques, Ash didn't return it to its Poké Ball. Instead, he let Weedle rest on his left shoulder while Pikachu perched on his right.
Leaving a note for Misty to explain their temporary departure, Ash set off to find a suitable opponent for Weedle.
It didn't take long for Ash to find one.
Viridian Forest was teeming with Bug-type Pokémon, and after walking about a hundred meters from camp, Ash spotted a Caterpie.
"Weedle, this will be your first battle under my guidance. Just follow my instructions, don't get nervous, and you'll do fine,"
Ash whispered as Caterpie went about its business, unaware of their presence.
"Weeedle—!" Weedle nodded in understanding. Though it had been in battles before, it had never fought while following a trainer's commands.
"Pikachu, I'll leave you in charge of keeping any other Pokémon from interfering with us," Ash said, turning to his trusted partner.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu responded confidently, patting its chest in assurance.
"Alright then, Weedle, let's get started!" Ash stepped forward, startling Caterpie. The little Bug-type curled up in fear as it noticed Weedle and Ash approaching.
"Weedle, use *String Shot*!" Ash instructed, swinging his hand forward.
"Single horn—!" Weedle activated its Bug-type energy and shot a sticky thread from beneath its pink nose, aiming at Caterpie.
Caterpie, startled, tried to back away but still got partially entangled in the sticky web.
Its movements became sluggish, and the threads restricted its ability to move freely.
"Don't give it a chance to recover! Use 'Poison Sting'!" Ash called out. The Poison-type move wasn't particularly effective against Bug-types, but it would still inflict damage.
Weedle rushed forward, its sharp horn glowing with Poison-type energy, and struck Caterpie, sending it back a short distance.
Though the attack was weak, there was always a chance it could poison the opponent.
And luck was on Weedle's side. A purple hue briefly flickered across Caterpie's body, and small purple bubbles began rising from its skin—a clear sign that it had been poisoned!
"Poison, huh? That's fortunate!" Ash remarked. The Poison Sting move only had a 30% chance of poisoning its target, and it had worked on the first try.
Caterpie, now in trouble, was visibly suffering from the poisoning.
It wanted to flee but was still bound by the sticky web. It tried to gather its strength to fight back, but the poison sapped its energy and made it hard to focus.
With its speed and health compromised, Caterpie had no chance. Weedle easily defeated it, landing the final blow with a sense of excitement.
For Weedle, it was the first victory in its new journey with Ash.
After the battle, Ash carefully moved the poisoned Caterpie to the shade of a nearby tree so it could rest.
The poison dissipated after the fight ended, leaving Caterpie weakened but stable.
Ash praised Weedle for its performance, helping boost its confidence. They continued battling a few more Caterpie, pushing Weedle's limits until it was visibly exhausted.
Weedle, like many Pokémon, yearned to evolve.
Evolution could be triggered by leveling up through battles or by expending a significant amount of energy, forcing the body to activate its dormant genes.
The intense training left Weedle feeling that familiar sense of exhaustion—the first signs that it was on its way to evolving into Kakuna.
___________
Adios