Faced with Ash and Pikachu's invitation, Bulbasaur stood frozen, astonished by their words. It stared blankly at the human and the Pokémon before it.
"I'm serious! You want companions, and your desire to protect them aligns with mine. I believe we could become great friends and allies!" Ash declared earnestly to Bulbasaur.
Bulbasaur's mindset showed it was willing to fight and grow stronger to protect its friends—a vital quality for becoming a strong Pokémon.
Some Pokémon had timid personalities and disliked battling. Forcing them to train wouldn't yield much strength.
However, judging by Bulbasaur's performance in the anime, it clearly had exceptional potential.
The only downside was its reluctance to evolve, but Ash was confident he could change its mind, and maybe even its legacy.
He had one more chance to draw a lottery, and if Bulbasaur chose to join him, he hoped to win a reward that could benefit Bulbasaur.
"Come with him, Bulbasaur!" At that moment, Melanie's voice rang out from the house. Everyone turned to see her and Brock at the doorway, holding plates of Pokémon food.
"Ash is right. You shouldn't stay here. You have potential that surpasses most Pokémon. More people need to see your power!"
"And... they really need to grow up on their own. You can't protect them blindly. One day, they will face challenges that they must tackle by themselves!"
Melanie approached Bulbasaur, her tone serious.
"Bulba..." Bulbasaur stared at her, clearly surprised by Melanie's words.
"I don't want to abandon you. I'm very grateful for your companionship and assistance. However, I lack the talent to be a trainer, which means I can't fully utilize your strength!"
Melanie knelt down, placing the plate on the ground, and gently held Bulbasaur's head, making eye contact. She wanted to convey her sincerity through this connection.
Bulbasaur gazed into Melanie's eyes and saw not guilt but pure honesty.
"Bulbas..." It shook its head slightly, freeing itself from Melanie's grip. Then it turned to Ash. After a brief pause, it let out a determined cry: "Bulbas—Bulbas!"
"Really?!" Although others might not understand Bulbasaur's intent, Ash did. A fighting smile spread across his face.
"Since that's your choice, I'll show you I'm the one who can unleash your true power!"
"What's going on?" Misty asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Bulbasaur has decided to leave this place," Melanie explained, her smile brightening. "But it wants to test Ash to see if he can truly help it realize its strength."
This was the happiest moment for Melanie since she had first met Bulbasaur.
"I won't hold back, Bulbasaur!" Ash declared as Melanie led the other Pokémon back to a safe distance.
"Bulbas!" Bulbasaur responded with high spirits, eager to demonstrate that it didn't need Ash to go easy on it. It wanted Ash to know it would only join him if he could showcase his true strength.
"Very good!" Ash grinned broadly, raising his right hand to signal Pikachu. "It's your turn, Pikachu!"
"Pikapika—!" Pikachu leaped forward, determined to show Bulbasaur what he was capable of as a potential teammate.
Without hesitation, Bulbasaur attacked first. While it didn't know the saying "strike first is the best," it understood the instinct to take action.
Energy surged as two vines extended from the Bulbas on its back, slicing through the air toward Pikachu.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash commanded. He noted how Bulbasaur had protected this place for so long; he knew Pikachu needed to dodge.
Pikachu dashed forward like lightning. As Bulbasaur's vines swiped at him, he nimbly evaded the attacks, causing the vines to crash into the ground.
"Bulba—!" Bulbasaur wasn't caught off guard. Retracting its vines quickly, it summoned its energy and charged at Pikachu with Tackle.
"Pika—!" Pikachu could easily avoid Bulbasaur's Tackle, but he wanted to prove his strength. So, instead, he sped up and charged headfirst into Bulbasaur.
"Bang!" The two collided, momentarily lifting off the ground before a wave of force pushed them back.
Pikachu landed gracefully, but Bulbasaur was knocked sideways, gliding nearly two meters before coming to a stop.
This was a clear demonstration of the difference in their strengths. Pikachu wasn't an ordinary Pokémon;
thanks to the inheritance of Osiris' Soaring Dragon, his species strength had surpassed that of typical Pikachu and was nearing legendary status.
"That was amazing!" Melanie gasped, covering her mouth in awe. Bulbasaur had always seemed like a strong Pokémon to her, but Ash's Pikachu had stabilized it in that clash.
It was a sight she had never witnessed before.
"Bulba——!" Bulbasaur quickly stood up again, shaking off the impact. With renewed determination, it focused on Pikachu, its expression serious.
Bulbasaur sensed an incredible power radiating from Pikachu, and even in that battle, Pikachu had only revealed a fraction of it.
"If I follow this Trainer, could I become as strong as this Pikachu?" Bulbasaur pondered, gazing up at Ash. Maybe... it wouldn't be so bad to leave with this Trainer.
---
Adios