At the Pokémon Center, Ash reunited with Misty. Ash noticed she seemed to be in a much better mood, which reassured him that her visit home had been the right decision.
"So… we're heading to the Cerulean Channel now?" Misty asked, surprised to hear Ash's updated plan as they walked. She hadn't expected such a significant change to their route after just one day away.
"We need to head out through the northern entrance to get there," Misty explained.
While both the northern and eastern entrances led to the Cerulean Channel, the northern route was closer and safer. The eastern entrance, lacking an established road by the Pokémon League, required venturing into the wilderness.
By contrast, the northern path included a well-paved road built after the establishment of the Pokémon Research School in the area. This school was a prestigious institution with branches in every region, producing graduates eligible to directly challenge the Pokémon League competitions. The League funded the school to train and recruit skilled trainers and researchers to address the constant shortage of manpower.
In the anime, the school was located in the southern suburbs of Cerulean City. However, in the Pokémon world, its actual location was in the northern suburbs, near the mountains and coastline. This ideal spot allowed students to study and train with both land and water-dwelling Pokémon.
"If we take this route, we'll pass by the Research School before heading to the Cerulean Channel," Misty said.
"Sounds good," Ash replied. "We can stop and rest at the school. Brock won't need to cook outside, and we can make it there by noon if we hurry."
With that, the trio set off. Since they had stocked up on supplies the previous day, there was no need to make additional purchases. Leaving Cerulean City through the northern entrance, they followed the main road toward the Pokémon Research School.
A Sudden Change in Weather
The journey was peaceful at first. Though Ash encountered a few trainers eager to challenge him, he declined their battles to save time.
However, less than an hour into their trek, the sky began to darken ominously. Heavy clouds rolled in from the distance, signaling an approaching storm.
"This isn't good. We need to find shelter," Brock said seriously.
Getting caught in the rain in the wild could be dangerous. Without access to the school or a medical facility, the risk of illness loomed large.
"Let's find a place to wait out the storm," Ash agreed. Misty nodded as well, realizing the urgency.
Unfortunately, there were no suitable shelters nearby. The area was surrounded by forest, so the group ventured into the trees, hoping to find a dry spot to pitch their tent.
"Boom!" A loud clap of thunder echoed overhead, followed by a sudden downpour. The rain intensified rapidly, drenching Ash, Misty, and Brock in moments.
"We need to find a place fast," Brock said, urgency in his voice. Prolonged exposure to the rain could lead to hypothermia.
But their search for a dry, stable spot proved fruitless. The ground was quickly becoming waterlogged, making it impossible to set up a tent without it flooding.
"This is awful!" Misty grumbled, her earlier excitement about the journey now dampened—literally.
"The weather here is so unpredictable," Ash sighed, recalling that the Pokémon world's climate could be influenced by Pokémon themselves. Entire teams of researchers were dedicated to studying these phenomena.
Pikachu had already taken refuge in Ash's jacket, peeking out from his trainer's arms as the rain continued to pour.
"Wait!" Brock suddenly exclaimed. He pointed to a structure barely visible through the trees. "There's a small house over there!"
Ash and Misty followed Brock's gaze and spotted the outline of a wooden hut.
"It's not very big, but it looks intact. We can use it to shelter from the rain," Brock suggested.
Without hesitation, the three made a dash for the hut, which was only about 50 meters away. However, as they approached, a Pokémon suddenly jumped in front of them, blocking their path.
"Seed!"
The creature had a bulb resembling garlic on its back, a toad-like body with blue-green skin, and dark green spots.
"It's a Bulbasaur!" Ash exclaimed, recognizing the Pokémon immediately.
Bulbasaur stood its ground, glaring at the group with a defensive posture. It seemed determined not to let them pass.
"Why is it stopping us?" Misty wondered aloud.
Ash felt a sense of déjà vu. He recalled an encounter in the anime where he met a Bulbasaur under similar circumstances. That Bulbasaur had also been distrustful of humans at first.
"Could this be the same Bulbasaur?" Ash thought as he used his Pokédex to confirm its attributes.
Bulbasaur
Type: Grass/Poison
Category: Seed Pokémon
Ability: Overgrow; Hidden Ability: Chlorophyll
Overgrow: Powers up Grass-type moves when the Pokémon's HP is low.
Level: Ordinary
The rain continued to pour as Bulbasaur stood its ground. Ash knew he needed to approach the situation carefully.
"Bulbasaur, we don't mean any harm," Ash said gently. "We just want to take shelter from the rain."
"Seed!" Bulbasaur didn't budge, clearly unconvinced.
Brock stepped forward, crouching slightly to appear less intimidating. "Bulbasaur, if you let us through, we promise to respect your territory. We just need to get out of the rain."
Bulbasaur hesitated, its eyes darting between the group and the hut. Finally, it let out a soft growl and stepped aside, though it remained watchful.
"Thank you," Ash said sincerely as the group hurried into the hut.
The interior was small but dry, with enough space for the three of them to sit and wait out the storm. Pikachu shook off the rain from its fur, while Brock began unpacking their supplies to prepare a warm drink.
Outside, Bulbasaur stayed near the entrance, keeping an eye on the intruders.
"I wonder why it's so protective of this place," Misty mused.
"Maybe it's guarding something important," Brock suggested.
Ash looked at the determined Pokémon and smiled. "Bulbasaur, you're incredible. I'd love to have you on my team one day."
As the storm raged on, the group settled in, grateful for the unexpected shelter—and the unexpected encounter.
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