When Ash released Caterpie, the reaction wasn't what he expected. Misty, with a high-pitched scream, had run several meters away, hiding behind a tree. Ash watched her, then crouched down to Caterpie's level.
"There's no reason to be scared," he said, extending his arm. "Come on, Caterpie, climb onto my arm."
Caterpie was about to obey when its eyes landed on Misty. With a gleam of excitement, the small Bug-type Pokémon darted toward her, ignoring Ash, Pikachu, and Matt.
"Hey, Caterpie, come back here!" Ash shouted.
"AAAAH!", Misty squealed as Caterpie caught up to her and began rubbing against her leg.
"Look, Misty. Caterpie likes you, how affectionate he is!" said Ash, approaching with Pikachu and Matt.
"Get this disgusting bug off me!" Misty shouted again, dropping to her knees.
"Don't worry, Misty, I'll take it," Matt said, approaching them and holding out his arms toward Caterpie. "Come on, little one. Don't get too close to Misty or you'll attract the Beedrill."
Caterpie looked at Matt, then at Misty, and tried to get a little closer to her. Misty crawled away as fast as she could until her back hit the tree and said to Caterpie, "No, don't come any closer!"
This saddened Caterpie, who lowered his head. Pikachu approached and comforted him, patting him on the back.
"Caterpie, don't be sad. Come, let me introduce you to another friend," Matt said, taking out a Poké Ball and enlarging it. Then he threw it, releasing his Pokémon. "Caterpie, this is Bounsweet."
Bounsweet, with its berry-like shape and tiny legs, appeared next to Matt, curiously eyeing Caterpie. Ash and Misty, still surprised by the appearance of the unknown Pokémon, watched.
"Matt, who is that Pokémon and where did it come from?" Ash asked, intrigued. "And where are you from?"
Matt smiled. "Well, this is Bounsweet, my partner Pokémon. And I... I'm an orphan from Alola." The mention of Alola seemed to resonate with Ash, who had heard of that distant region. "As for Bounsweet, it's a Pokémon I brought back from Alola, and as you saw last night, it's quite strong despite its size."
Misty, still trembling from Caterpie's proximity, sat up a little. "So you're not just a trainer, but you've come from far away and have unfamiliar Pokémon!"
"That's right," Matt agreed. "And since we're on the subject of Pokémon... I wonder if a Water-type Pokémon Master like Misty would be able to train certain Water- and Bug-type Pokémon." He said the last part with a challenging tone and a mischievous grin.
The provocation worked. Misty, despite her phobia of insects, straightened up. "Oh yeah? And what Pokémon would a Water-type Master like me be unable to train?"
Matt smiled. He pulled out his SmartRotom with a marshmallow-colored case, turned it on, and showed them an image on the screen.
"This is Dewpider , the Bubble Pokémon," Matt said, as the information appeared on the screen:
[Dewpider , the pompadour Pokémon.
It is a Water/Bug type. Dewpiders come out of the water in search of food. They create water bubbles to breathe and protect their soft heads.]
Misty approached the screen, her curiosity momentarily overcoming her aversion. She saw the image of Dewpider, a small arachnid with a water bubble on its head. Her expression was divided between fascination with the Water type and a shiver of dread at the Bug type.
"As you can see, she's a Water-type... and Bug-type," Matt continued, emphasizing the last word with a wink to Ash. "With that phobia of bugs, don't you think, Ash, that Misty could never become a Water-type Pokémon Master?"
Ash, catching Matt's hint, nodded with a knowing look. "Well, Matt's right, Misty. If you're afraid of Bug-type Pokémon, how are you going to be a Water-type Pokémon Master if some of them are Bug-type?"
Misty frowned; the challenge had stung. She glanced at Caterpie, who was watching her sadly, then at the image of Dewpider on Matt's SmartRotom. A spark of determination ignited in her eyes.
"That's nonsense!" Misty exclaimed. "Of course I can! I just need... uh... practice!"
Matt smiled, pleased with his little provocation. "Of course, Misty. And practice starts right now. Don't worry about the Dewpider; luckily, you have a Bug-type right here next to Ash to start practicing your courage with a friendly Pokémon. And maybe, someday, you can even train a Dewpider."
Hearing the change in Misty's tone, Caterpie slowly crept toward her. Misty initially backed away, but seeing the little Pokémon's pleading gaze, she stopped. Slowly, she extended a trembling hand, and Caterpie rubbed against it.
Ash smiled, happy to see the interaction. "See, Misty! Caterpie isn't so bad!"
Misty sighed, still a little nervous, but a small smile formed on her lips. "Maybe... it's not... so bad."
Matt nodded, his gaze fixed on Caterpie. "Every Pokémon is unique. They just need a chance to show their true worth." Bounsweet, beside Matt, gave a small "Sweeet," as if in agreement.
Ash temporarily returned Caterpie to its Poké Ball so they could continue walking. Pikachu, now recovered, walked beside his trainer, occasionally rubbing against Ash's leg. The group resumed their journey through Viridian Forest.
"That's amazing, Matt," Misty said, looking at Matt's SmartRotom over her shoulder as she walked by. "I've never heard of a Pokémon like Dewpider. Do you know of any other Pokémon that are Bug and Water types?"
Matt put the device away, lost in thought. "Absolutely. The Bug/Water combination is one of the most interesting and oldest. There are quite a few of them out there, depending on the region."
Misty paused for a moment; her curiosity about Water-type Pokémon outweighed her fear of Bug-types for now. "Tell me, tell me! What are they, and where do they come from?"
Matt crossed his arms, listing them. "Well, there's Dewpider, which we already saw, and its evolution, Araquanid . Both are originally from Alola, the region I'm from."
Ash, who was carrying Pikachu on his shoulder, asked, "Are there more from Kanto?"
"Not that I know of, Ash," Matt replied. "But look, you have Surskit , the Skater Pokémon, which is Bug/Water type and can be found in the Hoenn region. It's known for gliding across the water on its feet, leaving a trail behind it."
"Hoenn! How exciting!" Ash said. "Someday I want to go to Hoenn!"
"There's also Masquerain ," Matt continued. "It's the evolution of Surskit, though it loses its Water type and becomes Bug/Flying. There you have a Pokémon that changes its type combination upon evolution!"
Misty was making mental notes. "But getting back to the dual type I'm interested in... are there more, from other regions?"
"Bug/Water duals are very specific to each region," Matt explained, scratching his head as he tried to recall the classifications. "If we go further afield, to Unova, we have Dwebble and Crustle, but they're Bug/Rock... Ah, finally! The other big Bug/Water line is Clauncher ... No! Clauncher is only Water! Never mind. The Bug/Water combination is very rare, Misty. It's mainly the Surskit line from Hoenn and the Dewpider line from Alolan." Matt sighed dramatically. "Jeez! The Pokémon League is better for battles than for regional biology, I'm afraid."
"Matt!" Misty scolded him, but she couldn't help but laugh a little.
"So, Dewpider and Araquanid are the scariest, right?" Misty asked, a twinkle of fear and defiance in her eye. "Because they're spiders and aquatic too."
"Dewpider are adorable, Misty," Matt said with a shrug. "But yeah, if you have a phobia of bugs, they're a challenge. But if you manage to train a Pokémon of that type, now that would make you a true Water-type Master! It's a challenge that goes beyond pure typing."
Misty stared at the ground, lost in thought, biting her lower lip. Matt's challenge was only growing, and she could no longer ignore it.
"Okay," Misty said in a firmer voice, though still a little tense. "When we get to the next Pokémon Center, I want to see every Bug/Water-type Pokémon you can find in your SmartRotom! I need to get ready!"
Matt smiled broadly. "That sounds perfect, Misty. That's the attitude of a future teacher!"
Seeing Misty's renewed determination, Ash felt inspired. "That's the spirit, Misty! And I'm going to catch lots of Pokémon, including the next Bug-type Pokémon we see!"
Pikachu could only look up at the sky and sigh, mentally preparing himself for the journey ahead.
TO BE CONTINUED