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Ash and his companions continued their journey through the forest. Although the Viridian Gym hadn't officially announced its reopening yet, Ash was already making his way back toward Viridian City.
At their current pace, by the time they reached Viridian City, the Viridian Gym should be ready to accept challengers again. This timing worked perfectly for Ash's plans. Rather than waste time waiting around, he had decided to act early and head back.
During their travels, they encountered many other Trainers who were also on their own journeys. Most of them issued challenges to Ash, but he didn't accept every single battle request that came his way.
Still, along the route, Ash had defeated quite a few Trainers who approached him for roadside battles.
"Ivysaur, use Energy Ball!" Ash called out confidently.
BOOM!
Deep in the wild forest, following Ash's command, his Ivysaur launched its attack. The bright green Energy Ball formed quickly and shot forward, striking a Graveler directly with explosive force.
"Graveler!" an elderly man in hiking gear shouted with concern as he watched the explosion engulf his Pokémon.
When the smoke cleared, Graveler rolled out of the cloud with swirls in its eyes, clearly unable to continue battling.
"Graveler, are you alright?" The hiking enthusiast hurried forward to check on his Pokémon, his voice filled with worry.
"Excellent work, Ivysaur!" Ash said proudly as he approached his Grass-type partner.
Since Ivysaur had recently returned from Professor Oak's laboratory, Ash had been sending it out for most of their battles to help it readjust and become familiar with any changes that had occurred during their time apart. So far, Ivysaur hadn't lost a single match.
This winning streak clearly showed that Ivysaur hadn't been slacking off during its training at Professor Oak's research facility.
"Young man, your strength is truly impressive," the hiker said as he recalled his Graveler to its Poké Ball and walked over to Ash with an extended hand. "Your Ivysaur is remarkably strong. I have to admit, you've beaten me fair and square!"
"Thank you, but your Graveler was really powerful too!" Ash replied politely, shaking the man's hand with genuine respect.
"Just as we expected from Ash—that's another ten-battle winning streak!" Misty commented as she watched from the sidelines. Traveling with Ash meant witnessing his battles with other Trainers regularly, and she had yet to see him lose. He often achieved impressive consecutive victories.
"With this kind of form, winning his eighth Badge and qualifying for the Pokémon League shouldn't be a problem at all," Brock added confidently while holding Togepi in his arms.
Ever since their experience at Cinnabar Gym, Ash's battling condition had been exceptional. He seemed to have reached an entirely new level of skill, which gave Brock great confidence about their upcoming challenges.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept through the area, carrying with it a sweet, pleasant fragrance. As the wind passed by, Ivysaur's expression changed slightly, showing signs of recognition.
All around them in the jungle, the grass had originally been a simple green color. But after the wind blew through, various vibrant colors suddenly appeared throughout the vegetation. Countless flowers bloomed in the grass, creating a stunning display.
"Oh my! What's happening? It's absolutely beautiful!" Misty exclaimed in wonder.
What had moments before been just an ordinary patch of green forest had suddenly transformed into a colorful meadow with hundreds of flowers in full bloom, creating an amazing visual spectacle.
"Ah, so it's that time of year again!" the hiker said thoughtfully as he observed the changes around them.
"That time of year?" Misty asked curiously, intrigued by the man's comment.
"That's right! Legend speaks of an Mysterious Garden hidden somewhere in these mountain forests," the hiker explained, his eyes filled with longing as he gazed at the blooming flowers.
"An Mysterious Garden?" the three friends asked in unison.
"Yes, indeed. It's said that this Mysterious Garden is home to Pokémon with amazing powers. The energy that makes all these plants burst with life and vitality—that comes from their incredible abilities!" the hiker continued, looking at each of them in turn.
"So you're searching for this Mysterious Garden too?" Ash asked with growing interest.
"Exactly! Every year around this time, many Trainers come to these mountains looking for it. But nobody has ever found it. Some people have started to think it's nothing more than a legend."
"It does sound Mysterious! I'd really love to see what this amazing garden looks like," Misty said excitedly, her face lighting up with enthusiasm.
Being naturally drawn to beautiful things like flowers and gardens, this mystery particularly appealed to her.
"Ha ha! If you're interested, feel free to search for it yourselves. But I'd advise you not to get your hopes up too high. I've been looking for several years now and haven't found so much as a trace of it. Well, I should be heading out now!" the hiker said with a knowing smile.
In his heart, he didn't really believe that Ash and his friends would succeed where so many others had failed.
"Hmph! What's that supposed to mean?" Misty muttered under her breath, clearly annoyed. "Just because he can't find it doesn't mean nobody else can! Who does he think he is?"
"Come on, Misty. After all, he's been searching for years without success. If it were easy to find, it wouldn't be called 'Mysterious,' would it? Besides, it's getting late. We should set up camp for the night," Brock said diplomatically, trying to calm Misty's irritation.
Hearing Brock's reasonable words, both Ash and Misty nodded in agreement. The sun was indeed getting low in the sky.
The three friends quickly began setting up their campsite for the evening. Meanwhile, Ivysaur gazed thoughtfully into the distance, staring at the darkening forest as if it could sense something beyond what the others could perceive.
"Pika pika?" Pikachu noticed Ivysaur's unusual behavior and walked over, tilting its head curiously as if asking what was wrong.
"Ivy saur," Ivysaur responded with a slight shake of its head, indicating that everything was fine. Then it walked over to help Ash and the others finish setting up camp, showing its characteristic sense of responsibility.
Once camp was established, Brock began preparing their evening meal while Ash released all of his Pokémon from their Poké Balls. This was their usual routine when camping in the wilderness—letting all the Pokémon come out to get some fresh air and exercise during the evening hours.
Ash also took the opportunity to conduct some light training exercises. This time, Misty joined in the training session, focusing specifically on working with her Psyduck.
She had asked Ash for advice about training methods and was trying to apply his techniques with her own Pokémon. However, due to Psyduck's naturally scattered personality and unique characteristics, training it proved to be quite challenging. Misty, who wasn't known for having abundant patience, nearly gave up on several occasions.
But seeing how Ash never showed signs of frustration or impatience during training, she managed to control her temper and didn't abandon the effort.
After their light training session concluded, Brock finished preparing dinner and also made fresh Pokémon food for all their partners.
Once everyone had eaten their fill, they organized their traveling supplies and equipment near the campfire before retiring to their tents for the night.
The various Pokémon settled down in small groups of twos and threes around the campsite, finding comfortable spots to rest.
After the three Trainers and all their Pokémon had settled down for sleep, the sweet fragrance began filling the air once again. More brilliant flowers bloomed on the surrounding grass, their colors even more vibrant than before.
This enchanting scent seemed to make all the Pokémon sleep even more peacefully and deeply than usual. However, Ivysaur slowly opened its eyes, as if responding to some call that only it could hear.