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As if sensing something calling to it, Ivysaur quietly got up and began walking toward the depths of the jungle.
After passing through a dense section of forest, Ivysaur arrived at the edge of a cliff and gazed into the distance. Under the soft moonlight, another vast expanse of thick jungle stretched out before it.
Ivysaur's eyes seemed to perceive something that others couldn't see, and it watched the distant forest with calm intensity.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, several sounds of something cutting through the air came from behind. Ivysaur's reflexes kicked in, and it quickly leaped away just as several Vine Whip attacks struck the exact spot where it had been standing.
Ivysaur's expression became serious as several figures emerged from the tall grass nearby. Under the moonlight, it became clear that the attackers were a group of Bulbasaur.
Ivysaur narrowed its eyes, uncertain about these Bulbasaur's intentions. The wild Bulbasaur stared intently at Ivysaur before launching another coordinated attack.
Several of them activated Razor Leaf simultaneously, sending a barrage of sharp leaves flying toward Ivysaur in an overwhelming assault.
Faced with this situation, Ivysaur remained calm and composed. It extended four Vine Whip from the bulb on its back and moved them rapidly in front of its body.
As the four Vine Whip swept through the air, they formed what looked like a large protective net in front of Ivysaur.
The incoming Razor Leaf attack was deflected by the power of the Vine Whip, and broken leaf fragments scattered through the air. At that moment, the surrounding Bulbasaur seemed to act with perfect coordination.
They simultaneously raised the bulbs on their backs and released streams of orange-yellow powder. Working together, several Bulbasaur created large clouds of powder that drifted toward their target.
Although Ivysaur's Vine Whip had successfully blocked the Razor Leaf assault, the powder was able to slip through the gaps in its defense.
Ivysaur's expression changed as it quickly tried to dodge, but there were too many opponents. The wild Bulbasaur immediately used their Vine Whip to block Ivysaur's escape routes.
With nowhere left to retreat, Ivysaur couldn't avoid the powder cloud that enveloped it.
Inevitably, Ivysaur became covered in the powder and immediately felt a numbing sensation spreading throughout its body. Ivysaur tried to resist the effect through sheer willpower.
However, the surrounding Vine Whip attacks immediately swung toward it and wrapped around Ivysaur's body. By the time Ivysaur realized what was happening, it had already been captured.
"Ivy! Ivysaur!" Ivysaur let out a defiant cry and tried to struggle, but the effects of the Stun Spore made it impossible for its body to respond properly.
The wild Bulbasaur used their Vine Whip to carry the paralyzed Ivysaur into the woods, disappearing from the clifftop with their captive.
"Mmm?"
In his sleep, Ash suddenly opened his eyes and sat up from his sleeping bag inside the tent, as if he had heard some kind of distant call.
"Ugh... What's wrong, Ash? It's the middle of the night!" Misty and Brock, who were sleeping nearby, seemed to have heard the commotion. They sat up and rubbed their eyes sleepily.
Without saying much, Ash stood up, grabbed his hat, opened the tent flap, and stepped outside. Pikachu and Togepi also began to stir from their sleep. Misty and Brock exchanged worried glances and quickly followed Ash out of the tent.
"Ash, what's the matter?" Misty asked urgently as she and Brock emerged from the tent.
The disturbance also alerted the Pokémon who had been resting outside around the campsite. Ash scanned the area with growing concern.
"Where's Ivysaur?" Ash said with alarm as he realized his Grass-type partner was nowhere to be seen.
Hearing Ash's words, Misty and Brock looked around the campsite and confirmed that Ivysaur was indeed missing. The other Pokémon also began to notice that one of their companions had disappeared.
"It's so late at night—where could Ivysaur have gone?" Misty and Brock were equally surprised to discover Ivysaur's absence.
"Pidegeotto, Charizard, Scyther—please search for Ivysaur from the air!" Ash remained calm and took charge of the situation.
"Charizard!" Charizard and the others nodded immediately upon hearing Ash's request. The three Flying-type Pokémon took to the air to conduct an aerial search.
Before long, Pidegeotto flew back first, chirping as if it had discovered something important.
After Charizard and Scyther returned from their search, Ash recalled them to their Poké Balls and then allowed Pidegeotto to lead the way.
Soon, they had passed through the jungle and arrived at the cliff where the confrontation had taken place. Looking at the scene before them, Ash immediately understood what had happened.
It was obvious that a battle had recently occurred in this location. When Ash walked forward to investigate, he found broken leaves scattered across the ground. They were easily identifiable as fragments from Razor Leaf attacks.
Orange-yellow powder residue could also be seen covering patches of the grass, creating a stark contrast with the surrounding vegetation.
Jigglypuff hopped onto the affected grass and touched it, then brought some to its nose to smell. Its entire body trembled, and it became noticeably weaker.
"Oh! Don't do that!" Ash sighed helplessly and picked up Jigglypuff, placing it safely on his head. Even though Jigglypuff had only inhaled a small amount, the powder was clearly affecting it.
"What happened here? Was there an attack?" The obvious signs of battle were unmistakable. Brock knelt down to examine the powder more closely.
"This is Stun Spore! But did Ivysaur release this itself?" Brock analyzed the evidence carefully. If it was indeed Stun Spore, it could have been released by Ivysaur during the battle for self-defense.
Of course, Ash recognized the powder as Stun Spore as well, but he disagreed with Brock's assessment. The area covered by Stun Spore was too extensive, and there were far too many Razor Leaf fragments scattered around.
Clearly, their opponents had also been Grass-type Pokémon, which meant they were very likely capable of using Stun Spore as well. It seemed probable that Ivysaur had been hit by Stun Spore, lost the ability to resist, and was then taken away by the attackers.
"Huh?" While observing the surrounding area, something unusual caught Ash's attention under the moonlight. The grass in this section was covered with Stun Spore, giving it a yellowish appearance.
However, this discoloration also made another inconspicuous detail more obvious. On a patch of grass not far away, a faint blue trail extended straight into the deeper forest.
Ash walked over and knelt down to examine it more closely. It was also a type of powder, but clearly different from Stun Spore. Still, it was easy to identify.
"What is this?" Brock and Misty approached and noticed the strange blue trail as well.
"Is this Sleep Powder?" Brock recognized it immediately.
"Sleep Powder and Stun Spore? What exactly is going on here?" Misty still looked confused by the evidence.
"It's actually quite simple," Ash explained thoughtfully. "Ivysaur must have been incapacitated by the Stun Spore attack and taken away by whoever attacked it. But Ivysaur knew that we would definitely come looking for it, so this Sleep Powder trail was probably left deliberately as a clue for us to follow."
Looking at all the evidence before them, Ash began to piece together what had most likely happened to his missing partner.