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"This is Togepi!" Ash identified the newly hatched Pokemon after taking a closer look.
Togepi was an extremely rare Pokemon, and according to what Ash had learned from his travels, they didn't seem to naturally inhabit this world. Only a very small number of them could be found anywhere.
Togepi also possessed very unique and mysterious powers, but for now, Ash wasn't particularly concerned about that aspect.
"So your name is Togepi! Please take care of me from now on," Misty said warmly, already completely charmed by the little Pokemon at first sight.
Togepi seemed to feel equally fond of her gentle appearance and caring voice.
"This newborn Pokemon doesn't seem to be afraid of strangers at all!" Brock observed with some surprise. Normally, newly hatched Pokemon would need time to adjust to the unfamiliar world around them.
But Togepi didn't appear to have any of that typical nervousness or uncertainty. Instead, it looked completely content and happy.
"After Togepi hatches, it will regard the first person it sees as its parent, so of course it won't be afraid!"
Ash remembered that Togepi did indeed have that special ability. The first person it saw upon hatching would be treated as a parent, regardless of whether it was a human or another Pokemon standing in front of it.
In reality, many Pokemon exhibited this behavior when they were born. It was just that most Pokemon only saw their actual parents when they hatched, so few experienced the situation that Togepi was going through.
"That makes perfect sense!" Brock nodded with understanding after hearing the explanation.
Misty, on the other hand, was absolutely delighted by this news. As a trainer, the closest relationship she could have with a Pokemon was like being a caring parent. The fact that Togepi regarded her as its mother made her incredibly happy.
"Puff! Puff!"
Jigglypuff looked at this touching scene, but it puffed up its cheeks with obvious annoyance. It had originally been the cutest Pokemon in their group, but now it was feeling a bit jealous seeing all the attention Togepi was receiving.
In an instant, Jigglypuff jumped from Ash's head down to his chest, as if it also wanted to be held and cuddled.
"Hey, are you feeling jealous?" Ash asked with amusement as he gently touched the curl on Jigglypuff's forehead, trying to comfort it. "Don't be upset. Even if Togepi just hatched, that doesn't mean you're any less special!"
"Misty, aren't you going to catch it?" Brock asked as he looked at her holding the contented Togepi.
Since Togepi had just been born, it would be very easy to capture. Given how much it seemed to like Misty, there wouldn't even need to be a battle.
"Well..."
Misty looked down at Togepi after hearing Brock's suggestion. She saw it smiling happily with such an innocent, trusting expression.
"I think I'll leave things as they are for now! Look how peaceful and content it looks—I really can't bring myself to force it into a Poke Ball!" Looking at Togepi, who appeared to understand nothing about the complexities of the world, Misty genuinely couldn't bear to do anything that might upset it.
Brock felt a bit helpless when he heard this response, but he understood her reasoning. After all, it didn't really matter that Togepi regarded Misty as its mother for now. She could always capture it officially later when she felt more comfortable with the idea.
With Ivysaur's successful evolution and Misty's Pokemon egg hatching into Togepi, the sky had gradually grown brighter despite the intense battle they had experienced.
Looking at the entire garden around them, there was still an endless sea of beautiful flowers everywhere. Under Venusaur's incredible power, the flames from the explosion sites had been completely extinguished.
New shoots had sprouted from the ground almost instantly, gradually covering up the damaged areas, and the garden had returned to its original pristine appearance.
However, although this place was absolutely beautiful, Ash and his companions understood that Venusaur and the other Pokemon didn't want to be disturbed by outsiders. That was why no one had discovered them for so many years.
Because Venusaur could control plants and vegetation, it could also alter the structure of the surrounding forest. This was the reason why the Mysterious Garden had remained hidden for such a long time.
So now, it was time for Ash and his companions to leave. His newly evolved Venusaur said farewell to the garden's Venusaur and all the other Ivysaur.
The group then set foot on the path they had originally used to enter the area. Venusaur and the Ivysaur from the garden escorted Ash and his friends to the entrance of their hidden sanctuary.
The areas that had previously been burned by Charizard's flames had been completely restored, and no traces of damage could be seen anywhere. The Pokemon from the garden stopped at the boundary and watched as the visitors departed.
"Let's go!" Ash stood next to his Venusaur and patted its massive body gently.
"Venusaur!"
After hearing its trainer's voice, Venusaur roared toward the garden in a final farewell, then looked at Ash and nodded with understanding. Seeing this gesture, Ash took out Venusaur's Poke Ball and recalled his partner.
The group then turned around and began walking away. When they looked back one final time, they could see that thorns and vines had already blocked the path behind them, and a mysterious mist was filling the forest.
This made the location of the garden even more mysterious and well-hidden. They wondered who might discover it next.
However, Ash and his companions weren't particularly concerned about that. After returning to their campsite, they packed their belongings and set off once again on their journey.
As the three travelers continued their adventure, they unknowingly returned to a familiar location. The place was definitely recognizable to all of them, but something seemed quite different.
The city looked very strange because it was completely transformed from when they had last visited.
"Is this really the same Gringey City we were in before? It's changed so dramatically!" Looking at the city before them, Misty spoke in complete disbelief.
"We definitely didn't take a wrong turn. This is indeed Gringey City!" Brock confirmed after checking their map carefully. Although the transformation was remarkable, their location was definitely correct.
This was the same place where they had once battled Team Rocket to protect the legendary Zapdos.
But compared to that previous visit, when the city had been shrouded in darkness even during daylight hours, the current Gringey City was dramatically different.
The sky above had become much clearer and brighter. It was no longer polluted by thick industrial smog and pollution. The surrounding rivers and cityscape had also become much cleaner and more vibrant.
There was no longer the sharp, unpleasant smell of industrial gases in the air. There had indeed been an incredible transformation. It seemed that the environmental purification plan they had heard about was finally being implemented successfully.
"There are so many more people out and about!" As they walked into the city, Ash looked around and observed the bustling activity.
In the original Gringey City, almost no one had been outside even during the day, but now the entire city seemed to have become prosperous and lively.
"You're absolutely right! You didn't let anyone down, Ash. All your hard work protecting the power plant really paid off!" Misty looked around with a warm smile.
During their previous visit, Ash had protected Zapdos at the power plant and, in the process, had also saved the entire electrical facility. This had allowed the city to achieve its current renewed appearance.