Ash had been resting for three full days at Liza's place in Charicific Valley.
During that time, Charizard and Pikachu never left his side, keeping close watch over him.
Thankfully, it was only mental exhaustion—his body hadn't sustained any injuries. After three days of good rest, he was completely back to normal.
In fact, Ash even noticed that his body felt stronger than ever!
Charizard remained in Charicific Valley for special training.
This wasn't releasing it—more accurately, it was temporary fostering.
If Ash ever needed Charizard's strength or wanted it to return to his side, he could contact Liza at any time.
As Ash stepped out of the valley, he tossed a Poké Ball into the air.
Out popped Chikorita, the newest member of his team and already incredibly fond of Ash despite just being caught.
Chikorita immediately leapt onto Ash's shoulder, taking up one side, while Pikachu occupied the other.
"Alright, time to begin your training!" Ash grinned at the little Chikorita on his shoulder.
This feisty and competitive little one turned out to be a cute girl.
With Charizard staying behind, Ash's current party consisted of Pikachu, Squirtle, Heracross, Chikorita, and Snorlax.
Of course, he planned to focus most of his attention on training the two newcomers: Heracross and Chikorita.
Interestingly, just after leaving Charizard Valley, the group came upon a place that seemed perfect for training Chikorita.
"Ash, are you sure you're okay?" Misty still looked worried. She hadn't fully gotten over Ash's sudden collapse earlier. After all, traveling meant roughing it in the wild.
If it hadn't been for Misty insisting he rest, Ash would've been up and moving on the second day, eager to continue their journey.
"I'm fine, Misty. Three days of rest and I'm back to one hundred percent!" Ash reassured her with a big smile.
"Hey… don't you guys feel hot? The sun is blazing!" Brock commented, looking up from his map. According to their route, they should be getting close to Azalea Town, the location of the next gym.
"I think it feels nice," Ash replied cheerfully.
Brock glanced at him. "Well, of course you think so. Chikorita's big leaf is giving you shade!"
Ever since leaving the valley, Ash had been steadily training Chikorita. Since she was still small, the training didn't cause too much of a commotion.
It wasn't like with Charizard, who needed wide open space to let loose.
And Chikorita had been progressing nicely—she had even learned Magical Leaf! This spirited little one had already made a name for herself around the area before Ash caught her, thanks to her stubborn, never-back-down attitude.
She wasn't exactly a rookie—she'd already built up quite a bit of experience before joining Ash's team.
And now, under the bright sunlight, Chikorita seemed even more energized.
Sunbathing was her favorite!
"Hello there!"
A girl carrying a big wrench suddenly appeared on the path ahead, drawing everyone's attention to a thick water pipe running along the roadside.
She seemed to be inspecting it to make sure there weren't any leaks.
"Hello, beautiful and gentle lady! My name is Brock. Might I ask for your contact information?" Brock's infamous habit kicked in again, only to be promptly dragged away by Misty.
"I'm Sonrisa," the girl introduced herself.
She explained that this place was called Bloomingvale Town.
The area received abundant sunlight year-round and was famous for raising Sunflora.
Of course, with that in mind, Ash and the others couldn't resist paying a visit.
Sunshine Town's architecture was quite unique—it was built on a slope like terraced fields, designed like steps going up the mountainside.
It was likely an effort to take full advantage of the sunlight.
Sonrisa also raised several Sunflora at home. The water pipes she had been checking were part of a system that channeled high-quality spring water down from the nearby mountains.
This pure water, combined with the bright sunshine of Sunshine Town, created the ideal environment for growing Sunflora.
Just seeing the engineering effort that went into redirecting the water gave a sense of how devoted Sonrisa was to her Pokémon.
Back at her house, she turned on a sprinkler. Chikorita eagerly leapt off Ash's shoulder and flopped under the spray, basking in the sunlight.
"Haha, looks like Chikorita really likes your spring water, Miss Sonrisa!" Misty laughed at the sight.
Honestly, this was probably the right way to raise a Grass-type Pokémon.
Since Chikorita clearly loved it here, Ash and the group decided to spend the day in Sunshine Town for some training before heading back on the road.
Of course, training never stopped.
"Whoa, that's a Vileplume! Togepi, be careful not to inhale any Stun Spore!"
"There's a Gloom over there!"
"And Weepinbell, Bellsprout, even a Victreebel!"
Not long after leaving town, the group came across a cluster of wild Grass-type Pokémon along the roadside.
Chikorita trailed beside Ash, both training and cheerfully greeting each wild Pokémon they passed.
"Victreebel, how about a battle with my Chikorita?" Ash suddenly crouched down and spoke to the biggest Victreebel among them.
"Ash, careful!" Misty called out anxiously.
Charging up to a group of wild Grass-types like that was risky. If they decided to attack all at once, just the powders—Stun Spore, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder—would be enough to knock him out cold.
Both Misty and Brock were startled by Ash's impulsiveness.
But to their surprise, the Victreebel nodded its pouch-like head and bounced forward, accepting the challenge!
Chikorita hopped off Ash's shoulder, brimming with fighting spirit.
Her first move—Razor Leaf—sliced through the air, hitting hard.
This was a fully evolved Victreebel, and it didn't go easy!
"Dodge it!"
Chikorita weaved left and right, nimbly avoiding the attacks.
But the Victreebel wasn't letting up. Its single vine whip suddenly lashed out and wrapped tightly around Chikorita, hoisting her into the air!
"Nice one!"
Ash grinned, showing no panic at all.
His calm attitude rubbed off on Chikorita, helping her shake off her initial panic and settle down.
"Feeling steady now?" Ash said gently. "Then use Sweet Scent!"
Chikorita perked up the leaf on her head, releasing a wave of sweet aroma that wafted toward Victreebel.
Soon enough, the tension in Victreebel's vine whip loosened, and Chikorita was set free!
"Now, use Magical Leaf!"
Unlike Razor Leaf, which was a physical attack using real leaves, Magical Leaf was a Grass-type energy move—a special attack. And it had a lock-on effect with incredible accuracy!
Victreebel was blasted backward, though being a Grass-type itself, it wasn't particularly affected by Grass-type moves.
Just as the battle was heating up, Misty and Brock spotted something drifting down from the sky—a pink Pokémon floating lightly in the breeze.
It was Hoppip, the Grass-type that could be blown away by a strong wind.
"Can you help me catch that Hoppip?!"
A girl came running after it, calling out in distress. Upon hearing her voice, Ash immediately stopped the battle.
"Heracross!" he called, tossing a Poké Ball.
"Heracross, toss Chikorita up! Chikorita, use Vine Whip to catch Hoppip! Then Heracross, grab them both!"