**Chapter 5: The Bug Catcher Boy's Ambition**
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
"You really don't remember what happened last night?" Misty asked doubtfully.
Ash just spread his hands with an innocent look.
"Last night, I fell fast asleep the moment I hit the bed. Right, Pikachu?"
"Pika."
Pikachu nodded, confirming that he was telling the truth.
"That's not right! There were clearly two Pikachus yesterday, and one of them used an incredible Move called Extreme Speed!" Misty pressed on relentlessly.
"You must have been seeing things. There's only ever been one Pikachu, right, Pikachu?" Ash said, perplexed.
Did I run into an idiot first thing in the morning?
"Pika."
Pikachu nodded again, indicating that what he said was reasonable.
Misty: "..."
She rubbed her head. She did feel a bit dizzy last night.
Coupled with the fact that even Pikachu was saying so, could it be that she was so upset about her Bicycle turning into a Salted Fish that her mind had gone fuzzy?
Or was this Rookie Trainer putting on an act, like an Emboar trying to get the jump on an Incineroar?
Misty's brow furrowed. She realized things weren't that simple.
She immediately entered a profound state of covert observation.
At the entrance to Viridian Forest.
To get to Pewter City, passing through Viridian Forest was a must.
Countless Low Level Bug Type Pokemon lived here. They weren't too strong, making it a suitable first stop for many a Novice Trainer.
Just as the two were about to enter, they saw someone already standing at the entrance, also looking like they were about to go into Viridian Forest.
A straw hat, shorts, a vest, and a simple Bug-Catching Net on his back—the standard Bug Catcher Boy outfit.
"Hello, my name is Kogoro. I'm about to enter Viridian Forest to train."
The Bug Catcher Boy, Kogoro, greeted them.
"Hello, my name is Ash—"
Before Ash could finish, Misty, who was beside him, began to scream wildly, scrambling to hide behind him.
"There's a bug-bug-bug!"
It was perfectly normal and reasonable for a girl to be afraid of bugs.
Ash took a closer look and saw a green caterpillar by Kogoro's leg, its large eyes filled with a dazed expression.
"Pokedex Beep. Caterpie, a dime-a-dozen Bug Type Pokemon. It's useless. Its protein content is six times that of a Tauros."
The Pokedex automatically reported.
"It's a Caterpie, but why is yours so much plumper than a normal one?" Ash asked, licking his lips.
There were plenty of Caterpie on the Back Mountain of Pallet Town, so Ash was quite familiar with them.
But a normal one was only about half the size of his arm. The one before him was a bit longer than his entire Qilin Arm.
Shouldn't the protein be 16 times as much?
"Of course! This is a Caterpie that I've carefully raised!"
Hearing this, Kogoro placed his hands on his hips and spoke with smug satisfaction.
Misty peeked her head out and asked weakly, "Generally, shouldn't a Caterpie evolve in a few days? Yours..."
"Three years!"
Kogoro said proudly as he rubbed his Caterpie's head.
"For these three years, my Caterpie and I have put all our effort into suppressing its Evolution so it could grow this plump!"
"You can suppress Evolution...?" Ash was completely dumbfounded.
Eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired, and evolve when you have enough Experience. Isn't that just common sense? You can suppress it?
Seeing that Ash was about to act like an Emboar again, Misty tried to explain, all the while frantically observing Ash's expression.
"Generally, there are three ways of Suppressing Evolution. The first is for the Pokémon to resist with its own Willpower. The second is to use an Item called an Everstone. The third is for the Trainer to press the B Button on their Pokedex. Don't tell me you didn't know that...?"
"Don't look down on me! Of course, I knew that!" Ash retorted, rubbing his nose with a flushed face.
He silently took out his Pokedex, thinking to himself that besides broadcasting all that nonsense about Pokémon, this thing actually had such a function?
But then again, Evolution makes you stronger, bigger, and cooler. What reason is there not to evolve?
After all, for a man, being big enough is the ultimate form of beauty!
"Hmm... should I tell you guys?"
Seeing their looks of curious children, Kogoro hesitated for a long time before deciding to tell them in secret.
"I'll tell you, but don't you dare spread it around."
"Legend has it that if you train a Caterpie to Max Level without letting it undergo Evolution, you will awaken the Ancient Dragon Bloodline dormant within it! When it evolves then, it will become the legendary, Invincible Dragon-type Pokemon, Rayquaza!"
As he spoke, Kogoro even showed them a Sketch of Rayquaza.
Even though it was just a drawing, they could feel the terrifying Intimidation from the Pokémon in the picture wash over them.
Looking closer, they discovered that its color, Form, spirit, and markings were all somewhat similar to Caterpie.
Ash and Misty: "!"
Red: "?"
Red, who had just woken up in Ash's Soul Space, felt his entire being shudder, his very Soul nearly scattering from the shock.
"Hehe, this is a secret my best friend told me. According to him, in his hometown in the Hoenn Region, this is how everyone raises their Caterpie. Rayquaza are everywhere, and everyone can soar through the Sky riding an Invincible Giant Dragon." Kogoro said with a proud smile.
Ash and Misty: "!!!"
Red: "..."
You should probably break up with that friend of yours.
"I've said enough. I need to continue training my Caterpie!"
With that, Kogoro led his plump Caterpie into Viridian Forest first, leaving behind only his incredibly confident and hearty, arrogant laughter.
"One day, I will ride a Rayquaza and reign over the Kanto Region, becoming the most powerful Pokémon Master! Hahaha!!"
Chaos erupted in Viridian Forest.
"So Caterpie has the Ancient Bloodline of a Giant Dragon! That's amazing!"
Ash was instantly won over. He slapped his thigh and prepared to enter the forest himself to Catch a Caterpie and raise it for three to five years.
"Ash, I think there might be some kind of misunderstanding..."
Misty was clearly not a greenhorn. She quickly realized that this Bug Catcher was probably being pranked by his best friend.
A friend like that, she would recommend burying alive.
"What misunderstanding? What he said was logical and well-supported."
"Pokedex Beep. There is a certain possibility."
At that moment, the Pokedex chimed in with a supporting notification.
Hearing this, Ash became even more excited and dashed into Viridian Forest. The Pokedex wouldn't lie.
Professor Oak had said it himself: no matter the issue, you can rely on the Pokedex.
*Nom, nom, nom...*
Unexpectedly, just as he entered, he saw a Caterpie eating leaves in the grass in front of him.
It looked rather dazed.
"Holy cow, from a distance it really has the divine air of a Giant Dragon!"
Without hesitation, Ash threw a Poké Ball.
*Pop!*
The Caterpie didn't even try to dodge. With a *swoosh*, it turned into a red light and was sucked inside.
"Ding... ding... da!"
After shaking three times, the Poké Ball stopped, indicating a successful Catch.
Ash excitedly held the Poké Ball high and roared, "Haha, I've caught Rayquaza!!"
Misty and Red: "..."
"Misty, what do I do? I feel my body getting so hot, like I'm about to become a Pokémon Master!"
At this moment, Ash was filled with immense passion.
Holding the Caterpie's Poké Ball in his hand felt like grasping the future.
Misty and Red: "..."
*No, I have to secretly pry the B Button off that Pokedex later, or else a perfectly good Trainer is going to go completely crazy...*
The two continued deeper into the Forest. Misty hid timidly behind Ash as the rustling sound of insect wings beating constantly echoed around them, making her extremely uncomfortable.
Along the way, Ash also caught a Pidgeotto, which was a pretty good catch.
But there's not much to say about that, is there?
At night, the two started a campfire, attempting to use the Flame to drive away the Bug Type Pokemon.
After all, not all Bug Type Pokemon were as docile as Caterpie.
Beedrill, for example, were not only aggressive, but their Twineedle also carried a potent Toxic, making them the greatest Nightmare for a Newbie Trainer.
Soon, the two fell into a deep sleep, and Red once again took control of Ash's body.
"So it wasn't a one-time thing?"
Red looked at his own arm, adjusted his Hat, and smiled.
He really liked this feeling.
Seeing Pikachu and Caterpie sitting on a log not far away, engaged in some sort of Dragon Language Communication, he didn't go over to disturb them. He just quietly gazed at the bright moon hanging in the Sky.
"I wonder how Green and Blue are doing?"
Next to Pewter City, Mt. Moon.
On the edge of a Cliff, a brown, Spiky-Haired Youth sat alone by a campfire.
Next to him was a rather sturdy Wartortle.
What was strange, however, was that even though he was the only one there, he was muttering to himself as if in conversation with someone.
"You ask me who my Rival is?"
Gary suddenly froze for a moment.
The first person that came to his mind was Ash, but he quickly shook his head with a disdainful smile.
How could someone who was late even for the start of his journey possibly be a Rival for the great Gary?
He, Gary, was Invincible. He had no Rival!
—
(New book, asking for votes, this is very important)