"The three initial Pokémon?" Professor Sakuragi chuckled, "What an interesting nickname."
"It's just a way of referring to them, please don't take it seriously, Professor." Saying this, Natsui continued asking, "Excuse me, do you know where one might find the three wild starters around here?"
"In terms of the three starters, Charmander is usually found in volcanoes and lava caves, while Squirtle must be sought on more remote coasts and solitary islands. As for Bulbasaur, you should be able to spot it in dense forests, but speaking of the surrounding area…" Renji seemed to recall something and asked, "Are you familiar with the Mystery Garden?"
"The Mystery Garden?" Natsui was momentarily surprised, then shook his head.
At one side, Professor Sakuragi explained: "According to legend, the Mystery Garden is the place where Bulbasaur gather to celebrate the Evolution Festival. However, since it has never been discovered, some say it only exists in imagination."
Upon hearing this, Natsui seemed to remember the storyline. He recalled that in the original series, Ash had entered the Mystery Garden in search of his Bulbasaur!
With doubts in his heart, Natsui asked, "But is it currently the season when they hold the festival?"
"I'm not entirely sure." Professor Sakuragi thought for a moment and added, "But I believe the Mystery Garden really does exist, and even if it's not festival season, I imagine many Bulbasaur live and nest in its vicinity."
"I see." Natsui frowned. "But I don't know its exact location—how could I find it?"
Professor Sakuragi operated the computer and displayed a map of the surroundings of Vermilion City on the big screen.
"Although I also don't know the exact location of the Mystery Garden, in our previous observations we discovered that in the depths of the forest north of Vermilion City there are many active wild Bulbasaur. Perhaps you should go try your luck there."
"Understood." Natsui's eyes lit up and he thanked sincerely, "Professor Sakuragi, thank you very much!"
…
Descending the laboratory stairs with Koharu, Natsui looked back and saw that Professor Sakuragi's Yamper had also dashed out of the lab, wagging its tail and following Koharu closely.
Natsui smiled: "Seems like it really likes you."
"Really?" Koharu looked down at Yamper, her tone unchanged, "I don't feel anything special; at home it also sticks to my parents—I guess it's like that with everyone."
Through this brief interaction, Natsui discovered that Koharu was not much of a talker. Although still underage, she had a calm and serene personality, giving the impression of being very sensible and well-behaved.
Bowing down, Natsui stroked Yamper's forehead, and it half-closed its eyes comfortably, even sticking its long tongue out at Natsui.
It likes being petted; seeing it like this, it's not very different from a dog.
"You don't need to accompany me any further—well, Koharu, see you if fate allows."
Waving goodbye to Koharu, Natsui went to an outdoor gear shop in Vermilion City, where he bought a cap, a sleeping bag, a canteen, binoculars, portable food and simple cooking utensils, all packed into a large backpack.
Since he was heading into nature, of course he had to be well prepared; otherwise, if he got lost from town at nightfall, he'd have to rely on this equipment to camp outdoors.
Leaving Vermilion City, Natsui and Ralts walked north for quite a while before finally reaching a dense forest.
Upon entering the forest, being far from the city, his phone's signal quickly disappeared. Without navigation, Natsui could only rely on his intuition to make his way.
However, this forest was immense, lush, and full of vegetation. At first there were some paths, but the more he ventured in, the more the trails gradually disappeared. To continue forward, he needed Ralts to use its psychic powers to brush aside the branches.
The surroundings were completely silent.
Not a single Caterpie or Weedle, nor an Oddish or Bellsprout—common forest Pokémon—was to be seen anywhere. And the more it was so, the more certain Natsui felt in his heart that he had arrived at the right place.
Only in the habitat of a specific clan, due to territorial awareness, would such a situation occur.
In this forest that seemed like a giant labyrinth, walking and stopping, finally at dusk, Natsui heard the cries of many Pokémon up ahead.
He approached stealthily, parted the branches, and saw that the area ahead suddenly opened up. In the midst of the dense and boundless forest, a basin had appeared!
In the center of the basin stood a huge dead tree, and around it countless Bulbasaur played and frolicked.
The Mystery Garden—he had finally found it!
Looking at this peaceful habitat, Natsui did not rush in so as not to disturb them, but instead took out his binoculars and, taking advantage of the glow of dusk, carefully observed the activity inside.
Bulbasaur is a quadrupedal Pokémon, its appearance resembling a green frog. Besides its bright red eyes and dark green spots, its most notable feature is the garlic-shaped bulb on its back.
These Bulbasaur had obviously not noticed Natsui's arrival, but since there were so many, vision could easily be obscured and, by appearance alone, it was difficult to discern their personalities. Therefore, after observing for a moment, Natsui fixed his gaze on a Bulbasaur that had just exited the basin.
This Bulbasaur wore a relaxed expression, occasionally using its vine whips to snatch berries from the trees and savor them in its mouth, then quickly moving away from its clan.
Seeing the opportunity, Natsui no longer hesitated. He moved stealthily, trying not to make a sound, and approached it.
The choice of this Bulbasaur was actually a matter of necessity. If he ventured too deep, he feared causing panic and chaos among the Bulbasaur, and if attacked by the group, the loss would outweigh the gain.
As he got closer, Natsui opted against a surprise attack. He worried that if he attacked by surprise, even if the capture succeeded, the Bulbasaur might not accept him in its heart, which would generate resistance when giving orders in the future. Therefore, only when he was close enough did he suddenly step out, stand behind the Bulbasaur, and block its retreat.
At the sound, the Bulbasaur was startled. Turning around to see Natsui, it immediately flexed its four legs, and from the bulb on its back, two vine whips shot out, dancing in the air as if intimidating Natsui.
With their eyes locked, Natsui made a hand signal, and the Ralts at his side took a few steps forward.
And upon seeing Ralts, the Bulbasaur seemed to realize something, let out a cry of "saur, saur!" and immediately entered combat mode!