As they left Charizard Valley, Ash's emotions were both complicated and resolute.
Leaving one of his strongest aces behind for special training meant the upcoming journey would become even more challenging, but he firmly believed that when Charizard returned, it would become even stronger.
And during this time, he himself needed to help his other partners grow rapidly as well.
With that in mind, Ash tossed out two Poké Balls. The Pokémon that appeared were Heracross and Chikorita, whom he had caught recently.
"From now on, the focus of special training will be you two, Chikorita and Heracross!"
"Chika!" Chikorita proudly puffed out its chest, the leaf on its head swaying slightly as if it were extremely excited to finally become one of the team's key members.
"Hera!" Heracross rubbed its massive horn eagerly, full of fighting spirit.
"Chikorita, use Magical Leaf!"
At Ash's command, the large leaf atop Chikorita's head gathered energy before swinging forward. Several leaves infused with Grass-type energy shot outward and smashed into a nearby rock, instantly shattering it into pieces.
The biggest difference between Magical Leaf and Razor Leaf was that one was an energy special attack while the other was a physical attack. One was a tracking move that locked onto its target, while the other could be dodged.
Therefore, teaching Chikorita this move at its current stage was an excellent choice.
Besides that, Ash also began teaching Chikorita Seed Bomb.
Although Chikorita could sometimes become impatient due to wanting quick results, it possessed considerable talent and worked extremely hard, making its improvement very obvious. It gradually mastered both Magical Leaf and Seed Bomb.
As for Heracross, Ash focused on expanding its move pool and improving its capability for consecutive attacks on top of its already powerful physical offense.
A few days later, they passed through a place called Bloomingvale.
The town seemed famous for cultivating Sunflora. These sunflower-like Pokémon could be seen everywhere, and the air itself seemed filled with the scent of sunshine.
There, they met a gentle woman named Sonrisa, who was worried about her Sunflora.
"Lately, it hasn't even been absorbing much sunlight anymore."
"Can I take a look?" Brock stepped forward proactively, making use of his skills as a Pokémon Breeder.
After carefully examining the Sunflora, nicknamed Sunny, and asking Sonrisa several questions, Brock concluded that the problem likely stemmed from its emotions. Perhaps it lacked companionship or was being affected by some environmental factor.
Ash's Aura powers also vaguely sensed the depressed emotions coming from Sunny.
At Ash's suggestion, and with everyone's help, they spent time walking and chatting with Sunny. Misty even specially fetched its favorite clear spring water. Meanwhile, Ash had Pikachu and Chikorita put on a mock battle performance nearby, and the lively atmosphere seemed to gradually infect Sunny as well.
Little by little, under the sincere companionship of Ash and his friends and Sonrisa's gentle care, Sunny finally lifted its head once more. Its golden face turned back toward the sun, revealing a bright and radiant smile.
To thank them, Sonrisa invited them to watch the town's "Sunflora Star" beauty competition.
During the contest, the revitalized Sunny, guided by Sonrisa, displayed incomparable health and vibrant energy, ultimately winning the crown of "Sunflora Star"!
After helping Sonrisa and Sunny solve their problem and witnessing them win their honor, Ash and his friends left Bloomingvale in high spirits.
As they continued their journey, they encountered a young boy carrying a schoolbag who had just finished cram school.
The moment the boy saw the Pokémon beside Ash, his eyes lit up with the desire to battle.
"Hey, you're a trainer, right? Let's battle!"
"Sure, I accept your challenge." Naturally, Ash would never refuse a battle that came to him willingly.
"Chikorita, I choose you!"
"Go, Raticate!"
"Raticate, use Quick Attack!" the boy ordered first.
Raticate transformed into a streak of white light and charged forward at high speed.
"Chikorita, don't panic! Use Magical Leaf!"
Chikorita focused intently as the leaf atop its head swayed gently. Several leaves infused with magical energy floated outward.
Instead of flying in a straight line, they curved through strange arcs, accurately predicting Raticate's charging path before colliding head-on with it!
Bang! Bang!
Magical Leaf struck successfully, interrupting Raticate's momentum and causing it to cry out in pain.
"Raticate, hang in there! Use Hyper Fang!" the boy shouted anxiously.
Raticate bared its massive glowing fangs and lunged forward again.
"Chikorita, use Vine Whip to catch it!"
Two green vines shot out from Chikorita's body like agile serpents, accurately wrapping around Raticate's forelegs and body mid-leap, preventing it from getting close!
"Now! Seed Bomb!"
Chikorita condensed a seed filled with Grass-type energy and fired it directly at the restrained Raticate, which had no way to dodge while bound by Vine Whip!
The instant the seed made contact, it exploded violently!
BOOM!
Grass-type energy burst outward everywhere, dealing massive damage!
Raticate was blasted away and crashed onto the ground, its eyes turning into spirals.
"Raticate is unable to battle! Chikorita wins!" Brock announced at the perfect moment.
"Chika! Chika!"
Chikorita happily bounced up and down before running to Ash's side and affectionately rubbing against his leg.
Winning the battle cleanly through its own strength filled it with a deep sense of accomplishment. Unlike in the original timeline, it had absolutely no dissatisfaction from being replaced by other Pokémon during battles.
Ash crouched down and gently patted Chikorita's head.
"Well done, Chikorita! Your control over Magical Leaf and your timing with Seed Bomb were both excellent! All your special training has really paid off!"
"Chika~" Chikorita happily cried out while enjoying Ash's praise and affection.
Watching the confident Chikorita and the pleased expression on Ash's face, Misty and Brock exchanged smiles as well.
It eased some of the sadness left behind by Charizard's departure.
As they continued toward Azalea Town, they arrived near a vast grassland area.
Many wild Grass-type Pokémon lived there, but after looking around briefly, Ash did not show much interest. Most of those Grass-type Pokémon lacked much potential, and raising them would require too much time and effort.
Just as they were about to continue onward, they suddenly noticed a pink Pokémon floating through the sky.
It was a Hoppip.
"Please help me catch that Hoppip!"
A young woman came running over from behind and urgently asked Ash and the others for help. Without hesitation, Ash agreed to assist her.
...