"This scene feels kinda familiar…"
Watching Turtwig dash off to maintain order in the distance, Ash couldn't help but remark.
"Hm, you mean Bulbasaur? Now that you mention it, the situations are pretty similar…"
Prompted by Ash, Brock recalled their travels in Kanto, and…
"And Miss Viridian, sigh—"
"You actually remember her name?"
Seeing Brock's forlorn look, Ash couldn't resist teasing.
"Of course I remember! I'll never forget the names of every beautiful lady I've connected with!"
"Pick your moments better! Quiet down!"
Embarrassed by Brock's behavior in front of Yasue, Dawn stood and pushed him back down. Though Brock's antics were odd, Yasue watched them with a calm smile throughout.
…
After afternoon tea, Dawn and Brock stayed seated, chatting with Yasue about food and Pokémon. As for Ash… never one to sit still, he seized the free time to find a nearby clearing and resume training.
"Nice work! Aipom's gotten much smarter since last time, learning to adapt its attack strategies based on the battlefield. Starly's doing great too, leveraging its strengths without letting Aipom gain much ground!"
"OKI!"
"MU~!"
Aipom and Starly puffed out their chests confidently, as if to say it was only natural. Though Ash's words carried encouragement, Aipom and Starly had indeed grown since their last battle. If they kept training like this, they'd soon grasp the importance of developing their own strategies in combat.
As the first round of training ended, Ash suddenly noticed a figure behind him.
"Turtwig? What're you doing here? Interested in our training?"
"Na~"
Turtwig nodded. It had been watching Ash's training from the start, utterly engrossed.
For Turtwig, who'd always lived in the forest, Ash's arrival and his Pokémon training were novel. It'd be a lie to say it wasn't intrigued.
Though Turtwig played the role of caretaker or butler here, deep down, it loved battling. Otherwise, it wouldn't have unleashed such force against Team Rocket, who'd claimed they were after Pikachu.
"…"
Seeing Turtwig's eager look, it'd be a lie to say Ash wasn't tempted.
Though he'd crossed back in time, Ash hadn't initially planned to recreate his old team. That felt too deliberate, almost forced.
But… even so, he still hoped to reunite with his former companions. After all, he'd bonded with them, and without any one of them, he'd feel a lingering emptiness.
"If you're into it, why not give it a shot? I know you've always wanted to see the world outside, haven't you?"
"Na?"
As Turtwig fell silent, Yasue approached from behind, crouching to gently stroke its head. She said softly, "Young people should see the world, and young Pokémon are no different. If you're not living in a herd, you should live the life you want… You've helped me here for a long time. Now it's time to leave this forest and find your own path."
Yasue's words were slow and tender, like an elder guiding the younger generation.
And for Turtwig, that seemed to be the case.
"Na…"
Turtwig glanced at Ash, then at Yasue, its eyes brimming with indecision.
But the next moment, as if resolving something, it fixed Ash with a battle-ready glare and let out a low growl.
"Turtwig's…"
"Challenging you, right? Looks like it wants to test your strength," Brock replied.
"Huh? A Pokémon choosing a Trainer? That's a thing? Learned something new…"
Dawn's tone was surprised, while Ash accepted Turtwig's challenge without hesitation.
This was the way to do it—capturing with flair.
Grinning, he ignored Pikachu's eager look and sent out Starly.
"Starly! You're up!"
"Mu!"
Starly let out a sharp cry, wasting no time. It swooped down, charging straight at Turtwig.
"NA!"
Turtwig showed no fear, shaking its body. The twig-like sprout on its head unleashed dozens of leaves, hurtling toward Starly's trajectory.
"Dive!"
Ash commanded with a wave.
Though Turtwig's Razor Leaf was dense, it lacked the homing ability of moves like Swift. Against a highly mobile opponent like Starly, inaccurate use could easily miss.
Moreover, Ash's Starly was more agile than most, its midair maneuvers swift and fluid.
"Mu!"
Starly tilted its body, its gradual descent suddenly vanishing from sight. Turtwig, losing track, grew tense, neglecting its ongoing Razor Leaf. It began running, widening its field of vision to keep up with Starly's flight.
Turtwig's still too green, huh.
Watching Turtwig's determined but stiff movements, Ash couldn't help but think.
Though Turtwig had battle talent, it was rooted in wild combat experience. To transform that raw instinct into something refined, it had a long road ahead.