Chapter 167: Special 002 and Totem 003
This explanation was not what Ash had expected. It caught him completely off guard, his expression shifting rapidly.
He had thought Bulbasaur's reasoning was about staying true to itself, or perhaps some noble sentiment like wanting to challenge the strongest with its current form, a display of unyielding tenacity. But it was really just about preserving the prestigious Pokédex number 001?
That was it?
He even found himself looking down on the large group of 002s and the single Totem 003 nearby. If Bulbasaur hadn't just saved everyone, he would have been tempted to give this upstart a good talking-to.
After a moment's hesitation, Ash composed himself and gently stroked Bulbasaur's head.
"Heh, actually, back when humans were assigning the numbers, the Bulbasaur that got 001 just happened to wake up half an hour earlier than the others and met a human first. It was pure luck. There's nothing particularly prestigious about it."
Ash tried to shift the distinction between 001 and 002 to a matter of luck, attempting to downplay the sense of prestige.
But in truth, he also felt that 001 was quite distinguished, exuding an air of the upper class.
Pikachu chimed in from the side, nodding in agreement.
"Pika-pika (If my ancestor hadn't woken up half an hour late that day, 001 would belong to our Electric Mouse Clan now)."
Pikachu's tone carried a hint of disappointment, as if it couldn't believe its ancestor had fumbled the opportunity.
"Saur... saur."
Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, Bulbasaur's earlier obsession with whether to evolve vanished. After a moment of thought, it opened its steady eyes and looked toward the Totem Venusaur nearby.
"Saur... saur," it said.
"Totem 003, I choose to evolve now, meow," Meowth translated in real-time.
The Totem Venusaur remained silent.
It could understand Bulbasaur's language. Bulbasaur had not said "Venusaur," but had actually called it by the number "003." The tone was surprisingly arrogant, and this wasn't just Meowth adding its own spin to the translation.
Hearing this, however, Ash's eyes lit up. Although the choice was Bulbasaur's, he still hoped it would choose to evolve.
"Venu..."
The Venusaur nodded and issued a command to the surrounding crowd of ordinary 002s, then slowly moved its body back onto the high platform.
"Ivy..." "Ivy..."
"Ivy..."
Bulbasaur was encircled by them as they began to chant, seemingly starting some kind of ritual again.
"VENU!!"
Suddenly, the Totem Venusaur let out a low roar. The giant flower on its back shook, releasing a dense cloud of green, glowing powder that drifted slowly toward the Bulbasaur at the center.
Keep in mind that last time, it had split its green light energy evenly among nearly thirty Bulbasaurs for their evolution. This time, however, an equivalent amount of energy was being given to this one Bulbasaur alone.
"Ivy..."
"Ivy..."
The surrounding Ivysaurs also shook out clouds of green powder. Although their energy contribution was much smaller than the Totem Venusaur's, every little bit counted. The converged green light energy became incredibly dense.
All the green light rained down upon Bulbasaur. Its eyes flew open as it stopped suppressing the violent energy within its body, allowing it to be unleashed.
"Zzzzt—"
Its body began to glow with the distinct white light of evolution, and its form began to subtly change beneath the light...
Most astonishingly, its back seemed to have sprouted a suctioning black hole, continuously drawing in the countless streams of green energy from its surroundings. The pure white light of evolution transformed into a verdant green light, pulsing with the aura of life.
"IVY!!!"
With a low roar, the green light shattered, instantly filling the area with the rich fragrance of flower petals. The air itself seemed to turn sweet.
Taking a deep breath even gave one the strange sensation of their constitution improving, as if the surrounding air was filled with life energy. It was quite intoxicating.
And there, at the center of the adoring green-skinned Pokémon, Bulbasaur revealed its brand-new form.
Its body was much larger than before, even a bit bigger than the other Ivysaurs around it. The claws on its four limbs had become thicker and more powerful, giving it a more stable base.
The most peculiar part was the plant on its back.
A normal Ivysaur has a few large leaves and a single red bud in the center, its petals only slightly open.
But the flower on Ash's Ivysaur's back was already nearly three-quarters of the way open. The petals had bloomed for the most part, making it look like an intermediate form between an Ivysaur and a Venusaur.
It emanated a rich fragrance and a powerful life aura.
Simply standing there, a steady yet profoundly resilient aura of power radiated outward, making it impossible for anyone to underestimate it.
It was clear that the newly evolved Ivysaur had not yet fully adapted to this new power, as its every move carried an imposing pressure.
The Totem Venusaur nodded, clearly approving of the Ivysaur's current form.
"Venu... Venu..."
The utility cat translated in real-time:
"Totem 003 says that in its current second-stage form, this Ivysaur might be able to fully bloom the flower on its back. Its strength will far surpass that of a normal 002, and it might not even lose to a normal 003."
Generally, 001 is the seed, 002 is the bud, and only 003 fully blooms. A Pokémon doesn't change its form without evolving. But clearly, thanks to the gift of energy from its kin, this Ivysaur had already embarked on a path completely different from its ordinary counterparts.
Moreover, Meowth was now using "002" and "003" because that was the Totem Venusaur's actual speech. It seemed the numbering had a strange, infectious charm.
"Nice!!"
Ash couldn't help but slap Pikachu on the head, thinking to himself that this trip to the Mysterious Garden was definitely not in vain.
Although Ivysaur was the last of his three starter Pokémon to evolve, it had built a strong foundation. Its current energy level might now be the highest among all his Pokémon.
He suddenly had an idea. He bent down, stroked Ivysaur's head, and chuckled.
"Right, I haven't given you a name yet. Even though you're a 002 now, I'll keep calling you by your favorite nickname, 001!"
"Ivy..."
Ivysaur's eyes lit up. That nickname was much better than "utility bird" or the like.
"Beep. Keyword detected: Nickname. Beginning to set Nickname for Ivysaur..."
The Pokédex on Ash's belt began to chime. Everyone smiled, waiting for the confirmation with relaxed and happy expressions.
"Beep. Based on context, two nicknames were detected near the keyword 'Nickname'. '002' is three characters away. '001' is twelve characters away. Beginning sorting..."
The Pokédex was running at full tilt, as if sorting the two keywords required a massive amount of processing power.
Three seconds later.
"Beep. Sorting complete... Nickname set!"
Ash's eyes narrowed. Something felt wrong.
"Beep. Ivysaur, brimming with Life Energy, is the Pokémon of Trainer Ash. Nickname: 002."
The Pokédex announced, complete with celebratory background music.
Ash: "..."
Everyone: "..."
Ivysaur: "SAUR!"
Ash could only barely resist the urge to smash the Pokédex. He lowered his head and stroked Ivysaur's head again.
"I made a vow not to change any nicknames until I become a Pokémon Master. It'll affect my feng shui. Just put up with it for a few days. The moment I become a Pokémon Master, I'll help you change your nickname back to 001."
Ivysaur: "SAUR!"
Affection -10.
With the matter settled, Ash recalled the now rather grumpy Ivysaur into its Poké Ball and turned to Meowth.
"Meowth, why don't you join me? There's no future with Team Rocket."
He wasn't joking; the utility cat's ability was unreasonably good. He coveted it!
"Hey! How dare you insult the great Team Rocket! The great Team Rocket will be the ones to rule the world!"
Meowth immediately retorted, fiercely loyal.
Seeing this, Ash gave up on the idea of recruiting it. After all, Meowth had done him a huge favor today, so he wouldn't deliberately blast it with a Thunderbolt. He waved his hand, signaling that it was free to go.
Meowth: "..."
It looked around. Jessie and James had already been blasted off to some unknown ravine.
After a long moment of hesitation, it looked at the Totem Venusaur and spoke:
"Boss 003, could you please blast me off in the direction of Jessie and James, meow? The force, angle, and trajectory need to be precise. Oh, and remember to factor in the wind, meow."
Totem 003: "..."
(end of chapter)