The day after parting ways with Nene, Ash and his friends cut through a forest—and the change hit them all at once.
"What happened here? Why does it look so dead all of a sudden?"
"Yeah… just a minute ago it was all bright green and pretty."
Ash closed his eyes and let aura spread out from him like a quiet ripple. The forest beyond still breathed with life, but this patch… this whole area was wrong. Trees stood bare and brittle, bark shriveled, branches limp and lifeless.
He opened his eyes. "This way."
With a quick glance at Brock and Misty, he broke into a run.
They stopped beneath a towering tree, thick enough that it would take five or six people to wrap their arms all the way around the trunk. Several Heracross clung to it at different heights, their sturdy blue bodies pressed against the bark as they drank sap from the wounded wood.
Misty took one look and paled. "Wh-what is that? Don't tell me it's all bugs…"
Her fear of Bug-types hadn't faded since Viridian Forest—back when Ash caught Caterpie and she'd practically shrieked the whole route down.
"That's Heracross," Ash said. "They're Beetle Pokémon. See? Hard shells, not fuzzy. You don't have to be scared."
Misty peered again, this time more cautiously. "When you put it like that… they're not as bad as I thought. Kind of… okay, actually."
Heracross—the Single Horn Pokémon. Gentle by nature, strong enough to lift an opponent clean off the ground by driving its horn into their underside and flipping them away.
While they watched, a small group of Butterfree fluttered in to join the feast. The Heracross shifted aside, quietly making room for them and even yielding the best spots on the trunk.
"They really are gentle," Misty said softly. "That's… actually really nice."
Brock's brow furrowed. "Then why is everything around here so withered? Something must've happened."
"Let's wait a bit," Ash said. "The answer's about to show up."
The forest itself seemed to respond to his words. A moment later, several Pinsir emerged from between the trees.
Compared to the solid, quiet Heracross, the Pinsir looked downright menacing—sharp horns raised high, eyes narrowed, movements heavy and aggressive. Their appearance sent the Butterfree scattering at once. The bugs climbed into the upper branches of the big tree, glaring down like bullies who'd just walked into a playground.
"Heracross, don't just run away—do something!" Misty shouted, watching the Heracross get pushed back step by step.
The beetles vibrated their wings and lifted off. For a second, Misty thought they were about to counterattack. Instead, they turned and fled.
"…They ran?"
Brock exhaled. "Now it makes sense. Pinsir showed up and chased the Heracross off their tree, so the Heracross had to feed on the smaller trees in the area. That's why all the saplings around here are dried out."
Misty's hands balled into fists. "That's so unfair. And the Heracross are way too cowardly!"
Ash shook his head. "You're wrong, Misty. Being gentle doesn't mean being weak. When the world gets pushed too far… that's when heroes show up."
She blinked at him, taken aback by the calm certainty in his tone.
Years ago in Viridian Forest, when the Pidgeotto flock was threatened, Ash's own Pidgeotto had evolved into Pidgeot to protect its home. Some moments simply demanded a hero.
Pikachu's ears pricked up. "Pika!"
From the retreating swarm of Heracross, one shape turned back.
A single Heracross broke away from the group and flew toward the big tree again. It was larger than the others, shoulders broader, its eyes sharper, gaze steady and unafraid.
Misty stared. "That one… that's the hero."
Heracross glanced briefly at Ash, like it was checking something only it understood, then angled its wings and shot toward the Pinsir.
Ash smiled. "Pikachu."
"Pika!"
They sprinted after it together.
The air around the lone Heracross sharpened. Its wings buzzed harder as it climbed, then dove, the horn on its head glowing a clean, sharp white.
"That's a Flying-type move—Aerial Ace," Ash said under his breath.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"
Flying-type moves struck hard against Bugs, and with Pikachu's speed filling the gaps, the Pinsir didn't stand a chance. Heracross swept through their front line in a blur of motion, while Pikachu darted between them, cutting off any attempt to regroup. Within moments, the Pinsir broke and fled back into the forest.
Ash stepped forward as Heracross landed in front of him. "Nice work."
He pulled a small packet from his bag—a special Bug-type feed he'd exchanged from the system's shop, rich with the same sweetness Heracross sought in tree sap.
"Here. Try this."
Heracross sniffed it once, then dug in with clear enthusiasm.
With the Pinsir gone, the rest of the Heracross drifted back to the great tree, along with the Butterfree that had fled earlier. The forest breathed a little easier. Balance was returning.
The Heracross that had fought at Ash's side glanced at him once more, then turned and began walking toward the deeper part of the woods—the same direction the Pinsir had fled.
Misty returned to Ash's side and watched it go. "Is it going after the Pinsir to get revenge? That really does look like a hero."
Ash shook his head. "Probably not to settle a score."
He motioned for them to follow. Pikachu hopped back onto his shoulder, already facing the path ahead.
They moved behind Heracross at a steady pace. Brock thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Misty, think about it. Why would the Pinsir come here to eat sap in the first place?"
"Because…" She hesitated. "Because Pinsir are violent? They look mean enough."
"Not exactly," Ash said. "Pinsir look scary, and they're definitely more aggressive than Heracross, but even they need their own territory. They're not the type to invade someone else's home for no reason."
Misty frowned. "…So you're saying something happened to their territory first."
"Right," Brock said. "Something forced them out. That's why they crossed over into Heracross land."
They kept walking with Heracross leading the way, the path narrowing until they emerged at the edge of a gorge. The beetle stopped there and looked back at Ash, as if to say, This is as far as I go without you deciding the rest.
Ash studied the gap. The gorge split the forest cleanly in two, cliffs facing each other like jaws.
"Looks like Pinsir's territory is on the other side," he said.
Brock frowned. "But how do we get across? Charizard can't carry people in the air yet."
Ash scanned the surroundings. His gaze landed on a large tree leaning near the edge—thick, heavy, and just within Heracross's reach.
"Heracross," he said, "think you can push that tree over? With your strength, it should be possible."
Heracross's eyes lit up. It strode to the far side of the trunk, planted its feet, and braced its horn against the bark.
The ground shook with a deep boom as the tree toppled, falling perfectly across the gorge. It settled as a natural bridge, rough bark facing the sky.
"That's incredible," Brock breathed.
Ash patted Heracross's shoulder. "Nice job."
With Pikachu balanced on him as naturally as ever, he stepped onto the makeshift bridge first. The bark shifted slightly underfoot, but his body moved with an easy, practiced balance. The aura humming under his skin made the crossing feel almost simple.
Behind him, Brock followed without much trouble.
Misty, at the rear, stopped at the edge and stared down. The gorge looked far deeper from the middle than it had from a distance. One misplaced step on the rounded trunk and there'd be nothing but air beneath her feet.
"H-hey, don't go so fast!" she called, voice tightening.
Ash paused and turned. Misty stood frozen at the start of the bridge, fingers clenched around her bag strap, legs refusing to move forward.
He walked back across the log, each step steady.
"Misty?" she said as he approached. "What are you doing coming back?"
He turned around in front of her and crouched down, back facing her.
"Get on," he said.
Pikachu: 185 / 255