Chapter 35: Pidgeotto Attack
(Third update, please collect, please give flowers!!)
After taking turns entering the tent to change into pajamas, they crawled into their sleeping bags, Pikachu and Caterpie nestled next to Ash.
Magikarp was resting in the river outside. Water was a better resting place for them, so Ash didn't bring it back.
After a night of training, both the Pokémon and Ash were exhausted. Soon Ash fell fast asleep.
Misty was also almost asleep, she drifted off not long after Ash.
Morning
“Ahhhhh!!!”
The next morning, because they trained late the previous night, Ash and Pikachu were still sound asleep, when suddenly they heard a scream, as if the sky was falling down. Ash and Pikachu, who were in their sleep, were immediately startled awake.
“Ugh? Wh…What happened??
Still a bit dazed, Ash rubbed his eyes and looked to the side. He saw Misty huddled in the corner of the tent. Caterpie was also awake, but now its head was hanging low, looking a bit lost.
“Wh…Why is Caterpie sleeping next to me?” Misty's voice was filled with fear. She had just opened her eyes and saw Caterpie sleeping right in front of her.
She had heard Ash's words and wanted to try to accept it, but it wasn't that fast. This sudden event scared her.
“Uh… It probably rolled over while sleeping! You're overreacting.”
The tent was so small, there was no way to avoid it. But these things took time to get used to. If he kept putting it away, Misty would have a hard time adapting.
“No, I'm not overreacting, I was really scared.”
“Alright, alright! I'm sorry. I'll take Caterpie out first.” Ash didn't say much. Given Misty's personality, this reaction was pretty good.
If it was her old personality, she would have definitely said something like "I hate it" without hesitation.
Ash carried the lost Caterpie out of the tent. When Misty saw this, she finally relaxed. Although she was really scared, she couldn't help but wonder if she was really overreacting after hearing Ash's words and seeing Caterpie's lost expression.
Pikachu was also awake. Ash took Caterpie outside and placed it on the ground. Seeing it was still lost, he couldn't help but touch its head.
“It's okay, Misty didn't mean to. She'll get used to you.”
Caterpie~
Caterpie listened to Ash's words and slowly regained its spirits. It squinted its eyes and responded. Ash touched its head again. It was much easier to communicate with Pokémon than people.
Because they were all so pure, without all the scheming and manipulation.
Misty also came out of the tent. She also heard what Ash said just now. She felt even more guilty inside, but didn't know how to say it.
Ash didn't say anything more. He went into the tent and grabbed his toiletries. He came to the river to wash up. Magikarp surfaced from the water. Seeing Ash, its eyes turned crescent-shaped, and it let out bubbles to greet him.
“Magikarp, good morning!” Ash also greeted it, then started brushing his teeth. Misty also came to Ash's side to wash her face and brush her teeth.
Whoosh!!!!
While still brushing his teeth, suddenly they heard a sound. They saw a gust of air rush past, and Ash instinctively looked up when he heard the sound.
They saw a figure diving toward the campsite from the sky. Its body was over 1 meter long, and its outstretched wings instantly covered the sky.
Looking closer, they saw clear brown feathers on its back, while its chest, face, and wing interiors were a yellowish-white.
There were three long pink feathers on its head that extended to the back of its neck. The area around its eyes was black, like a tattoo, and its pupils were pitch black. Its eyes were sharp.
It had three-toed claws, and its tail had red and yellow feathers. It was diving very fast, and when its sharp gaze landed, it locked onto Caterpie.
“Pidgeotto?”
Ash frowned slightly when he saw this. Pidgeotto was the evolution of Pidgey. Pidgeotto was different from Pidgey. After Pidgey evolved, Pidgeotto's personality would change.
It wouldn't be as vicious as a Spearow, but as its flying ability and speed increased, its territory would expand to 60 miles, and it would defend its territory with all its might.
At the same time, its hunting habits would also change. It was an omnivore. Compared to Pidgey looking for berries, Pidgeotto would actively hunt for prey.
In the anime, they had never seen a Pokémon hunting another Pokémon. But this was the real world, and it wasn't strange for birds to attack insects.
“Danger!” Misty unconsciously called out.
“Pika!!” Pikachu also shouted towards Caterpie.
But Caterpie was slow. Although it reacted immediately, Pidgeotto's speed was clearly superior. When Pidgeotto landed, Caterpie was just able to dodge.
But it was still blown away by the air current from Pidgeotto flying past, and it landed on the ground, rolling a few times along the ground.
“Ugh!!” Ash quickly spat out the toothpaste in his mouth and ran towards Caterpie. Seeing this, Misty rinsed her mouth and ran over too.
“Pika!!” Pikachu jumped next to Caterpie, assuming a fighting posture, looking at the Pidgeotto in the sky, which was circling and changing direction, preparing to attack again. The electrical sacs on its cheeks were emitting electricity, ready to attack at any moment.
“Pikachu, don't interfere, this is Caterpie's battle.” Ash came behind Caterpie, ready to command the battle, and seeing that Pikachu was about to interfere, he stopped it and said.
“Pika?” Pikachu was slightly stunned when it heard this and looked at Caterpie with some concern.
“Ash, Cater…Caterpie is a Bug-type, Pidgeotto is a Flying-type, and Pidgeotto is the evolution of Pidgey. Caterpie is no match for it.” Misty watched this scene, she didn't know why, but even though she didn't like it, she couldn't help but worry.
“No…There's nothing absolute. Type advantage is just an excuse for weak trainers. Any Pokémon can shine in its own way. I'll prove it to you now.”
Ash shook his head seriously. This was a great opportunity. He wanted to prove to Misty that even Bug-type Pokémon were worth paying attention to, with their unique qualities.
“Caterpie, do you trust me?”