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Chapter 139 - Chapter 139: The Mysterious Garden

As night approached

Red and Ash's trio arrived at the Pokémon Center in a nearby forest area.

This Pokémon Center was located within the forest, so its decorative style leaned toward nature, blending seamlessly with the surrounding trees.

"Miss Nurse Joy, please help me check Bulbasaur's condition."

Although he had learned from Red that Bulbasaur was about to evolve, the worried Ash still asked Nurse Joy to perform a full-body check, just in case the previous battle with Rhydon had left hidden issues.

After a short while

Following the examination and treatment of its injuries, Nurse Joy also noticed signs that Bulbasaur was about to evolve.

"Miss Nurse Joy, how is Bulbasaur?" Ash asked anxiously.

"Don't worry. Bulbasaur is in excellent condition; it's just beginning to show signs of evolution," Nurse Joy explained, reassuring Ash not to be overly concerned.

"This pure power of nature… as expected, that Venusaur is no ordinary one…"

Sensing a resonance with some kind of natural force, Red gazed out the window and murmured.

Then Red gently touched the Poké Ball at his waist.

(Hope you'll get a good thrill out of this!)

Before Red's eyes, the flowers near the Pokémon Center gradually bloomed, influenced by a certain natural force. This same force resonated with the Power of Viridian within Red.

"So when will Bulbasaur evolve?" Ash asked excitedly.

After confirming that Bulbasaur was fine, Ash began to look forward to its evolution.

"Please wait a moment."

With that, Nurse Joy led Ash and the others to stand beside Red, looking out at the natural scenery.

"It's just like before!" Misty said excitedly.

"What do you mean, before?" Brock asked, puzzled.

"When Bulbasaur was brought in earlier, the flowers in the vase suddenly bloomed," Misty explained.

"It's said that when Bulbasaur reaches a certain stage, they gather together from who knows where to hold a festival celebrating evolution."

Nurse Joy explained to everyone.

"And that festival seems to be related to the phases of the moon or the movement of the stars. It doesn't necessarily happen in the same season every year."

"How romantic~" Misty chimed in.

"It seems like we're about to witness an important moment," Brock said.

"Where does the evolution take place?" Misty asked.

"It's in a place called the 'Mysterious Garden.' I mentioned it to you on the way here, but it seems you weren't really listening," Red said helplessly with a shrug.

"Well…"

Ash's trio all showed embarrassed expressions at the same time. Earlier, they had been too worried about Bulbasaur's condition to listen carefully. After all, Bulbasaur's evolution signs were very different from those of ordinary Pokémon.

Normal evolution gives birth to a new form under a dazzling light, but Bulbasaur seemed to be driven by some force, its body starting to evolve ahead of time beyond its control.

"The Mysterious Garden… so far, no one has ever seen it, so it's even considered a mere illusion," Nurse Joy murmured while looking out the window.

"But I don't think these blooming flowers are an illusion. I believe the Mysterious Garden must exist somewhere."

"The Mysterious Garden… I really want to see it."

Ash and Pikachu gazed outside with longing.

"Pikachu, you think so too, right?"

"Pi-ka?"

Lying on the bed, Bulbasaur looked out the window, contemplating its future.

After suddenly recalling the scene of Charmeleon attacking Ash, hesitation appeared on Bulbasaur's face. Moreover, it liked its current form very much, because it could freely leap into Ash's arms.

In an uninhabited place, a group of Bulbasaur, guided by the power of nature, gathered together, preparing to head to the Mysterious Garden to complete their evolution festival.

Late at night, the confused Bulbasaur left the Pokémon Center, intending to go out for some fresh air. However, this small movement was noticed by Red and Pikachu. Pikachu hurriedly followed, planning to accompany Bulbasaur.

Since he was sharing a bed with Ash, Red getting up also woke him. Rubbing his right eye, Ash looked at Red in confusion, not understanding why he was getting up so late.

"Wake up, Ash!" Red nudged the drowsy Ash. "Bulbasaur has already left the Pokémon Center. We need to catch up quickly!"

After Red and the others got dressed, Pikachu ran back anxiously, informing them that Bulbasaur had been taken away.

To find Bulbasaur's trail, Red and Ash's trio set out on a search, though it was mostly Pikachu sniffing the scent to determine Bulbasaur's direction.

Following the drifting pollen, they realized they were about to reach the rumored Mysterious Garden.

But on the way, thick vines suddenly appeared around them, blocking their path.

"The whole forest is moving! Look, the vines are trying to block the road!" Brock shouted.

"Don't worry, leave this to me!"

As Red spoke, a green glow appeared around his body. The Power of Viridian resonated with the forest's natural force, and the thick vines that had been blocking them opened up a path.

After Red and the others entered the area, the vines immediately sealed the passage behind them, turning into a thick wooden wall.

"So that's how it is. No wonder no one has ever seen it," Brock realized.

The reason people couldn't reach the Mysterious Garden was because the path was sealed by vines. Most travelers unfamiliar with the forest assumed the vines were natural growth and gave up moving forward, thus missing the miracle of witnessing the Mysterious Garden.

Of course, a small number of stubborn individuals tried to force their way in, only to be thoroughly beaten back by the thick vines, preventing any outsiders from entering.

"Hurry up, Pikachu has already found Bulbasaur," Red said, pointing at Pikachu not far away.

Ash's trio followed Red to Pikachu's side. Standing on a hillside and following the drifting pollen, they saw a large group of Bulbasaur gathered on a wide grassland, smiling happily and calling softly as they welcomed the king who would host their evolution festival.

"This is the Mysterious Garden!" Ash said excitedly.

"Bulba… Bulba…"

The gathered Bulbasaur began to sing, praising the arrival of the evolution festival.

As time passed, the withered giant tree standing in the center of the grassland gradually regained life after absorbing the power of nature. At a visible speed, it began to grow thick branches, and bright flowers gradually bloomed upon them.

After the withered giant tree was reborn, it also bestowed this power upon the grassland. The ground beneath the Bulbasaur gradually brimmed with new life, and vibrant flowers instantly covered the once-green grass.

The start of the festival drew everyone's attention. Ash's trio were all shocked by the miraculous scene before them. Even Red was captivated—this was a rare natural festival, a sight enough to broaden anyone's desire to explore nature.

(It seems this Venusaur has already mastered control over natural power. Truly worthy of being the king of the Mysterious Garden!)

Heavy footsteps echoed from within the hollow tree, and a quadrupedal, reptilian-like Pokémon appeared before everyone.

This Pokémon had blue-green skin, covered in wart-like bumps similar to a toad's back. The bud on its back had bloomed into a massive flower, supported by a light-brown trunk-like structure resembling a palm tree.

The flower consisted of six red trapezoidal petals and a yellow crown-shaped pistil. Each petal had two triangular notches at the tip and was dotted with three irregular white spots, while the pistil had eleven pointed tips.

At the base of the "trunk" grew four large leaves resembling banana leaves, arranged in a cross, extending toward the head, back, and both sides. Its claws had three toes with white nails, and its legs were thicker than those of Ivysaur.

This was the king of the Mysterious Garden—Venusaur.

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