Pokémon: Rewriting Ash’s Legend

"You guys… What are you doing here? Don't tell me you're planning to enter the Bewilder Forest ahead?"

"Turtwig~~!"

A small, cautious figure suddenly stepped forward from behind the old lady—a Turtwig! It eyed Ash and his friends with slight wariness.

After a brief exchange, Ash and the others introduced themselves and quickly got to know the elderly woman.

Her name was Clara, a herbalist who lived nearby.

Granny Clara had cultivated a vast array of medicinal herbs around her home, using them to tend to injured Pokémon in the surrounding area. Over time, she had become familiar with the Pokémon living here, forming strong bonds with them.

This Turtwig, in particular, had a special connection with her. Long ago, she had saved its life, and ever since, it had stayed behind to live in the forest, frequently accompanying her on herb-gathering trips.

Moreover, this Turtwig had an incredibly strong-willed personality. It had gradually become the "boss" of the local Pokémon, often stepping in to resolve disputes and maintain order in the forest.

"I never expected this Turtwig to have such a story… But it looks pretty strong," Dawn commented as she watched Turtwig play with Pikachu.

"Turtwig, Turtwig…"

"Pika, Pika?"

"Turtwig…!"

Hearing the lively exchange between Pikachu and Turtwig, Anabel, who could understand Pokémon's thoughts, couldn't hold back her curiosity and quickly joined their conversation.

Dawn immediately looked at Anabel with envy.

Understanding Pokémon directly, being able to hear their conversations—what an incredible gift!

"That girl… I didn't expect her to be able to communicate with Pokémon so well. That's quite rare," Granny Clara remarked with a smile.

She then prepared a cup of tea for everyone, her gaze lingering on Turtwig.

It had been a long time since she had seen Turtwig so happy.

It seemed to be getting along with Pikachu really well.

"Ash, can I ask you for a favor?" Granny Clara suddenly said, her tone turning serious. "I'm getting older, and my son may come to take me away from here soon. But the one thing I worry about the most is this Turtwig.

"This child… Although it enjoys taking care of others, it can be quite reckless at times. I hope you can take it on your journey. That way, I'll have peace of mind knowing it has a bright future ahead."

She wanted to entrust Turtwig to Ash, believing that a new adventure would make its life even more fulfilling.

"Of course! You can count on me, Granny Clara! But before that… let's have a battle first!" Ash declared excitedly.

Although the sequence of events had shifted slightly from what he remembered, the outcome was still the same.

Clara nodded in agreement and called Turtwig over.

"Turtwig, before long, I'll be leaving this place. The only thing I worry about is you. You and Pikachu get along so well—why not go with Ash? I hope that one day, we'll meet again."

She smiled warmly at the little Grass-type Pokémon.

"Turtwig… Turtwig!"

Turtwig hesitated, clearly reluctant to part ways, but it also enjoyed playing with Ash and Pikachu.

Clara chuckled softly. "Looks like Turtwig is challenging you to a battle, Ash."

"Then let's do this!" Ash grinned, sending out Aipom.

"Alright, Aipom, use Swift!"

"Aipa~!"

Aipom, always eager for a fight, swung its long tail and released a barrage of golden stars.

"Turtwig, Turtwig!"

Turtwig quickly dodged, shaking its head from side to side before launching Razor Leaf!

At the same time, it charged straight toward Aipom—clearly preparing to use Bite!

The timing was perfect. Swift and Razor Leaf collided in midair, triggering an explosion of smoke that momentarily obscured Turtwig from view.

Ash's eyes sparkled. Impressive—this Turtwig knew how to take advantage of battlefield conditions!

"But that won't be enough! Aipom, use Double Team!"

In an instant, Aipom created over a dozen illusionary copies of itself.

Turtwig had just emerged from the smoke, jaws wide open for Bite—only to be met with an army of identical Aipoms!

The unexpected sight caused it to pause for a split second.

However, its battle instincts were sharp. Without hesitation, it stopped its charge and prepared another Razor Leaf, attempting to break through Aipom's illusions.

"You'll need to react even faster next time, Turtwig! Aipom, Focus Punch!"

"Aipa~!"

Aipom's tail glowed as it struck Turtwig hard, sending it skidding backward.

At that moment, the two small green leaves on Turtwig's head began to glow.

"I know what this is! Anabel, this must be Synthesis, right?" Dawn asked eagerly.

Anabel nodded. "That's right."

"Now's our chance! Aipom, one more Focus Punch to finish it!"

Aipom, despite its small size, was incredibly fast.

Before Turtwig could fully recover with Synthesis, Aipom struck again—this time with an even stronger blow.

A familiar notification sounded in Ash's mind—Aipom had gained battle experience! However, this time, it didn't level up.

"Alright! Here goes—Heal Ball!"

Ash retrieved a Heal Ball from his system inventory. He had prepared a few of these in advance for situations just like this.

The special Poké Ball encapsulated Turtwig, wobbled twice on the ground… and then locked shut.

"Got it! I've caught Turtwig!"

"Pika Pika!"

"Aipa Aipa!"

Pikachu and Aipom both cheered, jumping excitedly.

"Ash, that Heal Ball… It's a special type of Poké Ball, right? How is it different from a regular one?" Dawn asked curiously, her Piplup beside her.

"Yeah, Heal Balls help Pokémon recover faster and can even cure status conditions. They're much better than normal Poké Balls.

"But if you try to buy one in the market, they're really expensive.

"Turtwig got hurt during our battle, but since it's inside a Heal Ball, it'll recover quickly. Of course, if the injuries were too severe, the Heal Ball wouldn't be enough to fully heal it."

Dawn nodded in understanding.

With that, Ash and his friends bid farewell to Granny Clara and left the forest behind.

Ahead of them lay a vast area known as the Bewilder Forest.

The forest was home to many Stantler. These Pokémon wouldn't cause any harm—unless someone made the mistake of looking directly at their antlers.

Those who did would find themselves trapped in an illusion, wandering in circles and unable to escape the forest.

"Gengar, stay alert and keep an eye on the Stantler for us. We're heading in!" Ash commanded.

And with that, their journey continued into the unknown.

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