"Ralts, use Psychic!"
Following Kai's command, Bulbasaur was suddenly surrounded by light and lifted into the air.
After the initial shock, though it was in pain and unable to move its body, Bulbasaur resisted the urge to surrender.
It endured the pain and used its Vine Whip to strike Ralts fiercely.
Kai wasn't about to let Ralts take that hit directly.
Through the red horns on its head, Ralts could keenly sense Kai's emotions.
As soon as the words were spoken, Ralts had already vanished, teleporting away from harm.
The Vine Whip struck the ground, scattering grass clippings everywhere.
When Ralts reappeared, it had shifted from Bulbasaur's front to its rear.
With a wave of its hands, Bulbasaur's body was thrown sideways, slamming into a tree trunk before tumbling to the ground.
Bulbasaur cried out in pain, the bulb on its back quivering as it launched a small, peach-pit-sized seed toward Ralts Leech Seed, which would sap the opponent's energy!
Ralts used Teleport again to avoid the attack.
But as it reappeared, Bulbasaur was already charging toward it, attempting a Tackle.
This time, without Kai needing to say anything, Bulbasaur was surrounded by light again and thrown back against the tree with even more force than before.
"Bul...ba... saur..."
This time, Bulbasaur completely lost consciousness.
Seeing this, Kai quickly took a Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it at Bulbasaur.
The red light engulfed Bulbasaur, pulling it into the Poké Ball. The ball shook slightly before the light dimmed with a soft click.
Bulbasaur had been successfully captured!
Only then did Kai's racing heart finally calm down.
In the distance, several other Bulbasaur had been drawn by the sound of the battle.
Kai picked up the Poké Ball but didn't leave right away.
Instead, he quietly moved to the edge of the clearing, took out his phone, and snapped several photos of the Mysterious Garden before departing, satisfied.
A few hours later, as he emerged from the forest, the night sky was already filled with stars and moonlight.
Under the gentle glow, Kai spread out his sleeping bag, and Ralts gathered some branches.
Once the campfire was lit, the warm flames not only dispelled the chill but added a comforting brightness to the night.
Setting up a pot stand, Kai took out some canned food and prepared a simple, warm meal for himself and his two Pokémon.
The aroma drifted gently into the air.
Although not a skilled cook, Kai found that heating canned food was simple enough.
When everything was ready, he opened the Poké Ball to let Bulbasaur out.
After a few hours of rest, Bulbasaur had regained most of its strength.
But upon seeing Kai, it took a cautious step back, eyes still wary.
Smiling gently, Kai spoke, "Bulbasaur, I'm sorry about earlier, but I'm glad to have you with us now. Welcome, and I hope we'll take care of each other."
He offered a plate of food to Bulbasaur.
The tempting aroma wafted under its nose.
"Bulbasaurrr!" (Humph, I forgive you human)
Swallowing hard, Bulbasaur seemed to be drawn in by the meal.
After some hesitation, seeing Ralts eating peacefully, Bulbasaur finally lowered its guard, leaned toward the food, and began to eat.
"Food can tame everything," Kai thought while looking at Bulbasaur.
Following the same path back, Kai returned to the Cerise Laboratory.
Seeing Bulbasaur with Kai, Professor Cerise and the others were astounded.
"Bulbasaur!? You found the Mysterious Garden!?"
Kai took out his phone and sent all the photos of the Mysterious Garden to Professor Cerise.
As Professor Cerise displayed the pictures on his computer, everyone gathered around, marvelling at them.
After carefully reviewing the photos, Professor Cerise adjusted his glasses and said, "Discovering the Mysterious Garden is indeed a remarkable find. However, from the images, we can see that it's an untouched ecosystem. I believe we should protect this place and keep its existence a secret."
"You're right, Professor," Kai agreed, nodding. "This special habitat deserves to be preserved and undisturbed."
With everyone in agreement, they tacitly decided not to discuss the Mysterious Garden any further.
Just then, Cerise looked down at Bulbasaur.
"Judging by the strength of this Bulbasaur, it must be pretty powerful, right?"
Though a researcher, Professor Cerise owned a Magnemite and enjoyed watching Pokémon battles.
At the lab, he paid close attention to Pokémon strength.
"Yes." Kai knelt beside Bulbasaur, gently patting its forehead. "This Bulbasaur is quite strong. On the way back, we encountered a challenge from a Youngster."
"Bulbasaur took on two opponents, Diglett and Rattata, defeating both of them. Thanks to that, I feel my bond with Bulbasaur has grown."
At that moment, Professor Cerise approached Kai.
"Kai, I have a proposal for you."
Seeing the professor's serious expression, Kai asked curiously, "Of course, Professor. What do you need?"
Professor Cerise explained, "From what I've seen, you're quite exceptional. You can uncover mysteries that most people overlook, and you're thoughtful and composed, especially when it comes to Pokémon."
"You may have a special talent hidden within you. Would you consider becoming a Special Research Fellow here at our laboratory?"
"A Special Research Fellow?"
Professor Cerise elaborated, "As you journey, you will meet, connect with, and learn from various Pokémon across this planet."
"By doing so, you'd deepen our understanding of Pokémon and uncover hidden secrets around the world."
Kai was taken aback. He remembered how, in the anime, Ash and Goh both served as Special Research Fellows at Cerise Laboratory.
Now, was he the one who had achieved that role first?
Thank you for reading!