Chapter 80: To The Cerulean Channel

At the Pokémon Center, Ash and Misty met up, and Ash noticed that Misty was in a cheerful mood, showing little sadness about their separation.

This reassured Ash that it was indeed the right choice for Misty to return home. 

"So... we're heading to the Cerulean Strait now?" Misty asked, slightly surprised by Ash's plan as they walked along the road.

She hadn't anticipated such a significant change in their travel route after just one day apart. 

"Since we're going to the Cerulean Strait, we need to take the northern entrance," Misty suggested after a moment of thought. 

Although both the northern and eastern entrances lead to the Cerulean Channel, the northern entrance is closer and safer than the eastern one. 

To reach the Cerulean Strait from the eastern entrance, they would have to travel through the wilderness, as there are no official roads established by the League. 

Conversely, while the northern entrance also lacks a League-sanctioned road, the Pokémon Research School was built nearby.

This road was created to ensure the safety of students and staff, and it provides access to the Cerulean Strait beyond. 

The Pokémon Research School is a network of institutions found in every Region, known for its high educational standards.

It's said that students who graduate from this school are eligible to challenge the League competition directly. 

Additionally, the League invests in these schools to nurture talent for their ranks, although there has always been a shortage of personnel within the League. 

In the anime, the school is located south of Cerulean City, in a suburban area, but in the Pokémon world, it is situated in the northern suburbs of Cerulean City. 

The northern suburbs are close to mountains and forests, with the coast not far away.

This environment allows for encounters with both land and water Pokémon, making it an ideal training ground for Trainers. 

If they want to reach the Cerulean Strait safely, this route is preferable, as it minimizes the chances of encountering powerful Pokémon along the way. 

"So we're going to the Research School first, and then to the Cerulean Channel?" Ash asked. 

"Yes... and we can also take a break at the school. The journey will take about half a day," Misty replied, nodding. Although she hadn't visited the school often, she was familiar with its significance. 

"Let's hurry, then. It's best to arrive at the school by noon so we won't have to cook outdoors," Ash suggested, hoping to spare Brock the hassle of cooking all day.

Ideally, they would have ready-made meals. 

Having already completed their shopping the day before, there was no need for any additional supplies.

The three of them continued walking, exiting Cerulean City via the northern entrance, following the main road toward the Pokémon Research School. 

The path was neither too crowded nor too deserted, and Ash was challenged by some Trainers, but he declined the battles to maintain their pace. 

However, an unexpected situation arose. Less than an hour after leaving Cerulean City, the bright sky began to darken, and ominous clouds approached, indicating that heavy rain was imminent. 

"This isn't good; we need to find shelter from the rain," Brock said seriously. Being caught in the rain while traveling is no joke. If they're not careful, they could catch a cold and end up needing treatment at the research school. 

"That seems to be our only option..." Ash and Misty agreed; seeking shelter was the priority. 

Unfortunately, there were no nearby shelters, surrounded by dense forest. Thus, Ash and the others ventured into the woods, hoping to find a suitable spot to set up their tent. 

"Boom—!"

Moments later, thunder rumbled above them, signaling that the heavy rain was about to start, which only heightened Ash and his friends' anxiety as they still searched for cover. 

"Tick, tick, tick..." Raindrops began to fall from the sky, initially scattered but quickly intensifying into a downpour, completely drenching the three of them. 

"We can't stay like this; we need to find a proper place to set up the tent quickly," Brock said decisively.

Prolonged exposure to the rain would lower their body temperature, putting them at risk of getting sick. 

Despite his insistence, the trio still couldn't locate a suitable spot to pitch their tent.

The ground became increasingly waterlogged, and they worried that any tent they set up would soon fill with rainwater. 

"What a shame!" Misty said, despite her love for water. This wasn't the time to be enjoying it; the joy she felt upon leaving Cerulean City was entirely overshadowed by the torrential rain. 

"The weather changes so quickly..." Ash sighed. The Pokémon world is vastly different from Earth, with its strange climates possibly influenced by Pokémon. Consequently, special research is conducted in this area. 

Meanwhile, Pikachu had tucked itself into Ash's arms, snuggled within his coat, with only its little head peeking out. 

"Look ahead... is that a small house?!" Brock suddenly exclaimed, stopping in his tracks and pointing to a wooden structure partially visible on the left. 

"There's a house here?!" Ash and Misty looked over and spotted the hut. 

The house was small, approximately 20 square meters, but it appeared undamaged from the outside, suggesting it could provide shelter from the rain. 

The trio sprinted toward the hut; the distance wasn't far—only about 50 meters—but just before they reached it, a Pokémon dashed out, blocking their path. 

"Bulba——!" It resembled a creature with a "Garlic" head, similar to a toad, with dark green spots on its blue-green skin. This Pokémon was Bulbasaur, often referred to as the "Garlic Pokémon." 

"Bulbasaur?!" Ash and his friends exclaimed, startled by the Pokémon's sudden appearance, unsure why it was blocking their way. 

"Bulba--Bulba bulba !" Bulbasaur seemed to regard Ash and his friends with suspicion, adopting a defensive stance as if it didn't want them to pass and enter the hut. 

At that moment, Ash was taken aback. He vaguely recalled that in the anime, the Bulbasaur he captured had been quite hostile to humans when they first met... 

"Could this be the same one?" Ash pondered, examining Bulbasaur closely as its attributes flashed in his mind. 

Bulbasaur 

Type: Grass, Poison 

Category: Seed Pokémon 

Ability: Overgrow;

Hidden Ability: Chlorophyll 

Overgrow: When a Pokémon with this ability has one-third or less HP, the power of Grass-type moves increases by 1.5 times. 

Strength: Average level 

---

Adios