Once the campfire was lit, the blazing flames not only drove away the surrounding chill but also brought a welcome touch of brightness to the night.
Taking a cooking set from his backpack, Itsuki assembled a simple cooking stand.
He then brought out several cans of ready-made food and prepared a warm, simple meal for himself and his two Pokémon.
A delicious aroma filled the air, carried into the distance by the gentle breeze.
Although Itsuki wasn't particularly skilled at cooking, heating up canned food was hardly a difficult task.
Once everything was ready, he finally opened the Poké Ball and released Bulbasaur.
After several hours of rest, Bulbasaur had already recovered most of its strength.
However, upon seeing Itsuki, it immediately took a cautious step backward.
Its eyes were still filled with wariness.
"Feeling a little unfamiliar with your new surroundings?"
Looking at it, Itsuki smiled gently and spoke in a soft voice.
"Bulbasaur, I'm sorry about what happened earlier. But I'd still like to welcome you to our little family. From now on, let's get along, okay?"
As he spoke, he placed a plate of food in front of Bulbasaur.
A tempting aroma drifted past its nose.
Bulbasaur sniffed the air.
Almost immediately, its mouth began watering.
Well, that was only natural.
When would a wild Pokémon ever have the chance to smell food prepared by humans?
For Bulbasaur, which had never encountered anything like this before, the steaming bowl of thick vegetable soup was practically irresistible!
Its eyes were completely drawn to the food!
Seeing its reaction, Itsuki smiled silently.
Anyone who had tried this kind of canned food knew that, regardless of whether it actually tasted good, it certainly smelled delicious!
Perhaps Bulbasaur could no longer endure its hunger.
Or perhaps seeing Ralts eating so elegantly had finally reassured it.
Whatever the reason, after hesitating for a long while, Bulbasaur finally lowered its guard.
It approached the plate and began eating heartily.
...
The following morning, after finishing breakfast, Itsuki followed the same route back to Vermilion City.
Before long, he returned to the Cerise Laboratory.
Upon seeing the Bulbasaur accompanying Itsuki, everyone at the laboratory, including Chloe, was astonished.
Ren, in particular, couldn't wait to ask.
"Bulbasaur?! You actually caught one?! Was it in that Mysterious Garden?!" Get faster updates on g.com.
Itsuki took out his phone and transferred all the photographs he had taken of the Mysterious Garden to Professor Cerise.
The professor opened the pictures on his computer.
Immediately, several heads gathered around the screen as everyone examined the photographs with amazement.
"This valley is absolutely beautiful!"
"Look at all those Bulbasaur and their evolved forms! So this is the Mysterious Garden?"
"Look at that enormous tree! It must have been standing there for thousands of years!"
After carefully browsing through the photographs, Professor Cerise adjusted his glasses and turned toward Itsuki.
"It seems another person has finally discovered the Mysterious Garden."
He continued thoughtfully.
"And this also confirms our earlier hypothesis. The Mysterious Garden really is located within that forest."
"Judging from these photographs, the area has retained its completely natural environment. For the Bulbasaur living and reproducing there, such a habitat is undoubtedly ideal."
After saying this, he smiled again.
"However, I believe this is a secret we shouldn't publicize. In fact, we should make sure it remains a secret."
"I was thinking the same thing."
Itsuki nodded in agreement.
"Although I'm a trainer and even caught a Pokémon there, from the Pokémon's perspective, that secluded habitat should really be left undisturbed."
"It would be better to preserve its peace rather than allow more people to interfere with their lives."
Hearing these words, Professor Cerise found himself viewing Itsuki in an entirely new light!
Since everyone shared the same opinion, they tacitly agreed not to discuss the Mysterious Garden any further.
At that moment, Ren lowered his gaze toward Bulbasaur.
"Judging by how sturdy this Bulbasaur looks, I bet it's pretty strong, isn't it?"
Although Ren was only a researcher, he owned a Magnemite named François.
He also enjoyed watching Pokémon battles in his spare time.
Among everyone working at the laboratory, he was particularly interested in the strength of individual Pokémon.
"That's right."
Itsuki crouched down and gently stroked Bulbasaur's forehead.
"This Bulbasaur really is quite impressive. It took a fair bit of effort to catch it."
"Besides, on our way back to Vermilion City this morning, we encountered a challenge from a Youngster."
"Bulbasaur fought two opponents by itself and defeated both Diglett and Marowak in succession!"
"And thanks to those battles, Bulbasaur and I have become much closer!" Visit g.com for the full chapter.
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Ren suddenly didn't know whom he should praise.
'He just caught that Bulbasaur, and he's already used it to defeat another trainer?'
'Should I praise Bulbasaur for being so strong?'
'Or should I praise Itsuki for his excellent battle commands?'
At that moment, Professor Cerise approached Itsuki.
Looking at him with a serious expression, the professor spoke.
"Itsuki, there's actually something I'd like to ask of you as well."
Seeing how formal Professor Cerise suddenly looked, Itsuki couldn't help feeling puzzled.
"There's no need to be so formal, Professor. Just tell me what you need. As long as it's within my abilities, I'll gladly help."
"Oh, it's nothing that serious."
Professor Cerise smiled.
"After everything that's happened, I've realized that you're truly an extraordinary young man."
"Not only can you uncover secrets that ordinary people would overlook, but you're also calm, composed, and considerate toward Pokémon."
"Perhaps there's even an incredible talent hidden within you that has yet to fully emerge."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"So, would you be willing to become a Special Research Fellow at our laboratory?"
"A Special Research Fellow?"
Assuming Itsuki wasn't familiar with the position, Professor Cerise began explaining.
"While traveling, you would encounter, interact with, and communicate with all kinds of Pokémon living on this planet."
"Then, together with us, you would deepen our understanding of Pokémon and uncover the secrets hidden throughout the world!"
"What do you think? Doesn't that sound fascinating?"
'Well...'
Itsuki froze for a moment.
He couldn't really see anything wrong with the proposal.
'But still...'
He distinctly remembered that Ash and Goh had also served as Special Research Fellows at the Cerise Laboratory in the anime.
'Wait a minute...'
'Does that mean I've gotten here first and taken the position before either of them?!'