POKEMON : THE WAY OF PERCEPTION

"Misty, Misty… let me go first…" Ash thought for a moment and decided to catch the Catterpie. He was going to challenge the Pewter Gym soon, and having more Pokémon would help him. He couldn't risk only having one Pikachu to rely on.

"What are you going to do?!" Misty looked horrified as she understood Ash's intentions. "Are you… planning to catch Catterpie?!"

"Of course! Right now, I only have Pikachu. If I'm going to challenge the gym, I need more Pokémon. Plus, Butterfree, which evolves from Catterpie, would be really helpful for me!" Ash said seriously.

"But, but…" Misty bit her lip, already dreading the idea. Catching a Catterpie meant that she'd have to face Bug-Type Pokémon every day, and that terrified her.

"This will also help you!" Ash quickly took advantage of the moment when Misty relaxed. He turned around and stared into her eyes. "I know it's hard to overcome your fear right now, but if you spend time with Catterpie, you'll gradually get used to it. Over time, your fear will lessen."

Misty, still hesitant, eventually sighed. She didn't want to hold Ash back, and Ash was right. Pokémon like Catterpie would be excellent for his training.

"Alright, fine…" Misty finally gave in. She stepped back, creating some distance, as if trying to stay far away from Catterpie in case it came closer.

"Great! Let's do it!" Ash smiled, relieved that Misty had agreed. He turned back to the Catterpie, who was now eyeing them warily. It seemed like the Pokémon was preparing to run away.

"Don't think you can escape! Pikachu, go!" Ash called out.

"Pika—!" Pikachu immediately dashed forward, taking its fighting stance. Despite being a simple Bug-type Pokémon, Catterpie was still a rival, and Pikachu was ready to show its skills.

"Green…" Catterpie backed away nervously, understanding that it was about to face a battle. It also noticed Ash's intention to catch it.

"Since you're not going to make the first move, then I will!" Ash commanded confidently. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

With a burst of speed, Pikachu was enveloped in a translucent white light and dashed forward with incredible speed. The attack was so swift that Catterpie barely had time to react.

"Green!" Catterpie yelped in surprise as Pikachu knocked it back with a solid impact. Catterpie slid across the ground, dazed and confused.

While they were both at the Earl Dervish level, Catterpie was much weaker compared to Pikachu, who was close to reaching the next level. The difference in strength was clear.

"Now, Pikachu, finish it with Thunder Shock!" Ash called, not willing to waste any time.

"Pika!" Pikachu let out a battle cry and charged up an electric attack. A bolt of lightning shot from Pikachu's body, hitting Catterpie directly.

"Green!" Catterpie cried out in pain. It barely managed to stay on its feet, but it was clear that it was struggling. It wasn't strong enough to avoid Pikachu's attack.

However, in a surprising move, Catterpie managed to dodge the next Thunder Shock by jumping into the air and using the ground as leverage to escape the attack!

"What?!" Ash, Pikachu, and even Misty were taken aback. They hadn't expected Catterpie to pull off such an evasive maneuver. It was impressive for a Pokémon that seemed so weak.

In the air, Catterpie spat out a string of silk from its mouth, which stuck to a nearby tree. Using the silk as a rope, it swung itself away from the battle and began to escape.

"No! It's escaping!" Ash's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't let this happen. "Pikachu, don't let it get away! Thunder Shock again!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu charged forward a couple of steps, aimed at Catterpie, and unleashed another Thunder Shock. The electricity crackled through the air, aimed at the escaping Catterpie.

But just as the lightning was about to hit, something unexpected happened.

A shadow appeared out of nowhere. The mysterious figure, hidden behind the thick trees, collided with the Thunder Shock, intercepting the electric attack meant for Catterpie.

"Boom!" The Pokémon, which was struck by the Thunder Shock, cried out in pain and fell to the ground, visibly knocked out.

Ash, Pikachu, and Misty stared in disbelief. The Pokémon that had just been hit by the Thunder Shock was a Pidgey!

Catterpie, seeing its chance, quickly pulled itself further up the tree using the string and escaped without a second thought.

"This… this is unbelievable!" Ash said, stunned. He hadn't planned for this to happen. Not only had he failed to catch Catterpie, but now there was a Pidgey lying in front of him.

Pikachu, equally confused, stared at the Pidgey, unsure of what to do next. Even Misty was silent, not knowing how to react to such an unusual turn of events.

"So… do I catch this Pidgey now?" Ash muttered, eyeing the Pidgey lying on the ground. The Pidgey had been knocked out by the Thunder Shock, and it was easy to capture now with a Poké Ball.

Ash scratched his head. "Well, I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to catch Pidgey. It's always nice to have a Flying-Type on hand."

He looked at the Pidgey. It was a typical wild Pokémon of the Viridian Forest, but this one, strangely enough, seemed to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Well, since it's here, let's see if we can make it a part of the team," Ash said as he prepared a Poké Ball.

(End of Chapter)

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