Before he knew it, Ash had already captured four new partners in the Johto region.
With Heracross, Bayleef, Quilava, and the newly caught Slowpoke, added to his current companions Pikachu, Snorlax, and Squirtle, his team had reached seven. This forced him to send one back to Professor Oak's lab—and he chose Squirtle.
Squirtle had likely sensed this coming. Recently, Ash had focused his energy on the new recruits, often using Squirtle as a mentor or sparring partner rather than the primary focus of training. Having watched Charizard achieve a new level of power through grueling work, Squirtle felt a silent envy.
Back at the lab, Bulbasaur and Squirtle had many long discussions about evolution. Bulbasaur had famously refused to evolve in the Mysterious Garden, choosing to prove it could be strong in its current form. But after the struggles of the Indigo League, both realized that a stronger physique might have helped Ash reach further.
Squirtle's hesitation was different; it felt a lingering loyalty to the Squirtle Squad. Would evolving feel like a betrayal to his old gang? Now, seeing that Ash kept even the ever-sleeping Snorlax on his active roster while sending him back, Squirtle began to reflect deeply on its path. Ash respected their choices, but Squirtle knew it had followed Ash to fight by his side.
Meanwhile, in Johto, Ash was blissfully unaware of his old friend's inner turmoil. He was busy heading to the mountains behind Kurt's house to harvest Apricorns.
The old man they had rescued at the Slowpoke Well was indeed Kurt. Not only was he a legendary craftsman, but he was also the town's guardian. While even Kurt had never seen a GS Ball before, he accepted it for investigation, officially completing Ash's errand for Professor Oak.
To show his gratitude, Kurt gave the trio a Fast Ball each and granted them special permission to harvest Apricorns from the mountain for custom Poké Balls. For a trainer, there was no temptation quite like a specialized Poké Ball.
"There are seven colors of Apricorns: White, Red, Blue, Black, Pink, Green, and Yellow," Kurt's granddaughter, Maizie, explained as she led them up the trail. "Each creates a ball with unique properties!"
"This one is a Pink Apricorn!" Maizie pointed to a tree laden with vibrant fruit. "The ball made from this is effective on Pokémon of the opposite gender to your own!"
Brock's eyes immediately glazed over. "Does that mean... it would work on Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny?"
Misty didn't hesitate. She grabbed Brock by the ear, twisting hard to snap him out of his delusion. Ash could only twitch his lip in secondhand embarrassment; sometimes, Brock's "expert" insights into the world were a bit too much.
Unfortunately, many of the fruits, including the Yellow Apricorns (used for Moon Balls), were still unripe. In the world of gathering, timing was everything.
"That's the Green Apricorn grove!" Maizie shouted, pointing ahead. "Those make Friend Balls, which make a captured Pokémon more friendly toward their trainer!"
Maizie noted that one or two were ripe enough to pick. Ash stepped forward, but a swarm of Beedrill suddenly buzzed out from the canopy, blocking his path. Normally, a swarm like this would mean an immediate retreat, as Beedrill were the nightmares of the wilderness.
"I'm only taking one. I won't hurt the tree," Ash said calmly.
Maizie hid behind Misty, trembling, but Ash didn't run. His eyes flashed with a faint blue light. Using his Confusion, he projected a mental pressure that caused the Beedrill to freeze mid-air, unable to advance.
Ash casually plucked a Green Apricorn with his mind and walked back to his friends. "Ready to run?"
The moment he released his mental grip, the Beedrill snapped out of it and roared in fury. Ash scooped up Maizie and bolted down the hill, with Misty and Brock right on his heels, screaming.
They didn't stop until they reached a safe clearing, where they burst into adrenaline-fueled laughter. "That was intense! Let's do it again!"
Over the next hour, they managed to snag two Blue Apricorns and one Black Apricorn. The Blue ones were for Lure Balls (perfect for Water-types), and the Black ones were for Heavy Balls (designed for massive, heavy Pokémon).
By the time they returned to Kurt's workshop, the hauls were distributed:
Ash received a Heavy Ball and a Lure Ball.Misty, as a Water-type specialist, was thrilled with her Lure Ball.Brock received the Friend Ball, which was perfect for a Breeder. He also managed to catch a Pineco in the mountains, a Pokémon he felt a strong natural connection with.
With his new tools and a revitalized team, Ash looked toward the town center. It was time for his second Johto Gym badge.
Heracross Sync: 150/251
Bayleef Sync: 170/200