In short, it was the forest again. There really are so many forests in the Johto region...
This forest was quiet and filled with beautiful white flowers. Seeing Molly and Misty in high spirits, Ash decided they should all take a moment to relax here. Relaxation is necessary; for both trainers and Pokémon, you can't keep the string pulled tight forever. There has to be a balance, right?
"Big Brother Ash, can Molly hold the Pokémon egg too?"
Molly was wearing a flower crown Misty had woven for her. Perhaps because she had been away from Ash for a while, she was back to sticking by his side, pestering him to hold the egg.
Ash didn't mind. He let her sit beside him and handed over the egg. "Be very careful with it!"
It wasn't actually a big risk; the egg was housed in a portable, constant-temperature incubator designed for travel. Even if it took a small tumble, it would be fine.
"Mm-hmm!" Molly nodded repeatedly, pulling the egg close and staring through the glass at the icy-blue shell. "Little baby, be a good girl, okay?" She was already acting like a big sister.
"Scyther, take a rest! Save up your energy for evolution!" During their last stop at a Pokémon Center, Ash had swapped Noctowl back for Scyther.
Before Scyther could respond, a scream erupted from Misty's direction. Given the tone, she had likely spotted a Bug-type Pokémon.
Ash rushed over with Molly and Scyther, only to find a large spider lurking in the bushes. A curious Misty and Togepi had pulled the grass aside and nearly scared Misty out of her wits.
"Misty, are you okay?" Brock, who had been cooking, hurried over as well.
"It's an Ariados, the evolved form of Spinarak!" Ash recognized the giant spider. Such a brightly colored insect was a clear sign of potent venom. Misty could barely stand Spinarak, let alone a spider this size.
However, for some reason, this Ariados had its eyes closed and was completely still. It didn't look like it was sleeping, though. How could a spider sleep like that in the middle of a bush?
"I found you, Ariados!"
A female voice called out from the trees. From the looks of it, she was playing hide-and-seek with the Ariados. How playful!
A young lady with a sharp ponytail leaped down from a tree, accompanied by a Venonat. Her exaggerated physical skills and her trademark bright red outfit made it clear—they had run into another old acquaintance. This was Aya, the sister of the Fuchsia Gym Leader, Koga.
Despite being a ninja, she still loved wearing flashy colors. Without a second thought, Brock scrambled toward her. "Miss Aya, we truly are bound by the red string of fate!"
Suddenly, a rustling came from a nearby thicket, followed by a voice echoing through the forest: "Ariados, begin the operation!"
Almost instantly, the previously motionless Ariados snapped its eyes open. Aya reacted quickly, about to order her Venonat into action, but someone was faster!
"Scyther, Cut!"
Scyther had been keeping a close eye on the Ariados. At Ash's command, it drew its blades and slashed forward! But the Ariados was well-trained; it shot a strand of silk in a split second and swung away, dodging the strike.
"You think you can run after attacking?" Ash wasn't about to let such a great opponent escape. "Scyther, use Razor Wind!"
A blade of wind severed the Ariados's silk, causing it to tumble from the tree.
"It won't be that easy to win, will it? Air Slash!"
Ash's Aura allowed him to track every detail of the battle. An Ariados that looked this strong wouldn't just flail around on the ground after falling—something was off. Blades of air transformed into countless sword-auras, slashing toward the spider. A web was shredded by the wind as the blades closed in.
"Ariados, dodge it quickly!"
The voice called out again. Ariados flipped its body with incredible speed, successfully evading the Air Slash. But Ash's follow-up was relentless. Scyther transformed into dozens of afterimages, surrounding Ariados. Its right blade dipped slightly—the stance for Cut!
"Ariados, use Pin Missile!"
Bug-type needles shot from the venomous horn on Ariados's head, dispelling Scyther's Double Team clones one by one. But in that same moment, the real Scyther struck. The clones vanished, and Scyther appeared behind Ariados, delivering a blow that left it heavily injured.
"Young man, you win!" An elderly man stepped out from behind a tree. Looking at Ash's Scyther, he was genuinely impressed.
"My apologies!" Ash patted Scyther, letting it sheathe its blades. This was a true, solitary warrior.
"That was amazing! Big Brother Ash won again!" Molly cheered, still clutching the egg. She had been there when Ash caught this Scyther, so seeing it win made her extra happy.
"Principal!" Aya ran over with her Venonat.
"Aya, who are these people?" The principal was clearly interested in Ash and his Scyther.
It turned out Aya was currently practicing her ninja arts at a Pokémon Jujitsu Academy in this forest. She came from a ninja family—her brother Koga being a powerful master—and now she was being personally tutored by the principal. Her Venonat, however, still lacked sufficient strength.
"So many Pokémon!" Molly shouted happily from her seat on Bayleef's back. Being able to see so many Pokémon at once was a dream come true for her.
Ash was even happier—this meant a fresh harvest of exchange points! He decided he would exchange for a new ability soon: a super power that would allow his Pokémon to unleash a devastating ultimate move! It was just very expensive.
"My Pokémon Jujitsu Academy has many students who work day and night to master Pokémon 'ninjutsu.' Ariados's Spider Web, Venonat's Stun Spore, Scyther's Double Team, Pineco's Spikes... these are all unique ninja arts of the Pokémon world!" the principal explained.
Indeed, many Pokémon moves had a ninja flair. Ash's future powerhouse, Greninja, would be the literal embodiment of the ninja theme. This was the beauty of traveling—witnessing all kinds of Pokémon and trainers.
"Miss Aya, I've made up my mind!" Brock suddenly lunged in front of Aya. "I've decided to become your apprentice!"
His intention was far too obvious: use any means necessary to get closer to a pretty girl!
Well, Ash thought, I should learn a thing or two from Brock!