After a brief reorganization, Red once again accompanied Ash and his friends on their journey. The seasons were changing, and it was now the time for Butterfree to lay their eggs. Most trainers who raised a Butterfree would release them at this time, giving them a chance to reproduce.

“Wow, that aura is terrifying!” Ash exclaimed.

They had arrived at the edge of a cliff, greeted by a refreshing sea breeze and the endless ocean before them. The surging waves crashed against the rocks below, a clear reminder of nature’s power.

“If you fell from here, you’d be a goner,” Misty grumbled.

Brock took out a map, nodded, and pointed down the path. “If we follow this cliff road, we’ll reach Saffron City!”

“Alright! Let’s go challenge the gym!” Ash said excitedly.

“Ash, if you had to choose, would you give your Pokémon freedom or restrain them for your own sake?” Red asked, though it sounded more like he was talking to himself.

“What are you talking about, big brother? Every Pokémon is a partner I trust. How could I possibly restrain their freedom!” Ash said, puzzled, but he still answered the question.

“Do you know what season it is?” Red turned to look at the confused Ash. “It’s the season for Butterfree to fall in love, which means it’s time for them to reproduce.”

“Reproduce?” Ash realized, now understanding the meaning behind Red’s words: whether or not to release his Butterfree.

“Indeed, it’s the season for Butterfree to lay eggs,” Brock confirmed, pointing to the groups of Butterfree flying in the sky in the distance.

“So many Butterfree! They’re so beautiful!” Misty said happily. Though she was afraid of Bug-type Pokémon, she was still captivated by the beautiful sight of the migration.

“Every year at this time, Butterfree migrate in groups to cross this ocean,” Red explained. “If they don’t cross the sea together, they won’t be able to leave behind offspring.”

“Then my Butterfree has to reproduce too!” Ash said anxiously, looking exactly like an overly worried father.

A short while later, the group rented a hot air balloon, specially arranged for trainers at a reasonable cost.

“Go, Butterfree!” Ash threw the Poké Ball, releasing his long-time partner. “Go find a good match!”

“Good luck, Butterfree!” Misty cheered.

At this moment, Ash’s Butterfree was darting around like a reckless kid, searching for a partner that met its standards, but it hadn’t found a satisfactory one yet.

“Is there no type it likes?” Brock wondered.

“But is there even a difference?” Misty asked, puzzled. “I think all Butterfree look the same.”

“That’s a visual error on our part,” Red explained. “In the eyes of a Butterfree, each of these fellow species has a different appearance. Some fly gracefully, some are strong and robust, some have unique body shapes, and there are even oddly colored Shiny Butterfree.”

“I see,” Misty nodded, half-understanding. Ash, next to them, let the information go in one ear and out the other. It wasn’t about battling, so why bother understanding so much?

Trainers all around were releasing their Butterfree to allow them to reproduce. Among them, a purple-haired beauty caught Brock’s attention, making his eyes light up with hearts.

“Listen up, Butterfree! You go find that girl’s… no, the Butterfree released by that girl! That will definitely be your perfect match,” Brock said excitedly. “If you get along well with her, Butterfree, the trainers can… well, the relevant people can foster a relationship!”

“Is Brock always like this?” Red asked. Misty just shook her head helplessly before punching Brock unconscious.

Afterward, Ash’s Butterfree immediately fell for a pink Shiny Butterfree. Unfortunately, its own appearance wasn’t outstanding enough. Even when it performed a courtship dance, the Shiny Butterfree wasn’t interested. In fact, to get rid of Butterfree’s advances, it slapped it hard across the face, breaking Ash’s Butterfree’s heart.

The heartbroken Butterfree chose to hide in the forest, which made Ash extremely anxious. He quickly controlled the hot air balloon to descend and ran to his dejected partner. “Butterfree, are you alright? Don’t look so dispirited!”

“It got dumped, so of course the blow is huge,” Brock explained. As someone who had been through it many times, he understood the feeling. “Butterfree, I understand you very well. Let me give you a lesson in love!”

“Eh~” Misty smirked. “Are you going to teach it how to get dumped more quickly?” Her words sent Brock into a spiral of depression.

“It’s easy to make a Pokémon of the opposite sex like you,” Red said. “In the world of Pokémon, strength is valued. As long as Butterfree shows its strength, it can attract the other party’s attention.”

“I see! But that Butterfree looked down on the one I raised so carefully. That’s really too much!” Ash said discontentedly, believing his own Butterfree was the most charming. To help, Brock tied a yellow scarf around Butterfree’s neck, giving it a more distinctive look. It repeatedly displayed its proudest moves, but the Shiny Butterfree didn’t even glance at it.

“Strange? Why hasn’t Team Rocket’s assist plan appeared yet?” Red murmured, puzzled. Usually, at this time, the trio would appear to cause trouble, inadvertently helping Ash’s Butterfree win the Shiny Butterfree’s heart. But what Red didn’t know was that due to his formidable strength, the Team Rocket trio had decided to take a few days off after seeing him accompanying Ash. With no expenses for snatching Pikachu, they had even gotten a rare full meal.

“It seems I’ll have to intervene manually,” Red said lightly, throwing a Poké Ball. “Charizard, I’ll leave it to you!”

“What?!” the others cried in unison.

The white light dissipated, and the massive Dragon Scale Charizard suddenly appeared, its draconic pressure instantly making the surrounding Butterfree weak-kneed.

“Charizard, put on a show for Butterfree,” Red instructed, using his psychic power to notify Ash’s Butterfree of the plan. (To win this Butterfree’s heart, you must face Charizard’s attacks with all your might!)

“Gulp!” Butterfree turned its head in horror to look at the approaching Charizard. How could it possibly stop this behemoth?

“Big brother, won’t this be too dangerous?!” Ash said anxiously, fearing his Butterfree would be gone before it even had a chance to reproduce.

“Don’t worry, Ash! Red is always very cautious,” Brock reassured him.

For the sake of the act, Charizard chose not to release flames but instead flapped its wings to use Air Slash, sending countless wind blades toward Butterfree. To win the heart of its beloved, Butterfree didn’t flee but charged forward, using Hurricane to resist the attack.

“Pokémon are influenced by their trainer’s personality,” Red said, looking playfully at the embarrassed Ash. “Your Butterfree doesn’t seem to have any psychic moves?”

“Huh? Can Butterfree even learn moves like that? I thought it only had Tackle, Hurricane, and Sleep Powder!” Ash said incredulously.

Red chose to remain silent, realizing it was his own folly to try and make his foolish younger brother understand such knowledge. To help, he used his psychic power to develop Butterfree’s brain, explaining how to use Confusion and Psybeam.

As expected, after a moment of enlightenment, Butterfree’s eyes glowed blue, and it used Confusion to resist Charizard’s gentle Air Slash. Seeing this dignified display, the protected Shiny Butterfree developed feelings of admiration.

‘Good kid!’ Charizard chuckled, releasing a low-power Dragon Breath. The attack instantly destroyed Butterfree’s Confusion, hitting it directly. But Butterfree did not flee, instead using Psybeam to confront Charizard.

“Excellent personality, Ash. Your Butterfree is very well trained!” Red praised, making Ash jump with excitement.

“Roar—!” Charizard roared, its claws covered in emerald energy as it used Dragon Claw.

Seeing this, Butterfree disregarded the Shiny Butterfree’s dissuasion and resolutely used Tackle, preparing to fight Charizard to the death, which brought tears to the Shiny Butterfree’s eyes.

“Roar!” Suddenly, another roar came. A massive Blood-Red Gyarados appeared on the sea, looking at Charizard with hostility. How could Charizard accept such contempt? It let go of Butterfree and flew toward the Gyarados.

“What a great show!” Brock praised. The entire performance had been flawless.

“Big brother, you worked hard,” Ash said shamefully.

“What are you saying?” Red poked Ash’s forehead. “You’re my younger brother. Why are you being so polite?”

At dusk, they all arrived at the cliff’s edge to bid farewell. Ash, who had been grinning moments before, was now unexpectedly downcast. But in the end, he still smiled and said to the Shiny Butterfree, “Butterfree is an excellent fellow. I’ll trouble you to take care of it from now on.”

“May you have healthy eggs!” Misty said.

“It’s almost time to leave,” Brock reminded.

The Shiny Butterfree flew into the air, but Ash’s Butterfree was reluctant to leave, lingering.

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain to everyone that you found a cute girlfriend and went on a journey!” Ash comforted the crying Butterfree. “Hurry up, your girlfriend is calling you!” With that, he stood up, head bowed, so Butterfree wouldn’t see his expression.

Pikachu, next to him, also waved goodbye with tears in its eyes. Ash didn’t speak. Red went up and let Ash lean on his shoulder, gently patting his back.

With his head down, Ash recalled every moment with Butterfree, from catching it as a Caterpie in Viridian Forest to watching it evolve. It was the first Pokémon he had nurtured with all his heart, a witness to his growth.

“Big brother… my heart hurts so much… I really don’t want Butterfree to leave…” Ash sobbed, his body trembling.

“You’ve grown up so well, Ash. I’m proud of you,” Red said, gently wiping away his brother’s tears. “Ash, say goodbye to Butterfree.”

Hearing this, Ash stopped crying, ran to the very edge of the cliff, and looked at the departing Butterfree. “Goodbye, Butterfree! Goodbye! You must become stronger! I’ll be waiting for you in Pallet Town!”

His Butterfree took one last look at him, deeply imprinting the image in its heart before leaving with its partner.

“It’s already flown far away…” Ash smiled faintly.

“I know!” he said, exchanging a smile with Pikachu on his shoulder.

“Look, it’s so beautiful,” Misty exclaimed, looking at the distant sunset.

“Don’t worry, Ash. That Butterfree will definitely return to Pallet Town,” Red promised. When he had used his psychic power earlier, he had deeply imprinted the location of Pallet Town in Butterfree’s mind, making it hard to forget.

***

(End of Chapter)

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