The day after bidding farewell to Nene, Ash and his companions were making their way through a forest. But it didn't take long before they noticed something strange.
"What's going on? Why does it suddenly look so barren?"
"Wasn't this a lush green forest just a moment ago?"
Ash closed his eyes, spreading his Aura throughout the area. Sure enough, it was only this particular section that had withered—every tree in the area was dried up and lifeless.
Then he sensed something out of place.
"This way!"
Ash snapped his eyes open, called to the others, and quickly rushed ahead.
Before them stood a massive tree—so wide it would take five or six people holding hands to circle its trunk. Several Heracross, each nearly five feet tall, were clinging comfortably to the tree's surface.
They were sipping its sap.
"Eek! What are those?! Don't tell me they're all bugs?!"
Misty's greatest fear had always been bugs. Back in Viridian Forest, when Ash first caught his Caterpie, the only reason they rushed through the woods was because of her.
"That's Heracross, Misty! They're Bug-types, yeah, but they're beetles—not the furry kind. No need to be scared!" Ash laughed reassuringly.
Hearing this, Misty nodded slightly. "You know, when you put it that way... they're actually kind of cute."
Heracross—the Single Horn Pokémon. Calm-natured, incredibly strong, and known for using the horn on its head to pierce under an opponent's belly before tossing them away.
As the three chatted, a few Butterfree fluttered over.
Rather than driving them off, the Heracross kindly made space and let the Butterfree feed alongside them.
"They really are gentle. How sweet," Misty said with a smile. She wasn't afraid of Butterfree—Ash used to have one himself, after all.
"But that still doesn't explain what happened to this part of the forest," Brock mused aloud.
"We won't have to wait long to find out."
Just as Ash spoke those words, the answer arrived.
Several Pinsir emerged from the forest.
Compared to the mild-mannered Heracross, the Pinsir were clearly far more aggressive—and looked the part too.
The moment they appeared, the Butterfree scattered in panic. The Pinsir climbed up to the canopy of the large tree, glaring down menacingly at the Heracross.
"Come on, Heracross! Don't just retreat—do something!" Misty cried as the Heracross were pushed back, step by step, by the invading Pinsir.
But just as it looked like the Heracross were about to retaliate, they spread their wings—
And fled.
They ran away?!
"Now I get it," Brock realized instantly. "The Pinsir drove the Heracross off their territory, so the Heracross had no choice but to feed on sap from the smaller trees nearby. That's what's causing all the forest decay!"
"That's awful. Heracross are being bullied! How can they just take it like that?" Misty scowled, watching the Pinsir claim the tree.
"You're wrong, Misty. Being gentle doesn't mean being weak. When the world is thrown into chaos… that's when heroes rise."
Ash's words made Misty blink in confusion.
She didn't know—back in Viridian Forest, when the flock of Pidgeotto was in danger, Ash's own Pidgeotto had evolved into a majestic Pidgeot to protect them!
Just then, Pikachu perked up, ears twitching. Something had caught its attention.
Out of the retreating swarm of Heracross, one had turned around.
This one was even larger than the others. Its eyes were sharp, filled with determination.
"That's… the hero," Misty whispered as she looked on.
The Heracross gave Ash a quick glance—then took off.
Ash smiled softly. "Pikachu!"
"Pika!"
The two took off right behind it.
The Heracross flapped its wings, and a white glow shimmered over the horn on its head.
"That's a Flying-type move—Aerial Ace!" Ash recognized it instantly.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
Flying moves were super effective against Bug-types. With a flurry of lightning-fast attacks from Pikachu and the powerful aerial strike from Heracross, the Pinsir were quickly driven away.
"Nice job!"
Ash praised them, watching as the Heracross landed in front of him.
"Here, have this."
He handed it a special Bug-type Pokémon feed—fresh from the system shop. It was just as flavorful as tree sap, if not more so.
And judging by Heracross's eager munching, it was a hit.
With the Pinsir driven off, both the Heracross and Butterfree returned.
The one Heracross stayed by Ash's side for a moment, then turned and started walking deeper into the forest—the same direction the Pinsir had escaped to.
Back at Ash's side, Misty murmured, "Is it going after the Pinsir? It really is a hero…"
"I don't think it's going to settle a score," Ash replied, signaling the others to follow. Pikachu had already hopped back onto his shoulder.
The three trailed behind the Heracross. After a moment of reflection, Brock nodded in agreement.
"Misty, think about it—why would those Pinsir even come into Heracross territory in the first place?"
"Isn't it because Pinsir are just naturally aggressive?" Misty replied without thinking.
"Not at all!" Ash shook his head. "They may look mean and be rougher than Heracross, but they're still Pokémon with their own boundaries. They don't just invade others' territories for no reason!"
Then that could only mean—
"Something must've forced the Pinsir out of their own land," Brock concluded.
"That's right."
Led by their Heracross guide, the trio made steady progress until they reached a canyon.
The Heracross stopped at the edge and looked at Ash.
Ash studied the landscape. "Looks like the Pinsir's territory is on the other side of this canyon."
"But how do we cross it?" Brock asked, scratching his head.
Charizard still wasn't strong enough to fly with a passenger.
Ash glanced around, then spotted a solution. "Heracross, can you knock down that tree and lay it across the canyon? You should be strong enough!"
"Heracro!"
The Heracross's eyes lit up in understanding. It stepped up behind the tree—and with a loud thud, pushed it clean over.
The massive tree crashed down, creating a makeshift bridge.
"Impressive!" Ash praised, then led the way across with Pikachu.
Thanks to his early mastery of Aura, Ash's athleticism had advanced to another level. For him, walking across the log was a breeze.
But Misty, bringing up the rear, wasn't nearly as confident.
"Hey! Don't go so fast!"
Ash turned back and saw Misty hesitating.
As a girl, it was natural for her to be scared—after all, the log was round, and a single slip could send her plummeting into the canyon below.
With a sigh, Ash turned around and walked back.
"Ash? What are you doing?"
He crouched down with his back facing her.
"Hop on."