Chapter 71. Mating Season
The next day, after buying a large pile of local specialties, the group set out on their journey again.
"Alright, let's head for Saffron City!"
After catching Gastly, Ash's confidence skyrocketed, and he wished he could teleport to Saffron City right away.
Before long, they arrived at a steep sea cliff.
"Brock, are you sure we have to go through here?" Misty peered down the cliffside, spooked by the height.
"Yes. There's a path there." Brock pointed to a narrow footpath clinging to the cliff face.
"Huh? That's way too dangerous. Wouldn't it be better to build the road up here on top?" Ash glanced over, baffled.
"Don't tell me the League officials embezzled all the funds!" Misty squinted, making her guess.
"Not so."
Behind them, Natsume was fiddling with a Great Ball, while Honora stuck her head out to watch quietly beside him.
Hearing their conversation, Natsume took his eyes off the Great Ball, looked over, and explained:
"This is a protected Pokémon habitat area. Too much human construction isn't allowed."
"A protected habitat area?" they echoed, puzzled.
"Look over there." Natsume pointed to the forest on the right side of the cliff.
High above the trees, flocks of Butterfree drifted by now and then.
"So many Butterfree!" Ash's eyes lit up.
"Oh, I remember now," Brock said suddenly.
"This is Butterfree Cliff. Every year around this time, it's the Butterfree mating season, and swarms gather here to choose partners."
"After pairing up, they fly across the sea to lay eggs on the far side and raise their young."
"That's right." Natsume nodded.
"Sounds so romantic!" Misty clasped her cheeks, starry-eyed.
"Do you want to go take a look?" Natsume suggested.
"Let's go!"
They headed toward the forest.
Along the way, they saw quite a few Trainers.
"These Trainers are here to release their Butterfree," Natsume explained.
"This practice is called 'releasing Butterfree.' The League encourages it since it helps increase wild Butterfree populations."
"And for Butterfree, the best chance to breed basically comes only once in a lifetime."
"Only once in a lifetime…" Ash was a little dazed.
"Hey, how about swapping your Butterfree back and asking for its opinion?" Misty said suddenly.
"Come on. There's a ranger station here with a Pokémon transfer machine inside." Natsume waved from in front of a red-and-white hut.
Inside the station was a bald old man in a straw hat, wearing a dark-green ranger uniform.
"We'd like to borrow the equipment here," Natsume said, showing his credentials.
"A researcher, huh? Go on in."
The old man took one look and let Natsume's group into the back yard.
In the yard, many Trainers had already gathered. Most were there to rent hot air balloons to release their Butterfree.
Of course, some Trainers had started "matchmaking" on the spot.
"I'm going to rent a hot air balloon!" Misty said, heading off to the staff counter in high spirits.
"Hey, Butterfree hasn't agreed yet!" Ash couldn't stop her and could only let her go.
"Ash, over here!"
Natsume stood under the eaves where there was an old-looking Pokémon communication unit and a transfer machine.
Ash stepped up and dialed the Professor Oak Laboratory hotline.
"Hi, this is the Professor Oak Laboratory. How can I help you?"
An unexpected face appeared.
"Mom? How are you at Professor Oak's lab?" Ash froze.
"Because Auntie Delia used to be Professor Oak's assistant," Natsume's voice came from behind.
When Professor Oak goes out, it's almost always Delia who looks after the lab.
And in recent years, with Natsume around, Delia's workload had only gotten heavier.
Not only did she mind the lab, she also calmed down restless Pokémon.
At the same time, for some research paperwork, Professor Oak would occasionally go to Ash's house to ask Delia for help.
It wasn't that Professor Oak didn't trust Natsume—well, alright, Professor Oak didn't trust Natsume.
This student-assistant of his had ability, ideas, and grit, but he liked sudden "flashes of inspiration" a little too much.
And in research, the last thing you want is a sudden flash of inspiration.
After Natsume's explanation, everyone crowded in.
Misty, having finished renting the balloon, pressed down on Ash's shoulder and leaned in first.
"Wow, Ash, your mom's a researcher too!" Misty's eyes sparkled.
"Ash, why didn't you ever tell us?" Brock patted his shoulder.
Ash fell silent for a moment.
He had just found out himself, okay?
"Hahaha, your companions seem great!" Delia smiled, her gaze flicking toward Misty now and then.
Natsume often told her that Ash was very lucky in love and that his willpower was indomitable.
"Right, Mom, can you help me swap Butterfree back here?"
Remembering why he called, Ash hurriedly asked.
"This one, right? No problem." Delia said, taking out a Poké Ball with Ash's photo sticker on top.
"Bye, Mom."
"Goodbye, ma'am."
Ash swapped Pidgeotto out and brought Butterfree back.
After saying goodbye to Auntie Delia, the group boarded the hot air balloon.
The sky was already dotted with many balloons, sprinkled among the wild Butterfree swarms.
Quite a few unpaired wild Butterfree changed course toward the balloons, circling and dancing as they began their advances.
It's said that every year around this time, humans come to find partners for the industrious Butterfree.
"Wow, what a spectacle!"
As the balloon slowly rose, the world in their eyes broadened further.
The view from the sky was nothing like from the ground.
Looking out, the Butterfree swarm surged upward like snowflakes in reverse.
Male Butterfree gently tapped the females' feelers with their forelegs, while their scales brightened and dimmed in rhythm with courtship.
If a loner got whisked away by the wind, a new spiral would soon stitch itself into the cloud-like vortex.
Looking down, sunbeams shone through those translucent wings, casting moving lacy patches on the ground—perhaps drafts of love letters they were writing to the earth.
Honora hid behind Natsume, quietly pulling out her phone.
Using the courting Butterfree as the background, she took a forced-perspective selfie with herself and Natsume.
"Amazing!"
Ash excitedly sent out his Butterfree.
"So, Butterfree, do you want to take part?" After roughly explaining the situation, Ash looked to Butterfree.
"Noi!" Butterfree nodded vigorously.
"Then, Butterfree, go court that one!"
Brock, cheeks flushed, pointed at a Butterfree.
"Why that one?" Ash looked at him, puzzled.
"I know. Brock's probably got his eye on that Trainer." Misty pointed at a nearby balloon with a pretty older girl on it.
"Ahem… anyway, once the Butterfree are paired up, it can help Trainers connect, too. Out on the road, make lots of friends, Ash!"
Brock put on a serious face.
"Oh."
Ash patted Butterfree's head and said slowly:
"How about we try it Brock's way first?"
"Noi!" Butterfree nodded hard and flew toward that Butterfree.
Seeing his Butterfree take the first step so bravely, Ash nodded in satisfaction.
"The Butterfree I trained is definitely the most sought-after one here!"
But in no time, Butterfree came back.
"Huh? Rejected already?" Misty rubbed Butterfree's head, full of comfort.
"Don't get discouraged. Just try a few more times!" Ash encouraged.
"Noi, noi." Butterfree shook its head insistently.
Natsume pulled out his phone and opened a translation app.
"That Butterfree is male, meow!"
Ash: "…"
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