A Chapter in the Forest: Answers or not?

**"A Chapter in the Forest: Answers or not?"** is the fourth chapter of *Pokémon Reset Bloodlines.* As they make their way through Viridian Forest, Ash learns that he and Misty are Bloodliners, humans with Pokémon-related powers and abilities, which partially explains his previous understanding of Pikachu's speech and his accidental use of Counter to fend off the flock that attacked them. With Butterfree and Pidgeotto back on his team, Ash continues to Pewter City for his first Gym Badge challenge.

## Plot

As they reach the entrance to Viridian Forest, Ash wonders if Misty is following him because he and Pikachu fried her bike like they did in the previous timeline, while also taking notice of the warning signs around that seem to point out that the forest is a lot more dangerous than he remembered. When he asks her about it, Misty replies that she never had a bike, and she just wants to talk to him somewhere they're less likely to be overheard. Pikachu makes a remark about how that sounds a lot like TV shows Professor Oak watches at night about serial killers, which Ash understands again and repeats out loud, much to the mouse's confusion once he realizes Ash can understand him.

Once they're into the forest, Misty screams in terror upon seeing a Caterpie, which Pikachu recognizes as their old friend. They promptly engage him in a battle and catch him. Afterwards, Misty apologizes for her outburst and lets out a Pokémon she didn't have in the previous timeline, a Wingull, which she uses to keep Bug-types away when out of repels. Misty then begins to talk, telling Ash that he probably doesn't know it, but he's "different" from other people. Ash takes this to mean that she's realized he's able to understand Pikachu's speech, but she then replies in shock that he shouldn't be able to do that because Pikachu is not a Fighting-type, confusing both of them.

Meanwhile at the 11th floor of Silph Co.'s building, the 40th annual meeting for the Pokémon Professor Association is beginning. Representatives of several of the T.A.T.O. regions are attending, including Professors Oak for Kanto, Ivy for the Orange Islands, Elm for Johto, Birch for Hoenn, Krane for Orre, Rowan for Sinnoh, Cedric and Aurea Juniper for Unova, and Sycamore for Kalos. Rowan decides to begin discussing a string of budget cuts that he, along with Oak, Ivy, Elm and Birch have suffered as of late. While the Junipers have no difference in funds, Krane has just joined and thus has a short budget to begin with, and Sycamore even got a raise this year, the ones whose funds have suffered all agree that the one responsible is Dr. Yung, whose Mirage Project is given priority due to its potential military applications. Professor Ivy suggests that this is due to hysteria caused by the potential threat Bloodliners (in her opinion) represent for Pokémon and humans alike. Professor Oak however disagrees with Bloodliners being a threat and is more interested in learning about them, while the rest of his colleagues' opinions vary from one to another from fear to curiosity. Oak then ponders about a certain Bloodliner young man who'd left his lab with a Pikachu recently.

Back in the Viridian Forest, Jessie, James and Meowth seem to have lost sight of Ash deep in the Viridian Forest, so they take to stake out near Pewter City, as they (correctly) deduce he will head there for a Gym Badge after registering for the Pokémon League, since the Viridian Gym was undergoing repairs for the time being. Then an explosion caused by an electric blast in the distance gets their attention, and Meowth suggests they should head there to find their target.

Elsewhere, Misty continues to try and explain to Ash about their apparent abilities, first by showing him that she's able to use the move Whirlpool to drive off an incoming swarm of Beedrill, and explaining that she saw him use Counter to defeat the Spearow and Fearow flock back on Route 1. Ash then asks Pikachu for confirmation about that (since he fell unconscious after using it and doesn't remember it well). Ash then asks why Pikachu didn't tell him before, but once again he fails to understand his friend's speech. Ash wonders if it's normal that he can only understand half of what Pikachu says in his head. Misty replies that perhaps it's different for each Bloodline, confusing Ash even more.

Back with the Team Rocket trio, they reach the place where they saw the electric attack, only to arrive too late finding a despondent Gary Oak who just lost a battle. However, James deduces that it wasn't the work of Ash, which Gary confirms when questioned about it. Gary leaves for Pewter while a Beedrill swarm comes in, so the Team Rocket members prepare to engage them in battle.

At night, all that Ash has pieced together from talking with Misty is that they're Bloodliners, humans with Pokémon-related abilities, and that somehow they have an increased metabolism that requires large amounts of food. He decides to let Caterpie out and touches him to restore his memories. He focuses to test his seeming telepathic abilities to communicate with them, succeeding in understanding their speech, while they discuss some of their memories from the old timeline, how things had gone then and how they could go now. Before turning in for the night, Ash checks his Pokédex about the possibility of having more of six active Pokémon, learning that the limit was established due to a criminal named Twenty Gyarados Bill.

The following day, Ash recalls that the reason why he never came back for Pidgeot was because, due to the weather changes caused by the events in Shamouti, the flock was forced to migrate elsewhere. A Pidgeotto then lands before them, whom Pikachu quickly recognizes as Ash's and they promptly engage in battle to catch it using Caterpie. Misty commends him for his skills, wondering if he's actually a rookie, to which Ash replies he might just be a natural to avoid raising suspicions. Immediately thereafter, Caterpie evolves into Metapod.

The next day, while being spied on by Team Rocket, Ash finds the Samurai, who wants to battle him in revenge for his defeat against Gary. The Samurai sends out his Pinsir, and Ash uses Metapod to quickly take it out. The Samurai sends out his own Metapod, to which Ash sends out Pidgeotto quickly taking it out with a Gust attack. After winning, Ash's Metapod evolves into Butterfree once more, much to his joy, before they all head for Pewter City.

## Continuity

* First mention of Twenty Gyarados Bill.
* Ash captures Caterpie and Pidgeotto.
* Caterpie evolves into a Metapod, and then again to a Butterfree.

## Characters

### Humans

* Ash Ketchum
* Misty Waterflower
* Professor Samuel Oak
* Professor Philena Ivy
* Professor Elm
* Professor Birch
* Professor Krane
* Professor Rowan
* Professor Cedric Juniper
* Professor Aurea Juniper
* Professor Sycamore
* Jessie
* James
* Gary Oak
* Samurai

### Pokémon

* Pikachu (Ash's)
* Rattata (Random trainer's)
* Pidgey (Random trainer's)
* Caterpie (Ash's)
* Wingull (Misty's)
* Meowth (Team Rocket)
* Beedrill (Wild)
* Squirtle (Gary's)
* Ekans (Jessie's)
* Koffing (James')
* Pidgeotto (Ash's)
* Psyduck (Misty's)
* Pinsir (Samurai's)
* Metapod (Ash's)
* Metapod (Samurai's)
* Butterfree (Ash's)