My Pokémon Anime Journey | BOOK ONE: KANTO

Bye-Bye Butterfree

"This path leads directly to Celadon City," Brock announced, extracting his face from the Kanto Region map.
Ari peered at the sheer drop off the cliffs. "I don't think we should stray off that path. Not if we value our lives."
Yet she didn't want to rush to Celadon, either. She found a beauty in the waves crashing against the cliffs, their doleful roars forming an orchestra with the soaring winds and rustling grass. Some may have even dubbed the setting 'romantic'.
Eevee jumped off of Ari's head, and pointed at some flying Pokémon flitting about the horizon, drawing closer to Ari's group.
"Those are Butterfree!" Misty realised.
A look of comprehension dawned on Brock's face. "At this time of year, the Butterfree are celebrating their season of love."
"Season of... love?" Ari repeated.
"Vee?" Eevee echoed.
"Many Pokémon search for a mate at certain times of year. The season of love is when Butterfree find their mates, then lay their eggs across the sea."
"How cute!" Said Misty.
Ari's mood was quite different; she hesitated before vocalising her opinion. "Brock... if Butterfree stays with me, will he ever have a mate?"
"Pokémon owned by Trainers can breed," Brock began slowly. "But... parenthood is quite the demand, isn't it?"
Ari drew Butterfree's Poké Ball. Only a few days prior, she had almost given him up for good, neglecting to let Butterfree decide his own path.
Today was her chance to make amends.

The group rented a balloon to join the Butterfree in the air. They weren't alone, either: other Trainers were interested in seeing the large group of Butterfly Pokémon up close, and many of them brought their own Butterfree.
Ari sent out Butterfree, who emerged from his Poké Ball with a joyful exclaimation of "Freeee!"
"You can go out and find your mate!" Ari encouraged.
Butterfree flitted about, inspecting the various female Butterfree, distinguishable by the black spots on their wings. He didn't settle on any of them, meekly hanging his head.
"Maybe none of those Butterfree are his type," Brock theorised. He subsequently got distracted by the prospect of ogling a Trainer in a nearby balloon, who sent her own Butterfree forth into the dating pool. "Pick that one!"
"Freh?" Ari's Butterfree tilted his head.
"If two Butterfree fall in love, their Trainers can, too!"
"I'm Butterfree's Trainer!" Ari grumpily reminded Brock.
Visibly anxious, Butterfree rejoined the swarm.
Misty assured Butterfree. "Your perfect mate has to be out there!"
This time, another Butterfree did catch Ari's Butterfree's eye - a female with whose body was oddly pink, rather than the usual deep purple. The compound eyes of Ari's Butterfree sparkled as he chirped, "Free! Freee!"
"It's love at first sight!" Brock celebrated.
"You would know," grumbled Misty.
Ari's Butterfree artfully twirled for the female. Ari saw his limbs tremble from nerves.
"That's Butterfree's courtship dance. It's like a marriage proposal. If it's successful, the pink Butterfree will dance, too," Brock said.
Yet the pink Butterfree adamantly turned her head, and flew upwards as if her course had never been interupted at all.
Ari's Butterfree teared up, speeding towards the nearby forest.
"Butterfree!" Ari called after him.

The second the balloon landed, Ari bounded towards the forest.
"Butterfree?" She shouted.
"Ee-vee-vee!" Said Eevee.
Ari finally found the Butterfly Pokémon sulking the shadow of tree.
"Are you ok?" Ari asked gently, placing a reassuring hand upon Butterfree's forehead.
"Getting rejected by someone you love is a terrible feeling," Brock mourned.
"You'd think that you'd be used to the 'shock'." Misty mimed inverted commas.
"Every rejection hurts because my love is so strong!" Brock said. "I just want to be somebody's other half, is that too much to ask?"
Misty dryly responded, "Brock, you're already an entire personality."
"Why would any other Butterfree reject mine?" Ari pondered. "Butterfree, we're going to show her just how strong you are - and how assertive you can be!"
"Ba-free!" Butterfree expressed his gratitude for his Trainer's support.
"A new look might help." Brock withdrew a sunshine yellow scarf from his pocket, tying it around Butterfree's neck so that he appeared rather lavish. Butterfree blushed. Ari stared curiously at Brock, wondering why he had the scarf - there was an odd quality in his expression she couldn't quite place as he bestowed it to Butterfree.