PS002

PS2 redirects here. For the Nintendo 64 game, see Pokémon Stadium 2.

Bulbasaur, Come Home!

VSゴーリキー

VS. Goriky

Info

Series

Pokémon Adventures

Other

Location

Pallet Town Viridian City

Bulbasaur, Come Home! (Japanese: VSゴーリキー VS. Goriky) is the second round in the Red, Green & Blue arc of the Pokémon Adventures manga.

Plot

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

When Red enters Professor Oak's Laboratory, in hopes that the professor would teach him how to be a great Pokémon Trainer, he finds a dark, empty laboratory filled with hundreds of Poké Balls containing the laboratory's Pokémon. In one of the Poké Balls he finds on a table is a Bulbasaur. Amazed by a Pokémon he has never seen before, Red shows his Poliwhirl to the Bulbasaur (while both are still in their Poké Balls).

Bulbasaur becomes frightened of Red's Poliwhirl, just as Professor Oak arrives and mistakes Red as a thief trying to steal the laboratory's Pokémon. Oak rushes up to him and accuses Red of stealing, which sends the startled Red tumbling back into a table and accidentally releasing many of the laboratory's Pokémon outside of their Poké Balls. Oak is furious at Red, and just as Red is about to say that he didn't mean to, a Pidgey flies overhead and excretes on Professor Oak's face. Oak orders that Red return all of the Pokémon to their Poké Balls. Red succeeds after a while.

However, a few more Pokémon are still missing and Professor Oak hopes that none have escaped the laboratory. Red says that he'll get them back too, but Oak stops him and accuses him of being a thief again. Red denies and says that he entered uninvited and still offers to get them back; however, Oak says that it is late and the sun is starting to set. Red says that he is not giving up and rushes outside, Oak follows him on a bicycle and says that Red will never find them unless Oak helps him identify who the missing Pokémon are and threatens that he'll turn Red in after they found them.

The duo reaches Viridian City where they find another of the laboratory's Pokémon, a Meowth, which Red manages to return to its Poké Ball. Red remarks that the last missing Pokémon should be the Bulbasaur, which they find shortly after. Frightened, it runs away into the closed Viridian City Gym, Red and Oak running after it. The inside of the Gym is dark and covered with cobwebs. Red bumps into a statue of Giovanni as Oak spots Bulbasaur standing next to the Gym's wall.

Professor Oak chuckles and tries to persuade Bulbasaur to come, but Bulbasaur attacks him using Tackle. Oak winces in pain as he argues back that he is supposed to be Bulbasaur's owner, implying that Bulbasaur should listen to him. Red steps up front and comforts Bulbasaur, saying that it's alright to be nervous. Red explains that this is its first time in the outside world and that it was kept separate from the other Pokémon in the lab and saw only the professor. Oak appears to be surprised.

Bulbasaur quickly warms up to Red. As Red pets it and offers it something to eat, a Pokémon cry echoes in the Gym, behind them is a wild Machoke that somehow found its way inside. It attacks Red, probably in an attempt to defend its new territory. Bulbasaur stands behind the Machoke and releases a Vine Whip to stop Machoke's fist from crushing Red. Red is amazed and asks if Oak saw that and asks what Bulbasaur's best move is, but Oak had fainted from shock. Red then realizes that Bulbasaur has a bulb on its back and quickly thinks if the bulb can be helpful, but Machoke attacks again.

Red notices a small ray of sunlight shining through closed window shades. With a plan in mind, he quickly opens the shades and allows the sunlight to shine inside. Bulbasaur's bulb collects the sunlight and shines, releasing a powerful SolarBeam and Machoke is knocked out instantly. Professor Oak awakes and asks if Red knew about Bulbasaur's SolarBeam attack, but Red just admits that he only knew that sunlight is transferred into energy by plants, and thus assumed that it would help Bulbasaur. Oak laughs.

Professor Oak congratulates and rewards Red by allowing him to keep the Bulbasaur and Red is overjoyed. Now that the quest is complete, Red states that he didn't break into Oak's laboratory. He merely came to learn how to be a better Pokémon Trainer. Professor Oak decides to test him and asks if he needs a bunch of good tricks or a team of powerful Pokémon. Red ponders this and Oak answers that it's what is in his heart that counts. He comments that Red was caring for Bulbasaur and that their connection during battle was remarkable. Oak says that is what he needs to become a great Trainer.

Professor Oak gives him a Pokédex, and asks him to help complete the Pokédex by encountering Pokémon. Once the Pokédex has been completed, Oak says that Red might become one of the greatest Trainers ever.

Major events

• Red meets Professor Oak.
• Red receives a Bulbasaur from Professor Oak
• Red receives a Pokédex from Professor Oak.

	Spoilers end here.

Debuts

• Professor Oak

Pokémon debuts

• Bulbasaur (Red's)
• Poliwhirl (Red's)
• Machoke
• Kakuna
• Pidgey
• Caterpie
• Metapod
• Rattata
• Tentacool
• Poliwag
• Weedle
• Meowth

Characters

Humans

• Red
• Professor Oak

Cameos

• Giovanni (as a bust)

Pokémon

• Bulbasaur (Saur; Red's)
• Machoke
• Poliwhirl (Poli; Red's)
• Mew (memory)

Laboratory Pokémon

• Kakuna
• Pidgey
• Caterpie
• Metapod
• Rattata
• Tentacool
• Poliwag
• Weedle
• Meowth

Trivia

• This chapter is included in The Best of Pokémon Adventures: Red.

Errors

• When Professor Oak is talking to Red about being a Pokémon Trainer, he calls him by name. However, shortly afterward, Oak seems not to know Red's name.

In other languages

Language		Title
Finnish		Red vastaan Machoke
European French		Machopeur* À la poursuite de Bulbizarre !*
Italian		Torna a casa, Bulbasaur!
Vietnamese		VS GORIKY

This article is part of Project Manga, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each series of Pokémon manga.