PS501 : A Lost Melody
Black & White arc
PS503 : Tooth and Claw
The Beginning
Rufflet
PS502.png
VSワシボン
VS Washibon
Info
VIZ Media mini-volume Adventure 42 in Vol. 13
Kurokawa mini-volume Chapter 42 in Vol. 6
Shogakukan full volume Chapter 502 in Vol. 48
VIZ Media full volume Adventure 42 in Vol. 6
Series Pokémon Adventures
Other
Location Nuvema Town

The Beginning (Japanese: VS ワシボン VS Rufflet), titled VS Rufflet in the Shogakukan Asia translation, is the 502nd chapter of the Pokémon Adventures manga, and the 42nd chapter of the Black & White arc.

It is subtitled Rufflet (Japanese: 邂逅 Encounter) in the VIZ Media translation and The Beginning in the Shogakukan Asia translation.

Plot

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

Having crossed the Tubeline Bridge, Black continues on his journey towards Icirrus City accompanied by Iris and Doctor Logan. After thinking about White, Black looks at Musha and recalls the time they met, along with Brav.

Five years old at the time, Black declares to his childhood friends, Cheren and Bianca, at the latter's backyard, that he wants to be the best Pokémon Trainer there is. Bianca's father comes calling, prompting Black and Cheren to hide her behind a fence. Bianca's father walks in, and is shocked to see that his Unfezant and Stoutland are injured, which means that they were subjected to a battle against each other. Fearing over what could have happened to his daughter, he retrieves his Pokémon and rushes back into his house.

Black, Cheren and Bianca come out of hiding. The former is upset that Bianca's father took his Pokémon with him. Bianca reveals to her male friends that her father had told her to stop playing with them, especially Black, who her father deems to be too hyperactive. But, she wanted to remain friends with Black and Cheren, therefore decided to go against her father. Cheren, feeling the same way, decides that he and Black would confront Bianca's father over this.

Yet, all that they receive in return is the threat of banishment from Bianca's home. Hearing this, Bianca cries loudly. Her father tries to comfort her with the offer of other nice things, and starts to take Bianca away. Black thinks for a while, and decides to tell her father that, instead of borrowing Pokémon from adults, he could borrow books about Pokémon that he can read. Thus, Bianca's father lets Black continue to visit Bianca in order to read his books.

A few days pass, and Black is at Bianca's home having finished reading the last of her father's books about Pokémon. Black then calls to Bianca's father again, asking for directions to the library, and soon enough, Black's new routine is to visit Nuvema Town's local library with Cheren and Bianca every day. Black slowly gathers a list of what he has learned, and one day goes over to Bianca's home to tell her and Cheren about it.

After going through what he knows about the Pokémon League challenge, Cheren doubts whether his parents would allow him to take part in it. Black impatiently responds that it would be a challenge for someone who has yet to attend elementary school. He would have to travel in order to collect the Gym Badges, therefore he would need a convenient excuse to go travelling. Black and Cheren then hear a broadcast on television. Bianca recognizes the face on the TV as the person who lives next door to her: Cedric Juniper, the famous professor of the region. During the broadcast, Juniper confirms that he is working on a Pokédex which can collect and record information about wild Pokémon. Juniper also declares that he will recruit younger people to do the job for him.

Black sees this as the perfect excuse to go on a journey, and starts to drag Cheren out of Bianca's house in order to ask him for Juniper's whereabouts. Cheren protests, saying that Black would most likely be refused a Pokédex due to his age. He adds that even if he was offered one, an adult would have to be informed about it, which is most likely Bianca's father, who will in turn refuse to let him go on a journey.

Black replies with his understanding, but also voices his worry that he might miss out on selection. Cheren says that it would still be some time before the Pokédex is officially rolled out. However, Black says he cannot wait to receive a Pokédex, and his mind starts wandering. At this moment, Bianca steps up and notices that Black may have a better chance of getting selected if he has a Pokémon of his own, thus promises that she will go look for a Pokémon that Black can catch and make his own.

Cheren, knowing that Bianca's idea would only get her in trouble, tries to stop her, but by then she has already wandered into Route 1. While looking around in the tall grass, she treads on something. A wild Rufflet appears, and chases Bianca around the grass, even managing to pluck her hair at times.

Cheren hears Bianca's cry for help and tries to get Black to follow him to Route 1 to save her. But, Black remains dazed, so Cheren goes to rescue Bianca himself. He then hears a chomping sound, and turns around, only to see a Munna on Black's head.

Major events

  • Black has a flashback of when he met Musha and Brav nine years prior.
  • Black manages to convince Bianca's father to let him study Pokémon so that he and Cheren will be allowed to play with Bianca.
  • Black learns about the Pokémon League and tries to find a way to get a Pokédex.
  • Bianca decides to help Black capture a Pokémon, only to disturb a wild Rufflet.
  • A wild Munna is attracted to Black's dreams and eats them for the first time.
For a list of all major events in the Pokémon Adventures manga, please see the history page.
  Spoilers end here.  

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

Pokémon

Trivia

In other languages



PS501 : A Lost Melody
Black & White arc
PS503 : Tooth and Claw
  This article is part of Project Manga, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each series of Pokémon manga.