The withered stub, oblivious to the panic Bulba was exuding in its direction, had flaked off from the main stem, dead and detached completely. Now that the flower no longer needed to spare the energy to care for it and fight infection, it was free to conserve its strength for regrowth. Of course, it didn't really look that way. It looked more like the Ivysaur had talked the flower into losing even more leaf.

The process was so innocuous that Vinnie didn't even notice it at all. There wasn't the slightest pain, or any indication that something had happened. So he was still lying there waiting on some tangible reaction. The tingling in the base of his stem had stopped, but that seemed to be the only change.

When Bulba finally spoke, the Venusaur sleepily opened his eyes. "Uh... I dunno, she didn't really say. Why?"