In the Anime
Melanie was the character of the day in Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village. Ash, Misty, and Brock were on their way to Vermilion City when Misty saw an Oddish. Misty tried to catch it when a Bulbasaur stopped her with a Vine Whip. Ash tried to catch the Bulbasaur, but the two Grass/Poison Pokémon escaped.
Ash and his friends tried to keep on traveling, but got caught in a series of traps, including a collapsing bridge, a pit, and a net. Brock fell into the river, but was saved by a beautiful girl named Melanie. She cared for Pokémon who have been abandoned in the forest. Melanie set the traps to try to deter people from catching the Pokémon she cared for.
Melanie allowed Ash and his friends to visit her Hidden Village of Pokémon if they promised not to catch any. Melanie explained that Bulbasaur had sworn to protect the other sick Pokémon. Bulbasaur continued to distrust Ash and Misty. Team Rocket attacked the village and tried to steal all the Pokémon, but Bulbasaur and Ash were able to defeat them.
Melanie insisted that Ash take Bulbasaur with him, since Bulbasaur wasn’t able to grow and be strong at all in the forest. Melanie thought that the Pokémon were getting too lazy with Bulbasaur to take care of them and they needed to be reintroduced into the wild. According to her, Bulbasaur would agree if Ash battled him; after winning that battle, Ash caught Bulbasaur, and everyone parted ways.
She reappeared in Bulbasaur’s flashback in Bulbasaur… the Ambassador!.
In the Manga
Melanie makes an appearance in The Electric Tale of Pikachu. A.J. and Samurai wanted to take Ash and Brock to find her Hidden Village. According to rumor, it was a garden protected by a goddess and funded by some rich philanthropists.
On the way, Ash accidentally left Pikachu behind when the little mouse got distracted by an abandoned Squirtle and Charmander. Squirtle wanted to take the two other supposedly abandoned Pokémon to the Hidden Village, which was a paradise according to legends amongst Pokémon.
Pikachu, Charmander, and Squirtle arrived at the Hidden Village after a long journey. Along the way they had joined up with a Kangaskhan and Tommy. They also brought along Jessie, James, and Meowth – who had convinced the group of Pokémon that they wanted to live in a quiet mountain village.
Melanie was viewed as a goddess to the Pokémon. She welcomed everyone to the Hidden Village, where Pokémon were allowed to heal physical and spiritual wounds in peace.
Team Rocket started to catch all the wild Pokémon, but Pikachu and Kangaskhan teamed up and blasted the thieves off with a Thunder Shock and Mega Kick combo.
In the end, Charmander was reunited with Damian, and Squirtle stayed behind with Melanie.
In the Games
In Pokémon Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, and Let’s Go, Eevee!, a girl based on Melanie appears in Cerulean City, unlike the anime, in which she lives in a rural area. In Yellow, she will give out a Bulbasaur if the player’s friendship with the starter Pikachu is 147 or higher. In Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!, she will give the player a Bulbasaur if they have caught 30 or more individual Pokémon.
Quotes
- If the starter Pikachu’s friendship is 146 or lower
- “I take care of injured Pokémon. I nursed this Bulbasaur back to health. It needs a good trainer to take care of it now.”
- If the starter Pikachu’s friendship is 147 or higher
- “I take care of injured Pokémon. I nursed this Bulbasaur back to health. It needs a good trainer to take care of it now. I know! Would you take care of this Bulbasaur?”
- No: “Oh… That’s too bad…”
- Yes: (after giving the Bulbasaur to the player) “Please take care of Bulbasaur!”
- If talked to again
- “Is Bulbasaur doing well?”
Trivia
- Her Japanese name is a pun on her preference of Grass-type Pokémon. ç· midori is Japanese for green, as well as being a woman’s name.