Woodruff is a forest ranger working for the wildlife bureau. When Ash first encountered him, Woodruff warned him against catching a Heracross he'd found—not out of malice, but because the bug-type was actually crucial to the forest's ecosystem. Apparently, the Heracross produces tree sap that the local Butterfree depend on. Woodruff made it clear he wasn't there to stop trainers out of spite; he was protecting the delicate balance of the forest itself.
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