EPISODE 10: Who Is He?*

The chase continues, however, I halt at times in order to gasp for oxygen before my asthma strikes me again. Truly, the pilferer is a fast runner, giving me a hard time to chase him. For more than ten minutes, we run around in circles, trying to outsmart or surpass one another to the point we've gone too far from the town.

Seeing me at an unknown location, I stop for a moment, letting the young man with a red hair run away. No houses nor windmills are in sight, giving me a panic after realizing how far I've been running. This is Johto, meaning I'm not entirely familiar with the place.

The only thing I could hear is the nearby babbling brook in the north, the chirps of wild Pokemons, and the silent eerie of the forest. Surrounded with thick fog and smog this forest is, giving zero to no visibility at all as I walk to find my way out.

There are times, when my nostrils could smell something beautiful, dragging me towards the pine trees. Like a dog, I sniff the trees, wondering where such a wonderful fragrance could be coming from. Suddenly, from above, an orange fruit-like object falls to my head.

Due to curiosity, I sniff the object, realizing the scent is from it. Of course, I could not leave my curiosity unsatisfied, therefore using my Pokedex, I scanned the object. According to it, the object belongs to a species of berries called Pomeg berries.

Unaware of how it tastes like, I take a nibble on the berry. From there, an explosion of sweet flavors bursts forth inside my mouth, playing with my taste buds. It tastes like its own aroma, sweet, wonderful, it is as if you were bring hypnotized by something.

Due to my sudden likeness to the berry, my body is compelled to climb the tree in order to gather a plethora of them. Upon reaching the tip of the tree, I saw a dozen of berries, each belonging to different species. One by one, I pointed my Pokedex on them, scanning and searching for the delicious ones. This is extremely better than canned beans.

I pick at least five berries from three types, Oran, Nanab, and Pomeg berries. Of course, since putting the berries in my bag while clinging to a branch is difficult, I am left with no choice but to toss it to the ground in order for me to pick it up later.

Once done, I gently descend back to the ground, wherein the most faithful encounter happened. The pilferer looks like he has returned to gamble with Team Rocket. Thanks to the berries on the ground, he tripped and stumbled to the soil, hitting his face on the nearby boulder.

"Return Totodile, and I'll set you free!" I demand, placing my foot on his back.

"Totodile is my Pokemon." He murmurs, struggling to escape from the grasps of my foot.

"You're a thief, from which organization do you belong to? I am an agent from Team Rocket, surrender Totodile, or prepare to fight." I bargain, keeping my foot on his back.

"I work for no one, nor do I answer to anyone." He mumbles, persisting to struggle.

Having enough of his gobbledygook, I've decided to take matters into my own hands, grabbing the Pokeball from his pocket. However, he tilts his head to me, giving me a slight glance on his face, leaving me shocked.

Due to my shocked expression, I let my guard down, giving him the opportunity to run away. Strange, his eyes... they're somewhat similar to Giovanni's eyes. But why? Why would I be shocked all of a sudden? Who is he?

Accidentally letting my prey escape, I am forced to give up since the sun is about to set. I leave the berries on the floor, not having any likeness to it anymore. As I walk, the image of the young man strikes me, giving me a craving curiosity. Seeing his eyes, he reminds me of Giovanni.

"... I shall return." Giovanni's voice echoes to my mind again, recalling his words to me. With an expressionless face, I walk to the fog, not knowing where I'm heading. My mind couldn't remain focus due to his image.

From there, a spark of hope arrives after seeing a Chikorita dashing to me. Behind her, is her trainer with Professor Elm in the side. Luckily, they were able to find me in the middle of nowhere.

"Are you alright?!" With concern, Virgo halts, nearly stumbling over a rock again. She questions me, seeing my expressionless look.

"Yeah... yeah..." I murmur, snapping back to reality, forgetting the image of the man with red hair.

"You seem surprise? Is there anything wrong?" Virgo questions further.

"No... Let's just head back, I'm tired already. Sorry professor, I was not able to claim Totodile back." I murmur again, walking in a drowsy posture. Hearing my words, Elm became disappointed, left with no choice but to hope that whoever stole Totodile would raise it properly.

It has been a long day for us, thus after bidding our goodbyes to the professor, we head straight back to the helicopter which is in the far east of the town, hidden from plain sight. Walking to the vehicle, I stretch my hands to the sky giving out a deep yawn while watching the arrival of dusk.

"What the?" I query, seeing a plate of bronze suddenly turning invisible in a matter of seconds.

"Is there anything wrong?" Virgo stops playing with Chikorita's chin for a moment in her arms and looks to the sky, searching for what I've seen.

"It's been a long day, and I'm extremely tired to the point my eyes are starting to see things. Let's head back." With a drowsy voice, I immediately forget the object my eyes have seen and moved on to the vehicle.

While heading back to headquarters, I stare at the seas, thinking of the boy I saw today. One thing's for sure, this won't be the last time I'll be seeing him...