Viridian Forest

Chapter 3: Viridian Forest

Nathan's footsteps were muffled by the soft earth as he walked, Growlithe joyfully trotting beside him. The trees arched high above, stretching out a canopy of lush green leaves. Motes of golden sunlight trickled through the branches, forming a patchwork of shadows and light on the path below.

Curious eyes followed their every move as small forest critters such as Weedle and Caterpie peeked out from their hiding spots in the thick greenery.

Nathan closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the crisp scent of nature that brought a wave of nostalgia over him. He loved coming here, especially after school when he needed to relax. It was like a second home to him.

The further they ventured into the forest, the more excited Nathan felt. He was like an explorer, stepping into unknown lands and discovering each new corner of Viridian Forest with excitement.

His gaze was drawn to a small stream ahead. He stopped to take in the beauty of the crystal clear water and the way the sunlight glinted off of its surface.

He bent down and cupped his hands in the water, feeling it cool against his skin. He wanted to stay here forever and just watch the water cascading over the rocks.

But soon, he felt Growlithe nosing at his back, and he realized he had been standing there for quite some time. He smiled, giving Growlithe a pat before standing and continuing on their way.

As they rounded the bend in the path, the tall grass parted to reveal an open field. The air was calm and still as Nathan surveyed the terrain, and it seemed as though this area was untouched by wild Pokemon. He nodded in approval. They should be safe here.

"Growlithe," Nathan called, beckoning to his Pokemon. "We only have a little more than a week to prepare for the tournament. That said, we're going to give it our all. Are you up for the challenge?"

Growlithe's tail wagged vigorously at Nathan's call and a lick on the face was given as an affirmative response.

Nathan motioned to the nearby area, which he had chosen for their training session. "Let's get started then."

For the next several hours, Nathan went over a variety of commands with Growlithe, from basic instructions like 'heel', 'sit', 'stay', and 'roll over' to more difficult orders like 'dodge', 'guard', and 'attack'.

He also had Growlithe practice his Ember, though he had to end it soon for fear of starting a forest fire.

Nathan was amazed at how quickly Growlithe picked up his training. However, he knew this wasn't enough. They had much more work to do before Growlithe would be ready for the tournament.

By midday, Nathan and Growlithe had grown much closer in understanding one another. Having had their rest and lunch, Nathan turned to the question of how to put their training to good use. He decided that now was a good time to seek out an opponent.

Nathan knelt on the dirt, unzipped his bag, and fished out a map. He spread it out on the ground. His finger traced the thin blue line of a nearby river before coming to rest south of his current location.

There were three red circles encircled by scribbles that said 'dangerous'. He took mental notes of these areas before carefully rolling up the map and placing it back into his bag.

He looked to Growlithe and gestured with a quick nod of his head to the south. "Let's go," he said, and set off in that direction.

Nathan and Growlithe had been searching for a wild Pokemon for almost an hour now in the tall grasses of the Viridian Forest. It hadn't been easy, but their search was finally rewarded when Growlithe spotted a lone Rattata sitting atop a fallen tree.

Knowing this was the ideal opportunity to test out the results of all the training they had done earlier, Nathan urged Growlithe on, "Go, Growlithe! Now's your chance!"

The Growlithe barked back with determination as it took its battle stance. The Rattata, clearly surprised, stayed rooted in place, as if he had been caught off-guard.

Growlithe wasted no time in initiating his attack. A loud growl rumbled from his throat and he lunged forward. The Rattata had no time to react before Growlithe was upon it, slamming into it with full force that sent it tumbling to the ground.

The Rattata slowly clambered to its feet, but Growlithe was already halfway to it, ready to finish the job. In a final show of speed and strength, Growlithe leaped forward and pounced on the Rattata, trapping it underneath his powerful body.

Nathan watched in amazement as Growlithe showed him what it was made of. He could feel the thrill of the battle from where he stood, and it filled him with pride.

Growlithe held the Rattata down until, at last, the small Pokemon was defeated. Growlithe barked triumphantly, showing Nathan that it had won.

Nathan couldn't help but smile. They had done it. He and Growlithe had won their first battle. He had seen the fierceness of Growlithe in action, and it had been an incredible sight.

He gave Growlithe a pat on the head and told him that he did great just now. Then, with another pat on Growlithe's head, he said, "Let's go find your next opponent!"

Growlithe barked excitedly, ready for the next challenge. Nathan smiled too, feeling excited himself.

The two of them trekked through the forest, searching for their next target. Suddenly, a Pidgey came into view, flying low and hovering above the ground. Growlithe's ears perked up and its eyes glinted with battle fervor as it rushed toward his target.

The small bird put up a decent fight, but it couldn't survive for long against Growlithe. Nathan was pleased with the outcome. Growlithe had grown so much in just a short time.

By the time the night set in, they had defeated several more Pokemon. Seeing that it was getting dark, they decided to call it a day. They scouted around for a suitable camping spot and settled on a small clearing surrounded by trees.

Growlithe scavenged for sticks and twigs, then stacked them in a pile. At Nathan's signal, the puppy shot a small jet of flame, which lit the kindling on fire. As the flames crackled, Nathan set to work.

He produced an iron pot from his satchel, and with a sharp knife, he diced the carrots and potatoes, before throwing them into the pot along with chunks of beef. As the smell of stew filled the air, Nathan stirred the contents one last time before declaring it ready to eat.

After dinner, Nathan retired to his tent with Growlithe by his side. As they settled down for the night, he noticed that Growlithe had risen to level 8 and learned a new move - Bite.

A smile spread across Nathan's face as he reached out and patted Growlithe's soft fur, praising him for his efforts. As the night unfolded, they both drifted off into sleep, accompanied by the sound of chirping crickets.

Nathan was woken the next morning by the wet feeling on his face. When he opened his eyes, Growlithe was there, eagerly awaiting his owner with a wide open mouth and his tongue sticking out.

"Alright, I'm up," Nathan laughed, and with a gentle shove, he pushed Growlithe off him.

They had a quick breakfast of granola bars and beef jerky, and after packing away their gear, they were ready to go. Their plan was the same as the day before—training, searching, and exploring—but this time, Nathan had a specific destination in mind.

Word had spread among the local trainers about a lake not far from Viridian City, claiming that people had found some Evolution Stones there. Nathan didn't know if the rumor was true or not, but he was determined to give it a shot.

Growlithe trotted beside him as they made their way through the woods and encountered multiple Pokemon. While they had some fights with a few of them, they didn't push as hard as they did yesterday.

Halfway through their journey, Nathan and Growlithe saw a black cloud blocking the path. As they got closer, they realized the cloud was made up of hundreds of Beedrill, their large wings fanning the air with a buzzing sound.

The yellowish Pokemon, resembling wasps with two scary-looking stingers, were collecting honey from the flowers that bordered the path.

Nathan made the wise decision to wait behind cover until the Beedrill moved on, as their stingers could prove dangerous. Minutes later, the Beedrill flew away and Nathan and Growlithe continued on their way.

When they finally arrived, Nathan and Growlithe stood on the edge of the lake, captivated by its beauty. The water was so still and clear, the sun's rays glinting off its surface, and it seemed to stretch on into eternity.

Nathan took a moment to appreciate the view. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, Growlithe following closely behind. Together, they began to walk around the lake's perimeter, searching for any signs of the Evolution Stones.

As they walked, Nathan kept an eye out for anything unusual or out of the ordinary. After all, the Evolution Stones were said to contain the power of the element. It was unlikely that he would find them just lying around out in the open. Still, he kept his hope alive, and continued to search diligently.

On the other side of the lake, Nathan spotted a group of Pokemon, some of which were familiar to him—Marill and Poliwag, to name a few.

The Pokemon noticed the newcomers, their heads whipping up in surprise, but when Nathan and his Growlithe did not cause any trouble, the Pokemon relaxed and went back to their leisurely activities.

Growlithe suddenly barked in excitement and started pawing at the ground ahead. Nathan hurried to him, curious to see what his companion had found.

"What do you have there, boy?" he asked, crouching beside his Pokemon.

Growlithe proudly presented something in his mouth. Nathan opened his hand and Growlithe dropped a light green stone into it. It was oval-shaped, and had a leaf engraved on it. It was a Leaf Stone.

His eyes widened. He hadn't expected the rumor to be true.

"Good job, boy," Nathan praised, rubbing Growlithe's head. As his eyes swept the area, he had a feeling there were more Evolution Stones out there. A sense of anticipation rushed through his body as he resumed his search.

Nathan and Growlithe had been at the lake all morning, scouring the shoreline. The sun had risen to its peak in the sky and they had found themselves rewarded with five Evolution Stones: two Leaf Stones, their natural green hue glinting in the sunlight, two Water Stones, shimmering faintly blue, and one Fire Stone, glowing a fiery red.

"That amounts to around 35,000?" Nathan thought out loud, astounded at the figure. He realized why so many people set out to become trainers. In just one day of exploration, they could make three times the average salary of a regular person.

"Today's looking to be a good one, eh Growlithe?" Nathan spoke to his partner, who let out a happy yip in response.

His gaze wandered to the lake across him. Looking at the still surface of the water, Nathan was unable to resist the call and decided to take a dip. He found a spot under a big oak tree to set up camp and pulled his shirt off before telling Growlithe to keep watch.

Nathan plunged into the lake and felt the cool liquid rush around him. He opened his eyes and watched in amazement as a school of Magikarp and Goldeen moved past him.

He watched them curiously and marveled at the beauty of the lake as the sun's rays glinted off the scales of the fish. That's when something far off at the other side of the lake caught his attention.

He rose to the surface to catch a breath, before plunging back into the cool depths. Kicking his legs to propel himself downward, he cast his eyes around for what he had seen earlier.

He finally spotted it; a cave, the entrance jutting out of the ground. He swam closer, inspecting the entrance as he went, the light from the lake illuminating the interior. It appeared to be large enough to fit five people.

Seeing no signs of danger, he decided to take a look inside.

The water level had dropped as he went further in, and Nathan shivered at the chill in the air. The walls of the cave sparkled in the dim light, as if they were encrusted with gemstones.

At the end of the cave, Nathan saw a rock platform and his curiosity spiked when he noticed something resting on top of it. He approached and, as he got closer, the object became clear. It was an egg.

He observed the egg and what he found left him trembling:

Pokemon: Victini

Level: 0

Type: Psychic/Fire

Condition: Petrified (The egg has been encased in a hard shell of stone. Yet, there is still a flicker of life present inside it. There may be hope yet that it can be hatched, but you'll need to locate a source of energy to bring it to life).

Potential: Level 100

Nathan couldn't believe his eyes. He knew the legends of Victini, the fabled Pokemon that brings victory, and now he was staring at its egg!

He examined the cave, finding no evidence that anyone else had been there in some time. He wondered what had become of the egg's parents, and whether their absence was due to natural causes or something more sinister.

Without a shred of hesitation, Nathan made the decision to take the egg away. After all, it was a legendary Pokemon egg. There was a chance he might be able to hatch it one day.