Chapter 12: Into Viridian Forest and the Battle for Scyther!

Ace stood in front of the video screen at the Pokémon Center, his face glowing with pride as he told Professor Cerise about his latest victory. He grinned as he held up his Boulder Badge, the metallic surface gleaming under the fluorescent lights.

"I won my second badge, Professor!" Ace exclaimed, unable to hold back his excitement.

Professor Cerise smiled warmly. "That's excellent, Ace. I had no doubt you'd come out on top. Talia and Chloe were cheering for you the whole way."

The screen split into three, showing Talia and Chloe's happy faces as they chatted from home/school through their mobile phones.

"You're really making progress, Ace!" Chloe said enthusiastically, her Yamper barking beside her.

Talia nodded with a bright grin. "Two badges already? You're on fire! Where are you headed next?"

Ace scratched the back of his head with a thoughtful look. "I've been thinking… I want to explore Viridian Forest next. I'll look for a strong Bug-type Pokémon. After that, I'll swing by Diglett Cave and then back to Vermillion City for my third gym battle."

Professor Cerise raised an eyebrow with interest. "You seem to have a plan all mapped out. I'm glad to see you're strategizing. Actually, I have a favor to ask you, Ace."

Ace perked up, intrigued. "What is it, Professor?"

"There's a town not far from Viridian City called Pallet Town," Cerise explained. "My mentor, Professor Oak, lives there. He has a confidential package for me, and I'd like you to retrieve it."

Ace's eyes widened. 'Professor Oak?! The legendary Professor Oak! The former Champion of Kanto! The (Are you a boy or girl joke meme) Professor Oak!' His heart raced at the thought of meeting such a renowned figure. "You can count on me, Professor Cerise! I'll head there after exploring Viridian Forest."

Cerise smiled approvingly. "Thank you, Ace. You'll like Professor Oak—he's full of wisdom, especially when it comes to raising Pokémon. You might learn a thing or two."

'I can't wait!' Ace thought excitedly. "I'll contact you as soon as I have the package, Professor."

After ending the call, Ace grabbed his Poké Balls from Nurse Joy, slung his bag over his shoulder, and exited the Pokémon Center. He pulled his bike out from its stand, hopped on, and pedaled out of Pewter City with a fresh determination.

The journey to Viridian Forest was eventful. Ace encountered several trainers along the way, and his Pokémon eagerly participated in battles.

"Nidoran, use Thrash!" Ace commanded during one heated battle.

Nidoran roared fiercely, charging toward a trainer's Ekans. Its sheer energy was reminiscent of a certain Saiyan warrior Ace once admired. Nidoran smashed into Ekans, sending it skidding backward and knocking it out cold.

The trainer groaned in disbelief. "Man, your Nidoran's a monster! How did you get it to fight so fiercely?"

Ace chuckled, patting Nidoran on the head as it stood proudly. "It's all about understanding your Pokémon and letting them fight their own way." He gave Nidoran a fist bump before recalling it. 'This little guy really does remind me of Goku… battle-hungry and full of energy.'

Meanwhile, Clefairy stayed on the sidelines, focusing on her training. Ace had her practice Charge Beam and Water Pulse with Elekid and Starmie's help.

"You're doing great, Clefairy!" Ace encouraged as her Charge Beam sparkled to life. "Keep it up, and soon you'll be unstoppable."

Smeargle, on the other hand, practiced using Amnesia—a move it had copied from Nidoran. Ace had big plans for Smeargle, particularly a powerful combo with Stored Power. He thought back to the math: '36 stat boosts times 20 power… plus 20… That's 740 power! One hit from that and it's game over! Just need Smeargle to copy the right moves and also teach all my Pokemon baton pass!' The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

'We're going to break the system one day,' Ace thought with a smirk.

The sun dipped behind the treetops as Ace entered the sprawling Viridian Forest. The air felt cooler here, filled with the sounds of rustling leaves and Bug-type Pokémon chirping in the distance. He slowed his bike, carefully scanning his surroundings.

"Come on… where are you, Scyther? Or maybe a Pinsir…" Ace muttered as he pedaled deeper into the forest.

After hours of searching, the sky darkened. "Guess it's time to camp," Ace said aloud. He set up his tent in a small clearing, released his Pokémon, and started a fire.

"Alright, guys, let's eat!" He handed out food to each of them. Elekid zapped his berries playfully, while Nidoran gulped his meal down with enthusiasm. Starmie hovered quietly beside the fire, its gem glowing faintly.

After dinner, Ace had his Pokémon train lightly. Nidoran practiced Thrash to learn to quickly get out of its confused state, Clefairy worked on her moves, and Smeargle kept honing its new strategies. Starmie was learning to use psychic while elekid had almost at a breakthrough to learn thunderbolt. Mankey had just received guidance from Ace to learn iron tail so it was training it's tail.

"Good work, everyone. Get some rest; we've got a big day tomorrow," Ace said as he recalled them. He lay down in his sleeping bag, staring up at the stars through the tent flap.

'I can't wait to find Scyther. It's one of the coolest Bug-types out there… fast, strong, and so agile. It'll be a great addition to the team.'

The morning sun broke through the canopy, and Ace packed up camp quickly. After breakfast, he hopped back on his bike and continued deeper into the forest. Along the way, he battled more trainers, including one with a familiar Metapod.

Ace smiled as he watched the trainer's Metapod use Harden repeatedly. 'Ah… nostalgia. This guy reminds me of Ash's first battles.'

"Have you seen any Scyther or Pinsir around here?" Ace asked after winning.

The trainer nodded. "A strong Scyther lives deeper in the forest. Be careful, though—it doesn't go easy on challengers."

Ace grinned. "Perfect. Thanks!"

Pedaling further, Ace finally spotted a green blur slicing through a tree trunk with ease. His eyes widened. "There you are… Scyther."

The Scyther turned sharply, its blades gleaming in the sunlight. It rubbed its scythes together, producing a sharp sching sound. Its glare was fierce, a clear challenge.

Ace smirked, pulling out a Poké Ball. "Alright, I'll accept your challenge. Let's do this!"

"Go, Nidoran!" Ace released the battle-hungry Nidoran, who immediately growled and scraped the ground. Its fierce glare mirrored Scyther's intensity.

Scyther darted forward in a blur. "That's Quick Attack! Nidoran, use Disable!" Ace commanded.

Nidoran's eyes glowed as a faint energy surrounded Scyther, halting its speed-based move. Scyther growled in frustration but didn't stop, its wings glowing as it launched a Wing Attack.

"Stop it with Confusion!" Ace ordered.

Nidoran's psychic energy slowed Scyther mid-charge, earning a brief reprieve. "Now, hit it with Toxic!"

Purple mist sprayed from Nidoran, and Scyther grimaced as the poison took hold.

"Venom Drench!" Ace followed up.

Green liquid splashed over Scyther, lowering its stats dramatically. It still fought back with Fury Cutter, swiping Nidoran hard.

"Nidoran, hang in there! Use Thrash!" Ace shouted.

Nidoran roared, charging Scyther in a full-on assault. The battle turned into an all-out brawl—fierce, fast, and unrelenting. Scyther's health steadily dropped as poison sapped its strength.

Finally, Ace commanded, "Finish it with Poison Tail while spinning!"

Despite its confusion, Nidoran spun wildly, tail glowing purple. The attack struck Scyther hard, sending it flying backward. It tried to stand but collapsed as the poison took its toll.

Ace didn't waste a second. "Poké Ball, go!" He threw the ball, watching anxiously as it shook… once… twice… three times.

Click!

"Yes!" Ace cheered. "We did it, Nidoran!"

Nidoran gave a victorious growl, looking exhausted but satisfied. Ace approached the Poké Ball, holding it up with a smile.

"Welcome to the team, Scyther." Ace scanned Scyther with his Pokédex.

[Name: Scyther

Description: With ninja-like agility and speed, it can create the illusion that there is more than one.

Gender: Male

Type: Bug/Flying

Ability: Technician

Moves: Agility, Quick Attack, Fury Cutter, Slash, X-Scissor, Wing Attack, Double Team, swords dance.]

Ace's eyes sparkled. "Technician? That's an amazing ability!"

He switched out Mankey, who would train at Professor Cerise's lab to finish learning iron tail until Ace switches again, and put Scyther's Poké Ball securely in his belt.

Hopping back on his bike, Ace grinned as he pedaled toward Viridian City. "Next stop, Pallet Town!"

(Pls give me some power stones!)

(Find out next time on Pokemon:Ace's Adventures!)