Chapter 3: Viridian Forest
After recalling his Weedle, Kenji opened the envelope from Auntie May.
Inside was a thick stack of bills totaling 20,000 Pokédollars.
That was no small sum.
Kenji clenched the money in his hand, making a silent vow to himself that he would repay their kindness one day.
He left his apartment and went to a nearby shop that specialized in Pokémon supplements, where he bought a supply of Mid-Grade Bug-Type Pokéblocks.
When he got back home, Kenji stared at the small bag of Pokéblocks in his hand with a pained expression. Just this little bit had cost him a staggering 6,000 Pokédollars.
That was more than two months' wages from his part-time job. Raising a Pokémon was definitely not a hobby for the faint of heart or light of wallet.
"Come on out, Weedle."
Kenji released his Pokémon from its ball.
"Sss-sss—"
Weedle tilted its head back, its little black eyes lighting up as it stared at the bag of Pokéblocks in Kenji's hand.
"You little glutton," Kenji chuckled. He knelt on the floor, took a single block from the paper bag, and held it out in his palm.
"Sss-sss~" Weedle chirped happily, wiggling its plump body over to Kenji and beginning to nibble at the block in his hand.
Kenji placed the rest of the Pokéblocks on the floor for Weedle to eat at its own pace. Then, with a thought, he accessed his system's inventory and withdrew the 'Last Whisper'. The item materialized in his hand as a swirling orb of white light.
Last Whisper
Base Stats: +30 Physical Attack
Unique Passive: The holder's physical moves ignore 35% of the target's physical defense.
This item was a perfect fit for a future Beedrill.
Without a shred of hesitation, Kenji pressed the orb of light into Weedle's body. It dissolved into him without a trace. Weedle was still happily munching away on its food, seemingly unaware that anything had just happened.
When it finished the last crumb, Weedle let out a satisfied burp, its face showing a very human-like expression of pure bliss as it lay lazily on the floor.
Kenji squatted down and gently stroked the small horn on Weedle's head. "Alright, buddy," he said softly. "Starting tomorrow, we begin our training. We're going to get strong, you hear me?"
"Sss-sss~" Weedle wriggled in response.
Kenji smiled. He decided to let his new partner stay out of the Poké Ball for a while.
The next day, Kenji stumbled out of his bedroom with a yawn. Curled up in a little ball on the sofa, Weedle was still sound asleep.
He didn't wake it, instead heading to the bathroom to wash up before grabbing a pre-packaged roll from a box for a quick breakfast. By the time Kenji had finished eating, the noise had woken Weedle up.
"Sss-sss~"
As soon as Kenji sat down on the sofa, Weedle crawled over like an affectionate pet and began rubbing the horn on its head against the back of Kenji's hand.
Kenji placed a Mid-Grade Pokéblock in front of it. Weedle immediately lost all interest in him and buried its face in its breakfast.
Once it was done eating, Kenji recalled it to its Poké Ball and headed out the door.
His destination: Viridian Forest.
Located on the outskirts of Edgecliff City, Viridian Forest was a massive woodland area. As its name suggested, it was primarily inhabited by Bug-type Pokémon like Caterpie and Weedle.
Kenji's objective was simple: catch six more Weedles and get some battle experience for his own. His current partner was a 2-Star. With six more, he could fuse them all into a 3-Star Weedle.
He arrived at the ticket booth at the forest entrance. A friendly-looking attendant in a cap bearing the Viridian Forest logo greeted him with a professional smile.
"Hi there, young man. Are you a licensed Trainer?" she asked.
Kenji shook his head. "No, I'm not."
"And are you carrying a Pokémon with you?"
"Yes."
"Okay. For non-licensed individuals, the entry fee is 1,000 Pokédollars. Please be aware that carrying empty Poké Balls and attempting to capture wild Pokémon is strictly prohibited."
After registering his Weedle with the front desk, Kenji took out the 1,000 Pokédollars he had prepared and handed it to the attendant. She took the money and, a moment later, handed him a matching cap and a single Poké Ball marked with the forest's logo.
"This contains a Butterfree," she explained. "If you are attacked by a wild Pokémon and find yourself in trouble, throw this ball immediately for assistance."
Kenji nodded, put the emergency ball away, and walked through a security gate, finally entering Viridian Forest. The gate was designed to detect any unauthorized empty Poké Balls.
He stayed within the forest's outer perimeter, noticing that the few other people he saw were all hurrying towards the deeper sections of the woods. Kenji had no intention of following them. His Weedle was only level 2, whereas the Pokémon in the deeper parts of the forest were typically level 10 or higher. Going there would be asking for a beating.
It wasn't long before he encountered his first wild Pokémon.
Caterpie
Level: 3
Ability: Shield Dust
Potential: F-
To Kenji's surprise, as soon as he looked at the wild Caterpie, a panel of information appeared over its head, displaying its name, level, ability, and potential. It seemed his fully awakened system came with a built-in scanner for wild Pokémon. That was an incredibly useful feature.
The Caterpie hadn't noticed him yet and was leisurely munching on a leaf.
Kenji's hand went to his belt, pulling Weedle's Poké Ball from its slot.
"I choose you, Weedle!" he shouted, feeling the familiar thrill of the phrase. The ball expanded in his hand and shot out a beam of red light.
Weedle appeared on the ground with a cry.
"Ssss!—"
It locked its eyes on the Caterpie, its body tense with fighting spirit.
The Caterpie's big, doe-like eyes widened. Seeing Weedle's aggressive stance, it immediately turned to flee.
But Kenji wasn't about to let his first real test get away so easily.
"Weedle, use Poison Sting!"
"Sss!"
With a sharp cry, a purple venom coated the horn on Weedle's head. It coiled its body and shot forward like an arrow.
Seeing the attack coming, the Caterpie abruptly stopped running and turned to face the threat.
"Weedle, watch out! It's going to use String Shot!" Kenji yelled.
Before the words had even left his mouth, a thick white thread shot from the Caterpie's mouth, aimed straight at Weedle. But with Kenji's warning, Weedle was prepared. It twisted its body, easily dodging the sticky strand, and closed the distance in an instant.
"Sss!"
Weedle ducked its head, putting all its strength into a powerful jab with its horn.
"Kii!—"
The Caterpie let out a pained squeal as the attack connected, sending its plump green body flying through the air before it crashed heavily onto the ground.
"Sss-sss!—" Weedle chirped in excitement.
Kenji was stunned by his Pokémon's attack power. So this was the effect of Huge Power! A single Poison Sting, a move with only 35 base power, had nearly knocked the Caterpie out in one hit.