It had been more than half a day since they left Pallet Town.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled patterns of light onto the moss-covered path. The air was filled with the fresh scent of soil and vegetation, and from time to time, the crisp chirping of birds could be heard.
"So, I wonder if the Pokémon Centers in the Johto region have the same kind of Pokémon food flavors as Kanto…" Brock muttered while comparing the map, clearly already planning their logistics.
"Don't worry, Brock!" Ash patted his shoulder. "Johto is located west of Kanto, and the two regions are connected. So you don't have to worry too much about food."
"I'm more excited about Johto's Water-type Pokémon!" Misty's eyes sparkled. "I heard there are many rare species there that you don't see in Kanto!"
Ash walked at the front, with Pikachu sitting steadily on his shoulder, its little head turning left and right curiously. He was in a great mood. Every time he set out on a new journey, this feeling of excitement never got old.
"According to the map, once we pass through this forest, we should be able to see New Bark Town," Brock studied the map for a while before confidently pointing ahead.
However, this forest seemed… just a little more complicated than they had expected.
The trees all looked similar, and the crisscrossing vines and dense bushes made the path appear and disappear intermittently.
After walking for over an hour, the surrounding scenery still looked pretty much the same.
"Brock… are you sure we didn't take a wrong turn?" Misty couldn't help asking. She had already seen that oddly Snorlax-shaped rock for the third time.
Sweat began to form on Brock's forehead as he flipped the map back and forth, his brows knitting tighter. "Strange… there should be a fork in the road… did we take the wrong turn earlier?"
Well, it seemed they were lost.
Ash wasn't particularly surprised.
After all, based on his vague "memories," every time he arrived in a new region, something like this always seemed to happen. And if he remembered correctly, they were supposed to encounter something in this forest…
At that moment, a fog suddenly began to roll in through the forest, making it even harder to move forward.
But as Ash sensed the mist, it didn't feel like it was caused by natural factors.
He quietly closed his eyes and focused. The gentle yet profound Aura within him spread out like ripples, sensing the life forms around him.
Most of them were common Bug-type and Grass-type Pokémon, Caterpie, Weedle, and a few Sentret hopping around.
But when his Aura extended deeper into the forest, he caught a completely different presence.
And that presence was located where the fog was thickest.
It was… incredibly pure, incredibly clear, carrying a faint chill and a sense of distance.
Like the clearest spring water flowing through a mountain stream, or a wind blowing down from the peak of a snow-covered mountain.
This presence was calm yet powerful, entirely different from the lively vitality of the other Pokémon in the forest.
"This way." Ash opened his eyes and pointed in the direction of that presence. "I feel like… something is different over there. Maybe we can find a way out."
"Really?" Brock immediately perked up. "It could be a water source. Following water often leads to an exit!"
Misty nodded as well. "Better than wandering around aimlessly here."
So the group followed Ash, pushing aside layers of branches and foliage as they made their way deeper into the forest toward that unique presence.
The path became harder to traverse, and the light grew dimmer.
After about ten minutes, they faintly heard the sound of flowing water ahead.
Pushing aside the last cluster of dense ferns, their view suddenly opened up.
It was a clearing in the forest, with a crystal-clear stream running through the middle.
And on the opposite bank of the stream, a Pokémon was lowering its head to drink.
It had a blue, jewel-like crest on its head, with white ribbon-like tails flowing around it like the wind, giving it an elegant and graceful appearance.
Its body was patterned in blue and white, embodying the clarity of water itself. Its streamlined form was both elegant and powerful. Simply standing there, it radiated an indescribable sense of majesty and purity.
"That is…" Misty covered her mouth, afraid of disturbing it.
"Suicune!" Brock's voice trembled with disbelief and excitement. He instinctively lowered his voice. "The embodiment of the north wind, one of Ho-Oh's Legendary Pokémon. I can't believe we're actually seeing it here!"
Ash quietly gazed at Suicune across the stream, unable to suppress the stir in his heart.
This was one of the Legendary Pokémon, revered as the gentlest among them, a symbol of pure water sources.
Just as the legends described, it was beautiful and graceful.
Suicune had clearly already noticed their presence. It slowly lifted its head, its eyes like the purest sapphires, calmly looking over.
Its gaze swept past Misty and Brock, and finally settled on Ash.
The moment their eyes met, Ash distinctly felt the Aura within his body resonate ever so slightly.
A faint trace of surprise flickered in Suicune's eyes, so subtle it was almost imperceptible, before returning to its calm, unfathomable depth.
It looked deeply at Ash, as if seeing through the surface, perceiving the Aura and Viridian power flowing within him, the deep bond he shared with his Pokémon, and even… something more profound.
There was no judgment in that gaze, no hostility. It felt more like a silent acknowledgment, an unspoken exchange.
After a few seconds, Suicune gracefully turned around and, as if weightless, leapt lightly onto a rock by the stream.
It glanced back at Ash one last time, then let out a low, distant cry, like the wind echoing through a mountain cavern.
In the next moment, it pushed off with all four legs. Its form turned into a streak of blue light, disappearing into the dense forest in just a few bounds, leaving behind only a faint, lingering freshness of moisture in the air.
The entire encounter was so quiet it felt unreal, like a fleeting dream.
"It… it's gone…" Misty was still in a daze.
"It seemed like… it looked at you for a long time, Ash," Brock noted keenly.
Ash nodded, deep in thought.
"The direction it went…" Ash pointed toward where Suicune had disappeared. "Let's try going that way."
This time, they didn't need Aura guidance. The direction felt perfectly clear.
Following the path Suicune had taken, they soon found a faint trail, as if something had passed through.
After less than twenty minutes, the trees ahead began to thin, and bright light filtered through.
When they finally stepped out of the forest, a lively town appeared before them.
Most of the buildings were brightly colored, with vibrant rooftops. The streets were clean and orderly, and in the distance, they could even see a harbor with ships docked.
A refreshing sea breeze blew toward them, carrying a salty scent that instantly lifted their spirits.
"We made it out!" Misty cheered.
Brock quickly pulled out his map to confirm. "That's right! This is New Bark Town, the starting point of the Johto region, known as the town where the winds of new beginnings blow!"
"The winds of new beginnings…" Ash repeated softly, looking at the sunlit town before him, then recalling the fleeting blue figure he had just seen in the forest.
The embodiment of the north wind, Suicune, had guided them to this town of beginnings.
Was that a coincidence… or something more?
He smiled, patting Pikachu on his shoulder. "Let's go, Pikachu. Our journey through the Johto region officially starts here!"
"Pikachu!"
A new wind had begun to blow.
The Johto arc had officially begun.
....