Kakuna Matata

Viridian Forest, the only forest in all of Kanto's mainland. It was hard to see the sky through the dense treetops, and just like on route 22, we were having trouble finding pokemon. "See anything Thrash?" I called up to my Mankey who was up on a high tree branch.

"No." He said. "Not a single Pikachu, or Caterpie, not even a Weedle, is in sight from up here."

"Nothing over here." Fireball, my Charmander said, crawling out from under some shrubs.

"It's hopeless." I sulked down and sat underneath a big and shady tree. I looked in my bag to see what we had so far. Preparation is the most important part of wilderness survival. I had around 5 potions, 4 Antidotes, 5 Paralyz Heals, and 4 poke balls. Poke balls that were no good because there wasn't a single pokemon in sight.

"Boss, maybe we should just keep going." Thrash said jumping from his branch, practicing a tuck and role. Funny, ever since I caught him, he has acted almost the exact opposite of a stereotypical Mankey. He also was always training, but I guess that's just the way he is.

"I don't want to go on just yet." I said. "I know there is a pokemon here somewhere."

"Well I hope it isn't too scary." Fireball said nervously. Thrash and I both looked at him like he's a little toddler, which, technically, he was.

"Moving on," Thrash continued. "It isn't as if a pokemon is just going to fall into your hands."

"I know that!" I said gesturing and as if on cue a Kakuna fell right into my arms. I gave Thrash a look with a huge grin on my face.

"I don't know how to respond to that…" Thrash said backing away. I smiled as I took out a poke ball and touched it to the Kakuna. "Shouldn't you weaken it first?" Thrash asked as the ball started to wiggle.

"I know about Kakunas." I said. "They can't move until they evolve into Beedrill so this guy is lucky to have survived that fall, and lucky to have found us so he can escape the predators in the forest. He probably wants me to catch him." And with that the familiar clicking of the poke ball and the glowing of the pokedex came just as they had when I caught Thrash. "And on that note, I'll name him Lucky." I tossed the poke ball in the air. "Come on out to meet the team Lucky!"

Once Lucky was properly introduced to everyone it was a little too dark to keep going so I set up camp and the four of us sat around our campfire. "So do you know what it's like up ahead in the forest?" I asked Lucky.

"No." He replied. "I was never allowed to go there when I was a Weedle. It was apparently too mazelike."

"What would you say your greatest strength is?" Fireball asked, clearly wondering what a cacoon could do that's useful.

"I don't have any strengths." Lucky said. I knew this was from his Modest nature the pokedex said he had.

"Lucky is a very modest Kakuna, Fireball." I whispered. "He doesn't normally boast about anything." Then Thrash asked a question that frankly, I should have asked Fireball and Him when I got them. "Do you have what it takes to go forward in this region?" He asked quite seriously, folding his arms and giving a glare.

"Kakuna Matata, man." Lucky said. "I should be able to stay alive for a while."

"Kakuna Matata?" Thrash asked, skeptically raising an eyebrow.

"Kakuna Matata!" Lucky repeated. "What a wonderful phrase."

"Kakuna Matata?" Fireball asked.

"Ain't no passing craze." Lucky replied. "It means no worries, for the rest of your days! It's my problem free philosophy. Kakuna Matata."

"Kakuna Matata?" I asked.

"Yeah, It's my motto!" Lucky said cheerfully.

"What's a motto?" Fireball asked confused.

"Nothing!" Lucky said. "What's a motto with you! Haha! But seriously, Kakuna Matata is my way of life. Don't let the world control you, take whatever it throws your way at full swing! Why, just take me for example! When I was a young Weedle…"

"When you were a young Weedle…" Thrash said impatiently gesturing for Lucky to get on with the story.

"I found my looks lacked a certain appeal, I could clear my hive out. Oh how it was an ordeal. I was a sensitive soul, but I'm better today, and it hurt, that my friends never looked my way, and oh the shame. I was ashamed. Thought of changing my name. What's in a name? And I got down hearted, that's how I felt, every time that I-" He suddenly stopped looking at Fireball. "Whoops, not in front of the kid." We all stared silently for a while before Thrash started back up.

"Kakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase!"

"Kakuna Matata!" I joined in. "Ain't no passing craze!" Fireball got up and started to sing too.

"It means no worries, for the rest of your days." He sang perfectly.

"Yeah sing it kid!" Lucky said. We all joined in now. "It's our problem free, philosophy, Kakuna Matata! Kakuna Matata, Kakuuuuuunaaa, Kakuna Matata, Kakuna Matata, Kakuna Matata!" We kept on singing as we walked deeper into the Viridian Forest, about to encounter plenty of challenges blocking our only path to Pewter City.