Chapter 8: Viridian Forest

Route 2 Entrance To Viridian Forest (12:30 PM)

"...Well, here we are - the Viridian Forest." said Lincoln as everyone stared ahead at the large forest in front of them. "So are you ready to head inside?"

"No." replied Misty flatly. "...We're still going in there anyway, aren't we?"

"Yep. We spent three hours getting here and there's no way we're going to turn back now." Dan said.

"...Yeah, I thought you'd say that." muttered Misty with a disappointed sigh before taking a breath in order to compose herself. "Okay, Misty...you can do this. Just head on in and try to get through that...dark...creepy...bug-filled...dang it, I can't do it!"

Glaring at the redhead in annoyance, Dan snaps "What's your problem now?"

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I just...I just can't bring myself to go into a place filled with disgusting...filthy...bugs!" replied Misty before giving the Brawlers a pleading look. "Please, can't we just take the long way to Pewter City?"

"Oh sure, we'll just go ahead and do that. It's not like Lincoln hasn't been looking forward to challenging the Gym Leader there all morning or anything." Leonidas snarked.

"...You know, you could've just said 'no' instead of being a sarcastic jerk."

"Hey, you're the one trying to divert us away from where we need to be going!" replied Runo irritably as she took her map out of her bag and showed it to her. "Besides, we have to go through the forest to get to Pewter City anyway."

"Indeed, there aren't any other routes that'll take us there." Tigrerra stated.

"What do you mean by that? Of course there are other ways for us to get there without going through that bug-filled trap!" countered Misty.

"And what would those be, if I might ask?" asked Drago unconvinced.

Pointing at a large ocean route south of Kanto's location on the map, Misty answers "This route takes us through the ocean to the port at Vermillion City. We can go there."

"And how am I supposed to reach a place like that without a way of crossing the ocean safely? Are you going to lend us one of your Water-Type Pokemon for something like that?" Lincoln asked.

With an indignant glare, Misty snapped "Of course not!"

"Then that idea is out of the question. Do you have anything else?" retorted Lincoln as Runo put the map away.

"Of course! There's..." started Misty before her eyes widened slightly in realization. "...Flip. There isn't another way, is there?"

"Glad to see that you understand now - there's only one way we can go in order to reach Pewter City..."

With her argument rendered completely useless, Misty sighs in resignation and mutters "...And that's through the Viridian Forest. Dang it."

"Look, think of it this way." Marucho chimed in. "The sooner we go inside, the sooner we can get through it and on to Pewter City."

"...I guess you're right. I'm still not happy about having to go in there, though."

"If it makes you feel any better, we will be going through the forest with you, too." replied Lincoln helpfully. "So even if we do end up encountering some Bug-Type Pokemon, you won't be the only one dealing with them."

"Easy for you to say...you'd probably end up wanting to catch some of those disgusting things..." grumbled Misty under her breath.

"...Yeah, I probably would." admitted Lincoln with a shrug before he and the Brawlers walked towards the forest's entrance. "Now come on, we need to get going if we're going to reach Pewter City before it gets dark."

After struggling to suppress a shudder at the idea of entering the forest, Misty sighs and mutters something under her breath before following the Brawlers through the entrance.

As they entered the Viridian Forest, they were completely unaware of the fact that they were being watched…

Meanwhile, in a Hot-Air Balloon in the skies above Route 2

"Looks like our target and his friends are going into the Viridian Forest." commented Jessie as she watched the Brawlers enter the Viridian Forest through the binoculars she was holding.

"I still can't believe that the boss wants us to keep an eye on that white-haired brat." grumbled James as he did the same with his own pair of binoculars.

Removing her sight from the unaware trio long enough in order to chastise her partner, Jessie replied "Quit whining, James. The boss gave us an order and as members of Team Rocket, it's our duty to see it through to the end."

"Yeah, but still...I really think that we could use our talents for something more important than following some brat around."

"Aw, shut up and just do what da boss told us to do, will ya? We're already in enough hot water with him as it is with the failed raid." gripped Meowth, glaring at James in annoyance. "Don't forget that this is our last chance to show that we can do our jobs."

"Meowth's right, James - quit complaining and get back to watching the target." added Jessie in a scolding tone. "We can't afford to screw up now."

"Besides, I think I know why you ain't happy about having' to do dis, Jim - yer still mad that you lost a battle to a complete newbie, aintcha?" asked Meowth tauntingly before cackling loudly.

"Shut up, Meowth - that brat's victory was a fluke!" snapped James as he glared at the Scratch Cat Pokemon. "If it wasn't for the fact that his Fearow knew a move that could get past my Smokescreen strategy, I would have beaten him into the dirt!"

This did nothing to quell Meowth's cackling - if anything, it only made it louder.

Glowering, James mutters "...At least unlike a certain someone I know, my battle didn't end after a single hit.", causing the Scratch Cat Pokemon to stop laughing before glaring at the lavender-haired man as he bared his claws threateningly.

"Ya wanna say dat again?"

Irritated with her cohorts' antics, Jessie snaps "Will you two idiots shut up and get back to focusing on our assignment? We need to land the balloon so we can follow after our target!"

Giving Jessie a questioning glance, James asks "Wait, we're actually going to follow after him on foot? Why can't we just stay in the balloon and watch him from up here?"

"Because the boss also wanted us to battle the twerp every now and then as well, James." answered Jessie before her eyes narrowed. "Besides, I've been wanting to get a little payback on his little girlfriend...call me 'grandma', will she? I'll make sure to crush her this time."

With a glance towards the redheaded woman, Meowth asked "So that's why yer wantin' us ta go down dere? Ta get revenge on 'em for messin' wit' our raid?"

"Exactly, Meowth - we may have to keep an eye on the brat due to our assignment, but that doesn't mean we can't satisfy our vendetta against him on the side." replied Jessie with a nod. "After all, it's their fault we're assigned to this task in the first place."

"Well since you put it that way, Jessie...count me in." answered James as an evil smile formed on his face. "That white-haired brat is going to pay dearly for humiliating me..."

"Ya know...now that I think 'about it, you two ain't the only ones with a score to settle - I deserve a chance to get some payback on that Pikachu, too!" added Meowth with a scowl as he recalled his earlier loss to the Electric-Type.

Nodding in approval at her teammates' enthusiasm, Jessie asks "So we're all in agreement then? We go down there, beat down the twerps, steal their Pokemon as payback, then go back to monitoring our target. All in favor?"

"Aye!" chimed both Meowth and James in unison.

"Alright, that's what we're going to do then. You two, start looking for a place for us to land the balloon." replied Jessie before re-raising the binoculars to her eyes. "I'll be over here, keeping an eye on the brats."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"It's already 2 PM and still no exit in sight - I'm actually starting to agree with you on wanting to get out of here, Misty." commented Lincoln as he wiped some sweat away from his brow. "Not only that, but I'm starting to get tired from all this walking we're doing today."

"Well, you better get used to it, squirt - if you're going to be a Pokemon Trainer, you'll need to get used to walking around a lot." replied Misty, giving him a glance. "You know, we can stop and rest for a little bit if you want."

Eyebrow raised, Lincoln asks "Really? I thought you wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible."

"Believe me, I still do. However, I don't see any harm in taking a small break." answered Misty before she pointed at a nearby clearing with a large log in it. "We'll go over there and rest for a bit in that clearing before we get going again. Sounds good?"

"That'll do." responded Lincoln before he walked over to the log and sat down on it. "Oh man, I needed this rest. Thanks for the suggestion, Misty."

Sitting down beside him with a smile, Misty replied "Don't mention it, squirt - after all, I was the same way when I started my career as a Trainer." before noticing that something seemed...off about the clearing they were sitting in. "Hey, y'know...something doesn't seem right about this place."

With an odd look on his face, Dan asks "What do you mean?"

"Well, there's plenty of Pokemon wandering about in the forest, yet there's no sign of anything here at all except for us. Doesn't that seem kind of strange to you?"

"Now that you mention it, you're right. Where is everyone?" mused Lincoln before noticing something within a tree nearby. Pointing at it, he asks "Wait...what's that?"

Glancing at where he was pointing, everyone noticed what appeared to be a much larger Pidgey with a long pinkish-red crest of feathers on its head perching on a large branch...and by the way it was glaring at them, it didn't look like it was friendly.

"Is that a Pidgeotto? Never thought I'd see something like that around here..." commented Pikachu as he stared at it curiously. "What's got it angry at us, though?"

"Pidgeotto, huh? Sounds like that must be Pidgey's evolved form...let's see what the Pokedex has to say about it." mused Lincoln as he took out his Pokedex and pointed it at the Flying-Type Pokemon.

"Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokemon, a Normal and Flying Type, and the evolved form of Pidgey. Pidgeotto are very territorial, and will claim a large area as its own. It doesn't hesitate to punish any intruders with its sharp claws."

Eyeing the glaring Flying-Type warily, Misty asked "Is that why she's glaring at us like that? Because we're intruding on what she believes to be her territory?"

"Looks like it." answered Lincoln.

"Maybe if we just leave without causing any trouble, she'll leave us be." Preyas said as Lincoln started to get to his feet slowly in order to avoid provoking Pidgeotto's temper.

Unfortunately for him, the Bird Pokemon wasn't going to have any of it.

"And just where do you think you're going? You think you can just step into my territory like you own the place and sit on my log? I don't think so!" snapped Pidgeotto before flying down to the ground in front of Lincoln, as if blocking his way.

With a placating gesture, Lincoln replies "Look, we don't want any trouble. If you don't want us here, we'll leave and..."

"Oh no, you don't! The only way you're leaving here is after I kick your butt or over my dead body!"

"So what you're saying is that you're not letting us leave without a fight?" asked Pikachu, getting a nod from the Flying-Type in response.

"That's right - if you want out of here, you're going to have to beat me first!" replied Pidgeotto before preening slightly with pride. "Of course, considering the fact that I've gone undefeated in battle during my time living in this forest, neither you nor your Trainer stand a chance of winning against me."

'Great. Not only is she incredibly temperamental, but she's got an ego to match on top of that. She's essentially a bird version of Lynn.' thought Lincoln with an irritated look on his face. "Alright, let's just get this over with...first Fearow and now this - I can't believe that I have to go through this crap again."

In an instant, Pidgeotto's prideful expression quickly changed to one of interest as she asked "Did you just say that you battled against a Fearow?"

Taking Fearow's Pokeball off of his belt and showing it to her, Lincoln answers "I did and before you ask - yes, I did manage to capture it. Why are you asking?"

"Send it out - I want to fight it." replied Pidgeotto with a competitive gleam in her eyes. "I pride myself on my abilities in aerial combat, so I'm always looking for new opponents that can provide asses for me to kick. And your Fearow going to be the next one added to my undefeated streak."

"And if I say no?"

"Then I'll just decide to beat you up instead. So what's it going to be?"

"...Fine, I'll send her out so you can fight her." grumbled Lincoln as he activated Fearow's Pokeball and threw it. "I honestly hope that she kicks your feathered butt."

Upon taking form in front of her Trainer a few seconds later, Fearow glances at Pidgeotto for a moment before facing Lincoln and asking "I heard everything from within my Pokeball. I'm assuming that you want me to deal with this loudmouth for you?"

"If you wouldn't mind. She won't let us leave and seems insistent on fighting you."

"Very well." replied Fearow before returning her attention back to Pidgeotto. "After what I've just heard coming from that foul mouth of yours, I'm going to enjoy sending you crashing down in the dirt where you belong."

"Ha! As if! The only one that's gonna be eating dirt is you!"

"Fearow, let's put this birdbrain down quickly so we can get out of here - Fury Attack!" ordered Lincoln, prompting Fearow to nod in acknowledgement before trying to jab Pidgeotto's body with her beak, only for the Bird Pokemon to quickly easily bank around the attack, as if casually dodging it.

"Too slow, longneck. Care to try again?" asked Pidgeotto mockingly, causing Fearow's eyes to narrow in response before she started trying to skewer Pidgeotto with continual Fury Attacks.

"Fearow, you need to calm down! Don't let her get to you!" said Lincoln, only to go unheard as his Flying-Type continued to try and attack Pidgeotto, only for each and every single attack to miss.

"And your Trainer said that you would be able to end this fight quickly - what a joke! As if someone as slow as you could ever hope to hit me. Now it's my turn to go on the offense." taunted the Bird Pokemon before flying towards Fearow at a speed that caused her eyes to widen in surprise. "Quick Attack!"

Unable to move out of the way in time, the Beak Pokemon was hit full-force at high speed by Pidgeotto's body, causing everyone to gape at the sight.

While Fearow attempted to recover from the sudden blow, Pidgeotto started showboating while flying through the air, saying "Oh yeah, who's the best? Me, that's who!" in an incredibly boastful tone.

"Wow...I've never seen a Quick Attack that fast before. That bird is quick." commented Misty, somewhat impressed with the speed the Bird Pokemon had shown off.

"Really quick." agreed Preyas, equally surprised.

"As much as I hate to say it, my own Quick Attack pales in comparison to the one she just used." Pikachu admitted.

"Well, how about that - Looks like I've already managed to impress your trainer's Pikachu and his friends with how awesome I am. Of course, it's not going to change the fact I'm going to be kicking all three of their butts next after I finish up with you, but..." stated Pidgeotto smugly, only to be cut off when Fearow cuffs her roughly in the stomach with Aerial Ace, knocking the wind out of her. "Ow! What the heck!? That hurt!"

With an icy glare, Fearow says "You will not lay a hand on my Trainer or any of my teammates. I won't allow it."

"Oh yeah? And who's going to stop me? You? Don't make me laugh!" laughed Pidgeotto mockingly, causing both Lincoln and Fearow to glare at her in anger.

"Shut up, chicken lips!" snapped Lincoln in anger before giving Fearow a reassuring look. "Don't let her words get to you, Fearow - you can still win this! I know you can!"

"Aw, isn't that adorable? The kid still has some faith in you." mocked Pidgeotto with a bird-like grin on her face. "I'll make sure to squash any remaining traces of it when this is all over."

"The only one that's going to get squashed here is you." retorted Lincoln before giving Fearow a glance. "Fearow, you ready to put this birdbrain in her place?"

"Definitely. And...thanks. I appreciate the fact that you still have faith in me."

"You're welcome. Now then, let's shut this loudmouth up once and for all - move in and use Fury Attack!"

"You're trying this attack again? Man, you guys are making this way too easy for me!" said Pidgeotto smugly as Fearow prepared to jab at her again with her beak. As the Bird Pokemon once again banked easily around the attack, a smirk appeared on Lincoln's face.

"You're close enough, Fearow - change it to an Aerial Ace, now!"

Before Pidgeotto could act on the sudden change of attack, Fearow quickly spun around in midair and slammed a glowing wing into the Flying-Type's back, causing Pidgeotto to lose control of herself for a few seconds before quickly righting herself.

"That was a lucky shot...you better enjoy it, because you're not going to get another one like that again."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because I'm about to use my strongest, most secret attack to turn things back to my advantage and keep it that way." stated Pidgeotto, causing Lincoln and Fearow to eye her warily, watching for any sudden movements. "Eat this! Sand Attack!"

Blinking in surprise, Fearow asked "Sand what now?", only to receive no reply as Pidgeotto kicked up a cloud of loose earth that made its way into Fearow's face, blinding her. "Dang it! Once again...*cough*...I end up...*cough cough*...getting blinded during a fight...I really, really...*cough*...hate not having...*cough*...Keen Eye...by Tornadus, I think I've gotten some in my mouth!"

"Seriously?! We're fighting against another opponent that has an accuracy-affecting move!?" complained Lincoln before crossing his arms in annoyance. "We seriously need to find a way to counter something like that..."

"Maybe you'll find one in the Pokedex." suggested Misty helpfully. "You could take a look at some of the moves Fearow knows and see if there's something you can use."

Remembering that he had managed to do this before during Fearow's last battle, Lincoln quickly takes out his Pokedex and asks it "Uh...Pokedex? Any chance you can tell me about a move that can possibly serve as a counter for Sand Attack? Preferably something that Fearow can learn?"

'Searching for information regarding your query - one moment please.' said the Pokedex before making several beeping noises as it started searching through its databases for the answer to Lincoln's question.

A few seconds later, it beeped again before stating 'Search complete. One result found - Mirror Move, a Flying-Type status-based attack. The user counters their opponent by mimicking the move last used by that particular Pokemon.'

'So it's essentially a move that turns the opponent's attack against them...that's exactly the kind of move I need right now.' thought Lincoln with a satisfied grin on his face.

With a smug look on her face as she watched Fearow continue to try and clear the dirt out of her face, Pidgeotto chirped "Ha! Now who's the one eating dirt? Not this bird, that's for sure!"

"Then we'll just have to fix that, now won't we?" said Lincoln, causing Pidgeotto to look at him in confusion. "Fearow, can you hear me in there?"

"I can still hear you, yes." replied Fearow's voice faintly from within the dust cloud.

"How do you feel about the idea of giving birdbrain over here a taste of her own medicine?"

"If you happen to know of a way, I would greatly appreciate it if you told me."

"Then you're going to enjoy this immensely." replied Lincoln as his grin widened. "Fearow, Mirror Move!"

Confused, Fearow thought 'He wants me to use Mirror Move of all things? But that would mean...oh.' before a vindictive look appeared on her face as she complied with Lincoln's request, causing a shimmering silver, almost mirror-like aura to coat her body.

As Pidgeotto opened her beak in order to mock the seemingly ineffective attack, Fearow flaps her wings forcefully, kicking up a similar cloud of dirt that blasts the Bird Pokemon in the face, blinding her...and getting plenty of it in her mouth in the process.

Coughing up loose earth as she tried to regain her sight, Pidgeotto sputters "What the!? That's got...*cough*...to be...*cough*...cheating somehow! Fight fair, you...*cough*...coward!"

As she started to clear the remainder of the dirt out of her eyes and mouth, Fearow retorts "You didn't...*cough...seem to have any issues...*cough...with using a move like that yourself. Not so much fun...*cough...being on the other end, is it?"

"Shut up, you...*cough...overgrown feather!" snapped Pidgeotto as she attempted to spit some of the loose dirt in her mouth at the Beak Pokemon, with Fearow attempting to return the favor a few seconds later.

Watching as the two Flying-Types continued to spit both dirt and insults at each other, Dan said "...I'm starting to think that those two really don't like each other."

"Looks like it. However, it looks like we've got an opening to finally deal with that Pidgeotto once and for all." answered Lincoln before ordering "Fearow, finish that birdbrain off! Aerial Ace!"

"Got it!" replied Fearow before attempting to smash one of her glowing wings into the Bird Pokemon's back. As she was too busy coughing up dirt and trying to clear her vision after Fearow's Sand Attack, Pidgeotto had no chance to dodge the attack and ended up getting knocked down into the ground...hard.

As she watched Pidgeotto's body bounce off of the ground before going still, the Beak Pokemon added "And that's game, set and match - not only did I make you eat dirt, I also sent you crashing down into it as well, just like I said I would." with satisfaction clear in her voice.

"Ouch, that had to hurt..." commented Runo with a wince before she noticed that swirls had formed in the Flying-Type's eyes.

"Wow...looks like that Fearow of yours managed to knock it out, squirt. Nice work. Now we can finally leave this place." Misty commented

"Thanks, Misty." replied Lincoln before giving Fearow an approving smile. "And thank you, Fearow. You did a good job putting that loudmouth in her place."

Pleased with the compliment her Trainer had given her, Fearow replied "It was my pleasure. So...what are you going to do with her? Are you going to have her become the newest member of our team?" before giving the KO'ed Pidgeotto a dirty look. "Because if you are, we'll seriously need to do something about that attitude of hers..."

Shrugging, Lincoln answered "Why would I want to do that? I've already got, in my honest opinion, the best Flying-Type Pokemon a guy like me could ask right here - why would I need another?", causing the Beak Pokemon to preen proudly at the compliment.

"Hey, wait just a minute! Just what in Tornadus' name do you mean by that?" snapped a familiar-sounding voice from nearby, causing Lincoln and Fearow to face the source of the voice, only to spot, much to their surprise, Pidgeotto slowly getting up off of the ground. "How dare you go and make a claim like that!? There's only one Flying-Type Pokemon around here that deserves to be called the best and that's me!"

Blinking in surprise at the sight while Fearow glared at her while watching her carefully for any sudden movements, Lincoln asks "You've regained consciousness already?"

"You're dang right I have!" replied the Bird Pokemon as she glared at him indignantly. "And after what I've just heard, there's no way I'm going to stay down while you go and make a claim like that about your Fearow! I'm the best, not her!"

Giving Pidgeotto a strange glance, Fearow asks "...That's what you're ticked off about now? A well-meaning compliment I received from my Trainer?"

"A compliment that should only be given to someone like me! After all, I'm the one that went undefeated in this place for well over a year!"

"You know, considering the fact that this place is full of weak Bug-Type Pokemon like Caterpie and Weedle, your claim isn't really all that impressive." commented Pikachu bluntly before pointing at Fearow. "And in any case, she managed to beat you decisively in battle - that makes her better than you."

"Shut up, you overgrown yellow rat! Her victory was nothing more than a fluke!"

'Wow, not only does this bird have a temper and a big ego, but she's a sore loser on top of that.' thought Lincoln as he glanced at Pidgeotto while she continued her argument with Pikachu. 'She's definitely a bird version of Lynn.'

Stepping forward, he orders "Alright, you two - that's enough.", prompting Pikachu to nod in acknowledgement before walking back over to Lincoln's side while Pidgeotto glared at the eleven year-old defiantly. "Look, we honestly didn't mean to intrude on your territory. So here's what I'm proposing - let us leave so we can get to Pewter City and you won't have to worry about us trespassing around here again. Deal?"

"Wait a minute...you think that you can just step into my territory, have your Fearow get a fluke victory over me and then suddenly decide to walk away just like that?" asked Pidgeotto as she gave Lincoln a glare. "You're not even going to make the attempt to capture me?"

"Yeah, pretty much. You don't want us here in your territory, so we're leaving." replied Lincoln with a shrug as he recalled Fearow back into her Pokeball. "Besides, like I said before - I've got Fearow as my main Flying-Type Pokemon. Why would I need another one?"

"...Well, fine! Get out of here then! The sooner you're gone, the better!" retorted Pidgeotto with a huff.

"Alright, fine - we're going." answered Lincoln nonchalantly before motioning for the others to follow him out of the clearing. "C'mon, guys. Let's get out of here."

"Stupid human thinks that his Fearow is better than I am...what an idiot. I'm much better than that long necked bag of bird crap he's got with him." grumbled Pidgeotto as she watched them start to leave the clearing. "...Come to think of it, I bet I would make for a much better member of his team than that Fearow ever could...and what better way to prove it than to join up with that guy? Not only will I be able to show him that I'm much better than she could ever hope to be, but I'll get the chance to show her up and avenge that fluke loss she gave me! It's perfect!"

Taking off into the air and following after the group, she called out "Hey, hold up a minute! I've got something to say to you before you go!"

Turning around with an exasperated look on his face, Lincoln asks "What do you want now? I thought you wanted us to leave?"

"Well, don't think that you're leaving without the newest addition to your team! I'm coming with you!"

"...What?"

"You heard me correctly - I'm joining your team now." repeated Pidgeotto before a smug expression appeared on her beaked face. "You should consider yourself lucky - I normally don't make this kind of offer to just anyone."

Eyebrow raised, Lincoln says "...This is because of what I said to my Fearow earlier, isn't it?"

"What? No!" blurted Pidgeotto, only for Lincoln to look at her, unconvinced. "Alright, fine - yes, that's why I'm making this offer to you. I've been thinking about what you said about that Fearow of yours and I intend on proving to you that I'm a much better Flying-Type Pokemon than she is. If that means having to stick around with someone like you to do so, then so be it."

"That's...a pretty poor reason for wanting to join my team. I'm not sure about going along with this..." replied Lincoln before turning to others and asking "What do you guys think? Think I should bring her along with us?"

"Might as well - you've seen for yourself how fast she was. Not only that, but we could use a good backup Flying-Type just in case Fearow isn't available." replied Marucho. "Besides, you didn't raise any complaints when Poliwag willingly wanted to join the team, so it would be kind of hypocritical if you refused her offer while accepting the one he made."

"Fair enough." said Lincoln before turning back to Pidgeotto and giving her a nod. "...Alright, you're on the team. However, with all that tough talk you were doing earlier, I expect you to back it up. Understand?"

"No sweat - I'll live up to it and more! Then you'll see that I'm a much better Flying-Type Pokemon than that Fearow of yours ever will be!"

Rolling his eyes, Lincoln replied "If you say so. So are you ready?" as he took an empty Pokeball out of his bag. When Pidgeotto nodded in acknowledgement, he tossed the Pokeball at her wing, causing the red and white-colored orb to quickly pull her inside.

Much to his surprise, the Pokeball had, upon landing on the ground, only wobbled around once before flashing and going still, symbolizing a successful capture.

"That was fast. I've never seen a capture finish that quickly before." commented Lincoln, blinking in surprise.

"What just happened?" Runo asked.

"Looks like you've just performed your first critical capture, squirt. Nicely done." replied Misty as she walked over and picked up the Pokeball.

"Critical capture? What's that?" inquired Lincoln, unfamiliar with the term.

"Sometimes on occasion, a Pokeball will instantly finish the capturing procedure without giving the Pokemon inside a chance to break free. That's a critical capture." replied Misty as she handed him the Pokeball. "It doesn't happen very often though, so don't be expecting it to happen every time you throw a Pokeball at something."

Placing the red and white-colored ball on his belt, Lincoln nodded and said "I'll keep that in mind. So are you ready to get going?"

"After the fight I just saw, I want to leave this place now more than ever. Let's get out of here."

In A Cabin Somewhere In The Viridian Forest (2:25 PM)

While Lincoln and Misty continued on their way through the Viridian Forest, a lone boy clad in samurai armor was sitting inside of a small cabin within the forest, polishing what appeared to be the blade of a katana.

"Three different Trainers from Pallet Town had defeated me in combat over the past couple of days." mused the boy to himself as he continued his current task. "And there is still one more that I've yet to face."

The first had been a boy with spiky brown-colored hair who defeated him with a Pidgey and a Squirtle. He had lost fairly decisively to this particular Trainer and ended up having to deal with the boy as he (and his Squirtle, who seemed just as much of a braggart) gloated over the victory before moving on.

The second one was a boy with black hair and a red cap who used a Poliwhirl and a Bulbasaur during their fight. Like with the other boy, he had lost fairly decisively in battle against this particular Trainer, but at least he didn't start bragging once he had won.

His third defeat came from a girl with light brown hair and a white hat who only used a Charmander to beat him. Considering the fact that he mostly trained Bug-Type Pokemon and that they were incredibly vulnerable to Fire-Types...needless to say, his fight against her didn't last very long.

It was also through this particular Trainer that there was still one more person coming from Pallet Town he hadn't faced yet - one that wasn't native to Kanto and had come to the region from the United States.

"Well, foreigner or not, I do not intend on facing defeat a fourth time." commented the boy as he stood up and sheathed the katana into the scabbard attached to his hip. "I will find this fourth Trainer from Pallet Town and win!"

After grabbing a bug-catching net and attaching it to his back, he leaves his cabin in order to begin his search for his future opponent...

Somewhere In The Viridian Forest (3:00 PM)

"You've gotten us lost, haven't you?! This is the sixth time we've been through this part of the forest already!" snapped Runo as she glared at Dan angrily.

"Of course not! We've been heading the right way this entire time - I'm certain of it!" retorted Dan indignantly as he pointed towards the direction they had been going for the past thirty minutes. "If it wasn't for Pidgeotto picking a fight with us earlier, we'd most likely be in Pewter City by now!"

"Stop making excuses! You and your sense of direction has gotten us lost! Just be a man and admit it already!"

"I said we're not lost!" Dan countered

Everyone watched as the two immature kids argued amongst each other, even Drago and Tigrerra were in the middle of it. "There they go again..." Drago said as he peeked out of Dan's coat pocket.

"These humans are indeed a curious species." Tigrerra pointed out.

Sighing in annoyance, Pikachu said, "At this rate, we're going to be here all day if they keep this up."

"Uh, guys?"

Giving Misty an irritated look, Lincoln asks "What is it, Misty? If you're going to start complaining too, you might as well keep whatever you're going to say to yourself because I don't feel like hearing it."

"It's not that...I think that there's something rubbing against my leg." whimpered the redhead as her voice started to waiver slightly. "P-Please tell me that it's Pikachu that's d-doing it."

Shaking his head as he pointed at the Mouse Pokemon standing nearby, Lincoln answered "No, Pikachu's standing over there.", causing Misty's eyes to widen in horror as she slowly looked down at her feet.

Upon seeing a yellow-colored worm-like Pokemon with a round red nose and two stingers on its body sniffing curiously at her calf, she shrieked "...AAAAAAHHHHH! A BUG! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" in terror before shoving the unknown Pokemon away with her foot. While the worm-like Pokemon tried to regain its bearings, the frightened redhead ran over towards Lincoln and quickly hid behind him.

"Seriously? You're afraid of a tiny little thing like that? I thought you weren't afraid of bugs." Preyas teased.

"Not helping, Preyas!" Misty screamed, while Lincoln took out his Pokedex and pointed it at the small yellow-colored Pokemon.

"Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokemon, a Bug and Poison Type. Weedle has an acute sense of smell. It is capable of distinguishing its favorite kinds of leaves from those it dislikes just by sniffing with its big red proboscis."

Giving Lincoln a pleading look, Misty asked "Can you make it go away, please?"

Rolling his eyes in annoyance as he puts the Pokedex away, Lincoln mutters "Fine, I'll take care of it, you big chicken. Stay right there." before motioning for Pikachu to follow him. "C'mon Pikachu, let's hurry up and deal with the little guy so we can get going. I'm starting to get sick of this place."

"You want me to take that Weedle down? Just give me the word and I'll give it a zap."

"Actually, I was thinking about letting someone else take this one." answered Lincoln before he took Poliwag's Pokeball off of his belt and tossed it into the air. "Come on out, Poliwag!"

Nodding his head in agreement, Pikachu comments "Good thinking - not only could the little guy use some combat experience, but it'll allow us to see what we need to work on first when it comes to his training."

"That's the idea." replied Lincoln as the small Tadpole Pokemon took form in front of him. "Hey Poliwag, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing pretty good, Mister Lincoln. Did you need something?"

"I do, actually. I want to see how well you do in a battle with that Weedle over there." replied Lincoln as he pointed at the Hairy Bug Pokemon. "So what do you think? Are you up for it?"

"You want me to fight with it? Sure, I can do that." replied Poliwag with a nod-like gesture. "But, er...why? Did it do something bad?"

"Aside from scaring the crap out of Misty? No." answered Lincoln as he gestured towards the trembling redhead behind him. "Like I said before, I want to see how well you do in a battle and I think this would be a good trial run to see what you're capable of."

"Well, since you put it that way...okay! I'll battle against it for you!"

"Glad to hear it." said Lincoln before pointing at Weedle, who was moving towards a nearby bush in order to snack on some of its leaves. "Now go get 'em, little guy. I'll be right here in case you need me."

"Okay!" replied the Tadpole Pokemon before waddling over towards Weedle, who gave him a curious glance as he got closer. "Hi there, I'm Poliwag - nice to meet you! Do you want to battle with me?"

Surprised at the Water-Type's friendly greeting, Weedle replied "Uh...sure. I guess I can play with you for a little bit before I eat." before noticing everyone watching him and Poliwag from nearby. "...Is that white-haired boy your Trainer?"

"Uh-huh! That's Mister Lincoln - he captured me yesterday. He's nice."

"Huh..." mused Weedle thoughtfully. "Well, let's hurry up and get our battle over with - I was just about to have lunch before you came along."

"Alright then! Are you ready?"

"I guess so. Are you?" asked Weedle as he started to move his rear stinger into position, ready to launch an attack. When Poliwag nodded in confirmation, the Bug-Type said "Then prepare yourself!" before quickly firing a small volley of poisonous needles from the pointed stinger at him.

Recognizing the attack almost immediately, Lincoln shouts "That's a Poison Sting attack! Poliwag, dodge it and use Water Gun!"

"Okay!" replied Poliwag before quickly hopping out of the way of the oncoming attack and firing a small jet of water at Weedle...which clearly missed the Hairy Bug Pokemon by several feet.

Blinking in surprise at the missed attack, Weedle said "Wow...your aim sucks, you know that, right? How could you seriously miss an easy shot like that?"

"...This is my first real battle and uh...I'm not very good at aiming while moving around." answered Poliwag sheepishly.

'Well, I know what we're going to start working on first...' thought Lincoln with a sigh.

Deciding to take advantage of the missed Water-Type attack, Weedle takes aim at Poliwag and discharges a gooey web-like substance from where his mouth would be. Upon coming into contact with the Tadpole Pokemon's feet, the substance quickly hardened, making it difficult for Poliwag to move around.

"Wh-what!? What is this stuff? And why can't I move!?"

"That's my String Shot move - unless you find a way to break free from that silk holding you in place, you're not going anywhere. Now then, let's see if I'll be able to hit you this time..." answered Weedle before aiming his rear stinger at Poliwag again and firing off another Poison Sting attack that, thanks to the silk keeping his feet glued to the ground, managed to hit the Water-Type with ease.

At least something good had managed to come out of Poliwag taking the full brunt of the Poison-Type attack - the force of the Poison Sting attack hitting his body had managed to break him free from the silk holding him in place.

Giving the little Water-Type Pokemon a concerned look as he tried to shake off the slight pain running through his body, Lincoln asks "Are you alright, Poliwag? You haven't been poisoned, have you?"

Giving Lincoln a small nod, Poliwag answered "I'm okay, I think...that move really hurt a lot, though..."

"Thank goodness for that." replied Lincoln with a sigh of relief. "So do you think you can keep battling? Because if you're not able to, I can see about sending someone else out..."

"No, I want to finish this fight on my own! You wanted me to see what I'm capable of in battle and there's no way I'm going to disappoint you now!"

"Alright then. If you insist on continuing the fight, we'll keep going." answered Lincoln with a nod before returning his attention back to Weedle, who looked ready to continue the fight as well. "Let's try out your Hypnosis attack!"

"Okay! Here goes!" replied Poliwag before focusing intently on Weedle, slowly causing his eyes to glow in a light blue color. A few seconds later, strange-looking circular waves of blue-colored energy started to emanate from the spiral on his stomach and headed towards Weedle, coming into contact with him and causing the small Bug-Type's eyes to start drooping.

"Wh...what are you doing to me...? I feel...tired..."

"That's my Hypnosis move! Since I managed to hit you with it, you're going to go nighty-night in a few seconds." answered Poliwag cheerfully. "Sweet dreams!"

"...You...ugh..." mumbled Weedle tiredly before collapsing to the ground, immediately falling asleep a few seconds later.

Turning back to face his Trainer, Poliwag asked "How was that?"

"That was pretty good, Poliwag - nice job!" complimented Lincoln with a smile before pointing at the sleeping Weedle. "Now, while we've got an opportunity to attack, blast that bug with Water Gun before he wakes up!"

"Okay, you got it!" replied the Tadpole Pokemon before taking aim at Weedle's sleeping form. Once he felt that he would be able to hit his target, Poliwag fired off a jet of high-pressure water at Weedle. Unlike last time however, this one managed to hit its mark, sending the small Bug-Type Pokemon flying into the trunk of a nearby tree.

This sudden attack had, of course, woken Weedle up from his slumber, but considering the fact his body was wracked completely with pain at the moment...it was fairly safe to say that Poliwag had won the fight.

"...Ugh...I feel like I was just hit by a truck...that hurt..." mumbled Weedle weakly before passing out a few seconds later.

"...Did I just win?" asked Poliwag with wide eyes as he stared at the unconscious Weedle in surprise.

"Looks like it, short stuff. Nice going." complimented Pikachu as he walked over and patted the Water-Type's back. "Not bad for your first actual battle."

While Poliwag beamed at the praise Pikachu had given him, Misty, now much calmer since Weedle had been defeated, commented "Wow...that was surprisingly quick. The little guy did alright for his first actual battle."

"Yeah, he did. Though I noticed that there's a big problem with him that I'm going to have to work on fixing as soon as possible - I'm going to need to work on teaching him how to aim his attacks while on the move."

"So you noticed it too, huh?" inquired Misty, getting a nod in response. "That should probably be the first thing you start working on with him before you teach him anything else - that Poliwag is going to have a hard time in battle if he has to stand still in order to successfully hit anything."

Turning her attention to the still unconscious Weedle, she asked "So what are you going to do about that...ergh...disgusting bug?"

"What else? I'm going to capture it and have it become the next member of my team."

"Wait...you're actually going to capture that...that...thing!?" asked Misty in disbelief. "Are you doing this to spite me because I said that your sense of direction sucked!?"

"Please. As if I would be that petty to catch Weedle simply out of spite." snorted Lincoln as he rolled his eyes. "I need some variation on my team and I don't have a Bug-Type Pokemon yet. Since Poliwag managed to beat that Weedle in battle, I have every right to capture it."

"Even though it's going to be completely useless against the Pewter City Gym Leader? You do know that Bug-Type Pokemon are weak against Rock-Types, right?"

"Do you really think he cares whether it'll be of use at the gym or not? He's still going to catch it." retorted Dan before giving the redhead a sly smirk. "Thanks for the tip, by the way"

Realizing that she had unintentionally slipped up, Misty huffs in annoyance before muttering "...Fine, go ahead and catch that stupid bug. See if I care."

"Alright, fine - I will." retorted Lincoln before starting to open up his bag in order to grab an empty Pokeball. As he started to take one of the red and white, the sound of something rustling in some nearby bushes caught his attention. "Huh? What in the..."

Before he could get the chance to finish what he was going to say, a boy around Lincoln's age that was clad in samurai armor had leapt out of the bushes with a katana in hand - one that was pointed directly at Lincoln himself.

"Halt, stranger! Would you happen to be a trainer from the town of Pallet?"

Author's Note:

Crossover Vote:

https/www.streem.tech/poll/770

https/www.streem.tech/poll/783

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