Blue Mountain League: Prologue
Disclaimer: I never have and never will own Pokémon. It is a Game Freak product
Chapter 7: Teal Forest Guard
Well, last time John was hypnotized and almost eaten by a team of Poliwhirl & Gyarados. The two would have succeeded, if not for the brave thinking of a Totodile, that joined the team! Now with two pokémon & a pokéball left, John is optimistic about his future in this untamed wilderness that is the Blue Mountain Range!
The occasional tree beside the river had become a whole forest. Charmander eyed Totodile with slight suspicion. Being new to how things worked, Totodile had no idea that John's greatest strength was the power of… improvisation! Totodile always planned ahead, always thought out every little detail, and always calculated victory first. John, on the other hand…
As they advanced through the forest, Charmander noticed a strange plant. Rubbing his eyes, he looked again. This time, the plant wasn't there. Confused, and slightly afraid, Charmander looked straight ahead. Looking around, he barely heard John talking as he noticed things moving in the trees.
"It's weird how there's a path right in the middle of the forest, huh, Charmander?" asked John. Of course, the reptile was too busy looking around to hear him. "Or is this the way things are here, Totodile?" questioned John, this time to the small crocodile. Totodile just shook his head to say no, that path was unusual. Despite the fact that it would be blatantly obvious to anyone in his or her right minds, the forest itself was moving. John had recently fallen through a hole in a cave, almost eaten by a thing about 4 times longer than he was tall, and had been hypnotized by a tadpole. Aside from that, he was fine.
Of course, Charmander noticed easily. Every little shift in the forest was like an earthquake to Charmander: every little change was obvious. Charmander's predatory nature and senses allowed him to know the forest was moving. It wasn't something in the forest, it was the forest. He jumped back as he saw a leaf slowly approaching. Fear was not in Charmander's mind, only instinct. And that instinct told him to move quickly, and not to look up.
Totodile, however, felt that looking up was a good idea, and did so. All he saw were the leaves of trees and vines going from treetop to treetop. He simply didn't notice that the vines were moving, shuffling, shifting through the branches. Not seeing anything that could be threatening, he merely kept on walking. He bumped into Charmander due to the former pokémon's lack of care and the latter's instinctive reactions. Neither had much time to react however, because John had just reached a clearing.
"Wow! This is amazing! Who would know that a vast place like this was under a mountain?" he asked to no one in particular. He was astounded by the fact that there was grass as far as the eye could see, or until the Meganium rushing towards him blocked the view, depending on where you looked. Of course, he was more interested in the pokémon as soon as he noticed it. After all, wouldn't you notice a long-necked dinosaur-like creature with flower petals around its neck?
John identified it because of its antennae. Remembering all he had learned, John recognized the calming scent that Meganium's petals released. The calming scent made him oblivious to how Charmander and Totodile were freaking out. Despite the fact that if Meganium continued to run at him he would likely have his arms broken, John stood admiring the beauty of the clearing. The only thing that made John able to use his arms an hour later was that Totodile hit the ground with a water gun. Meganium, unable to stop, ran into the newly formed mud. As Meganium sank, Charmander noticed Chikorita, the lowest form of Meganium, coming out into the open.
With Meganium panicking, you would think that John would have regained his senses. But because Meganium's petals were still above the mud (which wasn't really that deep, and only surprising to Meganium), John still wouldn't move. However, the Chikorita were much more curious than violent. The little leaf pokémon slowly approached the lizard pokémon. Though Totodile looked on with minor interest, Charmander was fully alert.
John, being still affected by the aroma, was unable to respond to the slowly moving grass-types. But he could still look around, and saw numerous Bayleaf who were unsure as to their best course of action. Aside from the fact that he had never seen one before, John could care less. The calm made him remember a battle, one in which his idol had emerged victorious against his greatest foes…
Totodile was beginning to fear the seemingly endless waves of Grass-types when a loud roar caused the Chikorita and Bayleef to pause. Emerging from the forest, surrounded by Bulbasaur and Ivysaur, was a wise Venusaur. At this point, Meganium's calming scent wavered, and John was in awe of the large Grass/Poison Type Venusaur. Thinking back, he remembered that Venusaur was the fully evolved form of Bulbasaur, one of the starter pokémon he could have chosen.
Venusaur pulled Meganium out of the mud with his vines and started to question the Herb Pokémon. Though Meganium was Rash and quick to assume, the Seed Pokémon Venusaur was more Careful and understanding. Charmander was also awed, but by the mighty flower on Venusaur's back. Even though he didn't know much of Grass-types, he understood that the bulb planted in a Bulbasaur's back at birth would flower when it evolved, and would grow with each evolution. He knew that Venusaur had evolved from Ivysaur a long time ago, due to the large stretch from the first bulb to the inner flower.
Totodile, meanwhile, was paying close attention to Venusaur and Meganium's 'conversation.' From what he could figure, Grass-types lived in this forest, and each species of pokémon had their own territory. Apparently, Venusaur was in charge of the whole forest, but allowed each group to govern themselves. It also appeared that Meganium was not one to allow strangers or travelers in his forest, though if Totodile knew that he was with the first traveler to ever even go near the forest, he would have been shocked.
Meganium broke everyone out of his or her thoughts with a Razor Leaf, which Venusaur easily shrugged off. "What's his problem?" asked John, who was trying his best to understand what Venusaur had been saying. Venusaur responded in yet another stream of words and terms that only make sense to pokémon. Nodding and pretending to understand, he failed to realize that this only made Meganium angrier.
He's pretending he knows what you're saying! shouted Meganium. Venusaur just shook his head and said, He is only trying to be polite. You know that he and his friends meant us no harm. Why not give him a chance to explain himself?
Totodile was listening intently. Both had different opinions, and were both adamant. However, Meganium failed to see Venusaur's side of the matter, and only managed to see his own. Venusaur had obviously worked on seeing events from as many perspectives as possible, which gave the Big Jaw Pokémon even more respect for him.
The rustling of the branches above his head once more preoccupied Charmander. Looking up, he noticed not vines, but a shadow. Before he could speak out, the figure had disappeared into the forest. Turning his head back towards the Grass-types, he found the discussion was over.
Later that afternoon, Venusaur was ready to help John and his pokémon get on their way. Always wise and knowing, he had some final words of advice for our heroes.
Meganium feels that battles are all that humans want pokémon for, said Venusaur. This is obviously not the case. Your trainer cares deeply about you, and would risk himself for your benefit, if he felt it at all necessary. Hope that it should never come to that, for if the time comes, he will most assuredly feel it vital to the situation.
John, still not understanding a word, nodded and turned to leave. Charmander and Totodile, however, had a slight laugh at their trainer's expense, before joining him on their voyage away from the forest of Venusaur.
Despite being led in the direction out of the forest, John had managed to find another one not long after. Becoming lost in this second forest would have been embarrassing if any other humans were around, but John didn't realize it was just a distant part of the original forest. Looking up once more, Charmander saw the shadow from before as it dropped towards them…
AN: I love adding suspense! I've been working on other stuff since I started this, so of course it took me a while, but this chapter is important near the end…