Anthony walked back to Viridian Gym when the sun started to rise, holding and sipping from a plastic cup of coffee. Today was the day when his dull duty of guarding at the gym would come to an end. Backup was en route with each second, and when they came to take over, he would receive his new assignment. It was time to get back into action for Team Rocket, whatever the task may be.

Anthony finished his cup of coffee and threw the cup away in a trash can. He stood guard by the door to Viridian Gym as before, keeping an eye out for potential threats. There could not be any chance of intrusion or else the secrets within would be discovered. Even though it was boring, he was loyal to Team Rocket, and kept guard even when it became clear that the trainers had heard that the gym was closed.

It was only a few hours later when a group of five approached the gym: three men and two women, all wearing casual clothing. Anthony recognized two of the faces of the group. They were members of Team Rocket who had been with the criminal organization for years. The other three were new recruits. Anthony stepped aside, allowing for the two veterans to take his post silently. The three new recruits stood in a line in front of him. The man in the middle was tall with a shaved head while the one to his right was bulky with his brown hair tied up into his ponytail. The woman had short dirty blonde hair and was the smallest of the group. Anthony looked at the trio, his eyes unreadable behind his sunglasses.

"Mr. Lombardi, sir," the man in the middle spoke. "My name's Martin."

"I'm Penny," the woman quickly added.

"Horace, the remaining grunt said quietly.

Anthony shrugged, not really caring for their names. "Does the boss have a job for me?"

"He does," Martin nods. "There's fossils at the Pewter City Museum of Science. They're worth a lot on the black market. The boss wants you to steal them and head back to base with them."

"Understood."

Anthony walked past the trio, towards Pewter City. In the past, he robbed small banks and stores whenever told, but a museum was not going to be an easy target. There would be security that needed to be dealt with. It was going to be a tough job for one man but Anthony was confident in his skills. If the boss had faith in him for the job, he would succeed.

A few seconds later, Anthony stopped and looked over his shoulder. The trio of grunts had followed him, and after he noticed them, they quickly stood back in a line. Anthony sighed and turned around to face them.

"Why are you following me?" Anthony asked.

"The boss told us we're to help you in the heist," Martin answered. "We're to follow your orders."

"I work alone," Anthony told them.

"That's not what we heard," Horace shrugged.

"The boss' orders are still the boss' orders," Martin replied. "If you have a problem with them, you can give him a call yourself."

"Mr. Lombardi, if I may, but we've all heard what you're capable of," Penny said, a little nervous. "We're new to Team Rocket, but you're not. And all of the stories I've heard-"

"That's enough," Anthony interrupted bluntly. "You'll follow my orders, and that's it. I'm not looking for any friends. I'm not looking to talk with anyone. I'm looking to get the job done. Now, let's go."

"Yessir!"

Anthony turned back around and continued onto Pewter City, not giving the grunts another thought. The trio followed him, silently whispering to each other. Of course Anthony knew of his reputation within Team Rocket. He was a veteran member of the organization who could carry out any job he was assigned. He thought that everyone knew he worked alone, but today, the boss had a different idea in mind. It could be possible to call him and explain that he wanted to do the job alone, but decided against it. If the boss wanted him to work with a team, then Anthony would work with a team.

Yesterday was a rough day for Victor, who had experienced defeat for the first time. After being the top trainer of his peers for so long, being taken down for the first time was not a good feeling. It was his first battle as an official as a trainer and he ended up losing it to some stranger. His journey wasn't supposed to start out with a loss. Victor couldn't get his mind over how he should have won against Jason, and that instead, Pinsir took down Electabuzz, which was enough to set back the start of his journey.

Victor healed Electabuzz at the Pokémon Center, where he stayed for the rest of the night. He had wanted to push his way through Viridian Forest all the way to Pewter City on the first day of his adventure. His defeat was enough that he just wanted the day to end. Even though some of the other former students had come to heal their Pokémon and left, Victor stayed behind.

Early in the morning the next day, Victor left the Pokémon Center, the doors sliding closed behind him. He had a lot of time to think to himself and the battle he fought against Jason. Victor lost. There was no denying that. He couldn't let one defeat crush him and his adventure before it even started. If he did, then Jason had won completely. Victor pulled out Electabuzz's Poké Ball and clutched it tightly in his hand, determined.

"We're not going to let this get to us, Electabuzz," Victor declared. "We're going to get stronger, we're going to defeat Jason and anyone else who gets in our way, and we're going to become the next champion!"

With a grin, Victor dashed off towards Viridian Forest. He was going to become champion, despite whoever was going to get in his way. He was born to win and he was going to win any other battle that came his way.

Although it was late morning with the sun out, it was hard to tell within Viridian Forest, where the trees' foliage covered up most of the sky, with some beams of light able to pierce through to light up the area. Flocks of Pidgey flew overhead, their chirps and cries reminding the Caterpies and Weedles that crawled in the trees and the grass to hide from their predators. Not even the trainers that passed through the forest, walking the paths and camping in the clearings, could disrupt the serenity of Viridian Forest.

Danny, Noah, Celena, and Jared took their time waking up. The day before, they were able to find a clearing to set up camp before the sun set. They slept in and were just now starting to wake up and get ready to continue the adventure. The four trainers sat down a log together, eating dried fruit and nuts, and drinking from water bottles. It would only take a few minutes to take down and pack up their tents, which was all they needed to do before they could press on to Pewter City. If they didn't get lost, they could make it there before nightfall. Or, if they found something that caught their attention, they had enough supplies to set up camp and explore another day.

"I can't wait for the rest of today," Danny smiled. "Do you think there are any cool Pokémon here?"

"Maybe," Noah answered with a shrug. "Jared, you spent a lot of time out here, right?"

"That's right," Jared nodded. "This is where I caught Caterpie and Weedle. You'll find plenty of them here, along with Pidgeys, Spearows, Rattatas, and I think I once saw a Pikachu out here. And of course, you can find their evolved forms here as well."

"So cool!" Danny exclaimed. "I can't wait to catch them all!"

"What about any Grass-types?" Celena asked, curious.

Jared paused to think. "I don't think so. The bugs and birds must scare them away."

"I think I can just pass through without catching a Pokémon," Noah said. "I'm more interested in getting to Pewter City."

"What's the Gym Leader like?" Celena suddenly asked.

"I wouldn't know."

"I didn't think you would, Noah, but I thought Jared might."

"Huh?" Jared quickly snapped to attention.

"Oh right!" Danny jumped up from the log. "You're from Pewter City. We're going to your home."

"And I was hoping that you would know about the gym," Celena smiled kindly. "It's no problem if you don't, but any tips you might have to share would help us a lot, wouldn't it."

Danny and Noah both gave verbal agreements and all eyes were on Jared. Of course, Jared knew about the Gym Leader, Brock. He was new to his role, having only taken over the role a year ago, but Jared already saw several of his matches along with his little sister before leaving for trainer school. Before Jared could answer the question, he froze, coming upon a realization.

Brock was a Rock-type expert, and all Jared had were Bug-type Pokémon.

The rest of his friends would get through Pewter City with no problem. Noah and Danny had Squirtle and Bulbasaur, and even though Charmander might hold her back, Celena would be able to rely on Mankey, which she captured a few days before the champion's announcement that set them on their journey. Caterpie and Weedle wouldn't stand a chance against Brock. Jared quickly thought out his options. There wasn't a Pokémon in Viridian Forest that would make his chances better. A Mankey would do the trick, but if he wanted to catch one, it would mean leaving his friends behind or asking them to stay behind for him, which was selfish to consider.

Jared's friends looked at him, still waiting. The young boy tensed up, unsure of how to answer. They would be excited once he did but it was only a matter of time until they realized what he had.

Thankfully, a distraction came through, as a Pidgey suddenly burst through the bush behind the log they sat on.

"Look out!" Danny called out.

Noah quickly grabbed Celena and Jared and pushed off the log as the Pidgey soared through the air above them, landing in front of Danny. Even from his crouching position, Jared could see that the Pidgey was injured, with bruises and scrapes over its body. Before any of the trainers could react further, a Poké Ball from beyond the bushes landed atop of it, and the Pidgey disappeared in a flash of white light. The Poké Ball fell onto the ground, shaking.

"That's definitely a hit! I heard the Poké Ball!"

Jason emerged from the bushes, followed by his Pinsir. Noah, Jared, and Celena quickly stood up and got out of his way as he hopped over the log and picked up the Poké Ball with a grin. Henry emerged from the trees as well, giving a quick wave to the young trainers, who all returned the wave.

Danny was the first to break the silence. "That was so cool!"

"And that's my first capture in Kanto. I am the master at capturing Pokémon. What'd you think, Henry?"

"I think that you nearly caused a ruckus at this campsite. Sorry about that."

"It's alright," Noah waved his hand dismissively. "I needed that to wake me up anyways."

"And it was so cool to see a Pokémon capture just like that!" Danny repeated, still excited.

"We didn't really see it though," Celena pointed out. "We just saw the end of it."

"Is that so?" Henry asked out loud, stroking his chin as he watched the young trainers nod. "Did they teach you anything about capturing Pokémon back at trainer school?"

"Just how to, but nothing practical," Noah answered. "The only one's here who have actually captured a Pokémon are Jared and Celena."

"It's just like back at Johto," Jason remarked. "They teach you the basics but leave it up to you to actually do it."

"That's how it is with a lot of schools," Henry nodded in agreement. "But I think Jason can make up for his abrupt entrance by helping the two of you who haven't caught a Pokémon with their first capture."
"I can?" Jason looked back towards Henry.

"You can!" Danny exclaimed. "Noah, this is going to be so exciting. We're going to capture our first Pokémon."

"Danny, we just finished talking about the Pokémon in Viridian Forest, but maybe I'll change my mind. I'm in."

"You really had to sign me up for this when we could be on our way to Pewter City?" Jason sighed.

"You did just call yourself a master of capturing Pokémon," Henry smirked. "You'll do fine. Come back here once you're done."

Jason shrugged. "Alright. Danny, Noah, let's get going."

Danny and Noah both gave a nod of approval, and followed Jason and Pinsir into the forest. Jared couldn't believe how quickly events turned out, with Danny and Noah now off to capture their own Pokémon. Celena shrugged at their friends leaving and returned to her seat on the log. Henry stuck around as well, walking around the log and looking at the campsite the four had set up.

"Again, I'm sorry if my brother scared you," Henry spoke up, and then sighed. "He acts before he thinks, but at the very least, it looks like no one was harmed."

"And nothing was destroyed," Jared added. "It's fine. You don't have to apologize for him."

"Hey Jared," Celena said, and Jared turned to face her. "You never did answer my question."

"Oh, right," Jared muttered, now speaking more quietly. "Pewter City's Gym Leader is Brock. He's a Rock-type expert."

"Rock-type, huh?" Celena noted, and then the realization hit her. "That's why you were so nervous to answer."

"What's so bad about Rock-type Pokémon?" Henry asked.

"Nothing, really," Celena answered before Jared could. "Jared only has Bug-type Pokémon. That means-"

"-that Brock's going to beat me no matter what I do," Jared finished for Celena.

"I see," Henry tapped his foot on the ground, thinking. "Have you thought about capturing any Pokémon in the forest? There has to be some Grass-type Pokémon you can rely on."

"There isn't," Jared shook his head. His shoulders slumped down.

"Well, let's go back and capture a Mankey," Celena offered with a kind smile. "That'll help."

"I wouldn't want to have the group turn around just for me. Noah wants to get to Pewter City, and Danny's excited for it as well."

"Danny will want to help you out, and if the three of us go back, then Noah will have to as well. Or maybe we can come back to Pewter City once we find more Pokémon for you."

"That's still backtracking, Celena."

"Or it could be a detour."

Henry snapped his fingers, and the two trainers turned to face him. "Or you could train."

Celena and Jared looked at each other, confused. Jared then looked back at Henry. "I don't think there's enough training in the world to prepare me to face Brock."

"That's where you're wrong," Henry grinned. "Come on. I'll help you both take down camp, and then we can get started."

Danny quickly overtook Jason's lead, leading the group quickly in search of Pokémon. For his part, Jason recalled Pinsir back into his Poké Ball, thinking that the large Pokémon would scare off any wild Pokémon. Noah walked alongside Jason as the two followed after Danny, who, while ahead, still remained in sight as the trio wandered further into the forest, not following a path. Danny voiced his thoughts out loud, listing off the various Pokémon Jared described that lived in the forest. Noah was confident that his friend wouldn't hear him until they found a Pokémon and chuckled loudly.

"Your friend sure is excited," Jason commented, letting out a yawn.

Noah gave a quick nod. "I am too, but this is how Danny's been for as long as I've known him."

"Seriously? Is he this expressive with his emotions?"

Noah shrugged. "At least when he's happy, and he's always happy."

Jason shook his head. "No way. Everyone has a bad day."

"He always looks for what's good with a day. Honestly, I think as long as he gets to see me, Celena, and Jared, that's a good day for him, no matter what."

"How about before he met you and your friends?"

Noah shrugged again. "Does it really matter?"

"It just doesn't make any sense."

"That's Danny for you. He's always going to find a way to be happy. It's kind of infectious sometimes."

"Whatever. I'm too tired to be too happy."

It wouldn't take too long for the trio to come upon a Pokémon. Danny moved past a bush when a Rattata suddenly burst through from within and ran in front of him to the side. Noah and Jason both knew that a Rattata wasn't anything special and didn't think too much about going after it. Danny didn't care about how common Rattata were. A Rattata was a Pokémon and he was going to capture any Pokémon that he could, starting today. Danny pivoted off towards the direction of Rattata, and with an eager grin, sprinted after it.

"Rattata!" Danny exclaimed.

Jason took a few steps after Danny. "Hey, wait up! You don't want to get lost, do you?!"

Danny didn't respond, disappearing behind the treeline. Noah chuckled. "There he goes. I can't even hope to keep up with him."

"I probably could, but I'm too tired to," Jason yawned again. "Should we be worried?"

Noah shrugged. "It's just a Rattata. Danny can handle it, and he's always had good instinct. He'll probably beat us back to camp."

"Right. We'll leave him be and try to find your first Pokémon to catch."

Noah nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan to me."

With Henry's help, taking down the campsite didn't take long at all. The tents were packed away and secured within the large camping backpack. Henry also cleared up the campground a bit for training with Celena and Jared sitting down and watching silently. Jared was still anxious about how training was going to help him overcome Brock and kept quiet because of it, while Celena was naturally a quiet person. At the very least, Jared appreciated the calm. It was peaceful before whatever Henry had in mind came along.

"Let's get started," Henry said, looking at the two trainers. "What Pokémon do you have, Jared?"

"Just Caterpie and Weedle," Jared answered honestly, his voice quiet.

Henry nodded, taking a few moments to think. "How about you, Celena?"

"Me?" Celena blinked in surprise. "Charmander and Mankey, but I thought you were training Jared's team."

"I'll guide the training but your team is suited for his training at his current level," Henry explained. "I want you to use Mankey. Jared, your choice between Caterpie and Weedle to start out. I just want you to battle like normal. I'll say when to stop."

Jared wasn't sure what to make of Henry's training. He had plenty of experience battling with his friends already and none of them had Rock-type Pokémon. Even then, winning was a struggle. Jared could beat Danny sometimes, but against Celena and Noah, he needed a lucky strike from Weedle to poison their Pokémon to have a chance of winning. At least he wasn't going against Celena's Charmander, something he wouldn't be able to beat.

If Celena had the doubts about Henry's training that Jared had, she didn't show it at all. She stood up, took out her Poké Ball, and clicked on the button to release Mankey. Jared stood up after her and walked to the opposite side of the field. After weighing his options carefully, sent out Caterpie. He figured that it would make the battle more interesting than using Weedle, and if Henry decided he would continue to fight, then Weedle would be able to go against a weakened Mankey. Henry stepped on the edge of the makeshift battlefield, serving as a referee.

"Begin!"

"Mankey, use Scratch!"

"Use String Shot, Caterpie!"

Caterpie was limited with the amount of moves she knew and Mankey was no doubt stronger. Jared only hoped that Henry had something in mind that would give him an edge. Caterpie spat out a string of webs against Mankey but it did little to slow his charge. Mankey raised his claws and brought them down, slashing Caterpie who cried out in pain. Jared winced but knew that the battle had to go on.

"Hang in there, Caterpie! Use Tackle!"

"Scratch again, Mankey!"

The next attacks nearly decided the battle. Caterpie slammed against Mankey but her opponent was too much. Mankey's scratch attack pushed Caterpie back, battered from attacks. Before either trainer could shout another order, Henry stepped forward, signaling for the battle to come to an end.

"That was a good start," Henry explained. "Jared, swap out Pokémon. I'll tend to Caterpie with a Potion."

"Oh," Jared gasped in surprise. "Thank you."

"What about me?" Celena asked.

"Once Mankey takes some more hits, you can swap out so I can treat him," Henry answered. "We're just going to keep at it for now. It'll be repetitive but it should work out."

"If you say so," Celena said with a shrug.

Jared nodded at Henry's instructions, letting him take Caterpie away in his arms. He could see the more experienced trainer pulling out a Potion to use to treat the Pokémon. Mankey glared, becoming more angry at seeing a delay in battle. Jared gulped, knowing that Mankey's anger might push him to be stronger. Yet, he remained confident in Henry's training routine and sent out Weedle with a small smile.

"Let's do this, Weedle!" Jared cheered out, starting another battle with Celena.

Danny continued to chase after the Rattata, running as fast as he could to keep the Pokémon in sight. The chase weaved across trees and over logs with the other Pokémon steering clear of the trainer. Danny didn't care about the other Pokémon he saw in the forest. His mind was set on catching the Rattata that darted away in front of him. He couldn't wait to tell his friends how the chase and capture went and looked forward to the opportunity of battling with Rattata.

Eventually, the chase came to an end with both trainer and Pokémon exhausted, pausing to catch their breath. In his mind, Danny knew that he could have kept on going if the Rattata had been able to. His body was tired now that he stopped but he was always good at running long distances. He just stopped because the Rattata needed to catch its breath. Slowly, Danny pulled out two Poké Balls, one empty and one holding Bulbasaur, and took a step forward with a smile.

"That was a really good chance," Danny complimented. "Can I catch you now?"

The Rattata started to scamper away, although its movements were slow from exhaustion.

"Looks like I'll need Bulbasaur's help then," Danny took another step forward after the Rattata. "Don't worry. We're not going to hurt you."

Although this was the first time he would catch a Pokémon, Danny always had ideas on how to do it. He released Bulbasaur and issued a simple command, instructing his Pokémon to restrain Rattata with Vine Whip. The Rattata tried to escape by crawling and biting away the vines but was soon held up in the air, restrained. Danny tossed the Poké Ball at the Rattata, who was absorbed into it through a bright white light. The Poké Ball shook several times before it clicked, confirming a successful capture.

"I did it!" Danny gasped, grabbing the Poké Ball and holding it up in the air. "My first capture!"

Only Bulbasaur was present to witness the capture and cried out in joy at his trainer's success. Danny recalled his Pokémon back and pocketed both Poké Balls. Although there was a brief moment where he thought he was lost, instinct kicked in. His head turned to his side, and with a nod, he knew that was where the camp was. From there, he could find his way to Pewter City, and then reunite with his friends. Taking a deep breath in, Danny bursted in a sprint in that direction. He couldn't wait to tell his friends that he caught a Pokémon.

"Squirtle, use Water Gun again!"

Noah watched his Pokémon blast a burst of water from his mouth, aimed at a flying Spearow. The bird flew in between two trees, avoiding most of the water from the attack. Noah had to admit that the wild Pokémon knew how to stay ahead of him and Squirtle. Since deciding to capture Spearow, the wild Pokémon had been able to avoid most of their attacks.

"You missed again," Jason commented with a smirk.

"I'd like to see you try to hit a flying Pokémon with water," Noah shot back.

"It's too bad I don't have a Pokémon that can do that, or I would," Jason laughed.

"Just try to keep up. Come on, Squirtle!"

Noah and Squirtle chased after the Spearow with Jason following behind. When he first woke up, he didn't expect to be chasing after a Spearow to capture it. He didn't really feel the need to capture any of the Pokémon in the forest. There was nothing that appealed to him and he already had two Pokémon for the upcoming gym battle. However, with Danny already out trying to capture a Rattata, Noah figured it wouldn't hurt to join in on the fun.

At least it was a Spearow that Noah wanted to catch and not a Pidgey like Jason had. Kanto had too many Pidgeys.

"One more hit, Squirtle!" Noah called out, taking out a Poké Ball. "Use Water Gun!"

Squirtle blasted another burst of water out of his mouth. Although Spearow tried to avoid the attack by weaving to the right, Squirtle had predicted where his foe would fly off to sand aimed accordingly. The Water Gun struck Spearow across the back and knocked it out of flight and onto the dirt ground. Noah knew that it was his chance to capture it. He threw the Poké Ball forward and it struck the Spearow with the white light absorbing the Pokémon.

While watching the ball shake once, Noah, Jason, and Squirtle all perked up upon hearing the crack of branches snapping to their right. They turn in time to see Victor emerge from the foliage of nearby wilderness, grunting as he pulls his foot free from a bush. Noah resisted the urge to roll his eyes when he realized that Victor stumbled on his first successful capture.

"You again," Victor grunted, looking at Jason.

"That's right," Jason grinned, turning back to the Poké Ball shake again. "I'm not going to waste time battling you again until you get better."

"You're just in time," Noah chuckled. "I've caught a Pokémon, Victor. You're still stuck with your one-"

The Poké Ball snapped in half with Spearow bursting free of the ball. The trainers gasped and Squirtle turned back to return to battle. However, the Spearow was already on the move, and this time, it wasn't running. Its talons kicked dirt right into Squirtle's eyes. Squirtle fired off another Water Gun, but with the dirt blinding him, the shot went wide and struck a tree instead. Noah took out Squirtle's Poké Ball and recalled his Pokémon.

"You're going to have to try harder than that," Victor grinned and pulled out his own Poké Ball. "Let the future champ show you how it's done!"

"Not happening," Noah called out, reaching into his backpack for another empty Poké Ball. "I've already weakened the Spearow. Just one more throw should do the trick."

"If you try to step in to make the catch, I'll defeat you just like yesterday," Jason warned Victor.

Noah gasped. "I'm out of Poké Balls!"

"Then it looks like you won't be making this catch," Victor laughed, chasing after the Spearow.

"Hang on," Jason quickly reached into his own backpack. "I have extras that you can use."

"Too slow!" Victor declared and threw his Poké Ball. "Electabuzz, It's time for a Thunder Wave!"

Electabuzz was released from his Poké Ball, already surging with electric energy. He redirected his energy towards Spearow, although he was careful to make sure the electric attack wouldn't be directly harmful. One wrong shock would be all it takes to defeat Spearow. The electricity struck Spearow, and although it tried to jump up into the sky to fly away, its wings were paralyzed. It was an easy target for Victor to throw an empty Poké Ball at the Spearow.

Noah and Jason watched the Poké Ball shake three times before snapping.

"That's how it's done!" Victor grinned. "Good work, Electabuzz!"

"What are you waiting for?" Noah asked, looking at Jason. "You said you would fight him if he got involved. He did."

"He did," Jason said, watching Victor run toward Electabuzz so that the two could celebrate. "I think they forgot we were here."

"Then remind them!"

Slowly, Jason shook his head. "I don't think I will."

"Why not?" Noah gasped.

"He might be a bully but I'm not going to ruin this moment for him," Jason answered. "You ran out of Poké Balls. That sucks but when you did you weren't going to catch the Spearow. I wasn't going to catch it either."

Noah sighed. "Maybe you're right. I guess that I'm just upset."
The two trainers watched Victor and Electabuzz jump up in the air, bumping against each other. Afterwards, he picked up the Poké Ball with one hand and held up his other hand with two fingers out like a V. Noah held back a laugh, thinking about how over the top. Then again, he remembered that Victor always used Electabuzz in battles back at trainer school. Spearow might very well be his first capture. Maybe Jason was right about letting him have this moment.

Although Noah made a mental note to himself not to make his celebration that big of a deal whenever he finally caught his first Pokémon.

"Also, I think that Henry wouldn't like it if I kept messing with him," Jason said with a chuckle.

"I bet he would," Noah smirked.

Victor finally turned to face Noah and Jason, oblivious to their conversation. "Alright! It's rematch time!"

"Another day," Jason shook his head. "Get stronger first then I'll take you on again."

"How about you, Noah? You and your friends owe me a battle."

"Let me catch a Pokémon first," Noah nodded. "Then you're on."

"Fine," Victor turned and started to walk away. "If you're both going to say no, then I'm just going to find someone who'll say yes. I'm taking on the Gym Leader."

"Not before I do," Jason glanced towards Noah. "Do you think you can keep up with us?"

"What about my friends?"

"They'll catch up. My brother's with them. Let's go!"

Jason didn't wait for Noah to respond before he bursted into a sprint, passing Victor and Electabuzz. Victor gasped, then recalled his Pokémon so that he could make it to Pewter City first. Noah thought about it, and after realizing that chasing after Spearow may have gotten him lost, shrugged and ran after Jason and Victor. Although the oldest of his friend group, he had to let them go to see how their adventures would go. The start of his adventure was just beginning.

Jared didn't keep track of how long he trained with Celena. Caterpie and Weedle didn't mind the continuous battling. They have fought many times today already and were healed thanks to Henry. In fact, Jared thought that they were pushing themselves harder as part of the training. He hoped that it would be enough to make a difference in his journey but had his doubts. His Pokémon were lasting longer in battle against Mankey and Charmander (who held back on fire attacks) but he wasn't seeing any significant changes that would help with the upcoming gym battle.

Despite these doubts, Henry convinced Jared to keep pushing on with the training. The young trainer seeing his Pokémon fighting on despite the odds showed him a lesson he wasn't aware of. If he was going to succeed as a trainer, he needed to push on even when the odds were difficult. Jared needed to look past the reasons he saw for why he wouldn't win. If his Pokémon were willing to fight in the upcoming gym battle despite the odds, then maybe he could defeat Brock.

With newfound resolve, Jared focused on the battle. Caterpie faced down Mankey with both Pokémon injured. Mankey, who had previously fought Weedle, was just as worn down as Caterpie at this moment, and was covered in String Shot. Caterpie had taken on a few attacks from Mankey but had found her resolve through training as well. Henry had yet to call off the battle to treat the Pokémon although he watched the fight closely. Celana pointed out to Caterpie and called out, not giving up so easily.

"Mankey, use Scratch!"

"Go in with Tackle, Caterpie!" Jared called out to his Pokémon.

Caterpie squirmed forward towards a stronger opponent. Mankey held his ground, raising his claws before swinging them down towards his foe. Yet, Caterpie maneuvered out of the way, taking advantage of the webbing that slowed Mankey down. With Mankey vulnerable, Caterpie closed in for an attack and slammed her body against him. The attack was enough to knock Mankey off of his feet and onto the ground, where he fell unconscious.

Jared was about to celebrate his victory with Caterpie when she became enveloped in a bright light. The young trainer shielded his eyes, unable to see what was happening to his Pokémon. Yet, in his mind, he knew exactly what was happening. Evolution was a subject that the trainer school touched on briefly but it was never something the students saw for themselves. Jared couldn't help himself but smile when the light faded away. Where Caterpie once stood was a Pokémon that resembled a green cocoon, a Pokémon that he recognized immediately.

"Metapod," Jared said.

"Amazing," Celena gasped.

"There we go," Henry clapped his hands. "I knew a lot of trainers who looked down on Bug-type Pokémon. I don't think they ever appreciated something that made them stand out."

"They evolve fast," Jared nodded.

"A Caterpie and Weedle might not do well against a Rock-type Gym Leader, but keep up the training, and you'll have a Butterfree and Beedrill to battle with," Henry grinned. "You'll get that badge in no time."

Celena recalled Mankey into a Poké Ball and nodded. "Just say the word and I'll keep training with you like this."

"Thanks, Celena," Jared said, then turned to Henry. "And thank you. You gave me the hope I needed to push through."

"Not a problem," Henry smiled. "And of course, I'll be glad to train with you too once we make it to Pewter City."

Jared gave a quick nod, then walked forward to join his Pokémon. Metapod couldn't move outside of battle so he grabbed and held her up. Her carapace was tough yet her trainer was still gentle. Celena walked up to join Jared, placing a hand on top of Metapod. Soon, she would evolve again, and as Butterfree, take on Brock and his Pokémon. Together, they were going to go far.

"I'm back!" Jared and Celena turned to the side to spot Danny, who dashed towards the group with a Poké Ball raised in the air. "I caught a Pokémon!"

"That's great, Danny!" Celena nodded, although her eyes were looking past him. "Where's Noah though?"

"I don't know," Danny admitted before spotting the Metapod. "Jared, did you catch a new Pokémon?"

Jared chuckled. "No, I didn't. Caterpie evolved."

"No way!" Danny gasped. "I can't believe I've missed out on a Pokémon evolving!"

"I'm sure you'll get a chance to see it happen for yourself," Henry said in an encouraging tone.

"What happened to Noah and Jason?" Celena asked Danny with a hint of concern.

Danny looked around while speaking. "Well, I was chasing a Rattata, but I guess I lost them."

"Knowing my brother, he's probably at Pewter City right now," Henry laughed. "I hope Noah followed him."

"So you think we should head on to Pewter City?" Jared asked Henry.

"Yep," Henry said with a nod. "Come on. We don't want to keep them waiting."

Henry took charge and walked off, leading the way to Pewter City. Danny ran past the older trainer and passed him to take the lead. Jared and Celena walked at their own pace, at least keeping Henry in sight. The group would arrive in Pewter City before the end of the day and hopefully reunite with Noah and Jason. The gym battle would be fun after he completed his training but Jared looked forward to seeing his home again and checking up on his family. He hoped with the progress that he was making, they would be proud of what he was going to accomplish.

A/N: So, I'm back. It's been... it's actually been years since I last updated. I've been slowly writing this chapter over that time. It wasn't really difficult, it's just that life moves on. College kept me busy as did my other writing goals and of course writer's block was a problem I struggled with constantly during that time too.

I'd like to post more updates to my stories here. I won't make it a promise but I will say that I'm trying.

I remain optimistic that I will write another chapter or two over the next month or so but we'll have to wait and see on that. The next few chapters will take place in Pewter City but I'm not going to write out all of the gym battles that happen. For story reasons, the only battle I'll go into detail over will be Jared's battle with the others being glossed over in the narrative. The gym battle will still be a bit away as there are other surprises in store.

Until next time.