Chapter 5

The Forest

"You're Meowth is fully healed!" Joy said cheerfully when Patrick returned from his training session with Samuel. The jerk had thrown rocks at a flock of Spearow and had Nidoran and Bug fend off the angry hoard. Bugs growing abilities with Thundershock proved very effective against the weak flying types.

"Oh! Great! But, um… it isn't my Meowth. I think it was a stray and Nidoran accidentally poisoned it. So, I had to rush it to the Pokécenter." Patrick said, explaining the odd situation. Nidoran, still not believing it had done anything wrong, snorted.

"I did notice it had no trainer signature on it. That's okay, you can just tap it with a pokéball to catch it now I imagine. Once Pokémon are beaten in battle, they become remarkably submissive to the trainer." Joy explained.

"No, no! It doesn't belong to me! My Pokémon just beat it up and then I took it here to be healed." Patrick said, trying to explain that he had no ownership over the Pokémon.

"That's… that's how trainers catch Pokémon though. You beat them and then catch them." Joy said, unsure as to why the trainer wasn't understanding a main component of his profession.

"That feels… barbaric… doesn't it?" Patrick argued halfheartedly, starting to imagine having a 3rd Pokémon. It would make his team stronger…

"That's how it works!" Joy said, cheerfully. "Come, I'll introduce you to Meowth." Turning and heading through the doors. They passed several more doors before stopping in front of one. "She is a bit bigger than a regular Meowth but is very malnourished. Hence why the poison affected her so rapidly. She'll need bed rest and plenty of food and water. Don't push her too hard for the next couple of days. Basic obedience and bonding sessions are fine but no sparring."

Pushing the door open, they walked into a room that was another long hallway. Was this entire building composed of long hallways? Chain link fencing created small kennels every couple of feet. Meowth was in the very first one and looking perfectly healthy, if a bit thin.

Meowth was busy cleaning her paw when they entered and regarded the two humans with a bored glance, a flash of recognition in her eyes when she looked at Patrick. She returned to continue grooming herself when her eyes landed on Nidoran, who was glaring daggers at her. With a jump, the cat spun around and crouched down, hissing. The cream-colored fur on her neck and back standing straight up.

Responding to the challenge, Nidoran hissed and spat on the other side of the cage. Quills bristled and claws were barred as the two Pokémon tried to intimidate each other from across the chain-link fence.

"Perhaps it's best if you return Nidoran to his pokéball for this encounter." Nurse Joy said, pausing as she was just about to open the gate, not wanting to have to admit either Pokémon for treatment.

With a nod, Patrick crouched down and quickly explained that Nidoran needed to go in his pokéball for a little while but would be released very soon. With a reluctant nod and a final glare at the tan feline, Nidoran tapped the center button on his Pokéball and disappeared inside. With the threat no longer present, Meowth quickly relaxed and went back to grooming.

Unlocking the cage, Patrick was allowed to enter and greet the Pokémon. Slowing getting to its feet, the cat stretched and walked over to Patrick, regarding him curiously. Up close Patrick could see the gold coin on the Pokémon's forehead. It had been dirty and dull when they had first met in the alley, but Joy must have cleaned it because now it sparkled and gleamed under the fluorescent lights.

Tentatively Patrick reached out his hand, allowing Meowth to come to him. Meowth hesitated only for a second before nuzzling into the offered appendage. Patrick lightly scratched her neck and under her chin and was rewarded with a deep purr as the Meowth leaned even further into the scratching.

"Well she doesn't like Nidoran, but she loves you!" Remarked Joy from the chain gate. "Offer her a pokéball, she should know what to do."

Grabbing one of the empty red and white balls attached to his belt, Patrick slowly placed it in front of the feline.

"If you want to be my Pokémon and travel with me, all you have to do is tap here," Patrick explained, showing the cat the white button that separated the red top from the white bottom.

After a few moments of thought, where Meowth's tail flicked back and forth behind her, she finally made up her mind and tapped the ball with a paw. Quickly dissolving into red light, she was sucked into the ball in Patrick's hand.

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The next few days were mostly spent in the gym, with an emphasis on helping Patrick and Meowth bond and train together. Basic hand commands, battle scenarios, and etiquette when outside her pokéball were all drilled into the overwhelmed cat. Bug and Nidoran continued their intense training as they had before, though Meowth was still deemed not fit enough to participate.

Although Nidoran and Meowth were no longer trying to rip each other to shreds every time they were in the same room, neither Pokémon was able to relax when near the other and they preferred to be as far apart as possible.

Prowling the tall grass of Route 1, Patrick and Samuel were just finishing up their latest combat session. Nidoran and Bug were indiscriminately fighting off any Pokémon they encountered. Meowth, who had come along just to observe, had proven to be a remarkable hunter and had killed a Rattata that had been lurking in a nearby bush. The tan feline had then proceeded to eat the purple rodent, much to the disgust of her Trainer.

"A job came across my desk this morning I thought you might be interested in," Samuel mentioned casually, as they were nearing the city's South Gate.

"I don't have any badges, am I able to take a job?" Patrick asked interest piqued.

"No, but I think you have trained enough not to get in the way. Think of yourself as an unpaid intern." Samuel said, smirking.

"And this job is?" Patrick growled, bristling at the intern comment.

"Escort mission to Pewter!" Samuel announced. Patrick's eyebrows shot up at that. He hadn't been planning on making his way through the forest for another month or two. His Pokémon on their own still weren't strong enough to adequately protect him for the long journey.

Civilians who had the money but not the Pokémon would often hire trainers to escort them safely through the Viridian Forest. "I thought that might interest you." Samuel chuckled. "A merchant from Pewter just put in a job request to be escorted back to Pewter after his buying trip in Viridian. I already have two trainers, brothers actually, who have claimed it, but I think I can convince them to allow you to accompany them. Safer for everyone involved! Of course, you can't be paid. So officially you will just happen to leave at the same time as the escort, and tag along."

"That's great! When do we leave?" Patrick asked, mentally checking to see if he had finished all his business in Viridian.

There was no badge to be earned in Viridian. Despite multiple postings, no trainer was willing to take on the position of Gym Leader. With over a decade of disappearances or desertions from previous leaders, it wasn't a very tempting position. It had gotten so bad at one point that Blue himself had to become Leader for a few years but he had been called back to resume his duties as champion.

Patrick had already searched the entirety of the inner city and most of the outer city and hadn't been able to find any extrinsic evolutions. Since viridian wasn't a very popular hub for trainers, especially with no Badge to draw challengers, the amount of new Pokémon coming into the city was quite small. Perhaps it was time to move on.

Pewter and Viridian both weren't as bustling as the cities to the east, despite being classified as 'Major Cities'. The Vermillion Bay and Moon Mountain Range acted as very effective natural barriers that made the trip west unappealing for most of the population that lived in the eastern half of Kanto. Pewter did offer a Badge, however, and that would draw trainers from all over Kanto, and with them Extrinsic Evolutions.

"You leave in two days!" Samuel answered. "Sorry for the late notice, I only recently found trainers to fulfill the request. Honestly, they are on the low end of what I would accept for an escort mission but they'll do. They both have 2 badges."

They continued to chat about the Viridian Forest, any threats they might encounter, and what Pewter was like. Passing through the South Gate, they nodded at Jason who waved them past the queue and into the city without bothering to check their IDs. Samuel returned Nidoking to his Pokéball, who was far too large and poisonous to walk the streets of Viridian, and Patrick returned Meowth. While Meowth was allowed out, it was considered bad form to have more than one Pokémon out of their pokéball in a crowded area. Bug didn't count because he was, as always, hidden in Patrick's hood.

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Patrick met the escort outside the North Gate at sunrise two days later. Back in his traveling gear, he had his tough hiking pants back on and his blue hoodie once again covering the armor that he wore on his chest, shins, and forearms. His collapsible baton hung from a clip on his belt, ready for use at a moment's notice.

Strapped securely to his back was his pack that held spare clothes, food and water, a small tent, antivenom, and other essentials he might need. Walking through Viridian he had been struck with the realization that everything he owned was strapped to his person. The total freedom to move and travel at a moment's notice with nothing to tie him to a specific location was a new and novel feeling.

He had chosen to release Meowth from her Pokéball to walk with him out of the city, much to the displeasure of Nidoran. Walking through the city with Meowth was very different than with Nidoran. While Nidoran typically stayed obediently by Patrick's side, Meowth stayed in the general area of her trainer. She would wander down back alleys or look in trashcans and Patrick would lose sight of her for minutes at a time, before she would suddenly appear, sitting on a wall or exiting an alley. At one point she even brought Patrick a very shiny quarter. He wasn't sure if it was a gift or just something to hold for safe keeping, so he put it in his pack.

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"-and that's how I got my second badge in Cinnabar. Beautiful place! White sandy beaches, palm trees, and natural hot springs everywhere! I'd go back there in a heartbeat! But not too many jobs for 2 Badge trainers, so I gotta get some more before I can go back." Ed said.

"Yeah, great place. If you can ignore the giant volcano that's ready to erupt at any moment." Rob muttered.

Rob and Ed were brothers from Fuchsia. They had gotten their first badges a few years before and had spent some time in the Cinnabar islands where they had eventually earned their second badges from Blane. From there, they had headed north through Pallet, visiting Oak's Lab and Ranch of course, before picking up the escort job in Viridian.

Dressed like him, they wore thick, durable clothes in a mixture of dark greys, blues, and greens. Besides the difference in hair color, they looked nearly identical with hair cut short and a couple of days' worth of facial hair. Ed was blonde, while his brother Rob was jet black. Patrick found the coloring appropriate as Ed was high energy and cheerful while Rob dark and gloomy.

Riding the cart behind them was their charge, David. Well into his 50s, David had grey thinning hair on his head and an immaculately trimmed goatee. He was a merchant who traded often between Pewter and Viridian, braving the forest that many of his competitors wouldn't dare step in. He loosely held the reign to a very large Taurus as it plodded along, pulling the overladen cart down the country road. Patrick, Rob, and Ed's packs were tucked neatly away at the back of the cart. David graciously offered to store them, so the trainers didn't have to carry all their belongings over the many miles to Pewter.

They were about an hour outside of Viridian and the rolling hills that surrounded the city were becoming more and more covered in trees and foliage the further north they went. According to Ed and Rob, they were another hour away from the official border of the viridian forest, where the trees would become so dense, they would 'swallow the road entirely, and leave you walking through a tunnel of green shadows. Where killer Mankey and man-sized Beedrill lurked, waiting for you to let your guard down for just a moment.'

According to Rob at least. Ed had been making ghost noises while his brother gave his morbid monologue, leaving Patrick unsure how much to believe.

Once they had left the confines of the city, all three trainers released their Pokémon that they would be traveling with. Patrick released Nidoran who happily stayed by Patrick's side and glared at Meowth before the cat slipped into the tall grass in search of unsuspecting prey. Ed released a Pidgeotto, that had taken to the sky and had been circling them high above ever since, and Rob released a pair of Ekans that slithered along the ground on either side of the party. Flicking their forked tongues to taste the air. Between Pidgeotto's eyes, Nidoran's ears, Meowth's roaming, and the Ekans' sense of smell, it was the safest Patrick had ever felt outside of the main city.

The next hour passed similarly, the foliage began to thicken and the terrain began to flatten. Far to their West, the Indigo mountain range was barely cresting the horizon, a jagged saw blade emerging from the earth. Sheltered amongst those peaks somewhere was the Indigo Plateau, the seat of power for the Elite 4, the strongest trainers in both Kanto and Johto. Potentially the most powerful people on the planet, they lead teams of Pokémon capable of flattening towns and taking on an army.

The Elite 4 had originally been conceived as a peacekeeping initiative between two warring nations. Each nation sent two champions along with political leaders, economists, civil servants, and various experts in every field imaginable to negotiate a treaty to bring an end to the bloodshed that had plagued their shared history. Not trusting the other, Kanto and Johto sent only their strongest trainers to protect their representatives. After a series of negotiations, debates, renegotiations, and more debates a treaty had finally been created that both nations were willing to sign.

Part of the agreement was the continuation of the Elite 4, not to protect arguing dignitaries, but as a deterrent against future wars. Supported by both nations but under jurisdiction from neither, the Elite 4 became the impartial 3rd party on all disputes that may arise between the two nations. With enough power amongst them to hold their own against either nation, the tenuous truce between Johto and Kanto was born.

Since then, the Elite 4s role had grown and expanded to become the governing body of all trainers in both regions and particular attention was given to those trainers who completed the full 8 badge circuit in either region. While it had practical uses as a metric to gauge the strength of trainers for various jobs, the badge circuit was also used to track the most powerful individuals. A fully certified 8-badge trainer was the equivalent of a walking Weapon of Mass Destruction.

The mountain range traveled further north, past the horizon where it would loop east and then finally south, ending with Mt. Moon. Their destination, Pewter City, was nestled in the valley created by that loop.

"Wow." Ed's impressed whistle brought him out of his musings. They had just crested a hill, the last hill they'd see for a while it appeared, and the Viridian Forrest in all its glory was laid out before them. From horizon to horizon, a great green canopy of towering trees covered the landscape. Oak trees with massive trunks stretched high into the sky, they're massive branches spreading out and weaving into the neighboring trees, creating a leafy roof dozens of feet in the air. Hanging from branches and coiling around the trunks, thick vines clung to every surface, leeching nutrients from their hosts. Small shrubs and ferns filled the gaps between the great trunks, fighting for any sunlight that managed to filter through the canopy and reach the dark forest floor.

"That's a big forest," Rob muttered, mirroring his brother's thoughts.

"I thought you two had been here before? You were telling me all about it on the way here." Patrick asked, turning to the brothers curiously. They seemed to be experts in that area as they advised Patrick on what hazards he was likely to encounter and the best response to each.

"Nope, never been. We came from Fuchsia, remember? Everything we know about this forest was in the job briefing Sam gave us. Did he not give you one as well?" Ed replied.

"No, he must have forgotten..." Patrick muttered, irritated with his disorganized friend.

"We're not in the forest yet, gentlemen. Not until we pass Gail's house at least." David called from his perch on the cart.

"Who is Gail?" Patrick asked, all three trainers turning to their older client.

"She's a bit of a hermit, I suppose. Don't let her hear you call her that though. She lives out here with her Pokémon. She doesn't particularly like visitors, but she and I have something of a friendship. I'm planning on stopping for a minute to drop off a few packages for her. Her house should be just a bit further on the left." David explained to the trainers pointing further up the trail.

The trees were growing taller and closer together now and Ed was forced to return Pidgeotto to its pokéball, as the large bird was having difficulty flying through the canopy. Grabbing the second ball at his waist Ed released his second Pokémon, Voltorb. The red and white sphere about the size of a basketball materialized out of the white light. Its suspicious eyes quickly scanned the area before turning to Ed.

Once the swap was complete, the party started again. Eye's peeled, looking for Gail's house. To Patrick's surprise, the Voltorb hovered silently above the ground as they traveled, rather than rolling as Patrick had assumed.

David was the first to spot Gail's house amongst the trees. Built at the base of a particularly large tree, the wooden structure perfectly blended in with the surrounding foliage. Upright logs formed the walls, still covered in bark. The thatch roof slanted upwards, leaning against the huge tree trunk. A crude door was the only entrance to the small house and no windows adorned the walls. Moss, vines, and small ferns covered the dwelling as if the forest was trying to reclaim the foreign structure.

Set far back from the road, a faint worn trail snaked through the trees to the house. If David had not pointed it out, Patrick would have walked right past.

"What are you three gawking at!" A grouchy voice called from behind the group. All three trains spun around as an old woman emerged from the tree line. Barely over 4 feet tall, the tiny woman had a huge pack made of wood and cloth that held heaps of herbs, berries, leaves, and mushrooms on her back. Her gray hair was pulled back into a messy bun and sharp, black eyes peered at them from behind a pair of glasses. Meowth sat on the ground next to her, licking a paw, and gave Nidoran a smug glare.

"It's good to see you, Gail. How have you been?" David said easily, sliding off the cart and hugging the woman.

"Same as always, you old coot. The forest gives me what I need and my boys take care of what I don't." Gail replied, returning the hug and turning to the three trainers. "One of you must be the owner of this Meowth, she's been following me for the past ten minutes."

"That would be me," Patrick said, bending down and scratching the Pokémon behind the ears.

"Where are your boys anyways? I figured I would run into one of them before I saw you." David said, peering into the thick foliage, looking for 'her boys'.

"Jonathon, Matthew! Come out. It's rude not to introduce yourselves!" Gail called into the surrounding forest. Patrick, Ed, and Rob also looked around curiously. Straining their ears, trying to predict where the two men would appear from.

Thwump.

What they didn't predict was a mass of shaggy white fur to land directly in the middle of the party. Startled, all trainers and Pokémon burst into motion. Patrick jumped backward, creating space between himself and the newcomer. Ed and Rob doing likewise. Nidoran protectively leaped in front of Patrick while one of the Ekans lunged at the threat, mouth unhinged and fangs bared. Before the Ekans could puncture its skin however a thick mitt of a hand shot out and grabbed the snake at the base of its head, immobilizing it. Quickly leaning to the left, it neatly dodged the arc of electricity that streaked from Voltorb and sailed harmlessly into the forest.

Patrick took a moment to size up this new Pokémon. Standing 4 feet tall, its broad ape-like body was covered in a thick coat of white fur while its limbs were bare, thick muscles and scars crisscrossed its arms and legs. Dark metal bands encircled its wrists and ankles. Ekans struggled in its glove-like hand, trying to wiggle free but its grip was unyielding.

"Jonathon! Let go of that Ekans!" Gail yelled, stomping over to the Pokémon and smacking it on the back of the head. The Primape made a sound between a grunt and oink and carefully placed the Ekans back on the ground, looking ashamed. The Ekans quickly slithered over to its brother, who comforted it and scanned it for injuries. "At least, Matthew had the manners to not terrorize our guests!" Gesturing to the tree line where a second Primape was standing in the shadows watching its brother with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

"Still rambunctious as ever! Hello boys, nice to see you again!" David said cheerfully, unfazed by the sudden appearance or the subsequently failed attack.

"Hello, um… Jonathon and Matthew…" Patrick said, feeling strange talking to the two Primapes with oddly human names. Ed and Rob likewise greeted the two apes.

"Anyways, come in. I need to put this pack down before my shoulders fall off." Gail said, hoisting the pack higher on her back and heading to the small house.

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Gail's house was small and cozy. A small kitchen area took up the left side of the room, while a seating area took up the right side. An unlit fire pit was directly in the center, a narrow hole in the roof allowing any smoke to escape. Patrick thought the setup was probably a fire hazard but held his tongue. At the very back was a doorway that used an old worn blanket in place of a door. All the furniture was crude and homemade, likely assembled by Gail herself. The kitchen had various pots, pans, knives and other utensils neatly organized on wooden shelves or hanging from hooks on the low ceiling. A pelt of an unknown blue Pokémon covered most of the seating area, the rest of the floor consisting of packed earth.

Unceremoniously throwing the pack on the wooden table, which swayed slightly under its weight of it, Gail turned to the four of them. Matthew and Jonathon had preferred to stay out in the open rather than crowd into the tiny home.

"I assume you stopped by for more than just to say hello," Gail asked, ignoring any preamble and getting right to the point.

"Of course, I also brought gifts!" David said, pulling out some small packages wrapped in cloth and handing them to Gail. Weighing them in her hands, she examined them before putting them on the table as well, still wrapped.

"You want to know what the forest is saying, don't you?" She said. It wasn't a question.

"If you would be so kind."

"It's not good. If I knew you had any sense, I would tell you to turn back. But I know you'll keep going, so listen. The nests to the east are stirring, I don't know if it's the weather, looking for food, or in search of new territory. I haven't seen any near the main road yet, but it's just a matter of time. The Samurai has been trying to hold them back, but even he has his hands full."

"What nests? Who is the Samurai?" Rob cut in, eyes calculating.

"The nests are Pinsir nests. The Eastern forest has been crawling with them for years but they have stayed far from the road. They are becoming more aggressive and have been advancing steadily. Taking everything they find back to their nest." Gail explained. "The Samurai is a trainer who lives in the forest. He protects the road along with his Pokémon, but it's a long road and he is one man."

"We can take care of a Pinsir. We have 7 Pokémon between the 3 of us, we'll squash it like a bug." Ed said confidently.

"I've had run-ins with Pinsir in the past, the trainers I hired have always been able to drive them off. I appreciate your concern though." David said sincerely. "And I have three escorts this time! Nothing is going to bother us."

"Don't say I didn't warn you… Well, I hope you make it through alive. Feel free to bring more gifts the next time you pass." Gail said, already turning away and starting to unpack her foliage into the various jars and cupboards in the kitchen. "You know where the door is so you can let yourself out." Taking that as a goodbye, David wished her well and lead the way out of the house. Followed by Ed and Rob already discussing how they would take down the next Pinsir they met.

Patrick hesitated and glanced at his Pokédex one last time. The word 'Pinsir' was at the top of the screen with the words 'Major Threat' directly underneath.