Chapter 5

Felix and Daisy at last approached the southern border of Viridian City.

"My grandpa's parcel is over here. The shopkeeper of the PokeMart is holding it for him," said Daisy.

The two friends headed east. Green gardens lined the streets of the town. They passed what looked to Felix to be a Pokemon hospital. A kid that seemed to be a bug enthusiast started rambling to them about the difference between two caterpillar type Pokemon. Felix couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the size and beauty of Viridian City, especially compared to his hometown of Pallet.

At last, they arrived at the doors of the Pokemon Mart.

"They have whole stores dedicated to Pokemon here?" asked Felix in wonder.

"Yeah! We don't see it as much in small Pallet Town, but Pokemon training is becoming more and more popular in the bigger cities! Since my grandpa is a professor of Pokemon, I get to see it closer than you and my other friends from Pallet Town," replied Daisy. "Let's go in and I'll show you all of the cool stuff they have!"

Felix, Daisy, and Pikachu walked in through the front door. A little bell rang as the door opened. Shelves lined the walls with one splitting the room in half, creating two isles. A man was muttering to himself about how Potions were finally in stock. A man with dark hair and glasses stood at the counter and greeted them.

"Daisy from Pallet Town! How are you?" called the store clerk.

"I'm well! How are you?" asked Daisy, walking toward the counter.

"I'm great now that we finally received our order for Potions. They've been in high demand and we've been out of stock," said the store clerk cheerily. "Hey, speaking of orders, your grandfather's order came in. Will you take it to him?"

"That's why we're here!" said Daisy, smiling as she took the package.

"Give Professor Oak my regards! Great man, your grandfather," said the store clerk.

"I will! We're just going to have a look around, if that's ok," Daisy replied.

"Of course! Who's your friend?" asked the store clerk.

"Oh, this is my friend, Felix," said Daisy.

"That's a good-looking Pikachu you got there, Felix," said the store clerk. Pikachu perked up upon hearing this. He had been playing with Paralyze Heals on the bottom shelf.

"Thank you! This place is really cool. I've never been in a store just for Pokemon before," said Felix.

"You haven't?" said the store clerk, a little flabbergasted. "By the looks of you and that Pikachu, I thought you'd have had your share of Pokemon battles."

"No, I've only been in two. But I hope to be in many more," said Felix. He imagined himself deep in Team Rocket Headquarters, Pikachu zapping every "R" bearing crook they came across.

"That's the spirit!" said the store clerk with enthusiasm. "I like watching a good Pokemon battle, but here in small, out-of-the-way Viridian City, we just have a bunch of novices. Occasionally, a really talented and accomplished trainer will roll in and try to challenge the gym, but it's been closed now for several months."

"Is that allowed? How can anyone collect all of the badges if a gym is closed?" Daisy piped in, "How can someone claim to be the best in Viridian City if you are never here?"

"Well, people have tried starting gyms here since the original closed, but the local Bug Catchers didn't cut it for the Elite Four to make any of them an official Gym. No one knows who the true Gym Leader of Viridian City is, but if you ask me, the Elite Four knows who it is and why the Gym is closed. I'm just not sure what the motivation behind closing the Gym is. Surely the Elite Four want people to complete the Gym Challenge so that the business of Pokemon battling stays lucrative. There hasn't been an Elite Four challenger in years. That can't be good for business. There's something shady happening, for sure."

"Well, with no one to hold them accountable, no business is squeaky clean in Kanto," sighed Daisy.

"In these tough times, innocence is tough to keep," the store clerk said quietly, looking down at the counter. "You two stay safe. There's been a report that Team Rocket has been seen in these parts. They aren't usually this far west. The future of Kanto is grim."

"Thank you," said Daisy sweetly. "I'll get this parcel to my grandfather as soon as I can."

"Well, if you like Pokemon and the Pokemon battling scene, you should check out the Viridian City Gym. It's the crown jewel of the town. Any Pokemon aficionado needs to have visited this Gym, despite its temporary closure."

Felix, Daisy, and Pikachu waved good-bye to the store clerk and stepped outside. It was still morning, though it was getting close to noon. The air was warm.

"Come on! Let's go check out that gym!" exclaimed Daisy. She grabbed Felix by the hand and pulled him down the street.

I guess telling my mom can wait, Felix thought to himself.

Despite being larger than Pallet Town, Viridian City had a peaceful stillness that you could only find in West Kanto. Viridian was a lush city, surrounded by trees and packed with paths that cut through green pastures. The city wasn't industrial; the architecture was a call back to simpler times. A time before Team Rocket's terrorism. Before Silph Co.'s technological ambitions. Before the war.

The two friends strolled around the town, laughing and admiring what the city had to offer. They passed by a school that was dedicated solely to the study of Pokemon. From the sound of the children outside, they were studying the various status conditions that can occur in battle. Felix wished he went to a Pokemon school. A class about how to recover from when your Pokemon has been poisoned seemed much more interesting than arithmetic.

As they came around a corner, an old man suddenly started screaming.

"Don't come through here! This is private property!" The old man shouted. He had a long walking stick that he began waving at them. A girl came running out, trying to restrain him.

"Oh Grandpa! Don't be so mean!" she shouted back at him, but this only made him more irate.

"Stay away from this area if you know what's good for ya!" the old man continued to shout.

"This is the only street that leads up to the gym," whispered Daisy to Felix. "I don't think it's worth it to try and pass."

"Alright, let's head back. I should get back before my mom gets home anyway," said Felix. He was more disappointed than he thought he would be. The gym challenge was irrelevant to him at this point. The money and prestige that came from being a successful Gym Challenger was nothing to his desire to just get Magnemite back.

The two of them, accompanied by Pikachu, headed south for home. They hadn't walked far when Daisy suddenly stopped.

"I know where we can go. A place that's even cooler than the gym," said Daisy.

"Where?"

"The entrance to the Pokemon League itself. The road to the Indigo Plateau."

"Whoa! Is it far?"

"A little. Will your mom mind if you are a little late for dinner tonight?"

"Well, I don't know if she'd like me hanging around Pokemon League trainers. She doesn't like Pokemon training or battles," said Felix. "But that's nothing compared to what I'm prepared to do."

"Well, let's go then!" exclaimed Daisy, beckoning as she strode ahead.

The friends headed west out of town toward Route 22. The Pokemon were a little different than they were on Route 1. The Pokemon seemed more solemn and focused. Mankey stared down from the trees with intense eyes. Nidoran frolicked through the tall grass while Spearow circled above, periodically letting out an eerie cry.

Part of the path was overrun with tall grass that ended at the beginning of a seemingly endless brick road. The air was still and filled with a mustiness that came from a nearby body of water. A figure began to emerge from the horizon. They walked toward the figure as the figure walked toward them. As they approached, it became clear that the figure was Zane.