CHAPTER FIVE
Daniel and Natalie walked through the route which connected Pallet and Viridian, paying no attention to the passing Rattata or nesting Pidgey in their trees. Their footsteps among the tall grass was only punctuated by the sounds of Pokemon all around them.
"Do you think we left too early?" Natalie asked.
The farewell dinner had lasted beyond Daniel and Beth's usual bedtime, but Mary had sent them to bed so they wouldn't be too tired for tomorrow. Natalie had stayed over, occupying a sleeping a bag on the floor of Beth's bedroom. When Daniel had awoken at dawn out of sheer excitement and trepidation for the journey to come, he found it hard to concentrate on not waking anybody up while he read Pokemon manuals, repacked his bag and tried to keep Meowth quiet while brushing his fur.
After breakfast and an awkward, tearful goodbye, Daniel and Natalie set off for Viridian City. Beth had watched sourly, her arms folded, until the two of them were out of sight.
They walked along the sunny streets of Viridian City. The hustle and bustle of the marketplace was stirring, and townspeople were erecting placards and signs, advertising new items and discounts. Daniel saw with a pang that the PokeMart was advertising their 'new in stock' Ponyta Pokedoll.
As they walked past Natalie's parents' house, Daniel stopped but Natalie continued on.
"Don't you want to say goodbye to your parents?" he asked.
Natalie shrugged. "Not really."
The fresh sense of adventure had been slightly dampened. Daniel tried to think of happy things, realising he'd miss his mother's baking.
"Are you sure?" Daniel asked, pressing the matter.
"I'm sure," Natalie insisted, pasting a smile onto her face. "Look!"
In front of the forest was a building which functioned as an entry checkpoint.
"Viridian Forest... I heard it's a maze in there." Daniel said.
"The bug catchers in our class like to visit here. commented Natalie. "Do you think we'll bump into them?"
"Perhaps they'll be interested in a Pokemon battle," Daniel smiled, turning to Natalie. "Now that we're Pokemon Trainers."
Taking one last look at Viridian City, Natalie paused as Daniel turned to enter.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"My parents... they didn't even look up when I told them I'd be leaving."
Discomfited, Daniel asked, "Are you sure they heard you?"
Natalie blocked her eyes from the sun as she peered past the Viridian Gym and to the bustling crowd gathering at the PokeMart, where Daniel's Mom would start work soon.
"We should get a move on. Ready?"
Daniel and Natalie entered the building, packed full with Bug Trainers hoping to get an early start on their training. The Bug Trainers perused wire racks of pamphlets on the dangers of Poison and Paralysis, nodded gravely as they took advice from each other about hotspots to catch wild Pokemon and debated furiously over the never-ending debate: Caterpie or Weedle?
"Welcome!" sighed the receptionist, glad to turn her attention away from the Bug Trainer who clamoured for her opinion on the subject. "You two don't look like Bug Trainers," she noted with some relief.
"Hey!" came several voices at once. "What's wrong with Bug Trainers?"
Pasting a fake smile on her face, she was quick to respond. "Nothing, nothing at all."
"Is there always this many Bug Trainers?" asked Natalie.
"Always the same people in the same groups," replied the receptionist, careful to keep her voice to a whisper. "They're wildly protective of their strategies to catch Bug Pokemon. You'd have an easier time becoming the Champion than joining their groups without an explicit invitation."
"That's something to think about," smiled Natalie, catching Daniel's eye.
"As for Viridian Forest," the receptionist resumed her speaking voice. "Keep in mind that several of our visitors tend to get lost easily. Don't panic! Bug catchers are roaming around every inch of the place and will help you if you get stuck."
"Thanks," Natalie smiled gratefully, turning to Daniel. "Let's go."
Once inside the forest, the towering trees create a dense canopy over which sunlight thinly filtered through. Leaves crunched beneath their feet and chirps and rustling from branches and tall grass caused the hairs on the back of Daniel's neck to stand on end. A gentle hoot came from above, startling them both.
"It's not too late to turn back, you know," joked Daniel, glancing around warily.
Alight with fervour, Natalie remarked, "Are you kidding? This place is almost magical!"
They came across a sign which gave warnings as to the status ailments that the majority of the Pokemon in Viridian Forest were known to afflict others with. It was advised that Pokemon Trainers bring lots of Antidotes, Paralyz Heals and Awakenings, just in case.
"Luckily we have them," Daniel said. "Shall we - "
"Wait," Natalie whispered, grabbing his wrist. "Look over there."
Nestled under a tree, Daniel saw two Pokemon staring at each other from a short distance away. They were completely motionless, but then Natalie gasped in surprise when one launched itself at the other.
"Look at that poor Caterpie!" Natalie whispered.
One was a Caterpie, attempting to fight a Weedle, with poor results. The Caterpie managed to Tackle Weedle each time it could manage, but the Weedle counter attacked with its Poison Sting. Caterpie was hurt - as a Bug-type, it was susceptible to Weedle's Poison-type attacks.
"I have to help the Caterpie," said Natalie, looking down at Squirtle.
"Be careful!" Daniel whispered in a hushed tone.
Sensing danger from behind, the Caterpie turned and saw that it had an audience. Ramrod still, Caterpie watched tensely as it saw that the two Trainers were accompanied by a Meowth and a Squirtle, before being tackled in a surprise move by Weedle. Caterpie rolled through the grass and landed underneath the trunk of a tree. It attempted to get up but couldn't manage to move. Weedle took this opportunity to attack.
"Squirtle, use Bubble Attack on Weedle!" Natalie cried.
As Weedle leapt to take Caterpie down, its head lowered and its stinger aimed, Squirtle released a series of bubbles which propelled towards Weedle. Weedle was blasted mid-attack, sending it reeling into the undergrowth.
"Natalie, capture it!" Daniel said, coming across an idea.
"Capture the Caterpie?" Natalie turned to him in surprise.
"The Caterpie's weak and it needs a home. Why don't you take it in?"
Natalie smiled, her shoulders sagging with relief. "That's a great idea."
She unlatched a spare Pokeball from her belt, but Daniel cried, "Watch out!"
Instead of focusing on the weakened Caterpie, the Weedle turned its attention to Natalie. It launched itself into the air, but not before a loud thwack sent Weedle flying. It slammed into a tree opposite and slid down it, breathing heavily with the labor of the sudden attack.
"Squirtle," Natalie bent down to hug the Pokemon. At the last minute, Squirtle had pounded Weedle with its fist. "You saved me. Thank you."
Standing up, Natalie gripped the empty Pokeball in her hand. She could capture the weakened Weedle, but she turned to Caterpie instead and threw the Pokeball at it.
The Pokeball made contact with Caterpie, opening and absorbing Caterpie in a flash of red light. As the Pokeball closed, it wiggled slightly and Natalie held her breath as she waited... waited... ah, blessed silence. The Pokeball was still.
"I caught it!" shouted Natalie ecstatically. She ran up to where the Pokeball lay dormant near the trunk and knelt to pick it up.
Natalie released the injured Caterpie from its Pokeball to check on its health. Wheezing with the effort of remaining conscious, Caterpie's body was tinged with a purple hue.
"It's Poisoned!" Daniel said, kneeling beside Natalie. "Weedle's Poison Sting must've caused it."
Daniel handed her an Antidote he retrieved from his backpack. "Use mine."
Natalie thanked him and sprayed the Antidote onto Caterpie. The Bug Pokemon looked relieved, but was still bruised from the fight. Natalie retrieved a Potion from her backpack and administered it to Caterpie, who roused slightly.
"How are you feeling?" Natalie took the Caterpie in her arms. "Are you OK, little guy?"
"Hey!" called a voice from afar. "Did you catch that Caterpie?"
Daniel and Natalie looked up to see a bug catcher running towards them, net in tow and a belt full of Pokeballs.
"Yeah. Well, kind of," Natalie admitted lamely. "This Caterpie was hurt fighting with a Weedle, so I rescued it."
"That's no good! How will Bug-types ever get strong if they're treated like babies?"
"They are babies!" Natalie held the Caterpie in her arms. "Pokemon need care and love to grow. Isn't that right, Squirtle?"
"Whatever," the bug catcher rolled his eyes. "Hey! How about a battle? Let's test your Bug Pokemon against mine!"
"Can't you see we're a bit busy?" Natalie asked.
"Pokemon Trainers have to battle when their eyes meet. It's the code we all live by." the bug catcher said, folding his arms. "If you won't battle, then I'll battle your friend instead."
The bug catcher turned his attention to Daniel, who nodded.
"Sure, I'll battle you." Daniel glanced at Meowth. "Ready?"
Meowth extended its claws, nodding in assent.
"Great," the bug catcher said, stepping back to make a battlefield. "Are you sure you want to take me on? I'm a very skilled Pokemon Trainer, you know."
"It's not exactly like you gave us a choice… "
Daniel and Meowth stood strong.
"I only have one Pokemon," said Daniel. "Let's have a one-on-one battle."
"Only one Pokemon? Hah!" the bug catcher laughed.
"You didn't give us your name," Natalie said, rocking the Caterpie in her arms gently.
"My name?" he asked.
"It's more polite to demand money from someone who you can address by name," Daniel said, his mouth curving into a smile. "Seeing as I'm about to put you in your place!"
"We'll see about that!" the bug catcher roared in laughter. "And what's your name?"
"My name's Daniel. I choose Meowth!"
Meowth walked forward on its four legs, baring its claws.
"I'm Arnie." Arnie selected a Pokeball from his belt and threw it into the grass. "And I choose you, Weedle!"
Weedle appeared in a burst of red light, its stinger aimed.
"Weedle, Poison Sting!" Arnie shouted.
"Meowth, dodge it!" Daniel shouted.
Weedle leapt at Meowth, its stinger sharp, but Meowth was able to avoid it, landing on its hind legs, with its claws drawn.
"Meowth, Scratch Attack!"
"Weedle, String Shot!"
As Meowth leapt towards Weedle, ready to strike, Weedle shot a stream of white string at Meowth. Meowth was impeded, unable to move as the string tightened and caused Meowth to fall over.
"Now, Weedle! Use Poison Sting!"
Weedle leapt at Meowth, its stinger landing in Meowth's chest as Meowth howled in pain, trying in vain to scratch Weedle, but its limbs were bound. It fell over in its attempt to remain upright.
"Weedle, same again! Aim for the chest!" Arnie ordered.
"Meowth, don't try to use Scratch Attack!" Daniel cried. "Dodge with all your might and use Bite Attack instead!"
As Weedle leapt towards Meowth, Meowth managed to take an uneasy step back and catch Weedle in its mouth. Biting down hard, Weedle let out a screech of pain that echoed through the trees, and Meowth swung Weedle around in its mouth until it dropped, lifeless, to the ground.
"WEEDLE!" Arnie screamed, racing into the field.
Daniel rushed in, taking Meowth in his arms. Covered in Weedle's String Shot, Meowth almost looked mummified.
"Tell me how to get this stuff off," Daniel demanded, trying to pick the string off as Meowth wriggled without abandon, making the process a lot more difficult.
"I'll only tell you if you forfeit the right to collect money from me." Arnie said, as he picked up his injured Weedle.
"That's not fair!" Natalie shouted. Caterpie was now wriggling in her arms with joy and in good health. Squirtle looked angrily at Arnie, clearly understanding the situation. "You lost; you have to give some of your money to Daniel. Your so-called code has some serious flaws!"
Grumbling, Arnie retrieved a wad of cash from his pocket. He tossed it on the ground as though it were defiled. He headed off, muttering to himself.
Daniel picked up the slightly muddy cash, brushing the leaves off his clothes.
"That guy was a jerk," Natalie said, approaching Daniel with Caterpie in her arms and Squirtle by her side. "Wait a second! I have an idea!"
"What are you talking about?" Daniel asked, still frantic in his attempts to rescue Meowth from mummification.
"Stand back; let Squirtle deal with this." Natalie said.
Daniel obliged, feeling a pit of guilt as he left Meowth on the grassy floor, angrily clawing at the sticky strands which encased him.
"Squirtle, Water Gun!"
Squirtle hesitated for a second, then released a jet of water from its mouth which drenched Meowth head to toe. Meowth stood in vain against the torrent, which sent him flying through the tall grass, sending Pidgeys who were feeding on fallen berries scattering in all directions.
"Meowth!" Daniel cried, running towards the fallen figure of his Pokemon.
Meowth was cold and shivering, but Daniel took him in his arms nonetheless. He could see that Weedle's String Shot had began to dissipate and Meowth could move again. Meowth jumped out of Daniel's arms and gave him a cautious look as he shook his fur.
"I'm sorry, Meowth. It was the only way to get that sticky string off of you," Daniel said.
Meowth relented slightly, shivering.
"Wrap him in this." Natalie said, pulling a fresh blanket from her backpack. Daniel took it with a thanks and wrapped it around Meowth, drying him.
"How's Caterpie?" Daniel asked.
"I put it back in its Pokeball. For now, I want to keep it safe and away from Pokemon battles." Natalie said, helping Daniel up as he passed her the towel. "Are you OK, Meowth?"
Meowth nodded, snuggling into Daniel's legs.
"Let's continue on," Daniel said.
Daniel and Natalie walked side-by-side with their Pokemon following them dutifully. They passed flocks of Pidgeys, which scattered before they could come close, and they also caught sight of some Kakuna and Metapod hanging in the trees. They could hear more Caterpie rustling in the grass, as well as catching sight of a few Weedle ominously nearby.
"This place is beautiful," Natalie remarked, stepping over a sleeping Caterpie, careful not to disturb its slumber. "What a wonderful walk to Pewter City."
"You know... not all the places we visit may be as beautiful as this one." Daniel said. "We're lucky."
"Yeah, I know."
They came to a small clearing where they stopped for a short break. They sat with their backs to a large oak tree, taking a sip from their water canteens.
"I wonder what time it is," Natalie said, replacing the cap on her bottle. "It's impossible to tell in here."
"We'd know if it was getting dark. It'd be quite scary," Daniel admitted, looking up to where the tree's thick branches filtered dim rays of sunlight.
"You're scared of the dark?" Natalie teased, turning to him with a smile.
"My Dad used to be a hiker. He'd scold me for being afraid of the dark; he'd say it was just part of the excitement of being on an adventure."
Natalie remained silent then noticed something rustle in the undergrowth, "Look!"
Daniel glanced over at to a patch of tall grass, where a Pokemon with a stem-like body, a leaf on either side acting as hands and a yellow, bell-shaped head was trying to catch berries from a nearby tree.
"It's a Bellsprout!" Natalie whispered. "You don't see them in these parts."
The Bellsprout was flailing with its leaf arms, trying to pick up a berry and consuming it hungrily.
"You should catch it, Daniel."
Daniel turned to Meowth. "Do you think I can?"
Meowth shook his head, pointing to himself.
"Ah, I see. You can," Daniel laughed.
Bellsprout looked up at the sudden noise, frozen in place as it noticed a Meowth eyeing it. Sensing danger, Bellsprout took off at a run.
"Meowth, chase after it!"
Daniel followed Meowth as they both ran after the Bellsprout, who fled using its skinny, stem-like legs.
"Wait for me!" Natalie said, getting up from her spot under the tree. "Let's follow them, Squirtle."
However, Daniel and Meowth, were not having much luck. Bellsprout was very agile, jumping over a fallen log with ease in its attempts to escape.
"Weedle's String Shot sure would've been helpful here," Daniel puffed, as he climbed over the fallen log with Meowth at his side.
As they turned a corner, they saw that the Bellsprout had come to a dead end, and had turned to face its pursuers with a defiant look.
"Meowth, you ready?" Daniel asked, looking down to his feline pal. Meowth nodded. "Good. Use Growl Attack!"
Meowth let out a growl at Bellsprout which made it hesitate for a moment, increasing its caution.
"OK, Meowth. Use Scratch Attack on Bellsprout!"
Meowth ran towards Bellsprout, its claws drawn. Bellsprout stood its ground and released long vines from its body which lashed out at Meowth. Meowth was sent flying backwards by the sudden attack, rolling across the ground near Daniel's feet.
"Meowth!" cried Daniel, kneeling to aid his Pokemon
"Daniel, are you OK?" shouted Natalie, disturbing a nest of Pidgey above who took to the skies in alarm.
Natalie and Squirtle arrived on the scene, noticing Meowth injured on the forest floor.
"Yeah. This Pokemon is tough once it's in a pinch." Daniel sighed, looking at Bellsprout's fierce expression.
"I wish I could help you, but Squirtle's weak to Grass-types." Natalie said. "Are you still going to capture it?"
Daniel stood defiantly and helped Meowth to its feet.
"Meowth, I saw how agile you were in your first battle. I want you to dodge Bellsprout's vines at all costs, then use Scratch Attack again, OK?"
Meowth nodded, nervously turning towards Bellsprout, who remained furious.
"Go!" Daniel shouted.
Meowth set off towards Bellsprout, its claws drawn. Bellsprout used Vine Whip again, brandishing its vines at Meowth. Meowth avoided the first one, then the second, then the third as it came closer and closer.
"Squirtle, use Water Gun on Bellsprout!" Natalie shouted. "Trust me!"
Squirtle nodded, taking a deep breath and expelling a jet of water directly at Bellsprout. Bellsprout was quite unharmed, but this second of distraction was enough for Meowth leap up at Bellsprout and scratch it several times on the face.
"Bite Attack, Meowth!"
Meowth bit firmly into Bellsprout, causing it to writhe in pain.
"Watch out, Meowth!" Daniel shouted, unlatching an empty Pokeball from his belt and throwing it at Bellsprout.
Meowth jumped out of the Pokeball's trajectory as the Pokeball made contact with Bellsprout, absorbing it in a flash of red light and lay still on the grassy floor, shaking slightly. Daniel and Natalie held their breath. The Pokeball stayed motionless.
"I caught Bellsprout!" Daniel shouted, running towards the inert Pokeball. He picked it up and attached it to his belt. "Thank you, Meowth. And you too, Natalie, and Squirtle. It was a team effort."
Daniel hugged Meowth, as Natalie smiled and watched on. She gave Squirtle an affectionate pat on the head.
"We should go." Natalie said, as Daniel got to his feet. "It'll be getting dark soon."
Not long after they continued through the maze of forestry, there was a clearing of sorts where light streamed abound from above and they raced towards the exit, panting with exertion. They both wanted to visit the Pokemon Center to heal their newly caught Pokemon - Daniel's Bellsprout and Natalie's Caterpie.
"Stop right there!" came a voice.
Their ardour slightly dampened, both Daniel and Natalie turned to see a trio of Bug Catchers, all recognisable from the Pokemon Trainer's School. They held nets, wore straw hats and tan shorts, with several Pokeballs buckled on their belts.
"What are you two doing out here?" one asked.
"We're on our Pokemon adventure," replied Daniel, noticing that the three were covered in sweat from the day's activities.
"You've left the Pokemon School?" asked another bug catcher. "To do what?"
"To collect the Gym Badges, of course," smiled Natalie. "Don't you guys want to do that someday?"
They shuffled uncomfortably. "To be honest, we hadn't thought that far ahead. We want to stay and train our Bug Pokemon."
"Well, as a matter of fact, I recently caught a Bug Pokemon - "
"You did?" "Where?" "What Bug Pokemon?"
"A Caterpie," said Natalie proudly, as the bug catchers twittered among themselves.
"What markings does it have?" "What will you feed it?" "What is the consistency of its String Shot?"
"You've set them off," whispered Daniel. "Now we'll never be able to leave."
"Thanks guys, really," Natalie made to move away from their earnest stares, but they began unconsciously following in her direction. "I'll take all of it under consideration - "
"We didn't give you any advice," interrupted one. "You haven't answered our questions yet."
"Um, I'll, uh, let you know," Natalie pasted a fake smile on her face. The exit was right there! If she just -
"Wait!" shouted one of them. "I can't let you leave without some serious training in how to battle with Bug Pokemon. If you'd like, I'll show you."
"Yeah!" cried his Bug-catching buddies. "Battle! Battle!"
Reluctantly, Natalie nodded her assent. She backed off to make room for a battlefield in the small clearing and Daniel joined by her side.
"His name's Charlie, right?" she asked.
"Right," he agreed.
Charlie backed off to a corner of the clearing, too. His buddies watched sideline.
"So you only have one Pokemon?" asked Charlie, drawing one from his belt. "Let's make this a one-on-one fight."
"Sure." Natalie held back Squirtle, who waddled forward. She shook her head. "I want to try out Caterpie."
She threw her Pokeball into the clearing, where it burst in red light. Caterpie materialised, looking up at the Trainers who stood so much taller than him. He shrinked at the sight of the bug catcher's nets and watched them warily.
"Go, Weedle!" shouted Charlie, tossing his Pokeball into the field. Amid a flash of red light, a Weedle stared at Caterpie and wiggled in the undergrowth.
"Weedle, Poison Sting!" Charlie shouted.
"Caterpie, watch out!" cried Natalie.
Caterpie leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding Weedle's poised stinger as it jumped past.
"Caterpie, String Shot!"
Weedle collected itself out of a pile of leaves and launched itself again at Caterpie. Caterpie shot binding silk from its mouth, entangling the Weedle mid-flight, but while the stinger missed its mark, Weedle's bound body slammed dully into Caterpie's body and sent it reeling.
"Caterpie!" cried Natalie.
Weedle struggled to get up, while Caterpie limped from the slight injury.
"Weedle!" demanded Charlie. "Get up!"
"Tackle, Caterpie! Try your best!" shouted Natalie.
Caterpie nodded and ran at a decreased pace towards Weedle, rustling through the grass and tackling Weedle's fallen form side on. There were gasps from the bug catchers as Weedle was clearly quite trapped with no way to break free.
"Tackle it again!" cried Natalie.
Again and again Caterpie tackled Weedle, until the rival bug Pokemon lay unconscious in the grass. When Weedle disappeared inside its Trainer's Pokeball in a flash of red light, Natalie ran out to embrace her victorious Caterpie.
"You were great, Caterpie!" she snuggled him gently. "Nice work!"
Standing to brush the dirt from her pants, she noticed Charlie making her way across to her, handing out a wad of cash.
"Thanks," Natalie accepted it and shook his hand. "My Caterpie needed some training."
"It's a shame you're leaving Viridian," Charlie shook his head. "There aren't many girls who want to catch Bug Pokemon."
"They're not so bad once you get to know them." Natalie smiled, cradling her Caterpie in her arms. "Right?"